Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385720922
ISBN: 0385720920
Label: Anchor
Manufacturer: Anchor
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: 2002-06-11
Publisher: Anchor
Release Date: 2002-06-11
Studio: Anchor

Victor Mancini, a medical-school dropout, is an antihero for our deranged times. Needing to pay elder care for his mother, Victor has devised an ingenious scam: he pretends to choke on pieces of food while dining in upscale restaurants. He then allows himself to be “saved” by fellow patrons who, feeling responsible for Victor’s life, go on to send checks to support him. When he’s not pulling this stunt, Victor cruises sexual addiction recovery workshops for action, visits his addled mom, and spends his days working at a colonial theme park. His creator, Chuck Palahniuk, is the visionary we need and the satirist we deserve.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Well...THAT was graphic.
Comment: Graphic and entertaining. In a good way, of course.

I found the main character absolutely intriguing, and was delighted to read small excerpts from his past every once in a while. The rest of the characters all had a certain charm to them. The first-person narrative was great, and never exasperating.

However, the book seemed to take too much time describing Victor's many sexual encounters, and not enough on his choking experiences.
I knew the main character was a sex addict and all, but isn't the book called Choke?

I found myself sitting between my mom and grandma at Thanksgiving reading a detailed sex scene, looking over my shoulder every few seconds as to make sure they weren't staring at me wide-eyed.

In the end, it made for a very good read, I recommend it to anyone out there who wants something different and refreshing. I can't wait to see the movie, and I can't wait to read it and go through the experience all over again.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: "Dude" this book blows...
Comment: So maybe I made the mistake of watching the film before I read the book, but I expected the book to be better--and it wasn't. In fact, the book enlightened me to the fact that the author attempts to be evocative, erotic & intellectual with this wannabe-doctor self-made genius of a man. The film, I think, was better because it took out some unnecessary "metaphors" of philosophical proportions. The dialogue seemed artificial, and yes--the book is as inflated as my review appears before you. It was fun looking up all the sex terms I had no idea existed though!

The premise upon which the author wrote the book is I think where the real narrative lies... (see official website).

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Ideas
Comment: Well, I didn't this book was that funny and written so smartly, a lot of jokes not only sexual jokes, but those about death are awesome... this is a great book for people who likes jokes and are not afraid of laughing at death, addictions and oder human abilities....

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Gutsy readers only--this is not for the faint-hearted
Comment: (First published in 2001, this book has been re-released because of the upcoming movie.)

Choke tells the tale of Victor Mancini, a recovering sex-addict and medical school dropout. A story filled with piercing social commentary accented by creative storytelling. Palahniuk presents the personality of Mancini by way of disgusting, yet thought-provoking parallels and phrases in the same vein as a Physician's Desk Reference. A drug-addicted, baby-boomer mother, an overly dependent best friend, multiple urban legends, and a miracle-working doctor all make for an incredibly enjoyable and somewhat disturbing read.

This book was very interesting, and I enjoyed it fully. Palahniuk is one of the better contemporary satirists out there, and Choke is a prime example of his ability. All the characters were well developed and perfectly caricatured. Furthermore, his clever writing style matches the storyline perfectly, and his perverse jumps from sex to grotesqueries to religion keep you reading when you most want to turn away.

What we have learned from Palahniuk with "Fight Club" is that his novels transfer beautifully into film, and I am sure Choke will be no different. This is one of Palahniuk's best works, and I would have no qualms suggesting it to a friend or even stamping it with a parental advisory sticker.

Whether you are a Palahniuk fan or not; this book is well worth the read, and I personally cannot wait to see the film.

Armchair Interviews says: Another book from an edgy writer who gave us "Fight Club.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: "Trying too hard" isn't the right phrase, but it's the one that comes to mind.
Comment: I think Chuck Palahniuk has more funny ideas than he really knows what to do with. "Choke" is so stuffed full of them that none of them have a chance to breathe. A protagonist who pretends to be choking in restaurants so that strangers -- check. A group of stoners and losers who work in a strict mock-Colonial village -- check. Seeing the world through the jaundiced eye of a medical school dropout -- check. All of these elements appear in "Choke" and none of them are as funny or effective in combination as they could have been with a little authorial restraint.

This novel was severely bogged down by Palahniuk's stylistic quirks -- phrases that are repeated for emphasis until the reader is sick of them, attempts to shock with explicit sex, and, in this case, a narrator who talks like a Valley Girl. For sure.

It seems like Palahniuk's attention was divided as he wrote this. Too much of his energy went into trying to be transgressive and extreme. Denny and Ida Mancini could have been great characters, but they were overshadowed by Victor's not-very-compelling narrative voice.

Grow up, Mr. Palahniuk, and try again. I believe you have it in you.

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