Choke

By: Chuck Palahniuk

Narrated by: Chuck Palahniuk

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2001 by Chuck Palahniuk
(P)2002 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the freshest, most intriguing voices to appear in a long time. He rearranges Vonnegut's sly humor, DeLillo's mordant social analysis, and Pynchon's antic surrealism (or is it R. Crumb's?) into a gleaming puzzle palace all its own." (Newsday)
"At times very funny. Also sick and perverted....Readers will love it. Readers will hate it and be offended by it. Must listen to figure out what you think." (AudioFile)
"Displays a Swiftian gift for satire, as well as a knack for crafting mesmerizing sentences that loom with stark, prickly prose and repetitive rhythms." (San Francisco Examiner)

The view from here

This is a voyeristic look into the oddities of society. The story is told with perfect a perfect combination of sarcasm and intelect.

Darker subjects are covered so be patient

This will be a struggle for some to read who are unfamiliar with Chucks work. Otherwise it's another amazing story.

weird but interesting. 🙃

at the end of the book, the Author shared his reasons behind the wiring of this story that was cool thx

Shame it's abridged

I love this story and was happy to hear Chuck read it. Shame it's abridged.

A wild spiral ride

This book was like a wild ride from start to finish. So many things coming from out of left field, and such powerful character development that compels you to love Victor in his flaws, and love Denny too haha.

One-of-a-kind story teller.

The truth behind the facade of the human condition. Oh-Chuck does not hold out on you-he will go there, and thensome.

I really wasn't that impressed...

This book has too much hype surrounding it...
I bought it because I was looking for something juicy and risqué, so instead of buying "50 Shades of Grey," I bought this. Though the story flowed well and the characters were well developed, the so-called "sex scenes" were pretty normal as well as most of the interaction between each characters. I was also on a road trip and was hoping this book would be great company. Instead, I had to keep turning it off because it kept making me sleepy! By the time the book finally started to pick up, it was pretty much almost over and not only did it have a predictable ending, but I was so worn out by trying to finish it that I just wanted it to be over already!

Completely mis-understood work of genius

This book has been reviewed by several prudes on this site, and that's cool. But this book contains so much more depth and insight into people's actions and the motivations behind them. It is one of the most insightful and thought provoking books I've ever read, and it's a shame that so many people can't see past the "vulgarity and sex talk". Have an open mind with this one and you might walk away a different person. I know I did.

sobering

I got this book because I really enjoyed the movie "Fight Club." I was a little unnerved by the extensive and raw description of what goes on in the mind of a sex addict. Though this was disturbing, I found the book compelling. In the end I felt that the author's narration set the perfect tone. I enjoyed my little journey in someone else's mind--a reminder that the world is composed of all kinds.

hardcore palahniuk

If you like Palahniuk, you will love this one. It is typically gross and full of creepy facts "the smell of a new car is the smell of death". So bad you can't put it down. If you are uninitiated to the author, I highly recommend picking up "Survivor" or "Lullaby" first. Love it or hate it, this book will stick with you for awhile.