Fight Club: A Novel

Although the book itself is good, this is one example where the movie took a neat idea and made it a cultural phenomenon that far surpassed the scope and vision of the novel. I wish I could have read this before seeing the film, because it's now impossible to envision the characters as anyone else but Brad Pitt and Ed Norton. The ending is much different than the movie, as are many of the scenes,...more

Although the book itself is good, this is one example where the movie took a neat idea and made it a cultural phenomenon that far surpassed the scope and vision of the novel. I wish I could have read this before seeing the film, because it's now impossible to envision the characters as anyone else but Brad Pitt and Ed Norton. The ending is much different than the movie, as are many of the scenes, so you won't be totally bored reading this if you're a fan of the film. Also, the book is very short, maybe 150 pages, so you can easily blow through that during a couple sittings on the toilet.   hide

I read this after watching the movie two or three times, and I am SO impressed with how closely they followed the book. Of course, small details were changed, but overall, they did a wonderful job of sticking to the book. The biggest difference between the two was the final chapter, or the last scene. Both the book's version AND the movie's version were excellent. By the time I finished...more

I read this after watching the movie two or three times, and I am SO impressed with how closely they followed the book. Of course, small details were changed, but overall, they did a wonderful job of sticking to the book. The biggest difference between the two was the final chapter, or the last scene. Both the book's version AND the movie's version were excellent. By the time I finished this book, I was astounded. This was one of those novels that I simply INHALED. The only reason I didn't read it in one sitting was because I had to change classes. There's some objectionable material, so it's definitely for a mature audience, but if you can handle it, read it. Read it AND see the movie.   hide

I wasn't overly impressed with this book. I think it is one of those things that is a staple of a male college students life, much like the Belushi "college" poster or a bob marley one. I think guys are drawn to this book for the same reason that the narrator is drawn to Tyler. It gives them a chance to live vicariously through the person that they themselves wish they could be.Also, I don't...more

I wasn't overly impressed with this book. I think it is one of those things that is a staple of a male college students life, much like the Belushi "college" poster or a bob marley one. I think guys are drawn to this book for the same reason that the narrator is drawn to Tyler. It gives them a chance to live vicariously through the person that they themselves wish they could be.Also, I don't understand what this fear of consumerism is based on. Without consumerism driving a market economy, we would be writing these book reviews on a stone tablet with a chisel. And as for this change in masculinity that the book addresses, I think that idea is rather silly. Are we supposed to be alarmed because select few men go tanning and waxing?Did some of the greatest civilizations of the World not only accept but often smile upon same-sex acts (i.e. Romans and Greeks)?And you are to have me believe that one guido getting a fake tan is the downfall of masculinity???   hide

I read this book after having seen the movie, which, by the way, is pretty awesome - it's one that you can learn from through watching it more and more. So, I knew the story line and going-ons when I first opeened the book. It seemed to me that the majority of the movie's story was within the first handful of chapters, and the remainder was spaced through the rest of the book....more

I read this book after having seen the movie, which, by the way, is pretty awesome - it's one that you can learn from through watching it more and more. So, I knew the story line and going-ons when I first opeened the book. It seemed to me that the majority of the movie's story was within the first handful of chapters, and the remainder was spaced through the rest of the book. This made the first part of the book kind of boring (but this probably wouldn't have been the case if I hadn't seen the movie beforehand), but left the majority of the book new and exciting. Chuck's writing style is the most unique I've ever come across, and at first I didn't really like it. However, moving more into the book I realized it was great for textually depicting the schizophrenia aspect of the story. I recommend this book for Chuck fans, Fight Club the movie fans, and those who are interested in books about something really new - the idea of Fight Club itself with a psycological twist.   hide

Here's the deal with Fight Club... I recommend you see the movie first and here's why: 1. The movie is EXTREMELY loyal not only to the plot but also to the dialogue - holistically speaking. 2. Palahniuk foreshadows from page one, but if you don't know what happens, you're not going to catch on. I love the movie and the book, but for very different reasons. The movie does a great job of...more

Here's the deal with Fight Club... I recommend you see the movie first and here's why: 1. The movie is EXTREMELY loyal not only to the plot but also to the dialogue - holistically speaking. 2. Palahniuk foreshadows from page one, but if you don't know what happens, you're not going to catch on. I love the movie and the book, but for very different reasons. The movie does a great job of dramatizing the book, I mean, you get to actually SEE the kinds of things that happen - including the bitch tits which is hilarious. The one thing the movie does not allow for is the imaginative side, that makes Fight Club work, to take flight. You need Fight Club in book form in order for this to seem slightly realistic. The book allows for you to believe that a person can maybe... possibly... go through this kind of thing and may or may not survive. Fight Club the movie also has fantastic casting. There is no one on the entire planet that could have played Marla, Tyler, or The Narrator any better than Helena Carter, Brad Pitt, and Edward Norton. No one. Another thing I like about the book versus the movie is the played up romance. There's much more emphasis put on Marla, The Narrator, and Tyler's love triangle which is always a fun time. I love the way Palahniuk writes. His use of repetition is SO effective in this book. It creates such an interesting atmosphere for the reader, I don't really know how to explain it other than it worked... well. For real though, watch the movie first, you'll understand the book so much better. You should also get a copy of Fight Club that includes the afterword from Palahniuk (is there even a book that doesn't include an afterword?). He insouciantly explains the idea of Fight Club such as where it came from, feedback he's received, as well as some of Palahniuk's personal input. I think it sums up the novel quite nicely.   hide

I had seen the film before reading the book and that normally prevents me from reading it, however enough people suggested that I do whilst praising it that I finally succumbed. Chuck’s style of writing is one that isn’t copied by thousands of others in the main stream yet and so his fast moving script, even with descriptions makes you focus on the deterioration of the narrators...more

I had seen the film before reading the book and that normally prevents me from reading it, however enough people suggested that I do whilst praising it that I finally succumbed. Chuck’s style of writing is one that isn’t copied by thousands of others in the main stream yet and so his fast moving script, even with descriptions makes you focus on the deterioration of the narrators mind and the growing dominance of Tyler Durden. The sense of not fitting in with society and with the possibility of ‘God hating you’ I believe appeals to many men of this generation who just can’t fit in with the whole politically correct emasculating world that we live in now, and why the appeal of the fight club would be so strong. The loyalty that this could bring to a group and the manner that Tyler creates this family and how his destructive personality brings everything to a head. The happy ever after ending both in the building and the hospital was a little disappointing and I can understand why the film went the other way, as its just that little bit more of an ending, but I guess that Chuck’s point might have been that there wasn’t an ending. I just have a mind that likes to ‘finish things’ though. Overall if just for the writing style and the larger than life characters this book is well worth a read, although I have a feeling that its surprisingly going to be liked by more men than woman. It’s definitely not a chicks book.   hide

Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors, I discovered his writing in all of its gritty glory when I was 8 or 9 in a back issue of Playboy, I believe it was an excerpt of "Survivor." Anyway, this book was my reintroduction to Palahniuk and it could not have come at a better time. When you are fourteen or fifteen this book can be a bit of a bad influence. Tracing the unnamed main character, the...more

Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors, I discovered his writing in all of its gritty glory when I was 8 or 9 in a back issue of Playboy, I believe it was an excerpt of "Survivor." Anyway, this book was my reintroduction to Palahniuk and it could not have come at a better time. When you are fourteen or fifteen this book can be a bit of a bad influence. Tracing the unnamed main character, the reader is thrown into a world of your everyday insurace employeee who has traveled a bit too much and who has a bad case of insomnia and depression. Needless to say, mayhem ensues as our friend meets Tyler Durden, a wandering soap salesman, What drew me to both the book and movie is the overall message, it's idealistic, yes, but if you read the book and you are a product of a modern consumer society, then it can be quite inspiring. Change must occur and in this case, its a defunct and corrupt system which places material goods over the space monkeys who serve your food, clean your homes and walk your dogs. It can be disturbiing, most critics have regarded the movie as pure dreck, infantile and shallow if I can recall, and I would agree, but I love it because it gives you the feeling of youth and energy, where the entire world is malleable, which is not the case after you get out there. To Close, consider this thought though, "Do I really need that new Dinette set?"   hide

Review: Controlled anarchy seems to be the name of the game as the main character tries to find a way to fill his internal emptiness and out of the consumerism that seems to be consuming him. He meets Tyler Durden, and together they lead an ever-growing group of men into worlds of violence and lawlessness. I don't want to say anything further about the plot because there are a couple...more

Review: Controlled anarchy seems to be the name of the game as the main character tries to find a way to fill his internal emptiness and out of the consumerism that seems to be consuming him. He meets Tyler Durden, and together they lead an ever-growing group of men into worlds of violence and lawlessness. I don't want to say anything further about the plot because there are a couple of twists along the way. This was a really hard book for me to rate. Generally, when I start reading a book, I already have it set at a mid-point (3 stars). Where it bounces from there depends mostly on how I like the book, but may also depend on things like grammar/typos, writing style, etc. This book became hard to rate because there were a lot of things I both did and did not like. In the end, it balanced to a middle of the road rating for me. What I liked: the general concept of the story, the main character and his thoughts, and the twists that were tossed in, one of which I didn't see coming but went "ah clever!" when it dawned on me. What I didn't like: the violence and crime were a bit too graphic for me; I felt browbeaten by the end of it. Also, the repetitive use of words and sentences, not only throughout the book but sometimes through the same paragraph, would have driven me completely nuts had I read the book and not listened to it. In fact, I'm not sure if I would have actually finished the book if I'd read it, so this was a win in favor of why audiobooks are sometimes better. Overall, I can say I'm glad that I read it because it's one of those books that one hears about periodically, and now I know what people are talking about. But I'm not sure that I care for this particular author's style if this is representative, and I'm not in a hurry to try another.   hide

Yes, I loved this movie, but now I know it wasn't just because Brad Pitt is God's gift to women...This book is a must-read for anyone who has seen the movie because it surpasses the movie in so many ways. In the book, the reader begins to realize the big picture much more quickly than in the movie where many were likely fooled until the very end. This creates a feeling of empathy and suspense...more

Yes, I loved this movie, but now I know it wasn't just because Brad Pitt is God's gift to women...This book is a must-read for anyone who has seen the movie because it surpasses the movie in so many ways. In the book, the reader begins to realize the big picture much more quickly than in the movie where many were likely fooled until the very end. This creates a feeling of empathy and suspense for the character during his psychologically twisted, manic jaunts all over the nation, causing mayhem and misunderstanding himself at every step. But other than that, all I can tell you is #1. The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about Fight Club. #2. The 2nd rule of fight club is you don't talk about Fight Club   hide