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Summary: This was a great book!
Review: I will not go into what the book is about or what goes on in it. I am not that type of reviewer. I borrowed this book from a friend and thought it was well written and the subject matter made it even more interesting, and it just got better and better. I never write reviews but really loved this book.
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Summary: Palahniuk 's words on front cover!!!
Review: If you like palahniuk at all, you'll love this book
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Summary: the contortionist's handbook
Review: if you suffer from chronic headaches this is an absolute must read!!it is a must read anyway-one of the best books I have ever read. the plot is gripping and riveting and I was hooked by the 3rd paragraph.go get it!!
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Summary: Brilliantly Written
Review: Interesting storyline - highly intelligent con artist tries to outwit a clinical psychologist to avoid being institutionalized after being found in a drug-induced coma. Good plot, interesting characters, yes. But it's author Craig Clevenger's razor-sharp, deftly crafted writing that keeps you hooked into the novel. Want to see how a great writer writes a great novel in only 199 pages? Read The Contortionist's Handbook. Nothing wasted here. Just a great, great read.
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Summary: Clevenger's genius rivals that of his main character
Review: It has been a long time since I've gotten so excited about a book. While I was just pages into this novel, I knew that I had discovered something rare and wonderful - a gem among books - which now ranks in my top three favorite novels of all time. It was a short excerpt that originally inspired me to buy this book. Clevenger's style is crisp and clever, while still managing to remain sincere. It's hip without being cold. There's a highly appealing rhythmic quality to his prose and he manages a series of technical descriptions without ever making the reader feel bogged down. The Publisher's Weekly comment about this book being "underplotted" is one of the most ludicrous judgments I've seen in print, surely written by an aging woman with a fondness for Emily Dickenson and The Bronte sisters, a writer who obviously did not "get" Clevenger. In fact, his prose is so full of tension that reading a single paragraph is like racing downward on a roller coaster ride. Kudos to Clevenger! I only wish I had written this book.
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Summary: Move along. Nothing new to see here...
Review: Of course Chuck Palahniuk thinks this book is "...the best book I have read in easily five years. Easily. Maybe ten years," as the front cover states. The Contortionist's Handbook is a lot like Palahniuk's works. Clevenger has got Palahniuk's youthful agression, a main character who is jaded to the brink of insanity, (...) sex, drug usage, and even his stylistic tendency for repetition and the use of the word "you". (...) TCH is the same old, same old. The only thing really seperating its main character, John, from every other mentally-confused counterfeiting prodigy is his sixth finger. The love story is a bit lame. The drug usage does nothing to add to your supposed sympathy of John. And some of the dialogue among John and the underground crime ring which he ends up with is just plain B-mafia-movie. Although, Clevenger does have the ability to create some beautiful images and settings. His attention to details brings forth the grit and the confusion of John's life. If only he had some more substantial characters to work with...
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Summary: Pisses me off, really
Review: Only for the fact that I'll never be able to write this well. I like the imagery and the way he manipulates the English language and "contorts" it into something other than what we're used to. A lot of work went into this, and it shows. He makes every sentence count and the story was paced well and organized perfectly. I read the damn thing in one night, which is something I never, ever do. This book is in my top five.
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Summary: Standing in the Shadow of Chuck
Review: Originally posted on NadaMucho.com, dedicated to bringing you books that rock... There are two sorts of road trips: The one where you stick to the interstate and get to your destination as quickly and easily as possible, and the one where you take back-roads and simply enjoy the ride. "The Contortionist's Handbook" isn't a novel about a road trip, in fact it's about as far away from a road trip as you can get. 98 percent of the novel takes place in a hospital's mental evaluation room, the story unfolding as the shifty protagonist recounts the maze that constitutes his life, as he mentally spars with an "evaluator" who holds the key to his freedom. The result: A whole lot of narration. As advertised the novel is a handbook of sorts, wherein the narrator, and by extension the author, gets to show off the lengths it takes to keep starting over your life as somebody else, somebody with a clean slate of a history. It's obvious that Clevenger put a lot of thought and research into what it takes to be a successful con artist. Where this type of story typically rewards is by letting the reader live vicariously through what is generally a sort of romantic, if not glamorous, life less ordinary. The protagonist is "Handbook" however, uses his finely tuned con skills to... work as a courier? Hook up with cheap cocktail waitresses? Clevenger was able to come up with a strong idea for his debut novel, but stumbles in the execution. Several plot devices are half-heartedly introduced to keep some sort of tension going: the protagonist has an extra finger on one hand, which serves only to get him into a lot of fights; his current girlfriend may or may not be hiding a monumental secret of her own; a shady mob-style boss drafts him for his exemplary forgery skills. Each element is touched on randomly throughout the story to keep things moving, and halfheartedly wrapped up at the end of the book. Chuck Palahniuk described "The Contortionist's Handbook" as the "...best book I have read in easily five years. Easily. Maybe ten years." It's easy to see why, as Clevenger borrows copiously from the "Fight Club" author's style. Characters have encyclopedic pharmaceutical knowledge and the addictions to go with it. Sentences are often clipped short in order to lay weight and drama to them. Information is delivered in a straightforward style. Often mere bursts. And the characters seem to have no redeeming qualities, and thus elicit no empathy. Why wouldn't Palahniuk love it? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. "The Contortionist's Handbook" may just reflect the information age, but there's something to be said for taking the slow road. Because while the interstate may get you there efficiently and with no surprises, it's not the sort of trip you're going to be telling your grandkids about. Here's to hoping that Clevenger learns how to sit back and enjoy the ride.
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Summary: A Great Fiction Novel
Review: That is just how I would categorize this book. The character elements are astonishing. Clevenger can really get inside your brain and make you think that he is writing about you personally. No I am not a contortionist. But we all are in a way just looking for happiness and trying to squeeze into our niche.
No I am not a practicing forger. I don't even have good handwriting. What I enjoy most about this book is that even though I am nothing like the main character and I do not agree with what the character does, I can't help but empathize and feel close to the character, like he is a brother or a best-friend. That is good writing, and that is what I look for when I read a book. The whole book is just wonderfully thought-out. I recommend this to anybody that is looking for a great fiction novel that has a great deal of whit and humor. I have purchased this book 3 times; my own hard cover, my brother-in-law's Christmas gift, and a soft cover so that I can loan it to friends without the risk of losing my copy. I am waiting anxiously for Craig's second book. Respects, Kabol.
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Summary: What's in a Name?
Review: The polydactyl protagonist of this exceptional novel is working hard to evade everyone, not least himself. He is a masterful teacher, and this book will take you into the art of false identification (at least I take the book as a valid description) from passports, to birth and death certificates, and all the myriad of data points that converge to define an individual in the modern world. One of the published reviews on this web site claimed that it suffered from a lack of plot, but I think the review somewhat misses the driving force in this novel -- it is not trying to save his girlfriend, Keara, nor is it trying to trick the "evaluator,"; rather, he's trying to evade himself. We are in the world of "head games" here, so it's a bit wide of the mark to compare this to a Tarrantino action/plot drive. In this handbook, it is the self on contorted display.
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