MH : You’ve said that “every book has got some point where I just go too far.” Tell us about some of the times you’ve gone too far in your books.Ĭhuck Palahniuk: There is that line in Fight Club where Marla says she wants to be pregnant just so she can have an abortion. (For more faint-worthy stories involving horrifying things that can happen to your penis, check out these Crazy But True Penis Injuries.)

Even on this last tour I just finished, at every event where I read that story-and I read it at maybe half the events-there were a minimum of three people who just passed out in the middle of the story. About 70 of them have passed out during your live readings, yes?Ĭhuck Palahniuk: I quit counting at 73, but it is well over 200 now. MH: “Guts”-a harrowing tale of just how much can go wrong during masturbation-continues to render many audience members unconscious. Whatever it is, we seem to thrive on the things that upset us. Maybe they find people are attracted to that energy. They just don’t know how to do it and they’re not being taught how to do it.Īlso, there’s usually some kind of payoff in being upset. That explains the enduring popularity of your stories like “Guts.”Ĭhuck Palahniuk: I don’t think people have the tools for resolving the things that upset them. It’s what really upsets people, you said, that lasts. Men’s Health: You’ve said that the things people enjoy are usually disposable and quickly forgotten. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play

Guts chuck palahniuk