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A review by jurassicreads
Damned by Chuck Palahniuk
2.0
Although I have not yet read Palahniuk's "Fight Club," I have heard rave reviews about it (as well as many of his other novels). I had really high expectations for "Damned," but in the end I feel like Palahniuk really missed the mark on something that could have been very spectacular.
The main character, Madison, was the epitome of the stereotypical pre-pubescent, whining little girl who just needs to shut her mouth. Throughout the entire novel, she complains, grumbles, and has problems with her self-image (as shown by her obsession with seeking acceptance from Satan).
I did really appreciate the funny descriptions of Hell, but at times I felt like the narration was too nit-picky at the reader. Told from Madison's point of view, there was a lot of talking down about Dante's "Divine Comedy" as being a silly piece of work having nothing to do with Hell, as well as badmouthing people who are alive. This falls back under the category of things poorly described by a 13 year old girl, and it really annoyed me.
On a side-note that doesn't have to do with the writing, the actual description of Satan giving in the novel is not like that on the cover (which is the most commonly used cover in all countries). This bothered me because it was a clear miscommunication between author, editor, illustrator, and so on.
This is not a book I would recommend to everyone. I would probably only recommend this to younger people who would relate to where Madison is coming from. She is unhappy, feels unloved, and extremely emotional. "Damned" is basically a run-on diary entry of the girl described above.
Click Here to see my full video review.
The main character, Madison, was the epitome of the stereotypical pre-pubescent, whining little girl who just needs to shut her mouth. Throughout the entire novel, she complains, grumbles, and has problems with her self-image (as shown by her obsession with seeking acceptance from Satan).
I did really appreciate the funny descriptions of Hell, but at times I felt like the narration was too nit-picky at the reader. Told from Madison's point of view, there was a lot of talking down about Dante's "Divine Comedy" as being a silly piece of work having nothing to do with Hell, as well as badmouthing people who are alive. This falls back under the category of things poorly described by a 13 year old girl, and it really annoyed me.
On a side-note that doesn't have to do with the writing, the actual description of Satan giving in the novel is not like that on the cover (which is the most commonly used cover in all countries). This bothered me because it was a clear miscommunication between author, editor, illustrator, and so on.
This is not a book I would recommend to everyone. I would probably only recommend this to younger people who would relate to where Madison is coming from. She is unhappy, feels unloved, and extremely emotional. "Damned" is basically a run-on diary entry of the girl described above.
Click Here to see my full video review.