Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

20 reviews

semisinful's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I expected this to be a hard read but boy oh boy did I not expect just how hard of a read it was going to be. The first time I tried reading this I gave up three chapters in because the violent descriptions and the talk of how to make homemade explosives gave me that weird phantom pain in my knees. But this time I pushed forward and got through the whole book. I love the movie, it’s one of my favourite movies. But it was far more difficult to actually be in the narrator’s head the way you are in a book versus how it is watching it in a movie. 

Man some of this was really hard to swallow. I loved it though. It was so brutal but it felt incredibly authentic. My problem with a lot of books this brutal is inauthenticity. This was great.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

ru_th's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

We are not special. 
We are not crap or trash, either.
We just are. 
We just are, and what happens just happens. 
And God says, “No, that’s not right.” 
Yeah. Well. Whatever. You can’t teach God anything. 
God asks me what I remember.
I remember everything. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

adahermans's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

First rule of Fight Club is you don’t talk about Fight Club! So I won’t 🤫… (loved it though, made me chuckle a lot)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

chapter_one_athenaeum's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

nedens's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk is a tour de force of contemporary fiction, meriting a solid 4.5-star rating. This novel is a mind-bending journey through the realms of the unreliable narrator, taking readers on a tumultuous ride that defies expectations at every turn. For those in search of a narrative that skillfully intertwines violence, introspection, and a critique of modern society, "Fight Club" emerges as a standout choice.

Palahniuk's narrative is a masterful exploration of themes like consumerism, male identity, and the search for purpose in a world seemingly overrun by material excess. The novel's backdrop of stark mental health issues provides a poignant commentary on the state of contemporary society, delving into the psyche of its characters with unflinching honesty and raw energy. What sets "Fight Club" apart is its ability to maintain a fast-paced, engaging narrative while simultaneously offering a deep, thought-provoking look at these complex themes.

Comparing "Fight Club" to its cinematic adaptation, the book offers a richer, more nuanced experience. The novel’s ending, different from the movie, provides a fresh perspective and adds another layer of complexity to an already intriguing story. Reading "Fight Club" feels akin to experiencing the literary love child of Kurt Vonnegut and Philip K. Dick — it possesses the satirical edge and the psychological depth characteristic of these literary giants.

For fans of fast-paced narratives that also make you think, "Fight Club" is not to be missed. It's a book that packs a punch, both in terms of its action-packed storyline and its incisive commentary on the human condition. Palahniuk has crafted a novel that is both a product of its time and a timeless reflection on the aspects of human nature that transcend societal boundaries. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content

maireebrown's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I never thought I would see such an accurate book to movie adaptation, and yet this one exists. Obviously, the movie isn’t a perfect recreation, but it’s got a lot of the same, so if you’ve seen the movie, you know what you’re in for. 
This book is vulgar, dark, and uncomfortable. That being said, I did enjoy the read. If language, sex, and violence make you uncomfortable, you should skip this book. It also has an odd writing style that can feel a little incoherent at times. This will make sense in the end so stick with it. 
Very different from what I normally read, but an odd notch in my reading belt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Violence

nb_leftist's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It seems to be a commentary on white supremacist right wing extremist movements and how they’re fucking idiotic, but I can’t tell if that’s what the author meant it as or not. I don’t think it really matters cause there’s not one specific thing that a story can mean and in the afterword Palahniuk even writes about how he kind of just wrote it. Either way it’s definitely a good piece of writing. It keeps you interested and it keeps moving throughout. I finished it in probably 2-3 hours and it felt like 30 minutes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

pulcotinette's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Didn't like the writing style (it was too dry for me) but the story in itself is incredibly compelling. It calls to the reader in a personal way, and the ideas it develops are attractive in this writing. As another review says, you have to read between the lines and take a step back from what you're reading to really get the book. 
I loved the movie (that i saw first) and didn't find the book as compelling (because of the writing style). I also had Edward Norton's voice in my head reading this, and I think he nailed the narrator. I think the movie greatly helped me understand the point of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death and Sexual content

breadbummer's review against another edition

dark funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I...truly do not know how to feel about this book. I know there are tons of people out there arguing about whether this glorifies toxic masculinity or is the best book/movie ever (by *cough* cishet able-bodied white men who somehow got the idea that society wasn't specifically built for and around them *cough*); very obviously, I don't agree with that second statement, though this story has the elements of taking itself seriously and, at the same time, parodying itself. "Fight Club" really reminds me of the song 'Two Trucks" in this way: what is more masculine than explosions, lack of individuality, senseless violence, hating women, and having literal balls? All of that crammed together into a single can, that's what. For sure, it's a ridiculous story (filled with some great chemistry lessons, I might add), but it's a bit too sobering to know how many white men don't realize this. That is, even if Palahniuk IS poking fun at these types of people, how effective can that message be if no one's reading between the lines?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Stalking, and Murder

Minor: Fatphobia, Vomit, and Grief

augustee's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol