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Damned Hardcover – October 18, 2011

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,174 ratings

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“Are you there, Satan? It’s me, Madison,” declares the whip-tongued thirteen-year-old narrator of Damned, Chuck Palahniuk’s subversive new work of fiction. The daughter of a narcissistic film star and a billionaire, Madison is abandoned at her Swiss boarding school over Christmas, while her parents are off touting their new projects and adopting more orphans. She dies over the holiday of a mari­juana overdose—and the next thing she knows, she’s in Hell. Madison shares her cell with a motley crew of young sinners that is almost too good to be true: a cheerleader, a jock, a nerd, and a punk rocker, united by fate to form the six-feet-under version of everyone’s favorite detention movie. Madison and her pals trek across the Dandruff Desert and climb the treacherous Mountain of Toenail Clippings to confront Satan in his citadel. All the popcorn balls and wax lips that serve as the currency of Hell won’t buy them off.

This is the afterlife as only Chuck Palahniuk could imagine it: a twisted inferno where
The English Patient plays on end­less repeat, roaming demons devour sinners limb by limb, and the damned interrupt your dinner from their sweltering call center to hard-sell you Hell. He makes eternal torment, well, simply divine.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Damned:

"Palahniuk's 12th novel is just as gleefully, vividly, hilariously obscene as you'd expect —and it's also a hell of a lot of fun. [He] has always been known for his pitch-dark satire, and it's evident here in his depiction of the underworld.... As a young adult novel, it's surprisingly sweet, hopeful and empowering; as a satire, it's funny, irreverent and hugely entertaining. 'Hell is other people,' mused Sartre. Leave it to Chuck Palahniuk to tell us that might not be such a bad thing after all."—Michael Schaub, NPR


"
Damned is as lively as a book about the dead can be....the Judy Blume book from hell, just as Mr. Palahniuk intended."—Janet Maslin, the New York Times


"And now, from the Well, What Did You Expect file:
Chuck Palahniuk imagines a great hell.  His matter-of-fact underworld is the charming setting of Damned, a...very funny coming-of-age (after-you're-dead) novel....Palahniuk's descriptions of hell are inspired, crafted with great comic flair and the brilliant satirical stipulation that the Christian fundamentalists are right: Hell is literal, dinosaur bones were faked by Satan and among the unspeakable demons slurping about is Robert Mapplethorpe....[A] winning and funny book, and near the end, when Maddie seems to be ascending toward a sequel (Purgatory, anyone?), you'll likely want to read that one, too."—Jess Walter, Washington Post


"
Damned is gross, sick, nasty, silly, all the things you want from the merry madman of American letters, Chuck Palahniuk. How can you not be instantly transfixed by an opening like this?: 'Are you there, Satan? It's me, Madison. I'm just now arrived here, in Hell, but it's not my fault except for maybe dying from an overdose of marijuana.'
And so begins the kind of
goofy, but hypnotically endearing tale of a 13-year-old girl who, completely lost in life, finally starts to discover herself in Palahniuk's demented version of the afterlife....With Damned, [he]opens the fire hose to full bore again, stripping away the veneer on American society and showing us the yucky parts we don't want to see."—Chris Talbot, AP


"...[T]horoughly original...satiric and horrifying, enough so you'll want to repent after you read."—Christian DuChateau, CNN


"Some Fight Club trademarks--youthful disaffection, violence, gross-out humor, a dystopic setting, cultural satire as an extreme sport, a decent helping of third-act pathos--can be seen in...Damned.  Even prepubescent Madison Spencer, the protagonist of Damned, has traits that could be seen as Tyler Durden-esque. She's disaffected from society (i.e., those still alive), she kicks serious butt and is a cultural critic who becomes an unlikely leader....It's hard to pitch the broadly satirical Damned as a useful replacement narrative of life after death, but it's a rollicking adventure of Swiftian proportions, a Valleyfair of the Underworld that, incidentally, shows an overweight teenage girl bringing Satan himself down a peg."—Claude Peck, Minneapolis Star-Tribune


"
Damned is typical of Palahniuk's work: a scathing satire that is unfiltered, caustic and smart....[His] descriptions of hell are priceless."—Rege Behe, Pittsburgh Tribune Review


"Even just its first few chapters reveal several layers of
satiric humor, social commentary, Grand Guignol violence and heartbreaking insight....The narrator's blend of snark, precocious wit and unconcealed vulnerability and need is a combination as refreshing as the book is hard to put down."—Bill O'Driscoll, Pittsburgh City Paper

About the Author

CHUCK PALAHNIUK’s eleven best-selling novels—Tell-All, Pygmy, Snuff, Rant, Haunted, Lullaby, Fight Club, Diary, Survivor, Invisible Monsters, and Choke—have sold more than five million copies in the United States. He is also the author of Fugitives and Refugees, published as part of the Crown Journey Series, and the nonfiction collection Stranger Than Fiction. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0385533020
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday; First Edition (October 18, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780385533027
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385533027
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.82 x 0.94 x 8.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,174 ratings

About the author

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Chuck Palahniuk
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Chuck Palahniuk's nine novels are the bestselling Snuff, Rant, Haunted, Lullaby and Fight Club, which was made into a film by director David Fincher, Diary, Survivor, Invisible Monsters, and Choke, which was made into a film by director Clark Gregg. He is also the author of the non-fiction profile of Portland Fugitives and Refugees and the non-fiction collection Stranger Than Fiction. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
2,174 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable and entertaining. They appreciate the interesting concept and creative perspective. The writing style is well-received, with a combination of naive and wise writing. Readers appreciate the vivid visuals and realistic characters. However, opinions differ on the pacing - some find it quick and simple, while others feel the writing gets repetitive.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

174 customers mention "Readability"174 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and enjoyable. They say it's an interesting read with a good story. Some readers enjoyed the idea and overall story, but others found it boring.

"...Read this book, but please don't take it seriously. It is just fun, and there is no sacred liberal- or conservative- or fascist- idea that is not..." Read more

"...In the mean time, sit back, relax, and enjoy this novel. As the last words of the book say: "To be continued..."" Read more

"...or Chuck Palahniuk... 1st off this is one of my all time favorite books by one of my all time favorite authors...." Read more

"...It's disgusting and hilarious. Palahniuk's unique style of wit is on every page of the story...." Read more

111 customers mention "Story quality"78 positive33 negative

Customers enjoyed the story. They found it entertaining and funny, with a simple plot and metafiction twist. They appreciated the complex characters and twisting plots. The writing style included repetition of themes throughout the narrative. The best scene was the demon getting its head. While the book displayed great imagination, some felt it fell a bit short in terms of imagination.

"...Damned is one crazy novel. I loved it. His main character Madison is such a smart-ass, that you can't help but like her...." Read more

"...And always a great story that reels you in, you will pick up and not want to put down until finished...." Read more

"...who read deeper into the book than necessary, and the story is one of self discovery...." Read more

"...This is hell...as only Madison Spencer could narrate. Do you know how many cigarette butts you can cast ignorantly aside before eternal damnation?..." Read more

56 customers mention "Concept"40 positive16 negative

Customers find the concept interesting and creative. They appreciate the unconventional and unique point of view, as well as the humorous passages and occasional insights. The book explores topics in a unique way and keeps readers guessing with its sociopolitical commentary. However, some readers feel it falls short in terms of its overall quality.

"...Hell is such an interesting place in this book. It sure sounds better than the version religions peddle...." Read more

"...I enjoyed it because it has practical information, for people who read deeper into the book than necessary, and the story is one of self discovery...." Read more

"...is a story, of a sort, and everything that happens is interesting for its creativity and commentary on American consumerist society, but Madison does..." Read more

"...I'm sure other reviewers have noted that a fair chunk of this book is a bit derivative, but that actually was the point, I think...." Read more

39 customers mention "Writing quality"36 positive3 negative

Customers find the writing quality good. They say it's well-written in the author's style, with an explicit intertext and many quotes to draw from. The book has a detailed and comical tour of Hell, which is subtle yet powerful.

"...There were lots of quotable quotes from this book, some as long as half a page. The wit and satire are fun...." Read more

"...His writing is terse and to the point, like a contemporary Hemingway without all the subtlety and with a sense of humor...." Read more

"It was... you know... eh. Don't get me wrong, well written, with some solid Palahniukian things to say about... things and stuff. But overall?..." Read more

"...It's definitely a book that will make you think with many quotes to pull from when you experience them throughout your life." Read more

18 customers mention "Visual quality"18 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the vivid and detailed visuals in the book. They find the characters realistic and relatable, and the story is written in a Judy Bloom-style.

"...points, yet still descriptive enough that I was able to draw a very detailed mental picture of the depths of hell in all its disgusting glory!..." Read more

"...It's vivid. Gross. Well-written. And it makes you want more...." Read more

"...THAT SIMPE MY DEEPEST GRATTITUDE & ADMIRATION TO YOU AMD YOU BEAUTIFUL WORK...THANK YOU, CHEVY666MEYAL ( A FAN )" Read more

"...Lovely. Simple. Ironic. We only think life is like hell because we're expecting heaven." Read more

43 customers mention "Pacing"26 positive17 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it quick, fun, and easy to read. Others mention that the writing gets repetitive and slow, and feels like book writing instead of storytelling.

"...It's a short easy to read book like all of his others. I greatly enjoyed it." Read more

"...The landscape is littered with rotten candy, mountains of toe nail clippings and rivers of hot saliva...." Read more

"...It's a quick read but really good and slightly reminiscent of Christopher Moore. Probably due to its subject matter." Read more

"...I was pleasantly surprised at how much of an easy read it was!..." Read more

31 customers mention "Humor"14 positive17 negative

Customers have different views on the humor in the book. Some find it satirical and poignant, with funny takes on the afterlife. Others find it disturbing, cheesy, and predictable.

"...you know the authentic voice I'm talking about, it's basically annoyed constantly, and trying to sound like she's not giving a damn about virtually..." Read more

"...He is filled with ideas of American parody, disgusting anecdotes, and generally disturbing and amusing ideas...." Read more

"...laugh out loud funny but for the most part it's more satire and snark...." Read more

"...This story is light on theology and full on ironic humor. I loved the part about telemarketers from Hell...." Read more

20 customers mention "Character development"11 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development. Some find the characters relatable and realistic, while others find the main character unlikable, the exposition dull, and the story lacking a sense of urgency or danger at the start.

"...excellent, imaginative alternative view of reality with a peculiarly charming protagonist...." Read more

"...Other than the demons at the start of the story, the characters didn't have a sense of urgency or danger...." Read more

"...in his descriptions of Madison's parents, and he is equally blunt creating his other characters. 👍..." Read more

"...lost their punches, the writing became more formulaic, the characters unworthy of care...." Read more

So Much Fun, I Read It In A Day
5 out of 5 stars
So Much Fun, I Read It In A Day
A teenage girl wakes up in hell and has to figure out what the heck is going on. How much more do you need to know? It's such a fun story, and I won't spoil it but the scene with the severed head and the giant is classic literature.The take on hell Chuck puts forth is so believable that by the end of the book, you too will looking to pee in public pools so you can secure your slice of the Damned afterlife.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2012
    I don't qualify as an experienced Chuck Palahniuk fan, as this is the first novel of his I have read. The only other book of his I have read was his Portland, Oregon travel book, which having visited that city I found wonderfully descriptive. Damned is one crazy novel. I loved it. His main character Madison is such a smart-ass, that you can't help but like her. I don't think Chuck has done a totally convincing job at trying to talk like a 13 year old dead girl, but I really don't care. And I don't care if there are a few less than logical leaps in the plot either. This book was just plain entertaining. At first I read a chapter or two at a time, but by the time I was 2/3 of the way through the book I just kept reading and reading. Hell is such an interesting place in this book. It sure sounds better than the version religions peddle. So that's where all my fingernail clippings go! (Puzzled by this? Read the book.) Madison's parents are so over the top (a cross between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and Madonna)that you just can't help but laugh at them. Read this book, but please don't take it seriously. It is just fun, and there is no sacred liberal- or conservative- or fascist- idea that is not trashed. If you are easily offended, skip this book. Too bad if you are as this book is too much fun.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2011
    It's funny how a novel about Hell is what we all needed for Chuck Palahniuk to return from his three book slump of the past few years. I enjoyed Snuff more than others, but still was dissapointed. Pygmy was decent, but I was not a fan of the broken english. I enjoyed the style of Tell-All, but there wasn't much plot or story behind it.

    It has been almost fifteen years or so since Chuck began writing Fight Club: A Novel, and he has changed a lot over his career. In some ways, for the worse. In some, for the better. But overall, "Damned" by Chuck Palahniuk is a hopeful promise for the future, a good return path for Chuck to start up his excellence again.

    Damned is the story of little Madison, a young woman who wakes up one day to find herself damned to hell. As she prays... er, well, that's not the right word. As she solicits the idea of Satan to come and tell her what she did wrong, to give her meaning to her life, Madison tells the reader a story that stretches from her youngest memories to the most current event in the timeline. In Hell, she meets various characters, and most of them seem to get their own big "moments". Also, Hitler has a cameo.

    I'm not going to lie, Damned is as funny as Palahniuk's earlier Choke. Although Madison is in a desperate situation, eternally damned to puberty and no "ta-tas", she has a lot of humor through her language and her tone. Like a lot of other Palahniuk protagonists, Madison is a rampant intellectual, so be prepared to learn a few things along the way, too.

    As much as I would like to keep singing praises, I do need to address the problems of this book. There are definately scens that could have lasted about seven paragraphs shorter than they did. A lot of seemingly trivial events are stretched out to fill whol chapters, making each individual episode hit-or-miss. Also, I know this is paying homage to "The Breakfast Club", but there are parts where it seems like a downright rip-off (i.e. the whole supporting cast up until, like, page 200).

    In the end, though, Damned is a solid entry in the career of Chuck Palahnkiuk, the first in a trilogy of novels concerining this Maddie Spencer. Apparently, the next one will be purgatory and the final entry in heaven. Oooohhh. The prospect of a modern Dante's Inferno strikes me as interesting. In the mean time, sit back, relax, and enjoy this novel. As the last words of the book say:

    "To be continued..."
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2013
    What to say about Dammed... or Chuck Palahniuk... 1st off this is one of my all time favorite books by one of my all time favorite authors. I have already preorded the sequel, Doomed. If you have ever seen Fight Club the movie and enjoyed it you will love any of his books. Yes this as well as all his other works have a dark, twisted side but also humorous. And always a great story that reels you in, you will pick up and not want to put down until finished. To enjoy this book you must have a darker sense of humor. Yes its about a little girls adventure to and through Hell. Talks of God. In no way pokes fun of either, folks remember its fiction. If you like the workings of James Frey (famous for a million little peices) or Augusten Burroughs (famous for running with scissors) I think you would love this book! Some parts will gross you out while others will have you laughing hysterically. I personally recommend exploring all 3 of the mentioned authors not just the books that made them household names but all of them. I personally have read every book ever written by these guys. Again Chuck P has some amazing books but this is my favorite which is got 5 stars. Love you love you love you Chuck Palahniuk!
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Arturo Aceves Sierra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fenial
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 15, 2020
    Grandioso
  • Viatora
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very very funny book. The main character is now a 13 ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2017
    A very very funny book. The main character is now a 13 year old fat girl and even though she died too quickly to become one of those characteristic Palahniuk antiheroes, it's not always clear how innocent she is. The author brilliantly parallels Hell with Earth and gives a hilarious but heartbreaking account of the idiocy of narcissistic "super-liberal" celebrities, their motives behind seemingly noble and progressive acts and how their version of parenting works out. Maddie is a very intelligent young girl and the story follows her and her new damned friends coping with being dead and in Hell and with finding the courage to improve themselves even after death. Maddie doesn't remember how she died, another thing which will be of interest during the story. I laughed a lot reading this book. It was a fresh perspective (from a 13 year old girl) within an old perspective (good ol' Chuck Palahniuk).
  • G.M.Ochoa
    5.0 out of 5 stars He has done it again.
    Reviewed in Australia on May 30, 2017
    Chuck, a writer of the times. Once again he has succeeded in writing quality literature in a language befitting our times. He captures the cynicism and sarcasm that infiltrates us all. Damned is original, interesting, and all consuming.
  • somono
    5.0 out of 5 stars Consigliato
    Reviewed in Italy on October 11, 2015
    Un inferno dantesco in perfetto stile Palahniuk, molto bello e molto divertente (anche se il successivo è un po' deludente)
  • eva
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in Spain on October 13, 2014
    Arrived in almost perfect conditions and the delivery was alright. Absolutely satisfied with the purchase, hope to buy some more.