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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Very heavy
Extreme violence throughout; 'Guts' is among the most graphic short stories ever published; self-mutilation and worse
Language
Very heavy
Pervasive profanity throughout
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit sexual content; the horror often involves the body and its violation
Substance Use
Some
Some substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The extreme psychological horror of people making themselves into spectacles; the meta-horror of stories designed to destroy the listener
What this book is about
Twenty-three people answer an ad for a three-month writing retreat. When they arrive, they discover the retreat is a locked building with minimal supplies. They begin to deliberately worsen their conditions to make their eventual 'survival' story more marketable. Palahniuk's frame novel contains the infamous short story 'Guts'—which caused fainting at live readings—alongside other extreme horror stories that its characters tell. A deliberately transgressive book that tests every limit.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
'Guts' and other stories of extreme body horror
Self-mutilation and extreme violence
Adults who are specifically prepared for transgressive content only
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