Choke by Chuck Palahniuk Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Choke
Book Review: Choke
Summary: 5 Stars
Firstly, I must say that this is the first book by Mr. Palahniuk I have read. I. Loved. It.
The protagonist character is Victor Mancini, whose life is just falling apart. He is a med school drop out, forced to pay for his mother's nursing home care. He works at a colonial theme park, but this does not cover all his bills. So, then, how does he make his money?
He fakes choking.
But still, choking does not lead to money. Or does it? The people who save him now feel semi-responsible for him, and write him letters, send cards, or make phone calls to see how he is doing. It is then that he milks these people for everything he can. He tells them about upcoming surgery, or how he has to have wisdom teeth pulled, etc. and cannot pay for it. These people then send him money and support him. He makes his rounds through several restaurants in the area and makes enough money to pay for his mother's care, his rent, and everything else he needs.
Throughout the book, Victor has flashbacks from his childhood. You find out that his scamming persona is something he inherited from his mother. You read about his sexual addiction. He falls for a girl... one who is not who she says she is. And you meet his best friend, fellow sex addict, and co-worker, and his own personal addiction.
This was a great book. It is very well written and carefully planned out. I am excited to read the rest of his books!
Book Review: Choked: Confessions of a Med School Drop Out
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first book I read by Chuck Palahniuk and thought thus far of what I read of his material this was his best work. All be it the only other one I read being Snuff and tried the infamous Fight Club this was better of the three. Now I've gotten Pigmy, Survivor and Haunted sitting on my shelf but this was pretty good. The reason for a 4 star rating is due to this being good but not great. I've read more extensive sophisticated language in other books with a lot more lyrical writing. Overall if you did what I did this book which was read about half of it put down for a while then finish it, it is a grand read otherwise your stuck with a good tale but maybe slightly above average vocabulary and that is reading his descriptions of diseases being a med school drop out.Book Review: Chuck Palahniuk
Summary: 5 Stars
My son loves Chuck Palahniuk I bought this as a Christmas gift. He enjoyed it very much.Book Review: Could be dubbed "the Palahniuk Formula"?
Summary: 4 Stars
While I consider Chuck Palahniuk to be one of the better living writers I've come across (I find his writing style to evoke a viscerally lush atmosphere, to be incisively witty, and page-turning-ly easy) I've noticed certain patterns in his stories which have proved to be at least a minor distraction.
The frequent use of 12-step groups in his books--most notably 'FIght Club' and 'Choke'--kind of, at least for me, incited a tiny voice in the back of my mind that asked, "This.... again....?"
If someone were to read a number of Palahniuk books, I would recommend breaking up 'Fight Club' and 'Choke' with 'Diary' or one of Palahniuk's other slightly less well-known books.
Although, it's worth noting that another "formula" in Palahniuk's novels is 'the twisted, insightful outsider' (nothing wrong with that), which is the near certain constant main character in all.
With Chuck Palahniuk's many gifts as a writer, it's worth picking up this or any of his books on a lazy day.
Book Review: Cut Your Steak into Chewable Pieces
Summary: 5 Stars
WARNING: The following review is about a book of an extremely explicit nature:
See also: adult
See also: graphic
See also: not rated by the motion picture association
It's a book where its author, Chuck Palahniuk is a "genius". Genius may not be the right word but it's the first one that comes to mind.
Palahniuk brought us, "Fight Club", and has delivered us, in his novel "Choke", a series of characters either as sane as the insanity of their lives will allow, or as insane as their belief in their pursuit of a normal life deceives them. The hero, Victor Mancini, is born of an immaculate conception, either to a virgin or to a prostitute--it's never clear, rising above the abounding sin to help those in need of salvation. Victor rises above his addiction to help his invalid mother (virgin or prostitute) who is locked away in an assisted living center for those with psychological disorders. With medical costs of $3,000 per month Victor must find money to pay this bill. When he was young he accidentally began choking on food and realized that those who rushed to aid, and were successful, became heroes. Once they saved your life they wanted to relive the experience over and over again...they became addicted to the good feeling of saving someone. Victor begins exploiting this phenomenon by asking for money. He grows this scam into a fairly lucrative business by repeating the accidental choking over and over again and then following up with the heros by asking for money again and again...which they happily paid to revisit the euphoria of helping someone in need.
Down then we plunge into the seedy underbelly of compulsive addiction only to be lifted up on the other side by those willing to seek restitution in good actions or deeds. This is the stuff of Baker, Fante, or even Burroughs but with an incredible plot line. Masterfully conceived and told by Palahniuk, we believe that Victor has overcome the demons of his upbringing, as we all have overcome our own demons in order to live semi-productive lives, as we cheer him on. If he is normal then we must also be normal...even if we are occasionally visited by the same insanity. In the end however, when Palahniuk turns the story on its head--a signature move of his writing style, we can't make the same comparison to normal lest we also be cut from the same lunatic cloth.
Another perfect novel for Palahniuk...five stars.