Chuck Palahniuk is certainly no stranger to controversy or success. Fight Club was an international sensation, and the film, featuring Ed Norton and Brad Pitt is a certified cult classic. I enjoyed Fight Club, but I can't say the same for Choke, Palahniuk's most recent best-seller and movie adaptation.
The story revolves around the character of Victor Mancini, a generally unlikable sex addict and scam artist. In order to support his mother, who suffers from late stage dementia, he resorts to pretending to choke to death in restaurants. The patrons who save him invariably end up sending him money for years to come, because he has somehow given their lives meaning. Or something like that. The psychobabble is pretty dense in this book, and I was never convinced that Palahniuk had the slightest idea what he was talking about. There are the usual assorted weirdos and cast-offs in Victor's life, including his rehab buddies and co-workers at a colonial theme park.
Several of the vignettes in the book are clearly designed to shock and succeed at doing so. Victor's encounter with a woman in an airplane bathroom and with a fantasy rape sequence made me nauseous. I have no problem with 'adult' or controversial or even distasteful subject matter, if it is done to a purpose besides just attempting to be shocking. This book didn't make it on any level for me, and to be honest, its appeal escapes me. The trailer for the film I saw looks like they are playing it as more of a comedy, which might work. As it stands, this book was a big disappointment.
1 comment:
A disappointment for me as well. A few cringes, a few chuckles, but in the end, a waste of time.
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