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Choke

Choke

List Price: $13.95
Your Price: $10.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Chuck Palahniuk "chokes"....
Review: Firstly, I am a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. I've found all his books to be original, refreshing .. if somewhat disturbing. So I had great expectations when I started on his latest book, 'Choke'. Was I disappointed?

Well, let's see. I expected an original, thought-provoking story. Unfortunately the story, while original (..about a sexaholic, his strange mother, and his trashed out friends), is not particularly thought-provoking. The characters didn't have the depth or weirdness of those in his other novels. There is an unexpected, and rather good, surprise towards the end of 'Choke' but it wasn't enough to derive any entusiasm.

I also expected Palahniuk's brilliant prose, complete with often funny one-liners. Here is an example from 'Choke':

"The magic of sez is it's acquisition without the burden of possessions. No matter how many women you take home, there's never a storage problem."

Great stuff. Sadly, there were only a handful of such gems in this book (whereas nearly every other page in Palahniuk's other books contained such jewels).

Bottom line: a relatively weak, derivative effort by Palahniuk. Fans will be disappointed. Palahniuk newbies should look to any of his other works to appreciate his brilliance.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I'll have a Hemlich, please . . .
Review: Like all of Chuch Palahniuk's works, "Choke" is stunning in its conception. The idea for the book--that the main character has mother issues and hangs out at 12-step meetings to get a date--is brilliant, but then, so were the premises of "Fight Club" and "Survivor." With humor and horror, Palahniuk pulls us into this stellar novel, much the same way that Jackson McCrae does in "Bark of the Dogwood," or perhaps some of Vonnegut's or Boyle's works (think "Drop City"). Those looking for the Pulitzer Prize won't find it here, but what you will find is some of the most original writing to come out in the last hundred years.

Also recommend: McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood."

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: I want my money back.
Review: I was a huge fan of Chuck after reading Fight Club, Invisible Monster, and Survivor. After trying to read Choke, I dropped Chuck. There was a flare to his writing with the subtle gross out factor and extreme story lines, but Choke was just stupid. I couldn't even finish reading the book (I have read the previous three mentioned numerous times). There is only so much I can stand of reading about snot. I haven't read any of his other books since Choke because I was so disappointed. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE FIRST THREE THOUGH.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Just blazingly original and entertaining writing
Review: Victor, a sex addict who is a member of a 12-step group in order to meet new sex partners makes a living off of contributions from Good Samaritans who have rescued him during scam choking-to-death episodes in order to support his crazy institutionalized Mother who may have artificially conceived him using cells from the stolen foreskin of Jesus, is trying to figure out if he's a nice guy or not. Man, that was a fun synopsis to write! It is also a fun book to watch unfold. The blurb on the back says Chuck P has a "Swiftian gift for satire". I don't know what the heck that means but you'll find a weird, hilarious and twisted story. It's as shocking and off the wall as William S. Burroughs, but as compelling and entertaining as stalking your next date. He doesn't sound like anyone else out there.

When I read this book, and Fight Club before it, I was convinced that no one could write this deeply and viscerally about these bizarre events without having lived through them. Palahniuk knows too much to simply be using his imagination. I'm not just talking about being a member of Sex Addicts Anonymous or how to have "oops" sex in airplane bathrooms. How about knowing the type people who work in a re-creation of a Colonial village? It's a stupid job that requires plenty of recreational (sex and drug) diversions, along with the few employees who really take it seriously.

The book ends a little unsatisfactorily. What was it all about? What was I supposed to "get"? You have to risk your life to get love. You have to get right to the edge of death to be saved. Oh well, great, amazingly original writing, insight into people you'd definitely want to avoid in the suburbs and a quick peek inside a couple of twisted losers.
See also: Ordinary folk.
See also: You and me.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Lacks Originality...But Still Amazing Writing
Review: In this novel, Chuck Palahniuk covers a great deal of the territory which will be familiar to readers of his earlier writing. But, this book -- while not as stunning as "Fight Club" -- is still remarkable.

Here we are confronted with the story of Victor Mancini -- sex-addict, con artist, drop out, would-be messiah, etc. Definitely an interesting character. And Palahniuk provides a voice for him that is totally believable.

The novel starts with Victor telling us that we shouldn't read it...which only makes us want to go ahead and read.

And it won't be the last time a reader is unwittingly manipulated by Victor's seemingly innocent narration.

From there it moves on to his description of telling scenes from his childhood and details of his relationship with his crazy mother. Convinced that her relatively petty (mostly) crimes are situationist acts which will awaken the masses from their mental slavery, Ida Mancini definitely manages to impress Victor with an unique world view -- when she isn't doing time, that is.

Victor is a smart guy...even if he is twisted. And, throughout the novel, his viewpoint and the opinions he expresses are interesting.

But the plot wears thin -- in spite of the fact that it deals mostly with Victor's concerns about his mother's failing health and what he could or should do to save her. Pretty heavy stuff. But this seems like something we've seen before.

We get a lot of information along the way about Victor's strange sexual predilections. And have no trouble by novel's end imagining how this character could have gotten to be so far from normal.

Palahniuk's writing is first rate throughout. Unfortunately, the ingredients of this novel seem to be assembled following a successful recipe.

What's different here is not all that different from what we've seen before in Palahniuk's work.

At one point, Victor comments about "jamais vu" -- the opposite of "deja vu" -- seeing something again but feeling as if it is for the first time rather than seeing something for the first time and feeling as if it is oddly familiar.

Palahniuk can't expect us to forget his earlier work. He'll need to work harder to make his future work every bit as good and ever more original.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Another solid effort by Palahniuk
Review: After having read Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk has quickly become one of my favorite writers in the business today. His intelligence, wit, creativity and style ought to qualify him for his own genre by now. But let's face it: his stories are pretty darn weird.

"Choke" is a prime example of Palahniuk's eccentric storytelling. Victor Mancini is a recovering sex-addict, the direct descendent of Jesus Christ, a con-artist working to save his ailing mother; her medical bills paid by sympathy checks of those who saved Victor after he pretends to choke to death in restaurants.

Sound weird? Well, it is. But it's also extremely gripping and well-written to the very end. The characters are memorable to say the least, and the book is quite an easy read. That said, I came out of it wondering what, in fact, I was supposed to "get." There's no mind-blowing, twist ending like that of Fight Club. The book simply..well, ends. A minor disappoint, however, considering the freshness and originality of the story. Recommended.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not his best work
Review: This book was obviously only half as inspired as his others. I finished this book, but barely. I yawned through the last half. if it shows this has a high rating, ignore it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Pretty Bad Actually
Review: Having endorsed LULLABY and SURVIVOR, I decline doing so for CHOKE. I bought CHOKE and INVISIBLE MONSTERS and picked up CHOKE first because the writing seemed more promising.

CHOKE offers familiar territory for Palahniuk's readers: an underachieving, insensitive and irresponsible protagonist living on the urban agonistic underbelly. Interesting plot twists and the original narrative satires of the middle class follow. Books manufactured from this mind challenge what you believe about free speech, spirituality and materialism and responsibility.

CHOKE is vulgar, the plotting awful, the characters' irritating and undeveloped and though the book entertained it didn't provoke the reader into challenging assumptions we make about the way things are as did other books.

Writing about sex and its impact on the individual, society and our intuitions is one thing. Erotica and fantasy writing is another thing. I felt like Palahniuk was trying to say something about sex by writing about it so much but instead found himself filling pages with his sexual fantasies and asinine assumptions he makes about sex and women. In that regard, it is what he says about sex thoughtlessly that is worth contemplating.

The book should be re-titled as the book deals less with the Good Samaritans he fleeces and more with sex - especially crass exploitative sex. Palahniuk fails to weave the subplots on Christianity and personal philosophy that would challenge and subvert his sexual fantasia.

The character development irritates the readers as it leaves too many questions unanswered. Leaving questions unanswered allow the reader to come up with his own conclusions about big themes if the author through his work explores each possibility with gusto. However, when Palahniuk does not explain the extreme actions CHOKE's cast. What motivates Victor Mancini's sexual addiction? Why Ida Mancini live life on the run? Is she his real mother? What did she do to him in his childhood and who his real father is - this is a fascinating question in light of Janet Finch's WHITE OLEANDER? What makes Paige Marshall different than Nico, Tanya and Ursula? Is she a married doctor and why is she so attracted to him? Denny, the most likeable character, why and how did he get together with Cherry Daiquiri? What is the miracle he asks for and what is the deal with the rock castle? No one likes to be teased. After reading CHOKE, one feels cheated.

He does write a few funny sound bites and there is one scene where Mancini co-opts the front desk causes me to chuckle even today.

But ultimately, one gets the sense that here is an author brave enough to deal with the traumas of his personal life through his art ultimately chokes at his opportunity.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Enjoyable commentary
Review: It was an enjoyable experience - CHOKE - however, I would not say it demonstrates a Swiftian satire as stated on the back cover of the novel. Johnathan Swift was a brilliant satirist, Palahniuk is above average.

CHOKE is enjoyable to read and it makes you think about our present state as humans. He does a good job in leaving the questions that are brough up throughout the novel unanswered. He demands us as the reader, not only Palahniuk but Victor as well, to formulate our own ideas about what we should do in this world of ours.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Killing the future to preserve the present."
Review: Reading a Chuck Palahniuk novel is a guarantee for a unique and often frightening reading experience, and CHOKE is no exception. I devoured this book in one setting and would rate it as one of my favorite Palahniuk books. CHOKE is full of social satire and rude and gutsy humor that makes one examine the world around them in an entirely different light. There are virtually no sentences that are not affected by Palahniuk's social commentary.

CHOKE is centered around Victor Mancini, a sex addict and con artist who works at a Colonial living museum with co-workers who tend to dabble in pot smoking and other insidious drugs while on the job. When not at work he likes to eat out at restaurants and pretend to choke in order to make unsuspecting heroes when the other patrons save his life. It is safe to say that Victor has not had a so-called normal childhood; his mother continually performed stunts at the expense of others and society when she was not in jail and was known to kidnap him and teach him important life lessons.

Palahniuk creates brilliant and original scenes that highly entertained and made me chuckle out loud numerous times, including Victor's relationship with the elderly patients at the nursing home and his best friend's obsession with rock collecting. Highly recommended.


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