HAUNTED: A Review

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk was like reading a darker, more twisted, disturbingly funny, awkward episode of The Twilight Zone (1959-1964). It's about a group of writers who get locked together for three months and have to write. That reminds of writing for school. I feel like I'm being forced and I won't write under those circumstances. I like writing on my terms, like this blog or when I get inspiration to write not during school. I was also reminded of Clue (1985); a cast of characters put together over a period of time. In Clue it was just overnight, but in Haunted it was longer causing it be much better.

It was hard for me to determine how many writers were in the group, that was the only confusing part of Haunted. I thought of some possibilites to how many writers there were:

1. Twenty writers not counting the unnamed narrator and counting Brandon Whittier and Mr. Whittier as two different people.
2. Twenty-one, counting the unnamed narrator, Brandon Whittier and Mr. Whittier.
3. Twenty writers counting the unnamed narrator and Brandon Whittier and Mr. Whittier as one person. 
4. Nineteen writers not counting the unnamed narrator and counting Brandon Whittier and Mr. Whittier as one person.

I think that's all the possibilites; I went over this about three times and wrote it down. Personally, I think there were twenty writers counting the unnamed narrator and Brandon Whittier and Mr. Whittier as one person. You can try to keep track of the writers yourself while you read Haunted, but it gets more confusing with the character as the story continues. The emphasis is obviously not on how many writers there are. The emphasis is on the story, the writing and the characters. So don't stop reading Haunted just because you get confused about how many writers there are. And if this whole section of the review confused you even more, I'm sorry. 

Here's a list of all the characters in Haunted who were also part of the narrative, not just the ones who told short stories. 

1. Saint Gut-Free
2. Mother Nature
3. Miss America
4. Lady Baglady
5. Earl of Slander
6. Duke of Vandals
7. Mrs. Clark
8. Director Denial
9. Reverend Godless
10. The Matchmaker
11. Sister Vigilante
12. Chef Assassin
13. Comrade Snarky
14. Agent Tattletale
15. The Missing Link
16. The Countess Foresight
17. The Baroness Frostbite
18. Miss Sneezy
19. Mr. Whittier

Haunted is made up of these short stories that explained something about the character telling it. These stories actually felt like real things that could happen in real life. Especially Saint Gut-Free's tale. I had to stop and remind myself that the "facts" in that story aren't really facts, at least I hope they're not. There is an unnamed narrator, but the characters take turns narrating their stories. I like how to all flowed together as the narration changed. It was never confusing, in fact it kept me more involved in the story. When I first started reading Haunted, I thought the short stories were backstories to how they got their nickname, but that changed as I read more. The last few chapters really revealed the theme of Haunted, "Every story is a ghost." It became very clear and I actually left sympathy for the characters in the story. My eyes were opened wide and I finally got it. I also got a little skeeved out. The twist in Haunted came to me when I became aware of the theme. There might have been a bigger, better twist, but I didn't notice. Maybe you will.

Palahniuk have a tendency to have more than one storyline going and they all come together when the twist happens. In Haunted, it's no different, but I did feel as if even more was going on because of all the different characters and all the different twists and turns the story takes. It wasn't as funny as the other Palahniuk novels I've read, but has its very own brand of humor and you have to be a fan of Palahniuk to really enjoy it, which I did.

What I really enjoyed about Haunted was the repetition of the writers being "The camera behind the camera behind the camera" and that they were writing stories. Their twisted goal of wanting to be famous is similar to me wanting to be famous for my stories. Although I don't want to become famous the same way they become famous. 

Haunted was such an unsettling novel and I don't mean that in a bad way. I loved how unconventional it was and the myriad of characters and all their personalities. It had a similar feeling to Lullaby because of the off putting-ness.

I'm sorry if this review was riddled with spoilers. I tried not to go too in depth about what happens while trying to tell you about Haunted. I don't think I've ruined it. Maybe I gave you some more things to think about while you read Haunted and you can form a better opinion about it. Writing this review was like writing my review of Rant. However I think my review of Rant was better, probably.

I recommend Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk if you want to read a Palahniuk novel unlike any other. 

Update #5

Hello Reading Monsters!

I hate to make a post like this when I'm so on the cusp of finishing Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk, but I didn't want to wait another week to update the blog.

I'm almost done with Haunted, I have less than seventy pages left. Look out for a review soon! I started reading Haunted before the new year, about two weeks before New Year's Eve. Then I got distracted from reading it because I was on vacation and just relaxing. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but I like to read on the subway while I'm going to school or on my way to meet up with a friend. Maybe I'll make a post about it one day. Anyway, since I was on vacation I wasn't taking the subway. Hence why I stopped reading. Now I'm back in the groove, reading on the subway and any other place I get the chance. That's why I'm almost done with Haunted.

When I finish Haunted, I'll have four Chuck Palahniuk books left to read! (Three, if you don't count Invisible Monster Remix as a different book). However after Haunted, I'm going to read the first two books in Hilary Duff's series. There won't be a review on those books until I read the third and final book that comes out in April, so there'll be a bit of a wait.

I'm also back at school. This week was the first week of the Spring semester. I'm a little overwhelmed with new classes and getting back into the flow of getting up for school and school work. Bare with me as I get back into my daily routine. When I get back into my routine, normal posting on Lectionem Monstrum will commence.

Help me decide which Palahniuk novel to read next: Damned or Survivor?
I'm leaning towards Damned because I read the synopsis and it sounds funny.

As always send requests and suggestions to lectionemmonstrum@gmail.com! Tell me what you're reading too!

Just Keep Reading!

Top Five Books of 2012

I read a lot of books this past year. It was great! I'm absolutely sure 2012 is the year I've read the most books. I've read about eleven books this year and I hope to increase that number next year. I'm going to keep a list of all the novels I read in 2013. My goal is to read twenty and when I hit that, fifty.

Here are my Top Five Books I've read in 2012, in order:

1. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk 
2. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson 
3. Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk 
4. The Hipster Handbook by Robert Lanham
5. Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk 

Of course I absolutely recommend every single one of these books! Read them in any order you want, just be sure to read them!

Sidenote: 2012 was the year of Chuck Palahniuk.

Choke and Choke

A quote from Choke by Chuck Palahniuk I think sums it up quite nicely is,

"Nothing is as exciting as your fantasy." - Victor Mancini. 

When you read Choke, you'll understand.

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk 

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk was really funny. As soon as it started The details were so vivid I could actually see everything happening. I wasn't confused at all. I don't think I can emphasize how much the detail brought everything to life. This is the most vivid mind imagery I've ever had while reading a book. Maybe it's because I've read so many that now my mind is used to creating an imagine. But I really think it was the style of writing in Choke. The style of writing reminded me of Bret Easton Ellis's tweets on Twitter. Victor has a similar personality to Ellis on Twitter, which is a mixture of complaining, womanizing, scheming and intentionally having the most unpopular opinion so that people will argue with you. Reading Choke was like talking to a friend because of the style of writing. The language and tone were the chillest out of all the Palahniuk novels I've read.

The theme of all parents screw up their kids is prevalent. I love that theme because it's so true and so easy to relate. I also think existentialism is another theme in Choke; Victor is just in a perpetual state of existentialism and it's hilarious. He is living day to day searching for a reason to live and not give up with everything going the opposite ideal. The few things he does to keep him going are even a burden to him.

The last few chapters of Choke were totally Fight Club-esque. I felt that Victor came to a realization just like the narrator of Fight Club did. Some other parts of those last chapters reminded me of Fight Club, but I don't want to spoil anything. The twist in Choke is also unlike any other Palahniuk novel; it's so much better. There's also a hilarious scene towards the end of the book while Victor is pretending to choke.

Choke is absolutely the Palahniuk novel I see most of myself. When I was reading Choke, all I could think was Victor says everything I think. He's my spirit animal. Choke is mostly it's about a relationship between a mother and her baby boy (which I think is one of the strongest relationships  especially if the son is the first or only born). Diary by Chuck Palahniuk is my favorite novel by him, but after reading Choke I think it's taking a seat as second best. I literally cannot say enough great praises about Choke. I most definitely recommend Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. It has to be the best book I've read all 2012.

Choke (2008)

Choke directed by Clark Gregg was funny; I love a good dark comedy. I was really excited/anxious to see how the novel was adapted into a film. Because you can get away with so much more in a novel than in a film and Palahniuk's novels take full advantage of that. I couldn't wait to see what was left out and kept from the book in the film. To my surprise, a lot from the novel was kept in the film. Two scenes I thought would give it a rating of NC-17 were kept and Choke (2008) was only rated R. Amazing. I liked Choke by Chuck Palahniuk better only because the way I pictured the characters was completely different from who they casted. For example, even though Sam Rockwell's acting was more than I could've asked for, I don't think he embodied Victor too well. I just wish the acting of Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston was still there just in other actors. Does that make sense?

I don't know what it is, but recently when I watch a film of a book I've read, I just feel like everything is just happening; just scene after scene. So I tried to imagine I hadn't read Choke before watching Choke. It kind of worked, especially when one of the characters was introduced.

The opening scene of Choke completely reminded me of Fight Club (1999). It's quite difficult to talk about Choke the film without giving anything away. I did find it funny and I really appreciated that not much had changed in the adaptation. But the book is far more memorable.

I definitely recommend reading Choke by Chuck Palahniuk before you watch Choke (2008).

Sidenote: There was a connection to Choke by Chuck Palahniuk to the film The Art of Getting By (2011) directed by Gavin Wiesen. The quote in Choke, "We live, we die, and anything else is just delusion." immediately made me think of the quote, "We live alone, We die alone. Everything else is just an illusion." from The Art of Getting By. Choke came out before The Art of Getting By leading me to think that either the writer of The Art of Getting By, Wiesen, read Choke or he just thought of it himself. I just find it so uncanny how similar the quotes were if they just coincidentally happened. Pretty cool if was just a coincidence.

Christmas 2012 Wish List

There's only one week until Christmas! I'm excited to eat, spend the whole day with my family and listen to Christmas music!

This year I only have ONE item on my list. (Crazy, right?!) That one item is: 

 

Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by The Grimm Brothers 

(Available at Barnes & Nobles)

Recently, I've been watching A LOT of Supernatural (understatement of the year). There was one episode in season three entitled "Bedtime Stories" that caught my attention. It was about fairy tales coming to life. They mentioned how the original fairy tales weren't as sweet as Disney has made them out to be. I thought, Hey, I've never read any of the fairy tales by The Grimm Brothers. And that's when I had the brilliant idea to get this book. I love fairy tales and dark ominous stories so this book is perfect for me!

What's on your Christmas list? 

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

"When you're on a road trip, life is all about the detours..."

I discovered this book because of a post I saw on Tumblr. It was quote from the book. I wanted to know where the quote was from so I Googled it and found Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. I didn't want to read it at first because within the description it states that Amy finds Roger "unexpectedly cute". That just struck me as odd or a cliché. It's very much implied when it's a story about a boy and a girl that one of them finds the other attractive. Even if they start off hating each other, eventually they fall in love. It's the basis of every love story at least every teen love story. I also didn't want to read it because Amy is entering her senior year of high school and I'm a college sophomore, half way done too. I didn't want to read about someone younger than me. The last reason I was hesitant to read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was because of the incident in Amy's past that is the reason she's taking a road trip with Roger. Her father dies, prompting her brother to act out and instantly causes her mother to want to move across the country. What a typical story, I thought. I've seen this story so many times and I wasn't convinced that Morgan Matson could write it differently. Also, the title is kind of lame. To me, it sets up the book to be epically excellent and if it's not then what an epic disappointment.

Imagine how surprised I was when  I opened Amy & Roger's Epic Detour and couldn't put it down! It's probably the most engrossing young adult fiction I've read since the Being Nikki series by Meg Cabot. I absolutely loved that Amy and Roger went on a road trip. I want to go on a road trip with my friends; whether it's across the country or just to Texas. Of course my circumstances will be for fun and not move because I lost a parent. I liked that every detour they took was significant to either of them. The detour cities helped the reveal a little bit of their characters. I also loved the music in Roger's playlists. I knew most of the artists, but I also got introduced to new music. I love getting introduced to new music.

At first, Amy is a little too whiny and self loathing to me. I understand why, but I thought it was a bit exaggerated. Amy also seemed a little too clueless. It could be seen as dramatic irony, but it was beating me over the head. However, Amy clearly had the most character development. By the end of the book I think Amy grew up. Now that I think about it, Amy reminded of Devin Brochu's and Rainn Wilson's characters in Hesher (2010). Roger was my favorite character because he is the most intriguing male character in a young adult novel I've read. He was perfect; not only his looks, but his personality and all that he did. All his secrets and baggage weren't laid out for us to see like Amy's. That's always a plus in my book when you keep a little of the character to the character and slowly reveal it to the reader.

From the first page I totally imagined this book as a film. It's totally set up for one. The situation, the characters, the music is already all there. I would love to get the rights and turn it into a feature length teen dramedy. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is just asking to be turned into an independent film. I wonder if Morgan Matson is making any moves to get this made into a film.

My initial thoughts on Amy & Roger's Epic Detour were completely false. Which is the only thing I could ask. The best thing that could happen to me while reading a book is to have my expectations blown up and find that the book is the complete opposite of what I thought.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is a must read! It doesn't start off slow, I got really into it (literally all I wanted to do was read it) and I never wanted it to end. But the way it ended was as perfect as ending could get.

If I were to update my Reread List Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson would definitely be added. 

Young Adult Fiction & Adult Fiction

About a week ago I started to read Hell Week (Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil) by Rosemary Clement-Moore. Almost a month ago I checked it out from the library because I was feeling in the mood to read something supernatural (I mentioned that in a pervious post). Anyway, I started to read it and about five pages in I decided it was absolutely boring and I didn't want to read it anymore. I only kept reading up until about page fifty was because I was waiting to go somewhere and I needed something to do besides drool over my phone. I read Highway to Hell from the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series when I was a senior in high school. I don't remember if I liked it or not. All I remember is that I stayed up until it was time to get ready for school finishing it because it was due on that day and I couldn't renew it anymore. That wasn't a very good idea because I was tired all day and I felt miserable. I will forever associate the Maggie Quinn series with that painful memory. That may have played a role in why I didn't want to read Hell Week.

At first I wanted to read Hell Week because I was in the mood to read something supernatural and it's nice to read something other than Chuck Palahniuk novels. But I wanted to read something supernatural themed about four weeks ago and during that time I was reading two Palahniuk novels. So by the time I was ready to start Hell Week I was no longer in the mood to read something supernatural. The next Palahniuk novel I want to read has been in the back of my head for two years now. That's how long I've wanted to read it and I still can't wait to read it.

I think a major reason why Hell Week didn't hold my attention was because it's a young adult novel. Even though the story is about Maggie Quinn, a freshman in college going through Rush week, I felt I am too mature for it. That might sound pretentious or cocky, but I truly believe it. The font was so large, the language too simple. I've been reading Chuck Palahniuk novel after Chuck Palahniuk novel (not to mention Bret Easton Ellis novels) with sophisticated plots and advanced sentence enhancers (big words). I guess I've set myself up to only read novels with intriguing plots and unconventional characters; characters who are further from my age, but I can still relate to them. I feel a little bad starting a novel and not finishing it, but I did that when I first read the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar and a couple years later I was hooked. Maybe that'll happen with Rosemary Clement-Moore's series (I doubt it though).

I say that I'm only going to be reading adult fiction novels, but Meg Cabot's youth novels, the Gossip Girl series, A Series of Unfortunate Events series and more youth fiction will always have a special place in my heart. I'll never not want to read those books. I'm also considering reading the series Hilary Duff wrote. I don't know anything really about the series, literally only that she wrote it, but I imagine it's a young adult series. I love Hilary Duff so I'd read her series no matter how old the character.

One of the reasons I love to read is so I can put myself in someone else's life and lose myself; I can imagine myself as the protagonist or antagonist. Isn't one of the joys in life reading about someone you could be? That's why I like to read books about characters who are older than me. I can imagine myself as them in the future. I'm a future oriented person; I love to dream about the future. And as much as I love to read about characters who are my age just because they're my age, reading about older characters is more appealing because I can look into the future. It's like looking into a crystal ball and I'm a completely different person. I do, however, love to watch films about characters my age and about five years older. Watching a film about an older character is kind of freaky. I view it as that could actually happen to me whereas in a book it's more hypothetical. If you follow my logic, congratulations  You're as peculiar as I am!

Well, those are my thoughts on young adult and adult fiction. I much prefer adult fiction because I'm getting older (shutter) and that section of the library is vast and unending. I could live in that section of the library.