First off, this is not for the faint of heart. I was reading one of the last books by cult superstar writer Chuck Palahniuk that I had not yet experienced. The book is titled Haunted and follows a group of writers who all respond to the same ad for a writer's retreat. Things go from there and get dark and twisted quick. The book has a broken structure, inserting poems and short stories into the narrative thread. Overall, the book was a bit of a disappointment for me. However, one of the short stories in the novel is simply unforgettable. The story is title "Guts." I warned you once and I will warn again, this is not for the faint of heart. But if you're feeling as though literature has lost its power to make you feel anything, such as I did when I cracked open the page and read this sick yarn, then read "Guts" and tell me it doesn't make you sick all over. The allure of words and stories had never felt more like a punch to my stomach, a choke of my neck, a blow to the head, and a painful enema. Palahniuk ends Haunted by telling readers that over the course of his book tour for the novel, 70 some people fainted while listening to him read "Guts." The story achieves what the novel suggests. It haunts you for days. Read at your own risk.
http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/books/haunted/guts.php
1 comment:
I totally read that book and that story was so icky. So many people I know didn't make it through the book after that.
Have you read Rant yet?
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