Choke

Rating:
Summary: Good, but lacks heart
Review: I like Chuck Palahniuk's work because it's not the same old New York yuppie baloney or quiet domestic melodramas that the bookstores seem to be so full of these days. I've found a new writer who I think Palahniuk fans will love--his name is Brady Udall and he's written a book called THE MIRACLE LIFE OF EDGAR MINT. It's umcompromising and sharp, much like CHOKE, but it also has heart and guts to spare. Do yourself a favor and check out EDGAR MINT--you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Drop Everything and read this book
Review: drop whatever you are doing and read this now. i read this book in about 4 hours, unable to put it down. its full of the quotes and ideas that youd expect to find in a palahniuk novel - things so brilliant and obvious that we never can think of on our own. buy this book now.

Rating:
Summary: Not Fight Club but Sex Club
Review: I never believed that writing could be too dark and depressing, too close to the truth. For me there is something brutally honest about writing that confronts societal issues with insincere carelessness. "Choke", Mr. Palahniuk's latest foray into the realm of modern day nihilism, however, has quickly changed my mind, proving that you can have too much of a good thing (even if it's bad for you). Though as flamboyantly entertaining as "Fight Club" was (both the novel and the spritefully dark film version by David Fincher), all too often does the writing reflect that of Mr. Palahniuk's first novel. The obsession now is not with fist-to-fist contact but with that...other form of physical contact, sex; his characters still seek refuge in churches as members of support groups; the sudden, climactic twist has not been dropped; and yes, his main character is as disillusioned and emotionless as the narrator of "Fight Club". What at first was an interesting and unique peek into the mechanics of society becomes just more tabloid, shock-value randomness that I fear Mr. Palanhiuk (a.k.a. Bret Easton DeLillo) will not be able to veer away from. The most emjoyable moments are perhaps those that will be considered by some to be the most ridiculous: those concerning Victor Mancini's supposed connection/resemblance with Jesus Christ. It almost reminded me of "The Last Temptation of Christ", except overstuffed with negativity. Is there a single, shining ray of hope in the novel's last chapter? Perhaps. I would say yes, but even so, that one ray isn't enough to alleviate the dark, pregnant storm cloud that is "Choke".

Rating:
Summary: Choke
Review: After reading Survivor and Fight Club, i was emmensely awaiting Choke, but it was less than exquisite. Although poigniant and humourous at points, Choke was more sexual and outlandish than his previous works. In essence, the main character struggles to find meaning and substance in life while dealing with a sexual addiction, possibly being the son of Jesus and a withering, psychotic mother. Choke delivers a message, im not sure what it is, but it is worth your time, if your looking for something to waste a few hours on.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Beggining, Mediocre End
Review: Mr. Palaniuk does it again. The first 100 pages of this book are outstanding, but, like Survivor and Invisible Monsters, the rest of it doesn't live up to expectations. Definitely worth reading though.

Rating:
Summary: Furthers his brilliance
Review: Chuck P. is truly one of the best authors of our time and I believe I have said this enough in my three previous reviews of his novels, so I'll cut through the mustard on this one. Choke is smart and entertaining and very, very visceral, just like you'd expect a Palahniuk novel to be. However, the story and characters all seem to be echoes of each other ffrom his other stories and it sometimes gets tiring. I understand that Palahniuk is very angried about the world we live in, but every single subplot in all of his stories is about destroying materialism and creating ourselves anew. While I have no problem with this, as he does it so very well, I must admit that it is sometimes a little tiring even though it doesn't effect the quality of this book.

Many, many things in this novel are genius, including Palahniuk's view of how everything can be an addiction, even picking up rocks. The impacted gut subplot is gross, yet funny at the same time and works well with the nihilism of the main character. Also, I don't know why Hollywood hasn't tapped this guy to write endings, but Palahniuk can truly write some of the most brilliant and twisting endings ever. He never dissapoints with his twists, and this novel is no exception.

Overall, Choke is another great book and great story, but if you've read his previous work, the implications and satire will seem a little old, but the wit is still some of the best around.

Rating:
Summary: Palahniuk getting repetative
Review: Take one or many endearing oddball psychotics, mix in a brash counter-cultural movement or statement to bond said characters, add in numerous amusing factoids, and voila, you've got you're very own Chuck Palahniuk novel!

Its sad to see great writers beat their own templates to death (see: David Mamet), so I hope Palahniuk can move into new territory before its too late. New territory includes not only the elements listed above but the format. Palahniuk has written all of his books in a fairly short format that really donesn't allow for much plot development. Lets see some longer books Chuck.

Rating:
Summary: The first word that comes to mind is "Great"...
Review: As one of the many "Hopelessly Devoted to Palahniuk" readers out there, I went and got this book on the day it was released. Actually, I left work early I was so excited. And to be honest, I'm glad I was not too disappointed because he is one of my favorite authors. Instead of doing this the "old fashioned way" and writing out what I liked and didn't like in a paragraph format, I'm going to make a list. Here goes nothing. What I liked: 1) The character development was great, as usual. 2) It was fast paced and enjoyable to read, as usual. 3) For the subject matter it was extremely hilarious. What I didn't like: 1) The ending...at least part of it. I don't want to spoil it for other readers but it was way out there, even for Palahniuk. 2) The fact that I'm done reading it and now I have to wait for the next book! I will definitely recommend this book to my friends and to people who have a wacky sense of humor who want a good book to read. Oh yeah, and don't say I didn't warn you about the ending. :)

Rating:
Summary: Not good enough
Review: Took off with FIGHT CLUB. Peaked with SURVIVOR. Fell hard and long with INVISIBLE MONSTERS Barely even gets back on his feet with CHOKE. A disappointment from someone who's proven himself capable of so much more. Empty. Pointless. Unfinished. And, unfortunately, completely redundant. It seems that if you've read one Palahniuk, you've read them all. See also: Gimmicky transitions. See also: Over-stylized sentence fragments. See also: Addiction and disillusionment...there are other things to write about.

Rating:
Summary: another awesome palahniuk novel
Review: This is a great book. Yet again, Chuck Palahniuk proves himself to be a very talented, insightful writer. Having read all of his books, I think they just keep getting better as his career goes on, so this being the latest...Other notes: this one doesn't start at the end, like the others. Some specific sentences in the book are very profound, and it is worth reading the whole book just for those (read it for the story too though, it's cool). I would not reccomend this to someone that hasn't read his other works yet, if only because it is interesting to see his development as a writer from survivor to now this. I suggest reading the books in order, I think you would appreciate it more.