Fight Club: A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Fight Club: A Novel
Book Review: "This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time."
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: "...This is a read you do not want to miss out on."
Summary: 5 Stars
The abstruse bone-chilling tale of Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk tells the story of an anonymous consumer driven young man, who feels emptiness in his ordinary existece. He is an insomniac and the only way he could cure his sleep disorder is by going to self-help groups. The man is an avid flyer due to his job, and on one flight he encounters upon a man by the name of Tyler Durden. Tyler has diverse vocations, such as a film projectionist and a soap maker. After a peculiar circumstance the nameless character moves into Tyler's home. Both together discpver a way for them to pursue past their confined and restrained lives by forming Fight Club, an after-hour boxing match assemblage in the basement of a bar. Fight Club becomes a place where the typical man goes to find mitigation in their diminutive life; where one man can mentally become a puissant dictator by making another man's face hemorrhage; a place where one guy can knock the living daylights out of another guy. Tyler, the true mastermind behind Fight Club, becomes an underground image, to what it appears, every man in the United States. Fight Club develops into a widespread gathering and Tyler takes advantage of his power by telling his followers to start commotion and mayhem all over the country (to give the rest of the stort way would be just wrong). Fight Club by far was one of the most commanding stories I had ever read. Though it did not come as a shocker to me since I had seen the movie, I still found myself biting my nails at times with amusement and apprehension. Palahniuk suffuses the book with symbolism, and it seems to me that Fight Club is exclusively based on the Nazi genre and Hitler's regime since most of the book deals with world domination and how one man's mind can become manipulated and controlled. The book is truly fit for any reader who takes pleasure in comedy, horror, or even romance. I found myself being taken adrift sometimes in the novel as if I were going from one place to another. Still, this is a read you do not want to miss out on.Book Review: "A macabre and twisted tale. Compelling but dismal."
Summary: 3 Stars
Fight Club (the movie) is a true cult classic. The movie would not have been possible without the book. Chuck Palahniuk weaves a tortured tale about _____ _____? (the narrator) and Tyler Durden. The story is cool and believable. In fact, I have come up with several versions of a Fight Club II in my own mind after reading Palahniuks novels and watching the movie. I'd seen the movie twenty times or more before ever reading the book. It became imperative that I read the book. Between Palahiuk and the screenplay writer, and David Finchers exquisite directing the movie was a masterpiece. The book, however left something to be desired.Book Review: "I Want You To Hit Me As Hard As You Can"
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll keep this short. If you love the film, you will love the book.Book Review: 'Twill forever change the way you look at soap!
Summary: 5 Stars
I shall divide the review into two parts, the first part for those who haven't seen the movie and the second for those who have.For those who haven't:
To be honest I don't know which is better to experience first so I shan't comment on that except to say that both are excellent. Fight Club is about the friendship between the narrator and Tyler - a guy he meets. The narrator is a mindless participant of the corporate rat-race, an insomniac, meterialistic and so out of touch with humanity as an ideal that the closest he comes to genuine feeling is going to support groups pretending to have various types of terminal illness. Tyler is the exact opposite - pushing all boundaries, idealistic, anarchistic, self-destructive and loving it. Together, they establish Fight Club, a place for the nameless faces of middle corporate America to remind themselves they're alive by belting the daylights out of one another. However, soon the anarchistic philosophy takes off on its own..
For those who have:
The book is more extreme than the movie! Tyler's philosophy is much more radical - in the movie he does not seem to want anyone to get hurt but in the novel, that's exactly what he wants. Be prepared for a more confronting experience - including some scenes that are more placid in the movie. And you thought the film warranted an adults-only rating...!
The style of the book is quite difficult - very easy to read but the narrator's style, while not exactly stream-of-consciousness, is very coloured and colourful - so much so as to completely overwhelm the story. It is however the themes of dissatisfaction with mediocrity, the cynicism about heroes and the belief that to be saved you have to reach rock-bottom first (and that's achieved big-time in the book!) that make it so memorable.