Thirteen year old Madison has problems: she's overweight, ignored by her movie star parents, and in love with her adopted brother. She's also dead. But not just dead. Madison is in Hell. Chuck Palahniuk's latest, Damned, takes us on Madison's journey through Hell, as she navigates the Hillocks of Discarded Nail Pairings and the River of Vomit, meeting everyone from Charles Darwin to Marilyn Monroe, with a colorful cast of characters (damned for unspeakable acts, like wearing white shoes after Labor Day), to determine why she's really there, and whether she will be damned for eternity. In Damned, Hell really does exist, as a place where your only career choice is telemarketer (yes, that's where those calls actually originate), the currency is Halloween candy, and 'the in-flight movie is always The English Patient, never The Breakfast Club.' With witty, laugh-out-loud prose, and a twist like only Palahniuk can write, this dark comedic novel is sure to be ranked among his best.
Damned
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True to Palahniuk form, Damned is gross in parts, scandalous in others and funny throughout. And, tantalisingly, it concludes with a 'to be continued... (Danielle Goldstein TimeOut Magazine )
Palahniuk has described the novel as The Lovely Bones meets The Shawshank Redemption via Judy Blume. Expect to be appalled (Vogue )
Gleefully riffing on Judy Blume's 1970 coming-of-age classic Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, Palahniuk's dead heroine must traverse the infernal landscape in search of Satan - and of her true self - as she tries to discover exactly how she died. (Financial Times )
Palahniuk certainly has a way with words. His ever-inventive, high-energy prose is a joy. (The Daily Mirror )
Damned is vintage Chuck - as dark as it gets, but with loads of gross-out humour, all your favourite dead celebs, and plenty of grim details of the Inferno's unmentionable horrors. (Dazed & Confused )
Palahniuk has described the novel as The Lovely Bones meets The Shawshank Redemption via Judy Blume. Expect to be appalled (Vogue )
Gleefully riffing on Judy Blume's 1970 coming-of-age classic Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, Palahniuk's dead heroine must traverse the infernal landscape in search of Satan - and of her true self - as she tries to discover exactly how she died. (Financial Times )
Palahniuk certainly has a way with words. His ever-inventive, high-energy prose is a joy. (The Daily Mirror )
Damned is vintage Chuck - as dark as it gets, but with loads of gross-out humour, all your favourite dead celebs, and plenty of grim details of the Inferno's unmentionable horrors. (Dazed & Confused )
Book Description
A dark, disturbing and very, very funny new novel from the inimitable Chuck Palahniuk - his best yet.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Max Watt
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
"Damned" by Chuck Palahniuk is a novel with a lot to say about human beings and life in general. It is a highly subversive and thought provoking story. But getting past all that complex literary analysis, was it a good read?
Yeah, this is a fun book, it's a nice easy read, so if you're the kind of person who isn't into slow-burning methodical novels, this is recommendable. The aspect which has to be stressed the most is the laugh out loud humour. It's an intelligent humour, the reason I found it so funny was because of its relationship with common aspects of everyday life. The Hell aspect is executed brilliantly. Palahniuk has one hell of an imagination. Suffice to say that as you read the novel you will explore the Sea of Insects, the Dandruff Desert, and not to mention, the Field of Toenail Clippings (you may want to check me on the names of these). There's plenty of popcorn balls too!
The characters are developed well. Again, we can relate them to real life. We can ascribe them to the different social groups in our varying culture.
The only thing to nitpick is the ending. A new aspect is introduced. I won't give it away, but interesting as it is, it isn't explored as fully as I feel it should have been. It seems to come from nowhere and then disappears and isn't given a great deal of mention afterwards. Also, I wouldn't recommend the novel if you don't like to suspend disbelief. If you overlook the positive factors you might find yourself describing the novel as: Insane. Also, I feel as though it's a little too short. I would have liked to have seen a confrontation between Madison and Satan. But then again, Palahniuk suggests to us that the story is to continue. I'd certainly be interested in a sequel if that's the case.
Just my two cents. Check it out.
Yeah, this is a fun book, it's a nice easy read, so if you're the kind of person who isn't into slow-burning methodical novels, this is recommendable. The aspect which has to be stressed the most is the laugh out loud humour. It's an intelligent humour, the reason I found it so funny was because of its relationship with common aspects of everyday life. The Hell aspect is executed brilliantly. Palahniuk has one hell of an imagination. Suffice to say that as you read the novel you will explore the Sea of Insects, the Dandruff Desert, and not to mention, the Field of Toenail Clippings (you may want to check me on the names of these). There's plenty of popcorn balls too!
The characters are developed well. Again, we can relate them to real life. We can ascribe them to the different social groups in our varying culture.
The only thing to nitpick is the ending. A new aspect is introduced. I won't give it away, but interesting as it is, it isn't explored as fully as I feel it should have been. It seems to come from nowhere and then disappears and isn't given a great deal of mention afterwards. Also, I wouldn't recommend the novel if you don't like to suspend disbelief. If you overlook the positive factors you might find yourself describing the novel as: Insane. Also, I feel as though it's a little too short. I would have liked to have seen a confrontation between Madison and Satan. But then again, Palahniuk suggests to us that the story is to continue. I'd certainly be interested in a sequel if that's the case.
Just my two cents. Check it out.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I find that Chuck Palahniuk's books can normally be classed into two categories - either just above average, or a fantastic, thought provoking read where the reader can't put the book down until finished. Fortunately, this title falls into the latter category.
Written from the viewpoint of a girl that has been sent to Hell and her exploits once down there, Palahniuk has managed to write a mesmerising story filled with humour, wit and the usual unpredictable and outrages detours expected from his story-telling. Filled with a cast of great, believable (albeit a little eccentric) characters and a wonderfully surreal environment in which their adventures take place, this book almost reads like a dark comedy version of Dante's Inferno scattered with pop culture references. With enough twists and turns to keep the story refreshing and captivating till the end, this really was an enjoyable journey into Hell!
I will certainly be looking to continue the adventure as soon as the sequel "Doomed" is released, if only to discover what possible mayhem Madison causes next.....and where!!!
Written from the viewpoint of a girl that has been sent to Hell and her exploits once down there, Palahniuk has managed to write a mesmerising story filled with humour, wit and the usual unpredictable and outrages detours expected from his story-telling. Filled with a cast of great, believable (albeit a little eccentric) characters and a wonderfully surreal environment in which their adventures take place, this book almost reads like a dark comedy version of Dante's Inferno scattered with pop culture references. With enough twists and turns to keep the story refreshing and captivating till the end, this really was an enjoyable journey into Hell!
I will certainly be looking to continue the adventure as soon as the sequel "Doomed" is released, if only to discover what possible mayhem Madison causes next.....and where!!!
By Monkey
Format:Paperback
Really enjoyed this book, felt sorry for poor old Madison and her gang of misfits. Loved the writing style, it is very funny in places, sad in others and outrageous throughout. This is my first Palahniuk novel so I can't judge if he has really got a whole lot worse but judged on its own merits I really enjoyed this book. I really hope we have a sequel or two - would be really horrible to leave Madison in Limbo.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable but bland
This was...ok. Strong start and end, sagging middle. It feels like Palahniuk has become a parody of himself - he has become become the sassy whiplash author he used so viciously... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Helen
3.0 out of 5 stars
Two thirds of a good novel from Mr P
Mr Palahniuk starts this novel well, the story of what happens to a priviliged thirteen year old Madison when she goes to hell and finds it is all too like it is painted as. Read more
Published 4 months ago by barbicandy
2.0 out of 5 stars
Predictable
Chuck and Carl Hiassen were obviously separated at birth as there are a lot of similarities in the writing. Read more
Published 6 months ago by D. Smith
2.0 out of 5 stars
Palahniuk's worst book so far.
This is Palahniuck's worst book in my opinion. Its prose is so bland that it actually needs effort to trudge through it, so devoid it is of humour, wit and craft. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Savvas Socratous
4.0 out of 5 stars
The only thing that makes a novel feel like a chore...
Is if there is the expectation that it needs be a replica of a successful predecessor. And vice versa. Read more
Published 9 months ago by TheSlav
1.0 out of 5 stars
Worst plot, odd, bizarre and not in a good way.
Possible the worst book I have ever read, I should of stopped after page 5 as it did not improve as the story continued. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Miss I. A. Hurst
2.0 out of 5 stars
hmmmm
I miss the old Palahniuk...this book is no where near as funny or whitty...bored me silly.
I think I will give him a rest for a while. Read more
I think I will give him a rest for a while. Read more
Published 10 months ago by baine
4.0 out of 5 stars
your lucky day in hell
imagine a little girl 13 years old, but this is Hollywood so the blurb knocks a couple of years off, living with her nudist, vegan, adoptaphiliac, drugtaking, parents whose fondest... Read more
Published 19 months ago by K. J. Woods
3.0 out of 5 stars
Still not quite back to form
I did really enjoy this book, although it still can't compare to my favourite Chuck P books such as Haunted - however definitely worth a read and miles more interesting and... Read more
Published 20 months ago by S. Chadwick
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fiery Fun
As a Chuck fan, I found this to be a blisteringly brilliant return to form, compared with the most recent novels. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Catalyst
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