(4.0 Stars)

This is less a novel than it is a collection of stories. Palahniuk is a master at building characters. And these stories are about characters. By them, of them, about them. You’ll be equally fascinated and repulsed by them, drawn into their lives through the stories they tell, the chilling truth… the outright lies… the highly implausible lives of artists. There is an overall story arch, but the interwoven stories are the meat of this book.

Readers of other Palahniuk works will feel right at home within these pages. Maybe similar to Ballard, Ellison, or even Clive Barker. ( )

Main plot is way over the top, didn't make much sense. Some cools stories here and there, first one made me physically sick, so that was something. ( )

Orrendo. ( )

Gave it around 150 pages and am calling it quits. Loved Choke, Fight Club, Lullaby, and Invisible Monsters - and Rant has to be my favorite by the author. This book however, is not working for me.

Previous to reading "Haunted", I had enjoyed "Fight Club", and my dentist had also recommended this book (my dentist not realizing that a guy who writes like Palahniuk can actually attain mainstream success). & so I decided to check it out. I knew it was going to be disturbing and yes indeed -- The content often made me feel queasy and I had to read this novel in stages. However, even in its darkest moments, the through line remains comical -- Humour being necessary as a counterpoint to the horror. Yes the proceedings are grim, but the thread of glee never retreats -- Even in the most dire of circumstances. The funny names of the quirky group of losers provides levity. The plot-situation comes to resemble "Gilligan's Island" meets "The Manson Family". Within "Haunted's" style of writing, Palahniuk has found the magic formula of accessibility -- in the guise of Patrick Bateman of "American Psycho" wearing a Kurt Vonnegut mask (and speaking with Vonnegut's folksy wit as well).

Ultimately the message of this book is clear: People create and are responsible for the pain, drama and self-sabotage with which they fill their lives. Most would rather wallow in that negativity than take the necessary actions towards maintaining at least serenity, if not actual happiness, in their respective existences. In "Haunted" -- The writer's workshop will be the salvation of the aspirants (some of whom, it is revealed, end up at Mr. Whittier's nightmarish retreat to repay karmic debts). Their fantasy of success is maintained even as things start to go drastically wrong and then downward spiral. When it seems that all hope is lost -- Suddenly the victims are presented with an escape route. Yet instead of grabbing onto the brass ring -- They choose to retreat back into darkness. Within this scenario, Palahniuk's "Weltanschauung" comes into sharp focus -- The supposed aspiring writers reject success, choosing instead to stagnate in the oblivion of their unrealized ambition.

I do respect Palahniuk as a writer, but after reading "Haunted", I need to take a break from his work for the time being. His forte / vein of gold is writing about the fears within the dark corners of our collective unconscious -- In a way that a commercial horror film, that usually relies heavily on a flashier type of sensationalism, will never be able to achieve. In the novel's afterword, Palahniuk tells the reader that the reason that he writes is because with books, there are no limits to restrict where the author's imagination can go -- As opposed to a more commercial product, like a film or a Broadway play, that must be automatically toned down in order to reach the largest audience possible.
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