Choke

Rating:
Summary: Fight Club Part II -- Not a Good Thing.
Review: I'll spare you from a long drawn out review on this one - I'll just throw in my two cents worth on top of everyone else's.

This is the first book that I've read by Palahniuk, and it was good. I'll be honest that what made me pick up this book was that I thought Fight Club was a great movie (just can't bring myself to reading the book after seeing the movie) and was curious as to what some of the author's other works are about.

I watched Fight Club not to long before reading this one and well ... I felt like I was reading Fight Club II. There were a good deal of the same underlying themes, as well as part of the storyline seemed to be recycled (the support groups). It could be that I just saw the movie and was trying to hard, but how could you not notice that simularity?

Don't get me wrong, it is a good book it held your interest and had all the twists and turns that you would expect - I was just expecting something a bit different. Palahniuk is quite a good writer, I just hope in he's not resting on the successful story line of Fight Club and recycling it in his future works.

All and all though, a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Hooray!
Review: This is my second favorite book of Chuck Palahniuk, (behind Lullaby) the stories great, the characters are all well developed, and of course, the twists are there and well done. Definitely a book I would recommend without reservations.

Rating:
Summary: Sadly Disappointed
Review: I saw Fight Club and was fascinated with what this authors books might be like and I saw the cover and was intrigued and I bought the book and it was funny sometimes and outrageous at others but overall it was a waste of time and money. I was dissappointed. The book seemed very pointless and I wondered why I read it at the end. What was this book for? At least its short. But after Fight Club I can`t help but wonder if this is just one of his weak books and if I may just need to try Chuck again. I think this book was pointless.

Rating:
Summary: slow getting started
Review: chuck really hits the nail on the head with this portal into the head of a sexaholic. i am personaly a member of 12step groups and this picture of an addict in the grip of his addiction is very accurate. not only does he capture this but in the meantime he manages to comment on the american society as i see... hypocritical in an comedic/disturbing fashion. this dark little story is a genuine gem from the author of fight club. my only complaint is the slow start into the actual plot... which is rather hard to figuer out.

Rating:
Summary: Good, fun read
Review: Well, I am not going to try to intellectualize or even try to critique it. I will say that I totally enjoyed it. Yes, it is a dark book with dark humor but that is the attraction. found it a very quick read (great for travellers) and was entertained from beginning to end. If your humor is on the "darker" side you will enjoy this book a lot. If you are older than 30 you might find the book a little too edgy but give it a try!

Rating:
Summary: Not for the casual reader.
Review: If you're only reading Palahniuk's books because you thought that Fight Club was a cool movie, then stop. You should probably reconsider whether you really want to read anything at all. Why not go watch a traffic accident instead?

This isn't a feel good book, nor does it have large explosions, but what it does is make you think, which is what any good book should do. Victor Mancini is not just a man down on his luck, not just "an anti-hero for our deranged times", not just a modern day saint. He is a man who does all the wrong things for all the right reasons and then goes back and does all the right things for the wrong reasons.

Or vice versa.

This book may have some elements in common with Fight Club, but it elaborates on different issues. It touches more upon the effects of being the child of rebellious parents, it delves far deeper into the topic of support groups than Fight Club did. It even mentions, on a few occasions, the growing levels of misandry among today's female population.

And it has a twist ending that will leave you questioning everything.

What's not to like?

Rating:
Summary: Dull
Review: After not being able to put down Lullabye (and laughing out loud while reading it) I was tremendously disappointed here. I couldn't even finish it, and put it down half way through. It's boring and not funny at all. The characters are all unsympathetic. I wouldn't waste my time.

Rating:
Summary: Five Stars, but DO NOT Read this book!
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read. But it made me feel sick. It says right in the first chapter that you shouldn't read this. And he's right. I can't in good conscience reccomend this book to anyone. But if you do read it, you'll probably agree.

Rating:
Summary: Not great
Review: I found this an easy to read yet dull book. I read half of the books pages in about an hour but had no real motivation to go on, nothing seems to happen, the characters by Palahniuk's standards are dull and rather cliche, you have all manor of freaks as to be expected, but theres the trouble with Palahniuk his side show parade of freaks and geeks is what you expect.

If you liked Survivor, and Fight Club there should be no reason why you woulnd't like this, more of the same really but I've found all his books interesting on one level but uninvolving on another, Fight Club worked marvelously as a film, maybe Chuck should look at writing film scripts?

Anyway I found this book dissapointing, after plowing through Fight Club, and Survivor and not finishing Choke I think I'm all Palahniukied out.

Rating:
Summary: hell yeah
Review: Okay first off Chuck rocks. He is one of the best new writters out there. I read choke about a year ago since then I've read the book about three more times. It is the best book I have ever picked up. Once you read the first page you won't put it down till its done. Lots of people have read chucks other books before this but this was my first and fav. I do also have all his other books which are all very good ; Invisable Monsters, Fight Club, Survivor, Lulaby and Choke. I hope this review helped you in deciding wrather or not you buy this book. I say buy it then buy another for your firend/s its a classic and a must have even if you never read.