Chuck Palahniuk: Choke review....

I actually really disliked this novel until towards the end. I detested the main character Victor Mancini, not because he's intended to be a sex-addicteded creepy anti-hero, who works an appalingly menial job, and chokes on his food in restaraunts so people will love him, and as a result send him cards with money, which he uses as a means to pay for his mothers medical bills. Who he hates.
This wasn't the reason I really disliked him, the reason is simply, because he knows his life is absurd, and the fact that he just hopes, something, just something good will come from it. I disliked the character, because in the face of adversity, he is so fake.

It was only towards the end of the novel I started enjoying it to some degree. After the passive first 150pages it becomes pretty crazy.

There's a funny chapter with a girl who wants Victor to rape her, of which he does a appalingly bad job; and keeps fucking up. The awkwardness makes for one of the very few funny exchanges in the book.

My favourite chapter I *think* is the one where he's having sex with the girl in the aeroplane; this is due to the fact that the girl is the only character in the novel I actually identify with, as totally weird as that sounds.

''Anything you can acquire'' she says ''is only another thing you'll lose.''

''The reason I do the circuit is because, when you think about it, there's no good reason to do anything.''

There is no point.

There are people who don't want an orgasm as much as they just want to forget. Everything. For just two minutes, ten minutes, twenty, a half hour.

Or maybe when people are treated like cattle, that's just how they act. Or maybes that's just an excuse. Maybe they're just bored. It could be that nobodies made to sit all day in a cramped packing crate full of other people, without moving a muscle.

''We're healthy, young, awake and alive people.'' Tracey says. ''When you look at it, which act is more unnatural?''
''Why do I do anything'' she says. ''I'm educated enough to talk myself out of any plan. To deconstruct any fantasy. Explain away any goal. I'm so smart I can negate any dream.''
''I do this because it feels good.''
''Maybes I don't really know why I do it. In a way, this is why they execute killers. Because once you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them.''

She understands the futility and the absurdity of modern-day existence, and how there isn't any real hope, and she realises the only way is revolt. Huzzah.

Also towards the end, Victor's best friend Denny begins to build a castle from rocks he's collected [he collects a rock for each day he abstains from compulsive masturbation.] and Victor's mothers doctor turns out to be a mental patient who claims to be from the year 2556.

The book ends nicely as Victor muses:

''We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are. Sane or insane. Saint or sex addicts. Heros or victims. Letting history tell us how good or bad we are. Letting our past decide our future. Or we could decide for ourselves. And maybe it's our job to invent something better.''

Some parts I thought were poorly written. I found the character of the protagonist Victor to be 'weak' in parts, a little bit too much hope, and some things to be just plain stupid, but hey, compulsive reading, 3 and a half stars.

-Michael