I'm not sure what to make of this book. I thought it was suppose to be humorous but I didn't find it funny. It's just a sad commentary on a sex addict with a schizophrenic/bipolar mom. I sure as hell wouldn't want to see the movie! ( )

Raucous, satiric and scatalogical, with an anti-hero who starts out hard to love, as he tries to game the system by scamming strangers for pity and support, while dulling the feeling of despair with a variety of addictions and subversive behavior. I was really surprised to like it very much.

From the back cover: "Victor Mancini, a medical school dropout, is an antihero for our deranged times." ( )

I'm not really sure if Chuck's I'm-so-out-there-dude really works for me any more, but hearing him read the book really brought to light how well put-together the cadence of his prose is. Who knew? ( )

I'm not really sure if Chuck's I'm-so-out-there-dude really works for me any more, but hearing him read the book really brought to light how well put-together the cadence of his prose is. Who knew? ( )

I'm not really sure if Chuck's I'm-so-out-there-dude really works for me any more, but hearing him read the book really brought to light how well put-together the cadence of his prose is. Who knew? ( )

Loved it, pure chuck. Choke reminded me of why I like chuck palahniuk. ( )

Choke is not for everyone. It is FULL of vulgar, disgusting, graphic, icky sex. Really-- I am not a prude at all, but this was way over the top. At first I was really put off by this, as it seemed gratuitous, but as the story progressed it turned out that everything that had been written had a purpose. The story did have a point, a heart, and some depth. It was also darned funny in parts. So if you need a break from "literature" and a good laugh Choke might be for you. ( )

My fifth Palahniuk novel, and I was still completely thrown by the plot twists. Choke is a brilliant and maniacal roller coaster. I loved the structure and tone. As for the characters, likeable isn't the right word, but it's the one that comes to mind. Palahniuk never stops coming up with startling new situations. I will definitely be reading more! ( )

How can an author connect issues with food and sex addiction to his relationship with his mother and still not be too outlandish? I loved it ( )

With as little in the way of plot or suspense as I expected from Choke, I must say that I was thrown for a loop a couple of times while reading it. Though the writing does mimic the tone of Fight Club a little too much, Palahniuk manages to give Victor a distinct voice and personality. Though the guy's a scumbag of the third degree, he's actually very easy to like and care about. Or maybe I'm just sick and twisted. Either way, this was a fun and manic read. ( )

This book was good, but I didn't feel to attached to the main character and it didn't work as well for me. ( )

This was the third Palahniuk book I ever read. First, I read Fight Club and then Survivor. Both really good. I was very excited to read Choke, because so many people told me it was their favorite of his books. Boy was I beyond disappointed. It is a pretty short book, but it just chugged along for me. Nothing of interest really happens in the book at all. Palahniuk also went balls-to-the-wall with the gross out as well. Its nothing that really bothers me, but it just became tedious by the end. It was like "Oh he craps his pants....whoppie...." I don't know why people rate this book so high, but to each their own. I have given Palahniuk a bunch of chances since this fail, and he hasn't really redeemed himself yet. Great first two books. Nothing very good since. ( )

First Palahniuk novel. Will definitely read more. ( )

A good book overall and worth the read. I liked the twists and turns in the plot. You never see anything coming and that's the best part. Definitely like Fight Club in feel. ( )

An enjoyable read and quite edgy/racy in man spots. But a month after reading it, I could barely remember the narrative. Not a good sign. For me, "Choke" was a book that lacked staying power. ( )

Dirty, but ultimately boring. I think that Chuck P has gotten steadily, well, crappier as he goes along, and I'm not sure that this book is different enough from Fight Club to excuse it. Just read Fight Club, and if you already have, skip it. There's nothing very clever going on here. ( )

My favorite Palahniuk book ( )

Choke was interesting, dirty, and a little disturbing. I had heard about it from a friend, but I'm not as impressed with it as I wanted to be. After reading Fight Club, I think Choke leaves some things to be desired. Palahniuk's style can be confusing, and the book didn't suck me in as most books I enjoy do. But, overall it was entertaining. ( )

Palahniuk's best book. ( )

I picked this up because I wanted to see it before the movie came out, and now I'm pretty sure I'm going to wait for Netflix. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but certainly the least whelming thing I've read of Palahniuk. For a book about a sex addict, I found the sex pretty boring (beyond the rape fantasy scene). Maybe that just means I missed the point but I can live with that. ( )

I kept "hearing" the voice of the Fight Club narrator, even though this is a very different character. I don't have any really great insight on it; the book really didn't click, all that well, with me. ( )

Although I enjoyed reading Choke, when I was finished I didn't really think much about it. With both Fight Club and Haunted I could not stop thinking about the story and what had happened. The most I remember about this one are the stories about sex addicts and that his friend kept building something with rocks. And that I borrowed it from a friend and then spilled coffee all over it. Palahniuk's a great writer, and I loved the ending, but it didn't stay with me. ( )

Link to a review on my personal website. ( )

Chuck Palahniuk's novel Choke follows Victor Mancini, sex addict and med school drop-out who works as an Irish indentured servant at a Colonial Williamsburg-like historical site. To help pay for his mother's medical care, he pretends to choke on food at upscale restaurants. His "saviors" send checks to help support him. Victor lives in his mother's house with fellow addict and historical re-enactor, Denny. At his mother's nursing home, he meets Paige Mitchell who acts as a doctor to his mother. Paige offers to translate his mother's diary and we discover that Victor may have divine origins.

This is the first book I've read by Palahniuk and I definitely had mixed feelings. In some ways I felt the book was written for a reader in his/her mid-twenties, someone who would closely identify with Victor's search for his own identity while thinking that Palahniuk's use of sex and bodily functions to illustrate his themes was incredibly radical and cool. This reader isn't me. I appreciate what he was trying to do with his themes of self-authoring and personal redemption, but for me it just didn't work. Part of it was the somewhat graphic descriptions of Victor's sexual adventures. I'm not a prude, but for me this occupied too much space in the book. And when Palahniuk introduces a plot twist that has Victor literally full of shit - well, that just grossed me out. However, I must say that I enjoyed Palahniuk's style, way that he piles images on top of one another and his mixture of humor and serious themes. I will probably read more from him - I just hope there's a little less gross-out material next time. ( )

Loved this book. Took me twice to try to read it to get into it, though. I picked it up one day, wasn't impressed, and then I waited several months before trying it again. I'm glad I re-tried it! This book is definitely in my top 10. This book is more than just a good story; it's good literature. It takes some adjusting to look past the shock value and harsh words: but trust me, there IS literary value in this book. ( )