Stranger Than Fiction

True Stories

By: Chuck Palahniuk

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris, Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk's world has always been, well, different from yours and mine. These pieces from Stranger Than Fiction, his first nonfiction collection, prove just how different, in ways both highly entertaining and deeply unsettling.

Encounters with alternative culture heroes Marilyn Manson and Juliette Lewis; the peculiar wages of fame attendant on the big-budget film production of the movie Fight Club; life as an assembly-line drive train installer by day, hospice volunteer driver by night; the really peculiar lives of submariners; the underground world of iron-pumping anabolic steroid gobblers; the immensely upsetting circumstances of his father's murder and the trial of his killer; each essay or vignette offers a unique facet of existence as lived in and/or observed by one of our most flagrantly daring and original literary talents.

©2004 Chuck Palahniuk (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"He writes especially amusingly about the crazy incongruities created by the fictions of Fight Club and its fans' devout faith that the whole thing must be real....Mr. Palahniuk's candor and humor can get him through just about anything; each piece here is studded with small but priceless grace notes from an exceptionally droll and sharp-eyed observer." (The New York Times)
"An eye-opening look at the raw material that goes into Palahniuk's fiction, as well as proof that the novelist's art is derived from keen observation and recording of details." (Publishers Weekly)

Ive known Chuck for years

I kinda feel like ive known Chuck for years now....this story had a speed dating kind of feel ...like listning to highlights of an old timers life of way back when...the transitionin from one story to the next has as much of a break as one paragraph to another....when writing of himself.... its like hes reflecting to one of his old friends and brings some of the insights together....i enjoyed it!

Nicely surprised

It’s a look behind the scenes. A hand full of stories leaving the listener wanting more

Excellent and hilarious

Upon reading a previous two reviews wherein the listeners expressed dislike for this material, I had to post that I completely disagree. Granted, this isn't for people looking for slapstick comedy or an action-adventure story; but if you like stories about quirky, odd characters, I think you'll find this collection to be fascinating and hilarious -- a lot of it had me and my girlfriend laughing out loud in the car as we listened. It is written and also narrated with excellent style.

Titled Correctly!

Chuck Palahniuk delivers true stories straight in line with his fiction. He delves into an unusual and sometimes darker side of society and history. This book is a must for Chuck Palahnuik fans.

I love everything chuck palahniuk touches.

A lot of these stories he tells in interviews. I always enjoy hearing them though.

Honest distillation.

Palahniuk seems to distill life, in all of it's messy, ugly beauty, into something palatable.

My favorite author

As always his writing style leaves you entertained and wanting more. His fiction is amazing but he truly still has such a way with words that even ordinary stories of non fiction can still be entertaining. Or it could be his life experiences. It I do love reading and listening to his stories.

Stranger than Fiction

Chuck Palahniuk has gone nonfiction on us in "Stranger than Fiction: True Stories." Those new to his work will be caught up in the individual chapters right away. Don't skip the Introduction either because he discusses writing and his approach to the book.

This particular volume is a collection of articles previously published in various magazines. For those who listened to "Fight Club," there are insights into how the movie was made. His description of life as a submariner and the basic lesson he reveals at the end of that piece is worth the price of the book.

He will make you laugh, bring you to tears, and make you think. The reading is excellent. I hope that Palahniuk will write more about his work and bring us more nonfiction.

The good stuff.

I really enjoyed these funny/crazy stories. Chuck P. is always a great listen.

interesting diversion

as a person that enjoys Fight Club, I found this audiobook a worthwhile diversion. Chuck's fiction, let's face it, needs a lot of editing to make palatable. The hand of a good editor was clearly at work in this book, and it shows.