Rating: 
Summary: the epitome of the counter-culture
Review: this book has given me so many wonderful things to try in my job as a waiter in a fine-dining beach club. but i'll take the 5th. it really is a shame that i had to see the film first to hear about this book. at least there are some differences, so better some equally as cool. thoughout the entire book we never learn the main character's name and that must have been a tireless endevour for Chuck. If you have seen the movie and loved it or even if you didn't like it, do you're self a favour and read this book, you'll be glad you did!
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite as good as the movie
Review: Most of the time, movies fail to do books justice - for example, just about every Stephen King movie falls far short of the original novel. But rarely, it goes the other way - Jaws, for example, as a better film than it was a novel. The same can be said for Fight Club. The author unfortunately chose to write in a rather pretentious, post-modern style (the product of Brown University writing seminars, I'm willing to bet), rather than employing traditional storytelling styles (again, Stephen King is a good example) that would really have served the story much better. (When, o when, will writers realize that nobody actually likes J.G. Ballard and the post-modern crowd, and simply return to telling good yarns?) The plot of the novel also contains some items that strain suspension of disbelief which were wisely omitted from the movie. For example, in the movie, Durden and the narrator raid fat from the dumpster of a liposuction clinic in one of the movie's more hilarious scenes. In the book, the fat is provided by Marla's mother, who sends her own surgically-removed fat to the girl every time she complains about wrinkles. The way we meet Tyler Durden in the book is much less satisfying than the way we meet him in the movie, and the ending is also less satisfying and borders on incredulous in the book. That said, the book is still a humorous read that's likely to touch a nerve or two with men in their 20s and 30s. But this is a rare instance where I'd recommend the movie to get the full effect.
Rating:
Summary: "This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time."
Review: Like many, I had heard of the book "Fight Club" after seeing the movie. As soon as I found out that it was based on a novel, I remember thinking to myself; How could this be a book? Is that even possible? The movie alone was so unbelievable that if it were done wrong, it would've been a horrible mess. But it was done just right, and the results were amazing. One of my friends had read the book and told me on many occasions, "You've got to read the book." I told him that I've already seen the movie, and again, he says to me, "You've got to read the book. It's great, and it's actually different than the movie in a lot of parts." That worried me, because I absolutely LOVED the movie. It's one of my favorites. I remember trying to read a book that another one of my favorite movies, "The Fan," was based on, and it was not an enjoyable experience. The book was COMPLETELY different from the movie, and not in a good way. I ended up never finishing it. So, I was hesitant at first, but about a year or two ago I decided to give it a shot. And am I ever glad that I did. "Fight Club" is an outstanding novel. The writing is so refreshing and shows us the mind of a promising new author, Chuck Palahniuk. This was his very first novel, and I found that so amazing. Because this was one incredible debut. I have read plenty of novels all from different kinds of authors, but I have NEVER read a debut as incredible or impressive as this. To give you a brief idea of what the book is about without giving away too much is it revolves around the narrator, an insomniac who can't get a grip on his life. With insomnia everything is a distraction. He can't focus on his job, he can't focus on people, and most of all, he can't focus on his life. Soon enough, he meets a slippery soap salesman, Tyler Durden, who is about to show our narrator a new outlook on life. And this is where they invent "Fight Club." It doesn't take long before everything starts to get out of control....WAY out of control, to one shocking climax and finale. (Don't think you have the answers because you've seen the movie. TRUST me on this one.) This is a humorous novel with some darkness to it. It is both funny and thrilling at the same time. The book is filled with some of the most memorable lines; some that were used in the movie, others that were not. This is dark satire at its finest. Know this; reading the book and watching the movie are two different experiences. Yes there are similarities, and there are differences. The only thing is that unlike "The Fan," the differences in the novel "Fight Club" really work and doesn't take away anything from anyone who was a fan of the film. It still stays true to the idea and story. Chances are you will enjoy the differences. That alone gives you a reason for reading, since you know it's going to be a different ride. After reading "Fight Club," I knew that Chuck Palahniuk had a unique voice and talent. And I have found myself to be right from reading some of his other novels. (So far I have read this, "Choke," and "Lullaby.") This is a very easy book to read. Not for people who get grossed out easily, though. If you have seen the movie, read the book. If not, still read the book. I can't really say which is better, the movie or the book. To me, they were both different experiences, and I found them both just as enjoyable. But one thing for sure, all the credit should be given to Palahniuk. After all, "Fight Club" came from his mind. A terrific read and one of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Ah, The Power Of Soap
Review: This one book, that makes you think deep within and wonder
are you alive? If you fall asleep, would you wake up as another person? This satire on the modern man is a book I couldn't put down. The movie is wonderful, but the book still makes you wonder
Do you know Tyler Durden? Fight Club, is a book that is powerful, Dark and very funny but also makes a strong point.
Which is
The First Rule of Fight Club is your not supposed to talk about it...
Read it to find out why
Rating:
Summary: Don't Pass This One Up - It's absolutely INCREDIBLE
Review: I don't remember the last time I was so impressed by a book. I have to admit, I still haven't seen the movie, and although I've heard that it's every bit as good as the book, I'm still a bit cautious, because I don't want to spoil the feeling I got after reading this. It's the most twisted story I've ever read, and yet it was never hard to follow. I made the mistake of beginning to read it in the company of other people, and about 6 times per page I stopped to read bits out, trying to show them how incredible even the first few pages were. I had a really hard time putting it down. When you pick this book up, be prepared to be challenged. This book is filled with ideas - scary, intimidating, and at times downright insane, but you'll think twice about your actions and the actions of others after you've finished. "Fight Club" moves on from one big event onto the next, even bigger one, on a scale that seems immesurable at times. Some parts are shocking, and create a completely different narrating character than the one you find in most contemporary novels. You get the feeling that he isn't quite balanced right from the beginning, and you move onto new heights of doubt and, for lack of a better word, weirdness. If you haven't seen the movie, you have to read this book before you see the movie. I always find that the way a book unravels a plot like this one is better than the way a movie can, although, I've heard that the movie does a really good job as well. But if you HAVE seen the movie - READ THIS ANYWAY!! There are parts in the book that you won't find in the movie, guaranteed. And they are just as important as anything else. Palahniuk is a master with the written word.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best protagonists ever!
Review: Wow...what a novel. This is where Holden Caufield would have ended up had he remained a young man for fifty years. I made the mistake of reading Choke prior to this novel and it almost made me skip another CP book, but boy am I glad I read it. Fight Club is a story about all of the anger most young men of this generation have bottled up inside--and it is told with deep, rich layers of satire and humor that made me want to reread the book when I was done. How Chuck managed to come up with idea after idea, line after line for an entire novel, I'll never know. It had to be exhausting. And when you're finished reading this book, you'll be exhausted too. Buy it! Worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: entering a new world
Review: Palahniuk's "Fight Club" is an amazing story that leads one through the depression of our lives and gives us an answer...Hitting bottom. What this book offers is new insight to the world and challenges or social conventions as well as the more important problem - ourselves and what we perceive as "normal", "cool", and "good". This novel has a hero that cannot delineate the world around him, fact from fiction, and reality from fantasy. A nihilistic theme and a quick paced novel, the chapters throw the reader from haunting truths to outrageous humor. This is a great read and a handy novel to caution the pursuit of a material life grounded on social norms of behavior, especially the definition of beauty - in magazines, televison, and through tradition. Throw out the old and begin again, lost in oblivion without hope there is peace and a little club that we cannot talk about.
Rating:
Summary: Wake Up!
Review: WOW! WOW! WOW! This book jumped up a punched me in the face. It completely changed my life. After reading it you will never see things the same again. I love all of Chuck's book's but this is my favourite, and it is also the first one that I read. I read the book before I saw the movie. I love the book, I love the movie. They are both amazing pieces of work.
Rating: 
Summary: Not great, but still pretty good
Review: I came to this book wondering if it was going to be as good as all the overheated media hype and fluff had made it out to be. It was touted as representing the anger and consciousness of the X generation, and maybe it does. But this story about an alienated loser who creates a violent cult of similarly inclined young men who weekly beat each other up and then plot to destroy society's institutions, although perhaps not great, is still pretty good. It's also reminiscent of the movie, Crash, based on the J.G. Ballard novel, in its theme of a repressed and narcissistic culture of violence that lies just beneath the surface of our otherwise highly polished, technologically advanced society. Since I saw the movie also, I thought I'd briefly comment on it here. Just as with the book, although perhaps not great, it's still pretty good. There are some good scenes in the movie, but some of them I would have done a little differently, which I think would have made them even better and more convincing, but maybe that's just me. I do like Ed Norton as an actor, though, and he is certainly one of our best up-and-coming young stars. All in all, it's a pretty good flick that does justice to the novel and with a fine performance by Norton, and I'd actually give it 3.5 stars if I could.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Great Movie, Great Writer
Review: Palahniuk absolutely brilliant. Vonnegut is no longer the best writer in America.
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