Why read Choke?

Book cover of Choke

Book description

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,…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Choke as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Simon J. Houlton

Author

This was a great book, probably my favorite by Chuck Palahniuk. I love how all the characters are oddball outsiders, mostly just trying to get by in life by any means necessary. They are obsessive, misguided, and all drowning in their own flawed existence to some degree.

It’s also laugh-out-loud funny in some parts and disturbingly grotesque in others. I especially enjoyed the portrait of Victor’s inner emptiness, as he essentially feeds off his own issues as a form of survival.

From Simon's list on isolation madness and downward spiral into chaos.

Haresh Daswani

Author

I’ve read this book before I’ve even watched Fight Club. Choke was the reason I opted to see the movie in the first place. Chuck Palahniuk brings his story to you as if he’s guiding you through a dark, risky alleyway that you’ve always been advised not to visit. He brings information, psychological disorders, and more into a strange normality that is scary to find relatable. It has indeed widened my perspective and brought me to see the absurdity, and observe closely.

From Haresh's list on off tangent stories.