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Damned #2
Doomed
Madison Spencer, the liveliest and snarkiest dead girl in the universe, continues the afterlife adventure begun in Chuck Palahniuk’s bestseller Damned. Just as that novel brought us a brilliant Hell that only he could imagine, Doomed is a dark and twisted apocalyptic vision from this provocative storyteller.
The bestselling Damned chronicled Madison’s journey across the unspeakable (and really gross) landscape of the afterlife to confront the Devil himself. But her story isn’t over yet. In a series of electronic dispatches from the Great Beyond, Doomed describes the ultimate showdown between Good and Evil.
After a Halloween ritual gone awry, Madison finds herself trapped in Purgatory—or, as mortals like you and I know it, Earth. She can see and hear every detail of the world she left behind, yet she’s invisible to everyone who’s still alive. Not only do people look right through her, they walk right through her as well. The upside is that, no longer subject to physical limitations, she can pass through doors and walls. Her first stop is her parents’ luxurious apartment, where she encounters the ghost of her long-deceased grandmother. For Madison, the encounter triggers memories of the awful summer she spent upstate with Nana Minnie and her grandfather, Papadaddy. As she revisits the painful truth of what transpired over those months (including a disturbing and finally fatal meeting in a rest stop’s fetid men’s room, in which . . . well, never mind), her saga of eternal damnation takes on a new and sinister meaning. Satan has had Madison in his sights from the very beginning: through her and her narcissistic celebrity parents, he plans to engineer an era of eternal damnation. For everyone.
Once again, our unconventional but plucky heroine must face her fears and gather her wits for the battle of a lifetime. Dante Alighieri, watch your back; Chuck Palahniuk is gaining on you.
The bestselling Damned chronicled Madison’s journey across the unspeakable (and really gross) landscape of the afterlife to confront the Devil himself. But her story isn’t over yet. In a series of electronic dispatches from the Great Beyond, Doomed describes the ultimate showdown between Good and Evil.
After a Halloween ritual gone awry, Madison finds herself trapped in Purgatory—or, as mortals like you and I know it, Earth. She can see and hear every detail of the world she left behind, yet she’s invisible to everyone who’s still alive. Not only do people look right through her, they walk right through her as well. The upside is that, no longer subject to physical limitations, she can pass through doors and walls. Her first stop is her parents’ luxurious apartment, where she encounters the ghost of her long-deceased grandmother. For Madison, the encounter triggers memories of the awful summer she spent upstate with Nana Minnie and her grandfather, Papadaddy. As she revisits the painful truth of what transpired over those months (including a disturbing and finally fatal meeting in a rest stop’s fetid men’s room, in which . . . well, never mind), her saga of eternal damnation takes on a new and sinister meaning. Satan has had Madison in his sights from the very beginning: through her and her narcissistic celebrity parents, he plans to engineer an era of eternal damnation. For everyone.
Once again, our unconventional but plucky heroine must face her fears and gather her wits for the battle of a lifetime. Dante Alighieri, watch your back; Chuck Palahniuk is gaining on you.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2013
About the author
Chuck Palahniuk
231 books129k followersWritten in stolen moments under truck chassis and on park benches to a soundtrack of The Downward Spiral and Pablo Honey, Fight Club came into existence. The adaptation of Fight Club was a flop at the box office, but achieved cult status on DVD. The film’s popularity drove sales of the novel. Chuck put out two novels in 1999, Survivor and Invisible Monsters. Choke, published in 2001, became Chuck’s first New York Times bestseller. Chuck’s work has always been infused with personal experience, and his next novel, Lullaby, was no exception. Chuck credits writing Lullaby with helping him cope with the tragic death of his father. Diary and the non-fiction guide to Portland, Fugitives and Refugees, were released in 2003. While on the road in support of Diary, Chuck began reading a short story entitled 'Guts,' which would eventually become part of the novel Haunted.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,101 reviews
December 4, 2013
I was really excited to read this book, as I used to love Chuck Palahniuk - particular favs were Diary and Lullaby. However, something appears to have happened either to me or his writing. I just couldn't stand the voice of Maddison, the main character who is stuck in purgatory in this sequel to Damned. The blog post thing felt too fake, like he is just trying to write in a "hip" format and attract a younger readership. The text felt forced, the writing was trying too hard, trying too hard to be cool and speak the language of a younger demographic. I am only 32 but I am so sick of reading text like that. I read a novel because I'M SICK of reading short blurbs, blog posts, tweets, etc. I want long, juicy thick paragraphs, and this book was so snippy, I couldn't really sink my teeth in to it. Too bad, he used to be such a great writer - always with edgy ideas that bloomed into good prose.
March 26, 2017
1 star
Oh, the lengths a Palahniuk-completist will go...
I can't think of a single complimentary thing to say about Chuck Palahniuk's Doomed. All I can say is, if he foists another WTF-y spoogy porn-fest our way (disguised as faux-enlighted social commentary, or worse, re-writing Dante's Divine Comedy for shits and giggles) I'm really going to have to rethink this 'completist' thing. He really needed to keep the thirteen year-old, insufferably vapid Madison Spencer banished in hell (which see Damned) and quit while he was (barely) ahead. Instead, we're treated to a richly-detailed, six chapter-long scene involving a roadside rest area bathroom's "glory hole" (among several scenes I can't possibly un-read).
If you're looking for porny goodness (or a novel replete with glory holes), allow me to suggest Nicholson Baker's House of Holes and ditch this barf-inducing crap. (No, it's not very good either, but at least it's funny--a quality Doomed is totally devoid of.)
Oh, the lengths a Palahniuk-completist will go...
I can't think of a single complimentary thing to say about Chuck Palahniuk's Doomed. All I can say is, if he foists another WTF-y spoogy porn-fest our way (disguised as faux-enlighted social commentary, or worse, re-writing Dante's Divine Comedy for shits and giggles) I'm really going to have to rethink this 'completist' thing. He really needed to keep the thirteen year-old, insufferably vapid Madison Spencer banished in hell (which see Damned) and quit while he was (barely) ahead. Instead, we're treated to a richly-detailed, six chapter-long scene involving a roadside rest area bathroom's "glory hole" (among several scenes I can't possibly un-read).
If you're looking for porny goodness (or a novel replete with glory holes), allow me to suggest Nicholson Baker's House of Holes and ditch this barf-inducing crap. (No, it's not very good either, but at least it's funny--a quality Doomed is totally devoid of.)
November 29, 2013
Ah, time for the annual Why Pete Still Loves Chuck Palahniuk Review.
To be honest, there were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book. I've read ALL of his books other than the Kindle single Phoenix. I have my personal favorites of course. Doomed isn't a favorite, but there were certain moments of heartbreak and humor that made me happy. For me, a non-favorite Chuck Palahniuk book will always do more for me than a lot of other authors, whether it be on a pure enjoyment rollercoaster level or because I learn something about writing. He's done both, sometimes combined in the same packages.
The other thing about being a Palahniuk fan, to me, is basically signing up and letting him take you for a ride. He decides what that ride looks like, and that means the subject matter isn't always up your alley. But if you can let go of the idea that you want all of his books to have a strong anti-corporation, anti-religious message of some sorts, you'll be fine, I promise.
This book is fun. It's a good time. And if you're paying attention to this sort of thing the way you can when you really delve into a writer's works, there's some real playfulness with the writing and the ideas of how stories are told. There is a long portion told in flashback, and it's handled so smoothly that I had to flip back because I didn't remember the time travel, yet it was clear what was going on. He's got some of these things down so well that I think a lot of us don't appreciate it. It's like a great magician. An escape may only look easy because he's practiced it so many times, and any one else trying it might not be able to pull it off. But in some ways, that practiced ease takes away from the drama of the whole thing. So keep an eye out.
As for the yearly portion.
If I had to recommend a few favorites for people who have never read one of his books?
Okay, in no particular order.
Choke- I think that although Fight Club is the favorite for a lot, to me this will always be his masterpiece. I think that for a long time, what I always thought attracted me to these books was the plots combined with a masculine appeal that you don't always see in modern fiction. But the more I think back, I think that what really brought me to the table without me knowing it was seeing these portraits of vulnerable, fallible men. Seeing these emotional wrecks gives a young man permission, in a way, to not have his shit together. Choke is the best example of that.
Lullaby- If you want a tight book with an appealing plot and just enough weirdness thrown in, I think this might be another one of Palahniuk's more secret successes. You'll enjoy the time you spend reading it even if it's not one of your absolute favorites.
Rant (audiobook)- This is a great success as an audiobook. Reading by a full cast really brings the fun and craziness of this book to light. I know this isn't a favorite for a lot of people, but I'm telling you, listen to the audiobook.
Fugitives and Refugees- Chuck Palahniuk's guide to his hometown. I had this book with me the first time I visited the city, and some of it is outdated, some still good. But it's the best travel guide you'll ever read, hands-down.
And this is the point where I recommend making the literary field trip. Probably one of the dorkier things I've ever done. Hear me out.
I know this is something book nerds have done in the past. It's not unheard of to visit...I don't know, the Prairie from Little House on the Prairie? If that's real? Or Green Gables. And while I wouldn't want to discredit the experiences of those people, because having just done a version of it myself I can say it's pretty changing, most of the literary field trips I've heard about in the past were basically to a place where the action seemed to involve tall grass and maybe an orphan begging for sludge food.
Although the place I went isn't a lot more palatable.
My trip was to the Wilhelm Memorial Mausoleum in Portland.
This is the spot where Chuck Palahniuk wrote for a while, and a few scenes from Survivor take place here.
It's somewhere I've wanted to go. It used to be state-run, but it has since been sold to a private company, which means that just any old person can't walk in there. Unless they have a relative buried there.
Of course, I have one there. Soooo none of this applies to me. But if you wanted to visit (and you're not going to be an asshole and take or harm anything in the building) I have a couple tips.
1. Findagrave.com is a quick way to find out who is buried where. In fact, you can look by site. Armed with this information, you have everything you need to put up a decent backstory regarding an interred relative.
2. Wearing slightly nicer clothes, bringing flowers, and walking in as though you belong there goes a long way.
The place is everything I hoped it would be. It's a maze of crypts and thrift store furniture.
There's a wet smell, the air and carpet damp depending on where you are in the building. There are bizarre memorials and letters to the dead taped up to the crypts. Everything from the personal, handwritten note to a printed clipart #1 Dad.
The place itself is quite fascinating too. It's a mishmash of class and the tacky. In the room pictured above, remains are stored in small boxes and kept in these wooden cabinets. Just above is a drop ceiling covered in brown water stains.
The elevator buttons themselves are a study in cryptic oddity.
The first thing you feel is how quiet it is. I saw one other person, a maintenance guy on a scissor lift.
Then you start trying to figure out where the hell you are. The building is part tall, part semi-underground. The 5th floor is the ground-level entrance, and each room looks very different, but it's almost like they want you to...browse.
I started to wonder if this was wrong. To come in here and take pictures. There was one crypt for a child with a note on it intended for other mausoleum visitors. The note was sitting on top of a pile of toys and read, "Please do not take any of my daughter's things. I wasn't ever able to give her anything like a Christmas, so this is all I can give her."
There's a guilt you can't help that comes around whenever you feel like you walked in on someone's private business. And things like that made it feel extra private. The difference between walking in on someone in the bathroom while he's just buttoning up as opposed to when he's in the middle of wiping his ass.
But.
What I liked about the mausoleum is that it felt a little more alive than other burial sites. I've been to a handful, and for the most part they're deserted. Some are pathetic. There's a large one here in town bordered by the two busiest roads in town, and actual stones are forbidden because they're too difficult to mow around. So people choose to bury their relatives in the least peaceful spot in town, and they don't think that their memories warrant extra time mowing.
You could tell people were actually visiting here.
As cheesy and stupid as it sounds, for me this was a place that was alive. It was a place where one of my favorite writers wrote one of my favorite books. I'd just spent the last three days in a writer's workshop where he used to go, sitting at the same table, and this was the last little piece of my field trip.
So even if you have to go to a corpse storage unit, even if it means wrestling with a few issues regarding what makes you uncomfortable, you really should take the literary field trip. Go to your favorite author's version New York. Go to the place where your favorite book was written. If you don't know, ask! Email an author. There are some bastards out there, but for the most part I've had a lot of nice interactions with authors and found them to be very pleasant, kind people.
Go there. It beats the shit out of another beach.
To be honest, there were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book. I've read ALL of his books other than the Kindle single Phoenix. I have my personal favorites of course. Doomed isn't a favorite, but there were certain moments of heartbreak and humor that made me happy. For me, a non-favorite Chuck Palahniuk book will always do more for me than a lot of other authors, whether it be on a pure enjoyment rollercoaster level or because I learn something about writing. He's done both, sometimes combined in the same packages.
The other thing about being a Palahniuk fan, to me, is basically signing up and letting him take you for a ride. He decides what that ride looks like, and that means the subject matter isn't always up your alley. But if you can let go of the idea that you want all of his books to have a strong anti-corporation, anti-religious message of some sorts, you'll be fine, I promise.
This book is fun. It's a good time. And if you're paying attention to this sort of thing the way you can when you really delve into a writer's works, there's some real playfulness with the writing and the ideas of how stories are told. There is a long portion told in flashback, and it's handled so smoothly that I had to flip back because I didn't remember the time travel, yet it was clear what was going on. He's got some of these things down so well that I think a lot of us don't appreciate it. It's like a great magician. An escape may only look easy because he's practiced it so many times, and any one else trying it might not be able to pull it off. But in some ways, that practiced ease takes away from the drama of the whole thing. So keep an eye out.
As for the yearly portion.
If I had to recommend a few favorites for people who have never read one of his books?
Okay, in no particular order.
Choke- I think that although Fight Club is the favorite for a lot, to me this will always be his masterpiece. I think that for a long time, what I always thought attracted me to these books was the plots combined with a masculine appeal that you don't always see in modern fiction. But the more I think back, I think that what really brought me to the table without me knowing it was seeing these portraits of vulnerable, fallible men. Seeing these emotional wrecks gives a young man permission, in a way, to not have his shit together. Choke is the best example of that.
Lullaby- If you want a tight book with an appealing plot and just enough weirdness thrown in, I think this might be another one of Palahniuk's more secret successes. You'll enjoy the time you spend reading it even if it's not one of your absolute favorites.
Rant (audiobook)- This is a great success as an audiobook. Reading by a full cast really brings the fun and craziness of this book to light. I know this isn't a favorite for a lot of people, but I'm telling you, listen to the audiobook.
Fugitives and Refugees- Chuck Palahniuk's guide to his hometown. I had this book with me the first time I visited the city, and some of it is outdated, some still good. But it's the best travel guide you'll ever read, hands-down.
And this is the point where I recommend making the literary field trip. Probably one of the dorkier things I've ever done. Hear me out.
I know this is something book nerds have done in the past. It's not unheard of to visit...I don't know, the Prairie from Little House on the Prairie? If that's real? Or Green Gables. And while I wouldn't want to discredit the experiences of those people, because having just done a version of it myself I can say it's pretty changing, most of the literary field trips I've heard about in the past were basically to a place where the action seemed to involve tall grass and maybe an orphan begging for sludge food.
Although the place I went isn't a lot more palatable.
My trip was to the Wilhelm Memorial Mausoleum in Portland.
This is the spot where Chuck Palahniuk wrote for a while, and a few scenes from Survivor take place here.
It's somewhere I've wanted to go. It used to be state-run, but it has since been sold to a private company, which means that just any old person can't walk in there. Unless they have a relative buried there.
Of course, I have one there. Soooo none of this applies to me. But if you wanted to visit (and you're not going to be an asshole and take or harm anything in the building) I have a couple tips.
1. Findagrave.com is a quick way to find out who is buried where. In fact, you can look by site. Armed with this information, you have everything you need to put up a decent backstory regarding an interred relative.
2. Wearing slightly nicer clothes, bringing flowers, and walking in as though you belong there goes a long way.
The place is everything I hoped it would be. It's a maze of crypts and thrift store furniture.
There's a wet smell, the air and carpet damp depending on where you are in the building. There are bizarre memorials and letters to the dead taped up to the crypts. Everything from the personal, handwritten note to a printed clipart #1 Dad.
The place itself is quite fascinating too. It's a mishmash of class and the tacky. In the room pictured above, remains are stored in small boxes and kept in these wooden cabinets. Just above is a drop ceiling covered in brown water stains.
The elevator buttons themselves are a study in cryptic oddity.
The first thing you feel is how quiet it is. I saw one other person, a maintenance guy on a scissor lift.
Then you start trying to figure out where the hell you are. The building is part tall, part semi-underground. The 5th floor is the ground-level entrance, and each room looks very different, but it's almost like they want you to...browse.
I started to wonder if this was wrong. To come in here and take pictures. There was one crypt for a child with a note on it intended for other mausoleum visitors. The note was sitting on top of a pile of toys and read, "Please do not take any of my daughter's things. I wasn't ever able to give her anything like a Christmas, so this is all I can give her."
There's a guilt you can't help that comes around whenever you feel like you walked in on someone's private business. And things like that made it feel extra private. The difference between walking in on someone in the bathroom while he's just buttoning up as opposed to when he's in the middle of wiping his ass.
But.
What I liked about the mausoleum is that it felt a little more alive than other burial sites. I've been to a handful, and for the most part they're deserted. Some are pathetic. There's a large one here in town bordered by the two busiest roads in town, and actual stones are forbidden because they're too difficult to mow around. So people choose to bury their relatives in the least peaceful spot in town, and they don't think that their memories warrant extra time mowing.
You could tell people were actually visiting here.
As cheesy and stupid as it sounds, for me this was a place that was alive. It was a place where one of my favorite writers wrote one of my favorite books. I'd just spent the last three days in a writer's workshop where he used to go, sitting at the same table, and this was the last little piece of my field trip.
So even if you have to go to a corpse storage unit, even if it means wrestling with a few issues regarding what makes you uncomfortable, you really should take the literary field trip. Go to your favorite author's version New York. Go to the place where your favorite book was written. If you don't know, ask! Email an author. There are some bastards out there, but for the most part I've had a lot of nice interactions with authors and found them to be very pleasant, kind people.
Go there. It beats the shit out of another beach.
January 13, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Madison Spencer did what all residents of Hell do on Halloween – she returned to Earth for an evening of candy gathering. Unfortunately, she also missed the midnight curfew and is now stuck in Purgatory (a/k/a Earth) as a ghost.
I realize Chuck Palahniuk is a polarizing figure. Nothing is off limits when it comes to what he writes. I’ve always been a fan of his over-the-top stories and have been a pretty zealous defender of his work. Until now. While I found Damned to be entertaining and brilliant, sadly Doomed just REALLY sucked. I realized too little too late that Madison Spencer is a vapid waste and the rest of the ensemble cast is what made Damned so enjoyable. From wishing I could kill Maddie all over again and end my misery to wishing I had a barf-bag handy for the pointless squick-out factor, this book proved to be an absolutely unnecessary sequel. And the most horrifying thing about Doomed???? The final words – “The End?” NOT A QUESTION MARK!!!! SAY IT AIN’T SO, CHUCK : (
Madison Spencer did what all residents of Hell do on Halloween – she returned to Earth for an evening of candy gathering. Unfortunately, she also missed the midnight curfew and is now stuck in Purgatory (a/k/a Earth) as a ghost.
I realize Chuck Palahniuk is a polarizing figure. Nothing is off limits when it comes to what he writes. I’ve always been a fan of his over-the-top stories and have been a pretty zealous defender of his work. Until now. While I found Damned to be entertaining and brilliant, sadly Doomed just REALLY sucked. I realized too little too late that Madison Spencer is a vapid waste and the rest of the ensemble cast is what made Damned so enjoyable. From wishing I could kill Maddie all over again and end my misery to wishing I had a barf-bag handy for the pointless squick-out factor, this book proved to be an absolutely unnecessary sequel. And the most horrifying thing about Doomed???? The final words – “The End?” NOT A QUESTION MARK!!!! SAY IT AIN’T SO, CHUCK : (
April 11, 2022
This books series was the most absurd, bizarre and a lot of the times disgusting to read. But for some weird reason I was hooked on story. It was shocking yet difficult to stop listening to. I got so attached to Madison and her story even though it was by far the most fucked up story I ever read. I thought the first was a lot but this second one. Damn. But I can't give it lower than five stars but I do recommend you too read reviews of it first and only get into this series if you can handle very bizarre. At least it was for me but then again haven't read anything like it before
September 2, 2016
"Gentle Tweeter,"
Oh, I just don't know where to begin. This was absolutely agonizing. I looked back and saw that I gave Damned (book 1) only one star, so I should not have expected much from the sequel.
**Ctrl + Alt + Frustrated.**
**Ctrl + Alt + Headdesk.**
Admittedly, Chuck did a helluva job in perfecting the obnoxious voice of a 13-yr-old sassy dead girl.
But, I think I am **Ctrl + Alt + So Done** with CP.
I can't believe I went through 329 of 329 (yes, the entire book.. I am hopeless) pages of excruciating misery waiting for something more.
The joke's on me.
* * *
However, I found this line noteworthy;
"You never know the complicated deals two people negotiate in order to stay married beyond the first ten minutes."
* * *
And this particular excerpt singlehandedly lifted this book up from a one-star to a two-star.
"Only the miserable, the failures, the outcasts will crouch for days to observe the mating habits of a salamander. Or to study a boiling teakettle.
The avant-garde in every field consists of the lonely, the friendless, the uninvited. All progress is the product of the unpopular....
Nothing except deep misery leads to real success."
Oh, I just don't know where to begin. This was absolutely agonizing. I looked back and saw that I gave Damned (book 1) only one star, so I should not have expected much from the sequel.
**Ctrl + Alt + Frustrated.**
**Ctrl + Alt + Headdesk.**
Admittedly, Chuck did a helluva job in perfecting the obnoxious voice of a 13-yr-old sassy dead girl.
But, I think I am **Ctrl + Alt + So Done** with CP.
I can't believe I went through 329 of 329 (yes, the entire book.. I am hopeless) pages of excruciating misery waiting for something more.
The joke's on me.
* * *
However, I found this line noteworthy;
"You never know the complicated deals two people negotiate in order to stay married beyond the first ten minutes."
* * *
And this particular excerpt singlehandedly lifted this book up from a one-star to a two-star.
"Only the miserable, the failures, the outcasts will crouch for days to observe the mating habits of a salamander. Or to study a boiling teakettle.
The avant-garde in every field consists of the lonely, the friendless, the uninvited. All progress is the product of the unpopular....
Nothing except deep misery leads to real success."
May 5, 2023
4 MAGGIO, 12.55, ORA STANDARD DELLA BASSA BRIANZA
Gentili Tweeter,
la battaglia tra bene e male continua con Sventura.
Madison questa volta è bloccata sulla Terra, il suo purgatorio!
Dovrà affrontare le paure più grandi, quelle che la fanno sentire una ragazzina codarda...riuscirà la nostra piccola salvatrice a fronteggiare i suoi demoni?
Come al solito Chuck, usando il suo umorismo sarcastico, critica la nostra quotidianità e mette in discussione temi come la religione, la morte e tutto l'ambaradan.
Dannazione mi era piaciuto mooooolto di più, ma ciò non toglie che Palahniuk sia Ctrl+Alt+Genio
Gentili Tweeter,
la battaglia tra bene e male continua con Sventura.
Madison questa volta è bloccata sulla Terra, il suo purgatorio!
Dovrà affrontare le paure più grandi, quelle che la fanno sentire una ragazzina codarda...riuscirà la nostra piccola salvatrice a fronteggiare i suoi demoni?
Come al solito Chuck, usando il suo umorismo sarcastico, critica la nostra quotidianità e mette in discussione temi come la religione, la morte e tutto l'ambaradan.
Dannazione mi era piaciuto mooooolto di più, ma ciò non toglie che Palahniuk sia Ctrl+Alt+Genio
October 17, 2013
As disgusting as the first book in the series, DAMNED, was, DOOMED is somehow even more disgusting, even though it doesn't contain lakes of bodily fluids, land filled with nail clippings, and giant sexual organs. No, this is a different kind of disgusting. If you ever felt tempted to use a glory hole, this book will dissuade you. If you were ever reluctant to dispose of the body of your dead cat, this book will change your mind. And if you ever wanted to try on a dead person's body for size, this book will help you rethink that deplorable idea. This is perhaps the most brilliant end-of-the-world story. Satan's greatest plan for the damnation of the human race plays out in these pages. Be prepared to belch and fart your reverence for the almighty Maddie!
December 24, 2013
Doomed
Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck, we love you. Please remember that. Lullaby is one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read, and I even found a way to work it into my master’s thesis. Choke is cutting social satire of the first order, Fight Club one of the greatest films ever made. Survivor is brilliant in plot, character and execution, and don’t get me started on the thrill-ride that is Haunted.
But I do have a few pet peeves that pop up in Doomed, the sequel to Damned.
First, I don’t have much patience for fiction written in the voice of a child. No matter the skill of the writer, an adult giving voice to a child always comes across as inauthentic and, in the worst cases, foolish. Also, exactly what are we to learn from a child narrator? It certainly won’t shock or disturb any hardened reader of horror or transgressive fiction.
Second, humor in horror is an iffy proposition. When it works, it’s organic, or the comedy is more disturbing than the tragedy (for example, many of the stories in Haunted). Better incidental humor than intentional. Doomed reads more like a Christopher Moore novel (albeit an extremely dark and cynical one).
I’m a fan of Moore’s, but his brand of humor is expected. When I read Palahniuk, I look forward to that nausea that lingers and ultimately consumes me, which I’ve found absent in Doomed.
Chuck Palahniuk
Chuck, we love you. Please remember that. Lullaby is one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read, and I even found a way to work it into my master’s thesis. Choke is cutting social satire of the first order, Fight Club one of the greatest films ever made. Survivor is brilliant in plot, character and execution, and don’t get me started on the thrill-ride that is Haunted.
But I do have a few pet peeves that pop up in Doomed, the sequel to Damned.
First, I don’t have much patience for fiction written in the voice of a child. No matter the skill of the writer, an adult giving voice to a child always comes across as inauthentic and, in the worst cases, foolish. Also, exactly what are we to learn from a child narrator? It certainly won’t shock or disturb any hardened reader of horror or transgressive fiction.
Second, humor in horror is an iffy proposition. When it works, it’s organic, or the comedy is more disturbing than the tragedy (for example, many of the stories in Haunted). Better incidental humor than intentional. Doomed reads more like a Christopher Moore novel (albeit an extremely dark and cynical one).
I’m a fan of Moore’s, but his brand of humor is expected. When I read Palahniuk, I look forward to that nausea that lingers and ultimately consumes me, which I’ve found absent in Doomed.
September 3, 2013
Doomed is written in the form of blog posts from the afterlife, or, rather, purgatory. Madison still walks amongst those she left, and they can't see or hear her. In each chapter (or 'post', as it were), she encounters something new, from seeing her dead grandmother's ghost on a trip to her parents' apartment to guiding the reader through the worst summer of her life - and quite possibly the reason she wound up in hell in the first place.
Later, we find out that in no uncertain terms, death was her destiny. Her crazy-as-all-getout parents knew what would happen from the start, and didn't care one way or another what happened to their daughter.
As a reader, the blog post format is actually very easy to read, offering the story in easily digestible pieces. Every now and again another character will chime in with a post of their own, but about 95 percent comes from Madison's point of view.
As with his other novels, Palahniuk hooks the reader very early on with Doomed. I found myself wanting to read a single chapter before bed and before I knew it, it would be a hundred pages and an hour later! Chuck Palahniuk is really a champion amongst authors, and if you've read and enjoyed his other works (yes, even Pygmy), Doomed definitely will not let you down.
Later, we find out that in no uncertain terms, death was her destiny. Her crazy-as-all-getout parents knew what would happen from the start, and didn't care one way or another what happened to their daughter.
As a reader, the blog post format is actually very easy to read, offering the story in easily digestible pieces. Every now and again another character will chime in with a post of their own, but about 95 percent comes from Madison's point of view.
As with his other novels, Palahniuk hooks the reader very early on with Doomed. I found myself wanting to read a single chapter before bed and before I knew it, it would be a hundred pages and an hour later! Chuck Palahniuk is really a champion amongst authors, and if you've read and enjoyed his other works (yes, even Pygmy), Doomed definitely will not let you down.
March 23, 2018
-Sin garra y forzado.-
Género. Novela (con unas enormes premisas de Narrativa fantástica, eso sí).
Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro Maldita (publicación original: Doomed, 2013) Madison Desert Flower Rosa Parks Coyote Trickster Spencer ya no es un alma en el infierno sino que, por los planes del diablo, ahora es un fantasma atrapado en la Tierra. Cuando el espíritu de la muchachita se desplaza hasta uno de los domicilios familiares, en concreto el de Manhattan, descubre el fantasma de su abuela y a un tipo muy particular que, mediante el abuso de drogas, puede verla. Segundo libro de la trilogía Condenada.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Novela (con unas enormes premisas de Narrativa fantástica, eso sí).
Lo que nos cuenta. En el libro Maldita (publicación original: Doomed, 2013) Madison Desert Flower Rosa Parks Coyote Trickster Spencer ya no es un alma en el infierno sino que, por los planes del diablo, ahora es un fantasma atrapado en la Tierra. Cuando el espíritu de la muchachita se desplaza hasta uno de los domicilios familiares, en concreto el de Manhattan, descubre el fantasma de su abuela y a un tipo muy particular que, mediante el abuso de drogas, puede verla. Segundo libro de la trilogía Condenada.
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Read
July 25, 2016virulent semen canal
pus vulcano
booger pit of inbred cannibals
scurf storm and spittle drizzle
sometimes fermented pee blizzard
pitchers of livingly smashed little white mice for experimenting, served as zuppa porridge(hellbroth) for you
...
pus vulcano
booger pit of inbred cannibals
scurf storm and spittle drizzle
sometimes fermented pee blizzard
pitchers of livingly smashed little white mice for experimenting, served as zuppa porridge(hellbroth) for you
...
June 21, 2018
Apocalipsa este cel de-al doilea volum al trilogiei Blestemați și continuă povestea tinerei Madison care de data aceasta cutreieră lumea celor vii. Deși după ce am citit prima carte a seriei nu eram foarte convinsă că voi putea descoperi ceva mult mai bun în continuare, finalul de tip cliff-hanger al acesteia m-a făcut să-mi doresc cu ardoare și sinceră curiozitate filosofică să citesc și volumul final, ce nu a fost încă publicat la noi.
Deși i-a lipsit umorul pe care eu l-am gustat mai mult în primul volum, Apocalipsa a triumfat prin ideea aflată în spatele întregii povești, singurul motiv care m-a făcut să-mi continui lectura și care m-a convins de valoarea lui Palahniuk ca scriitor, chiar dacă momentan nu chiar unul dintre favoriții mei. Problema se pune de data aceasta nu numai între bine și rău, ci Madison se întreabă constant în privința voinței sale și exercitării ei în cadrul propriei existențe. Dumnezeu și Satana, ambii par a încerca să o tragă de partea lor pentru a salva sau distruge lumea prin intermediul părinților ei și ambii par a-i avea deja povestea scrisă într-o carte, fără drept de apel. „Ce va face Maddy în această situație?” este întrebarea principală urmărită în carte.
Propriu-zis, romanul este compus din mai multe capitole ce conțin flashback-uri din vara în care Madison a fost trimisă în Nord, la bunicii ei din partea mamei. La sfârșitul acelei veri, ambii ei bunici au murit, iar ea a fost martora celor întâmplate. Tot în aceste capitole ni se revelează și unul dintre motivele damnării micuței adolescente, însă lucrurile se dovedesc a sta cu totul altfel la final. Ce pot spune despre acest lucru este faptul că evenimentul reprezintă o scenă crudă și scandaloasă, care lasă puternice urme în conștiința protagonistei noastre fantomă. Prin urmare, cea mai mare parte a acestui roman este alcătuită din mustrările de conștiință pe care Madison și le face gândindu-se la relația cu părinții ei, ce mai nou au creat o religie numită boorism bazată pe indicațiile oferite de către ea din iad. Gluma este tocmai faptul că, deși Maddy i-a încurajat pe părinți să înjure, să scuipe pe stradă și alte lucruri de prost gust de acest fel, aceștia au înțeles lucrurile fix pe dos, crezând că fiica lor pierdută se găsește de fapt în rai. Planul lui Satana este tocmai cel de a face din toți locuitorii lumii sclavi în iad, făcându-i pe oameni să păcătuiască fără să-și dea seama. Maddy reprezintă mijlocul prin care acest plan este pus în aplicare, dar aici intervine puterea voinței sale de a se desprinde de ce ar fi așteptat de la ea să facă.
Tocmai aici m-a surprins din nou autorul, căci în volumul trei, planul protagonistei este acela de „unificare a contrariilor”, temă foarte des dezbătută în filosofie, cât și în viața de zi cu zi a oamenilor, în mod indirect.
După ce în primul volum a gustat viața din iad și a înțeles cum stau lucrurile în lumea subterană, iar în volumul de față reușește să se întoarcă pe Pământ și să comunice cu părinții ei – în volumul final al trilogiei Madison vrea să înfăptuiască un fel de pace mondială, unde oamenii nu mai sunt nevoiți să aleagă între Dumnezeu și Satana, între Bine și Rău. Un alt detaliu demn de menționat este faptul că mama și tatăl protagonistei trimit după ea un vânător de fantome care reușește să-și scoată spiritul din trup prin intermediul consumului ridicat de ketamină, lucru care se leagă și de experiențele cu xanax și alte droguri pe care Maddy le trăise alături de cei doi atunci când era în viață.
Acestea fiind spuse, eu am încercat să ignor pe cât posibil exprimările de tip „ctrl+alt+adjectiv”, enumerările de orașe sau firme ce aveau rolul de a sublinia un anumit stil de viață aristocrat și alte asemenea mărci ale bogăției pe continentul american. M-am concentrat pe rezolvarea misterului din trecutul protagonistei și am încercat să-i înțeleg universul ca personaj principal al acestei trilogii inedite. Fără marile întrebări filosofice din spate la care Palahniuk vine cu propriile răspunsuri destul de interesante (sau cel puțin așa mi-a lăsat impresie până acum) sau comentariile subtile cu privire la alte scrieri sau lumea înconjurătoare, sunt sigură că trilogia Blestemați nu ar fi reprezentat o prea mare tentație literară pentru mine. E adevărat că am parcurs acest roman destul de greu, dar cu siguranță l-aș fi lăsat jos din mână în condițiile în care dădeam peste o altă încercare de a satiriza globalizarea și problemele Primei Lumi, fără vreun substrat care să aducă o notă de originalitate. Recomand acest volum celor care s-au simțit distrați de compania sarcastică a lui Madison în prima carte și care își doresc o viziune nouă și interesantă în ceea ce privește ideea de apocalipsă.
Deși i-a lipsit umorul pe care eu l-am gustat mai mult în primul volum, Apocalipsa a triumfat prin ideea aflată în spatele întregii povești, singurul motiv care m-a făcut să-mi continui lectura și care m-a convins de valoarea lui Palahniuk ca scriitor, chiar dacă momentan nu chiar unul dintre favoriții mei. Problema se pune de data aceasta nu numai între bine și rău, ci Madison se întreabă constant în privința voinței sale și exercitării ei în cadrul propriei existențe. Dumnezeu și Satana, ambii par a încerca să o tragă de partea lor pentru a salva sau distruge lumea prin intermediul părinților ei și ambii par a-i avea deja povestea scrisă într-o carte, fără drept de apel. „Ce va face Maddy în această situație?” este întrebarea principală urmărită în carte.
Propriu-zis, romanul este compus din mai multe capitole ce conțin flashback-uri din vara în care Madison a fost trimisă în Nord, la bunicii ei din partea mamei. La sfârșitul acelei veri, ambii ei bunici au murit, iar ea a fost martora celor întâmplate. Tot în aceste capitole ni se revelează și unul dintre motivele damnării micuței adolescente, însă lucrurile se dovedesc a sta cu totul altfel la final. Ce pot spune despre acest lucru este faptul că evenimentul reprezintă o scenă crudă și scandaloasă, care lasă puternice urme în conștiința protagonistei noastre fantomă. Prin urmare, cea mai mare parte a acestui roman este alcătuită din mustrările de conștiință pe care Madison și le face gândindu-se la relația cu părinții ei, ce mai nou au creat o religie numită boorism bazată pe indicațiile oferite de către ea din iad. Gluma este tocmai faptul că, deși Maddy i-a încurajat pe părinți să înjure, să scuipe pe stradă și alte lucruri de prost gust de acest fel, aceștia au înțeles lucrurile fix pe dos, crezând că fiica lor pierdută se găsește de fapt în rai. Planul lui Satana este tocmai cel de a face din toți locuitorii lumii sclavi în iad, făcându-i pe oameni să păcătuiască fără să-și dea seama. Maddy reprezintă mijlocul prin care acest plan este pus în aplicare, dar aici intervine puterea voinței sale de a se desprinde de ce ar fi așteptat de la ea să facă.
Tocmai aici m-a surprins din nou autorul, căci în volumul trei, planul protagonistei este acela de „unificare a contrariilor”, temă foarte des dezbătută în filosofie, cât și în viața de zi cu zi a oamenilor, în mod indirect.
După ce în primul volum a gustat viața din iad și a înțeles cum stau lucrurile în lumea subterană, iar în volumul de față reușește să se întoarcă pe Pământ și să comunice cu părinții ei – în volumul final al trilogiei Madison vrea să înfăptuiască un fel de pace mondială, unde oamenii nu mai sunt nevoiți să aleagă între Dumnezeu și Satana, între Bine și Rău. Un alt detaliu demn de menționat este faptul că mama și tatăl protagonistei trimit după ea un vânător de fantome care reușește să-și scoată spiritul din trup prin intermediul consumului ridicat de ketamină, lucru care se leagă și de experiențele cu xanax și alte droguri pe care Maddy le trăise alături de cei doi atunci când era în viață.
Acestea fiind spuse, eu am încercat să ignor pe cât posibil exprimările de tip „ctrl+alt+adjectiv”, enumerările de orașe sau firme ce aveau rolul de a sublinia un anumit stil de viață aristocrat și alte asemenea mărci ale bogăției pe continentul american. M-am concentrat pe rezolvarea misterului din trecutul protagonistei și am încercat să-i înțeleg universul ca personaj principal al acestei trilogii inedite. Fără marile întrebări filosofice din spate la care Palahniuk vine cu propriile răspunsuri destul de interesante (sau cel puțin așa mi-a lăsat impresie până acum) sau comentariile subtile cu privire la alte scrieri sau lumea înconjurătoare, sunt sigură că trilogia Blestemați nu ar fi reprezentat o prea mare tentație literară pentru mine. E adevărat că am parcurs acest roman destul de greu, dar cu siguranță l-aș fi lăsat jos din mână în condițiile în care dădeam peste o altă încercare de a satiriza globalizarea și problemele Primei Lumi, fără vreun substrat care să aducă o notă de originalitate. Recomand acest volum celor care s-au simțit distrați de compania sarcastică a lui Madison în prima carte și care își doresc o viziune nouă și interesantă în ceea ce privește ideea de apocalipsă.
July 19, 2013
Doomed expanded on Damned in a way I never expected. The story is so much more intricate than I ever could have thought, a staple of Palahniuk's work. Towards the end, there were more than a few "You have got to be sh*tting me" moments, which made me appreciate Chuck's work more than I reckoned possible. Just when I think he's hit his peak, he outdoes himself.
I just can't believe that now I have to anticipate whether or not the saga will continue...
I just can't believe that now I have to anticipate whether or not the saga will continue...
October 11, 2013
Dear Palahniuk,
This book was all style and no substance. I remember when you maintained a balance between the two.
Sincerely disapointed
This book was all style and no substance. I remember when you maintained a balance between the two.
Sincerely disapointed
May 1, 2023
Doomed is the second chapter of the story that began with Damnation and follows Madison Spencer, a recently dead pre-adolescent, as she continues her adventures that began in the first book.
Condemned to hell, after Halloween celebrations in the world of the living, Madison fails to go back in time and is doomed to remain stuck in the purgatory that is the world of the living, until next Halloween. This is the beginning of a new adventure that in the space of one day will lead her to confront her parents and with events from her past that have contributed to reaching her current situation.
It's difficult to talk about this book without make spoilers about the first chapter and it would be a shame because I believe that in this series Chuck Palahniuk has reached the maximum of his creative flair (at least for what I've read to date). The book is structured in chapters divided throughout the day, written like a blog by the main character, in which Madison describes the events in an often ironic, caustic way with a considerable dose of arrogance. Some of the events described took place a couple of years earlier and allow us to shed light on what happened and is happening. The dialogues and prose used by the author in Madison's monologues are masterful, capable of describing sad and touching moments, as well as creepy and upsetting situations, always in an extremely vivid way. Fantasy and inventiveness reach very high levels here, giving life to bizarre characters and crazy situations.
As always, the author knows no middle measures or brakes of any kind and it’s what is most striking in his novels, what leaves its mark and pushes the reader to pick up another one.
As far as I'm concerned, it's a fantastic book, just like the previous one and I'd be happy to see a third chapter, even if after ten years I don't know if I'll ever be satisfied. In the meantime, I'm trying to read all of his novels, at least one every month.
Condemned to hell, after Halloween celebrations in the world of the living, Madison fails to go back in time and is doomed to remain stuck in the purgatory that is the world of the living, until next Halloween. This is the beginning of a new adventure that in the space of one day will lead her to confront her parents and with events from her past that have contributed to reaching her current situation.
It's difficult to talk about this book without make spoilers about the first chapter and it would be a shame because I believe that in this series Chuck Palahniuk has reached the maximum of his creative flair (at least for what I've read to date). The book is structured in chapters divided throughout the day, written like a blog by the main character, in which Madison describes the events in an often ironic, caustic way with a considerable dose of arrogance. Some of the events described took place a couple of years earlier and allow us to shed light on what happened and is happening. The dialogues and prose used by the author in Madison's monologues are masterful, capable of describing sad and touching moments, as well as creepy and upsetting situations, always in an extremely vivid way. Fantasy and inventiveness reach very high levels here, giving life to bizarre characters and crazy situations.
As always, the author knows no middle measures or brakes of any kind and it’s what is most striking in his novels, what leaves its mark and pushes the reader to pick up another one.
As far as I'm concerned, it's a fantastic book, just like the previous one and I'd be happy to see a third chapter, even if after ten years I don't know if I'll ever be satisfied. In the meantime, I'm trying to read all of his novels, at least one every month.
October 21, 2013
Eh. I was entertained by the first of what I'm guessing is a trilogy? This one, not so much. My impression was that it was trying to be gross for the sake of being gross. The whole book felt forced, kind of like it was an obligation instead of a labor of love. Sort of like when your favorite band releases a shitty album to get out of a bad deal. That was my impression, anyway. I was amused by the not-at-all-subtle social satire underpinning the whole thing. But that's to be expected. The story itself really wasn't much of anything. And I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that his writing as a snarky 13 year old is believable. It shows depth, I guess. But at the same time, it can be annoying as hell if you're in your thirties. Take it or leave it. It's definitely not his A material.
February 24, 2017
Ah man! I'm glad it's over, I really really tried liking Doomed but my god! It wasn't that great. I felt I was force to read this. Doomed had its moments that I thought was good but the rest was just boring. In my opinion I thought Damned was more entertaining than Doomed. Maybe in the future I'll give this another read and hopefully I will like it.
December 26, 2013
Great story if you want to follow a fat, snarky 13 year old brat. Otherwise, a waste of time. 0 of 10 stars
March 8, 2014
Of the thirteen novels Palahniuk has penned I have read 8, more than half of them, I have read all but one of his novels since Haunted, and the one I missed as a revision of an earlier novel. So I can say that I am somewhat fluent in his work, and a fan, most of the novels are great, some of them are pretty good, this one however is by far his worst.
The language of a thirteen year old girl may be construed by some as clever but in practice it is just annoying. The “refrains” or repetitive lines that run throughout the novel (a mainstay in minimalist writing) are tedious, as opposed to interesting.
So language failed, how about story? The story is supposed to be a sequel to the novel Damned, and yes the story does continue onward from there, as we the readers were left at the end of that novel to want to know what happens next, however only about 10% of the novel is about that story itself. 70% of the novel tells the background story of the main character which we already though had been pretty well covered in the first book, and although new information is presented, it’s boring, mired in lowbrow terminology and concluded with lowbrow shock that serves little external purpose (which is a common flaw others have had with his earlier “jumped the shark” novel Snuff). Another 10% covers the detailed description of the coalescing of plastic waste in the ocean (which to the author’s credit is explained, though perhaps too much detail is given on the topic). And the last 10% of the novel is taken up by the various refrains.
Language: Fail, Story: Fail, Characters? Damned, which was still not one of his better novels, did have a rich cast of characters: from Breakfast Club-Esq teenagers to Ancient Daemons. The Sequel however left out all those teenagers, referencing them only in passing, while focusing primarily on the main character, and secondarily on her parents, and her grandparents. This might be okay, however the main character is not a positive, lovable or relatable character, and there aren’t enough other characters to distract the reader from her as there were in the first novel. All the characters in the novel are portrayed as grotesquely stupid, and yes there is a reason for it, but it is put to such an extreme that it is not believable.
The Novel is a major allegory against modern organized religion, and with that I do not disagree, that is not at all what offended me about this novel, it’s simply the bad writing, mixed with the 2 year wait to find out what happened next only to have to read through page after page of more background. A lot of the ideology was already covered in Palahniuk’s short story “Obsolete” but that story was much more successful. I’m giving the novel 3 stars because it is not going to make me stop reading his works in the future, and yes I will read the third book in this trilogy when it comes out, weather I like it or not will remain to be seen.
The language of a thirteen year old girl may be construed by some as clever but in practice it is just annoying. The “refrains” or repetitive lines that run throughout the novel (a mainstay in minimalist writing) are tedious, as opposed to interesting.
So language failed, how about story? The story is supposed to be a sequel to the novel Damned, and yes the story does continue onward from there, as we the readers were left at the end of that novel to want to know what happens next, however only about 10% of the novel is about that story itself. 70% of the novel tells the background story of the main character which we already though had been pretty well covered in the first book, and although new information is presented, it’s boring, mired in lowbrow terminology and concluded with lowbrow shock that serves little external purpose (which is a common flaw others have had with his earlier “jumped the shark” novel Snuff). Another 10% covers the detailed description of the coalescing of plastic waste in the ocean (which to the author’s credit is explained, though perhaps too much detail is given on the topic). And the last 10% of the novel is taken up by the various refrains.
Language: Fail, Story: Fail, Characters? Damned, which was still not one of his better novels, did have a rich cast of characters: from Breakfast Club-Esq teenagers to Ancient Daemons. The Sequel however left out all those teenagers, referencing them only in passing, while focusing primarily on the main character, and secondarily on her parents, and her grandparents. This might be okay, however the main character is not a positive, lovable or relatable character, and there aren’t enough other characters to distract the reader from her as there were in the first novel. All the characters in the novel are portrayed as grotesquely stupid, and yes there is a reason for it, but it is put to such an extreme that it is not believable.
The Novel is a major allegory against modern organized religion, and with that I do not disagree, that is not at all what offended me about this novel, it’s simply the bad writing, mixed with the 2 year wait to find out what happened next only to have to read through page after page of more background. A lot of the ideology was already covered in Palahniuk’s short story “Obsolete” but that story was much more successful. I’m giving the novel 3 stars because it is not going to make me stop reading his works in the future, and yes I will read the third book in this trilogy when it comes out, weather I like it or not will remain to be seen.
September 19, 2023
Palahniuk is at his best when he's controversial for a reason and to serve a purpose (Fight Club, Choke). However, he also often has a habit of pushing the limits just for the sake of being shocking (Fight Club 2, this book). In these instances, it's not really enjoyable to read something just for the sake of it being outrageous.
March 29, 2017
Pointless, stupid and pretty awful.
And It's a shame because I really like Chuck's books. Some of them really get the gears turning, some of them are a fun little puzzle to work out in your head, and some are just goofy and fun. Damned is goofy and fun. Sarcastic, Snarkey Madison Spencer takes us on a tour through hell, showing it to be worse in some ways, but more banal than others.
This book, ugh.
Everything you knew about the first book is essentially rewritten. We learn at the end that Madison is really a puppet of hell designed to bring the end of the world. This book explains how it should have been painfully obvious to her from the beginning.
Stupid shit for shock value that adds nothing to the story. She uses Charles Darwin's book to rip off her grandfather's ding dong. The cat she loved so much in the first book, was really most of the time a rotting corpse she carried around with her for months before trying to flush it. Diary entries about needless bestiality to get her parents' goats.
It's not that I was grossed out or offended.
It's just that none of it fucking means anything. Not of it really serves a purpose in the book except to be shocking and gross. GUTS explores the self destructiveness of masturbation to the extreme. This book reminds me of the "Scrotey McBoogerballs" episode of South Park in which the boys sit down to write something they think is gross or funny, but Chuck tried to take is seriously.
And It's a shame because I really like Chuck's books. Some of them really get the gears turning, some of them are a fun little puzzle to work out in your head, and some are just goofy and fun. Damned is goofy and fun. Sarcastic, Snarkey Madison Spencer takes us on a tour through hell, showing it to be worse in some ways, but more banal than others.
This book, ugh.
Everything you knew about the first book is essentially rewritten. We learn at the end that Madison is really a puppet of hell designed to bring the end of the world. This book explains how it should have been painfully obvious to her from the beginning.
Stupid shit for shock value that adds nothing to the story. She uses Charles Darwin's book to rip off her grandfather's ding dong. The cat she loved so much in the first book, was really most of the time a rotting corpse she carried around with her for months before trying to flush it. Diary entries about needless bestiality to get her parents' goats.
It's not that I was grossed out or offended.
It's just that none of it fucking means anything. Not of it really serves a purpose in the book except to be shocking and gross. GUTS explores the self destructiveness of masturbation to the extreme. This book reminds me of the "Scrotey McBoogerballs" episode of South Park in which the boys sit down to write something they think is gross or funny, but Chuck tried to take is seriously.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2019
Is this book a sequel to Damned and a story about the soul and further adventures of an overweight 13-year old daughter of two of the most famous celebrities in the world, who was murdered by her adopted brother; the girl who went on to lead an uprising in Hell? ...Yup :)
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The further darkly comedic, but supernaturally horrific adventures of Madison Spencer fill in her true back story and then some. A book full of triggers as you'd expect from Palahniuk; but a challenging and actually nicely complex and well plotted story that I feel suffers by being non-lateral, full of unreliable commentators and having two major arcs running throughout the book , and then it's all told via blog posts... it just feels that despite the wealth of creativity that makes this story entertaining there's just too much going on. Hit or miss.... and it's a miss for me, I'm afraid. 5.5 out of 12.
.
The further darkly comedic, but supernaturally horrific adventures of Madison Spencer fill in her true back story and then some. A book full of triggers as you'd expect from Palahniuk; but a challenging and actually nicely complex and well plotted story that I feel suffers by being non-lateral, full of unreliable commentators and having two major arcs running throughout the book , and then it's all told via blog posts... it just feels that despite the wealth of creativity that makes this story entertaining there's just too much going on. Hit or miss.... and it's a miss for me, I'm afraid. 5.5 out of 12.
August 14, 2014
I just finished reading the ARC, and I was not disappointed. Madison is snarky and obnoxious as ever, and I love her! Palahniuk's satire is on point. Any Palahniuk fan and/or anyone who enjoyed Damned, needs to pick up Doomed.
February 7, 2024
Apocalipsa e continuarea lui Blestemati, si e scrisa in acelasi stil mediocru. Este pacat, deoarece Palahniuk poate mult mai mult (vezi Jurnal, Bantuitii, Fight Club etc.).
A, si legat de traducere, avem aici o mostra tulburatoare: "to fucking Heaven" = "in pula raiului". Da, chiar asa.
A, si legat de traducere, avem aici o mostra tulburatoare: "to fucking Heaven" = "in pula raiului". Da, chiar asa.
January 10, 2020
Doomed is book two of Madison Spencer’s travels in the afterlife. It’s not too unlike my review for Damned, but too rehash, I submit.
As I’ve previously mentioned, Chuck just doesn’t seem too dig his gig anymore. The book seems forced, a contrived vision of transgressive style, this one just shy of minimalism.
I’m not going into details, and I’m not recommending anyone spend their time on it.
Review over.
As I’ve previously mentioned, Chuck just doesn’t seem too dig his gig anymore. The book seems forced, a contrived vision of transgressive style, this one just shy of minimalism.
I’m not going into details, and I’m not recommending anyone spend their time on it.
Review over.
March 7, 2024
Every book of Chucks is so intelligent.
At face value, he’s consistently giving his readers an undeniably entertaining story, yet is also able to deliver deeper meaning for those who wish to dissect.
Hell is a teenage girl but it’s also mass consumption, worldwide waste, propaganda, our own mindsets and how we struggle to defer from them, as well as the appeal of celebrities and the ultimate power of persuasion they have.
There’s no better way to tell this story than through the lens of a barely teenage girl that is unruly sarcastic, confidently intelligent yet clueless, and, at times, so unrelatable it’s relatable.
At face value, he’s consistently giving his readers an undeniably entertaining story, yet is also able to deliver deeper meaning for those who wish to dissect.
Hell is a teenage girl but it’s also mass consumption, worldwide waste, propaganda, our own mindsets and how we struggle to defer from them, as well as the appeal of celebrities and the ultimate power of persuasion they have.
There’s no better way to tell this story than through the lens of a barely teenage girl that is unruly sarcastic, confidently intelligent yet clueless, and, at times, so unrelatable it’s relatable.
February 14, 2016
Let me preface this by saying, I have been a Palahniuk fan for a long fucking time. Even if one of his works isn't the greatest, I usually enjoy it to some degree. To talk shit about a Palahniuk book is unimaginable to me. That being said...
Let me put my cranky pants on.
*grumbles and grunts way into pants*
I very nearly hated this book.
But I loved Damned!
In Damned, we met Madison Spencer. Recently dead, rich girl who is finding out how to handle Hell. She's making friends, she's making enemies. She's hiding in giant piles of toenail clippings from demons. It was fucked up and fun and went on my favorites list.
In Doomed, Madison is in purgatory after Halloween goes a little haywire. She's a ghost, confronting her past and learning about how she ended up in Hell to begin with.
She is accidentally responsible for almost the entire population of the planet having a grand old time on the highway to Hell. Though they think that they're going to heaven. Maybe she can fix it if only she could find a way to tell her parents the truth. She's the one after all, that told them they could get into heaven if they swore and were rude to other people.
There were things that were fun the first time around that have just become repetitively annoying. Like, Madison constantly talking about how fat she is. I haven't forgotten that you were fat since the last time you mentioned how fat you were, 2 pages ago.
Like, Madison using big words then confirming that yes, she does know what that means, she's dead and fat but not stupid.
This time around, it's written in a blog format. I don't like blogs unless they're about books but I can't knock the author for my personal preference.
Of course, all of these annoying things, Palahniuk probably meant to be exactly that, but I just couldn't take it. If it wasn't for the fact that it was a fast read, this would have been a painful endeavor.
The story ends with: “The End?”
Let's hope that question mark turns into a period.
Let me put my cranky pants on.
*grumbles and grunts way into pants*
I very nearly hated this book.
But I loved Damned!
In Damned, we met Madison Spencer. Recently dead, rich girl who is finding out how to handle Hell. She's making friends, she's making enemies. She's hiding in giant piles of toenail clippings from demons. It was fucked up and fun and went on my favorites list.
In Doomed, Madison is in purgatory after Halloween goes a little haywire. She's a ghost, confronting her past and learning about how she ended up in Hell to begin with.
She is accidentally responsible for almost the entire population of the planet having a grand old time on the highway to Hell. Though they think that they're going to heaven. Maybe she can fix it if only she could find a way to tell her parents the truth. She's the one after all, that told them they could get into heaven if they swore and were rude to other people.
There were things that were fun the first time around that have just become repetitively annoying. Like, Madison constantly talking about how fat she is. I haven't forgotten that you were fat since the last time you mentioned how fat you were, 2 pages ago.
Like, Madison using big words then confirming that yes, she does know what that means, she's dead and fat but not stupid.
This time around, it's written in a blog format. I don't like blogs unless they're about books but I can't knock the author for my personal preference.
Of course, all of these annoying things, Palahniuk probably meant to be exactly that, but I just couldn't take it. If it wasn't for the fact that it was a fast read, this would have been a painful endeavor.
The story ends with: “The End?”
Let's hope that question mark turns into a period.
March 17, 2014
Doomed is the sequel to Damned and part two of a proposed Dante inspired trilogy. It sees the return of Damned’s protagonist - the plucky, post-life, plump, periphrastic, pubescent progeny of celebrity parents, Madison Spencer. In Damned we followed Madison’s post-life trials and tribulations in hell: now the adventure continues with a trip to purgatory, or earth as we refer to it. Travelling around as a ghost Madison is invisible to mortals and can come and go as she pleases.
In her absence Madison discovers that she has spawned a religion, Boorism. Boorism demands that its adherents treat others in an offensive manner; the duty of the recipient is to not take offence. Madison’s experiences on earth include detailed flashbacks to a summer spent with her grandparents in upstate New York, culminating in a grisly death. There is also an explanation of Madison’s own demise, a lengthy discourse about a former pet kitten, a ketamine using shaman, and considerable time spent immersed in the superficial, contradictory, drug dependent world of our protagonist’s still alive parents.
There seems no doubt that Doomed will be regarded as one of Palahniuk’s weakest efforts to date. Convoluted, repetitive, pretentious and tedious, the book contains little of the astute and compelling social commentary of his seminal works, Fight Club and Haunted. The question inevitably arises whether the irritating Madison justified having a second book devoted to her, let alone a third.
Palahniuk once said, ‘I will never write a sequel to anything that I will ever write.’
In this reader’s opinion that would have been advisable.
In her absence Madison discovers that she has spawned a religion, Boorism. Boorism demands that its adherents treat others in an offensive manner; the duty of the recipient is to not take offence. Madison’s experiences on earth include detailed flashbacks to a summer spent with her grandparents in upstate New York, culminating in a grisly death. There is also an explanation of Madison’s own demise, a lengthy discourse about a former pet kitten, a ketamine using shaman, and considerable time spent immersed in the superficial, contradictory, drug dependent world of our protagonist’s still alive parents.
There seems no doubt that Doomed will be regarded as one of Palahniuk’s weakest efforts to date. Convoluted, repetitive, pretentious and tedious, the book contains little of the astute and compelling social commentary of his seminal works, Fight Club and Haunted. The question inevitably arises whether the irritating Madison justified having a second book devoted to her, let alone a third.
Palahniuk once said, ‘I will never write a sequel to anything that I will ever write.’
In this reader’s opinion that would have been advisable.
September 26, 2013
Doomed is the 2nd book in the Damned trilogy which chronicles the exploitation and exploits of 13 year old Madison Spencer, a cynical smartass with an impressive vocabulary. When Madison misses hell’s curfew on Halloween night, she becomes trapped on earth. As one of the formerly alive, she must contend with a K addled ghost hunter, the accidental damning of the whole world, and Satan’s pedophilic advances.
It’s been so long since I’ve read Damned that I had to put Doomed down after the first chapter for a quick refresher of Maddie & Co’s past exploits. Written in blog posts and tweets it moved quickly, but got stuck in a few spots–I think the author was having a little too much fun describing monkey penis and the different shades of dog turds. Doomed largely focuses on Maddie’s life with her parents and the events that lead to her being condemned to hell; so, it was mostly back-story, and in some blog posts, it takes us centuries back. Madison learns that even before she was born, someone, or something, has been shaping her destiny.
The amount of fart jokes, wiener whacking, and descriptions of bestiality were typical Chuck. Fans of the first won’t be disappointed, but I wouldn’t suggest my mother read this. It was a solid middle of a series book–not as great as the first and doesn’t have the type of expectations attached to it that the last would.
It’s been so long since I’ve read Damned that I had to put Doomed down after the first chapter for a quick refresher of Maddie & Co’s past exploits. Written in blog posts and tweets it moved quickly, but got stuck in a few spots–I think the author was having a little too much fun describing monkey penis and the different shades of dog turds. Doomed largely focuses on Maddie’s life with her parents and the events that lead to her being condemned to hell; so, it was mostly back-story, and in some blog posts, it takes us centuries back. Madison learns that even before she was born, someone, or something, has been shaping her destiny.
The amount of fart jokes, wiener whacking, and descriptions of bestiality were typical Chuck. Fans of the first won’t be disappointed, but I wouldn’t suggest my mother read this. It was a solid middle of a series book–not as great as the first and doesn’t have the type of expectations attached to it that the last would.
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