Rating: 
Summary: Another Mindf*cker!
Review: Our story is about a man who dropped out of medical school. He is Victor Mancini, and he is also Jesus Christ's heir, and he is a hard-core sex addict, and his touch can heal. He starts out the very novel with Victor attending a sexual addiction meeting, or at least going there to pick up babes. What better place to feed the fire, than with others who need to feed it? In one of the funniest scenes in the whole book, he starts out describing a very hot, yet seedy sexual encounter with a girl from the addicts group. They are on the floor of the bathroom in a community building, and the grime is under their backs and in their skin. She is on top and riding him, and then he makes her turn away and face the front (around the world) and so she does, which nearly makes him trigger. He has her turn around so that he can fill out his sponsor form on her back while they are doing it, he is supposed to be her sponsor..."a drunkard's dream if I ever did see one..." Well, you get the idea. This novel is a knockout! The best novel I purchase off Amazon this month since THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez. Highly enjoyable and recommended! Readers unite!
Rating: 
Summary: Well at least he warns you from the beginning
Review: I have read all of Palahniuk's novels and liked each and every one of them,...except "Choke." I don't know if it's the mostly unexplored story of how the main character makes his cash which is even unbelieveable for a Palahniuk story, or how he seems to just poorly rehash stuff from his previous books. (The sex addict clinc is straight up "Fight Club" while the medical stuff is "Invisible Monsters.") But I think what makes this book not recommendable is how the book just seems rushed at the end. Too many storylines that read as if they were forced to come together.His other books are much better. Read "Fight Club," "Survivor," "Invisible Monsters," and "Lullaby." Those are the books that make you want to read more. To Chuck's credit, he does tell you at the beginning that you're not going to like him; and he's right.
Rating: 
Summary: modern satire without the bite
Review: Pahlaniuk's fight club will always be the standard by which all his other books will be rated and sadly choke does nmot quite stand up to the thril and vivacity of his earlier novel. while ever since i read the opening lines i had always wanted to lay my hands on this one, i was disappointed that the rest of the book does not live up to its initial promise. surely the book has its moments. in turns poignant, funny, tender and outrageous. this story of a sex addict and his weird relationship with his mother and the conviction of his own base nature are all woven interestingly to make this satire but sadly it lacks the bite and sting that fight club had. the novel at times tends to be boring and leans towards the weird for the sake of weird. oh! and the end. suffice it to say that fight club is fight club and choke will always be a wanna-be.
Rating:
Summary: Palahniuk nails addiction right on the head
Review: This is probally Palahniuk's best work. Although I may have said Fight Club but the film spoiled the ending for me (still an incrediable book). He shows the addicts place in society so perfectly you have to wonder about Palahniuk's own skeletons in the closet. The most brilliant I have ever heard regarding addiction in America reads:
My point is this America. You start off with hand jobs and progress to orgies. You smoke dope and then the big H. This is our society of bigger, better, faster, newer. In America is your addiction isn't always new and improved you're a failure.
In this book, Palahniuk also writes about stem cell research and the resuraction of Christ, all while the narrator (Victor Manchini) copes with his addiction, his dying mother that he must support, and the possibality that he may be the next masia. A chilling and brillant book.
Rating:
Summary: Pensive Satire and Laugh out loud funny in places
Review: What can I say about this book that all the other reviews hadn't clued you in on. Nothing. This book started slow- I think all of chucks stuff starts out slow and are a little confused until you get to the end and then you sigh and say oh yeah "I get it". It's about Victor Mancini who chokes on purpose and is a sex addict. all the sex and sex addict stuff is laugh out loud funny. Who said sex was an awkard necessity that looks funny from the outside oh yeah I did and this book definetly shows you how funny sex can be seen as funny. As for what it's about... you'll have to decide for yourself. I saw it as a self discovery, one persons journey in their head. I saw Victor as incredibly intelligent yet incredibly lost human being living his life through near necessity. I thought the book was very provacative and thouht provocking but Chucks style is sometimes harsh and hard to get into. He certainly isn't a fluid writer but who says he has to be it takes all kinds. I like the book and I think about even now months later.
Rating: 
Summary: All Choked Up
Review: After seeing Fight Club, I had to read Chuck Palahniuk. The premise of a man pretending to choke in restaurants seemed irresistable, so I picked this book up first. It was well worth it. Chuck's clipped sentences, carefully chosen details, and repetition of phrases (See also: Fight Club's "I am Jack's" sentences) combine to make masterful prose. However, it turned out the book dealt more with Victor's addiction problems than the actual choking scheme, something that caught me off guard. Anyone expecting the book to take place primarily in a restaurant will be quite surprised. The only problem I had is near the end. When a religious element was thrown in, I became completely bewildered. Once I read the ending, all made sense and was fine. I give this four stars instead of five because of the vagueness also near the ending. While ambiguity is one thing, some of the scenes were entirely unclear. Overall, this is an excellent read. If you're tired of drawn out, pretentious novels with no real voice or originality, pick up some Palahaniuk before you choke on other authors' inferior words.
Rating:
Summary: What you would expect from a certain Mr. Palahniuk...
Review: This book isn't for the easily offended! There are very vivid descriptions especially about certain confrontations with other sexually-addicted persons that the main character encounters throughout the story. If you like twists that you'll never expect and are just hopelessly cynical, this book is right for you! And just like every other Chuck novel, it will make you laugh at its dark and sadistic little jokes. Happy Reading and remember not to be offended!
Rating:
Summary: "Choke" is right
Review: After seeing the movie Fight Club, I became interested in author Chuck Palahniuk. He seemed to have such a fiendish sense of humor and made some very provacative commentary with Fight Club, so I decided to read Choke. That was in December. This is July, and I still have not been able to finish. Don't get me wrong--this book has the same cynical view that endeared me to Fight Club, but it just seems a bit pretentious with its dictionary-style addenda spattered throughout and the character's odd choices of phrases such as "For serious, dude." Ughhh... it makes me shudder just remembering how tedious and annoying this had become. My flight was delayed for 8 hours in Mexico City yesterday, and even THEN, faced with utter boredom, I still did not reopen Choke for another go. I guess I will finish it eventually, but I sincerely hope the next Palahniuk book I read is ALOT easier to swallow.
Rating:
Summary: Some of the best literature ever
Review: This book is so in depth. Chuck Palahniuk is great at writing literature that goes deep into the pysche. You can be from a family the resembles the Waltons and when you finish this book you feel like you were the little boy standing in the snow while your convict mom made an outline. I really enjoyed this book and invisible monsters and i look forward to reading all his others.
Rating:
Summary: (2.5 stars) Ok, but not Palahniuk's best work......
Review: The style of this book is similar to Chuck's other books; schitzo, funny and obscene and surreal. I like his style and this wasn't the problem with this book. The problem I had with this book is twofold. First, the mystery, surprise, "payoff" or whatever term you want to refer to the ending was weak in comparison to Fight Club, Survivor and Invisible Monsters. In general the plot was just boring and all the usual interjections and interesting musings weren't enough to overcome the lack of a plot. Stuff happens but it isn't really building up to something like in the other novels. Second, Mancini is the hardest of Chuck's primary characters to relate to. All of his main characters are extreme and outrageous but they all have some humane aspect about them we can relate to. I thought Mancini was the most tired and unoriginal of the bunch and the sex addict bit was played out after Fight Club. Also I didn't but the whole choking thing....how did he get his saviors to send him checks...would you send someone money just because you saved them from choking? Bottom Line: funny in parts and Chuck fans should check it out. If you are intereseted in Palahnuik, try any of the other 4 first.
| 
