Guts

adeandabet:

peterwknox:

All this ‘sudden’ discovery of the Palahniuk short story ‘Guts’ is lame. Predictably, parents would object to it being assigned in high school English, but it’s been out for almost 6 years, and included in his novel Haunted. Chuck even used to read it aloud for groups.

But even better than the actual short story, is Chuck’s essay ‘The Guts Effect’ in which he discusses why he stopped doing it at readings. Because people were passing out. 67 people actually. And that essay is terrific, well written, and illustrates the power of storytelling.

A year and a half ago, a NY girl was reading the story on the subway platform, waiting for the L train to come, and passed out just from reading it. Her blog post about it is awesome and worth reading as well.

Overrated story - it’s not even that well written. It’s shock short-story - the literary equivalent of “Rescue 911!” or “Craziest Police Moments Caught On Film”

I am actually in the middle of Haunted right now and I’ll admit, “Guts” gave me a woozy feeling for a second. It is not for the lighthearted. And it isn’t even the main plot point of the story that I found to be the most disturbing.

I disagree with the above. I think it is pretty excellently written and to compare it to dramatization shows that barely show the moments is an insult. Palahniuk’s style is so powerful especially when read aloud because of the visceral details and power of his writing. I’m a huge fan, and I hope the rest of Haunted is as powerful.

Source: peterwknox

36 Notes/ Hide

  1. valkyrierisen reblogged this from jager
  2. uncompromising reblogged this from peterwknox and added:
    I didn’t faint after reading...I was sitting on...train...
  3. glasgow-kiss reblogged this from bildungsroman and added:
    now i definitely have to read it. can’t wait!
  4. dankeddies reblogged this from jager
  5. bildungsroman reblogged this from peterwknox and added:
    Right before that book came out, six years ago as mentioned, I went...hear him do a...
  6. ewwgrosstori reblogged this from jager
  7. theinternetaccordingtoadrian reblogged this from jager and added:
    I was at a reading in ATX in 2004. He read ‘Guts’. No one fainted. Power of storytelling? Maybe. Power of hype and of...
  8. bloodgaze reblogged this from jager and added:
    *burp hmmmmm, when i think of chuck p. books, i think of high school kids reading fight club and it being their first...
  9. troublicious reblogged this from jager
  10. jager reblogged this from pinkindiaink
  11. pinkindiaink reblogged this from peterwknox
  12. alexash reblogged this from peterwknox
  13. lystra reblogged this from peterwknox
  14. katiewashere reblogged this from peterwknox and added:
    Ditto on what Knox says. While reading...ages ago, I knew what was coming
  15. markyb reblogged this from adeandabet and added:
    I am actually in the middle of Haunted right now and I’ll admit, “Guts” gave me a woozy feeling for a second. It is not...
  16. shorterexcerpts reblogged this from peterwknox and added:
    and attended a reading...read, I still don’t get how you pass
  17. marymo reblogged this from peterwknox
  18. adeandabet reblogged this from peterwknox and added:
    written. It’s shock short-story -...literary equivalent
  19. peterwknox posted this