mandimartin's review against another edition
3.0
I had seen the movie before I read the book and wasn't too fond of it so I was reluctant to read this. The movie was very focused on the main character's "sex addiction", while it was just another bizarre element to the book. I enjoyed the book a lot more than the movie. I always enjoy a Palahniuk book, and this was no exception. I am usually a little frustrated because the lead character is always this boring, submissive type with pent up anger that is picked up by an infinitely more interesting character and together they do all sorts of things the main character would never dream of. This book didn't follow that stereotype. The main character wasn't fascinating, but he was interesting enough to be paired with his rock loving friend. This book seemed more real than the rest and I adored the best friend that adopted rocks. It had a sweet, innocence almost that is rare among Palahniuk books. The movie didn't do this book justice.
alliemco's review against another edition
3.0
I’m at a loss on how to rate or review this book. I gave it 3 stars simply because I couldn’t decide whether I loved or hated it - probably both. On the one hand I was often repulsed by the very graphic sexual exploits of the main character but on the other hand I often laughed out loud and found some portions to be superb. It’s that kind of book.
Choke is a darkly humorous and satirical novel that explores themes of identity, addiction, and the search for meaning in life. It is a character-driven story that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the lengths that people will go to in order to find connection and purpose. Choke is an interesting book from a psychological perspective. The lead character is a sex addict and intentionally chokes on objects in order for others to save him and therefore feel loved (and to make a financial profit). The novel explores his childhood and attempts to uncover the reasons why he is the way he is as an adult.
Choke is a darkly humorous and satirical novel that explores themes of identity, addiction, and the search for meaning in life. It is a character-driven story that delves into the complexities of human relationships and the lengths that people will go to in order to find connection and purpose. Choke is an interesting book from a psychological perspective. The lead character is a sex addict and intentionally chokes on objects in order for others to save him and therefore feel loved (and to make a financial profit). The novel explores his childhood and attempts to uncover the reasons why he is the way he is as an adult.
cerulean333's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
daniell's review against another edition
2.0
The protagonist in the context of an AA-style 12-step meeting (not addressing anyone, but as a narrative voiceover):
The problem with sex is the same as with any addiction. You're always recovering. You're always backsliding. Acting out. Until you find something to fight for, you settle for something to fight against. All these people who say they want a life free from sexual compulsion, I mean forget it. I mean, what could ever be better than sex?
Also, these are repeated throughout the book:
___ isn't the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind.
And
What WOULDN'T Jesus do?
The story of about Victor Mancini, a medical school dropout who is believed, by himself at least, to be the messiah. He sees it his duty to bear the sins of the world by committing them, becoming more pathetic and desperate as the book goes on. Beyond a simple "don't be like this guy" it's hard to tell what Palahniuk is saying with this beyond sketching an interesting character, though a corresponding theological takeaway is that nobody sins out of duty. Victor's "duty" is a disguised desire to escape from himself, and in the end he finds himself unable to continue escaping because eventually his escapism becomes his identity that requires him to escape from his escaping. He attempts escape, but he never succeeds because his method is fundamentally flawed. Cultural condition, anyone? The moral in the character of Victor is that one must deal with oneself. It's simple disexample, but it's done well enough in its own right.
The problem with this book is that a lot of it didn't supplement this terminus. Towards the end of the book Victor's friend Denny begins building a castle from stones. Eventually he gets noticed and other people start to help him.
The last lines of the book:
"
It's creepy, but here we are, the Pilgrims, the crackpots of out time, trying to establish our own alternate reality. To build a world out of rocks and chaos.
What it's going to be I don't know.
Even after all that rushing around, where we've ended up is the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.
And maybe knowing isn't the point.
Where we're standing right now, in the ruins in the dark, what we build could be anything.
"
I accept this as a both a statement of moral and explanation for this book. What am I writing? I don't know. Why am I doing it? Beats me. Here guys, read my book.
Or is this yet another ironic disexample? As in, whatever is true is definitely not this! If so, it must be realized that to state what's wrong with the world is a shallow, easy task. On the grounds of this book having significance beyond an "oh look, clever notion," I give 2/5.
But, if you abandon hope right at the starting gate for a coherent moral then Choke is good for a few creative-writing-type chuckles, particularly all the times Victor willfully chokes in the company of strangers, baiting them into becoming heroes, tactfully bonding himself to their charity. Or any of the scenes in the Colonial America educational faux-city. I lament the paucity of the faux-city!
The problem with sex is the same as with any addiction. You're always recovering. You're always backsliding. Acting out. Until you find something to fight for, you settle for something to fight against. All these people who say they want a life free from sexual compulsion, I mean forget it. I mean, what could ever be better than sex?
Also, these are repeated throughout the book:
___ isn't the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind.
And
What WOULDN'T Jesus do?
The story of about Victor Mancini, a medical school dropout who is believed, by himself at least, to be the messiah. He sees it his duty to bear the sins of the world by committing them, becoming more pathetic and desperate as the book goes on. Beyond a simple "don't be like this guy" it's hard to tell what Palahniuk is saying with this beyond sketching an interesting character, though a corresponding theological takeaway is that nobody sins out of duty. Victor's "duty" is a disguised desire to escape from himself, and in the end he finds himself unable to continue escaping because eventually his escapism becomes his identity that requires him to escape from his escaping. He attempts escape, but he never succeeds because his method is fundamentally flawed. Cultural condition, anyone? The moral in the character of Victor is that one must deal with oneself. It's simple disexample, but it's done well enough in its own right.
The problem with this book is that a lot of it didn't supplement this terminus. Towards the end of the book Victor's friend Denny begins building a castle from stones. Eventually he gets noticed and other people start to help him.
The last lines of the book:
"
It's creepy, but here we are, the Pilgrims, the crackpots of out time, trying to establish our own alternate reality. To build a world out of rocks and chaos.
What it's going to be I don't know.
Even after all that rushing around, where we've ended up is the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.
And maybe knowing isn't the point.
Where we're standing right now, in the ruins in the dark, what we build could be anything.
"
I accept this as a both a statement of moral and explanation for this book. What am I writing? I don't know. Why am I doing it? Beats me. Here guys, read my book.
Or is this yet another ironic disexample? As in, whatever is true is definitely not this! If so, it must be realized that to state what's wrong with the world is a shallow, easy task. On the grounds of this book having significance beyond an "oh look, clever notion," I give 2/5.
But, if you abandon hope right at the starting gate for a coherent moral then Choke is good for a few creative-writing-type chuckles, particularly all the times Victor willfully chokes in the company of strangers, baiting them into becoming heroes, tactfully bonding himself to their charity. Or any of the scenes in the Colonial America educational faux-city. I lament the paucity of the faux-city!
altruisticlatte's review against another edition
4.0
What I really enjoyed about this book was how different the human connections were from any other book I've read. From his friendship with Denny, which seemed very tender, to his relationship with his mother, which seemed very longing and vicious. Without spoiling too much, the way in which Victor supports each character was almost refreshing, despite how vile many of Victor's situations turned out to be.
I loved the idea of Victor's occupation. It's not something, in a million years, I would have thought to assign to any of my characters. I remember being in elementary school and going on a science camp trip to "The Gold Rush" and meeting people who dressed up and stayed in character as miners, saloon bartenders, and regular people panning for gold. I hadn't occurred to me, until reading this book, that outside their characters, they are just regular people with regular problems. I thought about what kind of person lands themselves a job in that line of work and this book answered that for me. You're either really interested in the topic and the fantasy that it becomes your life, or you have really run out of options.
Aside from the nostalgia that this book inspired, I enjoyed this book overall. It was a bit slow but not in a bad way. It was entertaining, to be sure! It is so full of human connection and I really enjoyed that part. It is very raw, brutally honest, and a bit bizarre at times. There's so much to talk about after reading this book. I was lucky enough to read it alongside two other people and we could talk for hours about each character.
I loved the idea of Victor's occupation. It's not something, in a million years, I would have thought to assign to any of my characters. I remember being in elementary school and going on a science camp trip to "The Gold Rush" and meeting people who dressed up and stayed in character as miners, saloon bartenders, and regular people panning for gold. I hadn't occurred to me, until reading this book, that outside their characters, they are just regular people with regular problems. I thought about what kind of person lands themselves a job in that line of work and this book answered that for me. You're either really interested in the topic and the fantasy that it becomes your life, or you have really run out of options.
Aside from the nostalgia that this book inspired, I enjoyed this book overall. It was a bit slow but not in a bad way. It was entertaining, to be sure! It is so full of human connection and I really enjoyed that part. It is very raw, brutally honest, and a bit bizarre at times. There's so much to talk about after reading this book. I was lucky enough to read it alongside two other people and we could talk for hours about each character.
allison_reynolds's review against another edition
4.0
"Comforting" isn't the right word, but it's the first word that comes to mind.
I didn't think I'd ever read this book. And when I did, my first impression was that Palahniuk was a bit of a one-trick pony. And between this and Fight Club they do feel like the same story, but something still made me read through to the end. And specifically make time in the day to read it. By the end I don't know what I was feeling, but whatever it was wasn't what I expected.
I didn't think I'd ever read this book. And when I did, my first impression was that Palahniuk was a bit of a one-trick pony. And between this and Fight Club they do feel like the same story, but something still made me read through to the end. And specifically make time in the day to read it. By the end I don't know what I was feeling, but whatever it was wasn't what I expected.
krystofsubr's review against another edition
4.0
Settling herself on the towel, Gwen shakes her head and says, "Why do I do this? Why do I always pick the guy who just wants to be nice and conventional? The next thing you'll want to do is marry me." She says, "Just one time, I'd like to have an abusive relationship. Just once!"