reviews
Dec 05, 2008
Frank
rated it: 
This was a quick read on an airplane ride. It more than met my expectations for that situation. While I am no expert on either forged identities or psychiatric evals the jargon used and the details provided sounded believable (white taurus anonimity, lol). The drinking and drug abuse described would probably render the protagonist more like the homeless kid whose identity he buys (Stove) than the superhuman flawed genius that narrates the story.
Some beautiful writing I particularly liked More...
Some beautiful writing I particularly liked More...
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 24, 2008
Tung
rated it:
The protagonist of this story is a twenty-something forgery artist with a photographic memory, a head for numbers, and six fingers on his left hand, and the story begins with him recounting the numerous times in his life he’s overdosed on drugs – and if you think that one sentence description is ridiculous and fascinating, you should definitely read this book, because that ain’t the half of it. John Vincent is the main character’s real name, but the book is told as a series of chapters titled by
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(5 people liked it)
Apr 14, 2011
Isabel
rated it:
A fast, easy, entertaining read that follows the adventures of a talented (yet troubled) document forger trying to escape institutionalization by changing identities over and over again. An expert at beating the system, Daniel Fletcher (if that's his real name ;) sits down to an interview with an Evaluator, and here's what he has to say about that:
"Never forget, even for a second, that your Evaluator's black-and-white, yes-or-no list of checkboxes gets filtered through his morning More...
"Never forget, even for a second, that your Evaluator's black-and-white, yes-or-no list of checkboxes gets filtered through his morning More...
Jan 23, 2009
Robert
rated it:
This is one book that you certainly cannot judge by its cover, although it certainly piqued my interest. You don't really know what to expect when you see "A Contortionists Handbook" followed by a sepia-toned picture of a man bending his legs at the knees at right angles from the rest of his body, followed by a hearty endorsement from none other than Chuck Palahniuk, all on the front cover. (Throwing in a note about the author Craig Clevenger being a Cal State Long Beach alum on the
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Jan 23, 2009
Snotchocheez
rated it:
This is one book that you certainly cannot judge by its cover, although it certainly piqued my interest. You don't really know what to expect when you see "A Contortionists Handbook" followed by a sepia-toned picture of a man bending his legs at the knees at right angles from the rest of his body, followed by a hearty endorsement from none other than Chuck Palahniuk, all on the front cover. (Throwing in a note about the author Craig Clevenger being a Cal State Long Beach alum on the
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Aug 28, 2011
Rae
rated it: 
I was disappointed with this book. It held me for the first third, then I found it irritating and tedious.
The "contortionist" in the title is an accomplished forger, reinventing himself in detail to escape trouble. He takes great care with reproducing pasts in documented, legal detail. He is of superior intellect, beating the legal and healthcare systems at every encounter. He suffers from debilitating migraines and is a substance abuse.
As a physician, I was More...
The "contortionist" in the title is an accomplished forger, reinventing himself in detail to escape trouble. He takes great care with reproducing pasts in documented, legal detail. He is of superior intellect, beating the legal and healthcare systems at every encounter. He suffers from debilitating migraines and is a substance abuse.
As a physician, I was More...
Feb 09, 2009
Colin
rated it: 
Craig Clevenger’s The Contortionist’s Handbook is a lean read with infectious language, but it feels like most of the tension also got cut.
The novel is told from the perspective of John Dolan Vincent, a brilliant six-fingered forger who has spent his life moving between identities. Vincent gets monstrous headaches—“godsplitters” he calls them—and a near-fatal overdose pits him against a psychiatric evaluator to avoid being institutionalized. Vincent tells the reader his true story, i More...
The novel is told from the perspective of John Dolan Vincent, a brilliant six-fingered forger who has spent his life moving between identities. Vincent gets monstrous headaches—“godsplitters” he calls them—and a near-fatal overdose pits him against a psychiatric evaluator to avoid being institutionalized. Vincent tells the reader his true story, i More...
Dec 29, 2010
Brandon
rated it:
When I was first recommended this book, I had no idea what to expect. For whatever reason, I was mainly going by the cover art and relying on that to tell me what this book was mainly about. A contortionist. Wrong. Never judge a book by it's cover folks.
The book is about John Vincent. John is a man who suffers from such severe headaches that he usually ends up overdosing on painkillers and various prescription pills in an effort to stop the torture. When this happens, nine time More...
The book is about John Vincent. John is a man who suffers from such severe headaches that he usually ends up overdosing on painkillers and various prescription pills in an effort to stop the torture. When this happens, nine time More...
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Feb 25, 2011
Josh
rated it:
I just finished this book of the above name, by Craig Clevenger. I read it pretty much purely because Chuck Palaniuk told me to. Kinda. He said this about it several years ago, “I swear to God this is easily the best book I’ve read in 5 years. Easily. Maybe 10 years.” I have a hunch that Chuck is actually friends with Craig and was just being extra friendly by saying this in order to sell more copies, as Chuck has a much larger fan base. And the thing is: his fans listen to what he says. They li
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Aug 08, 2011
This is an absolute stonker of a novel which I literally couldn't put down. Although it's short, everyone of the pages is constructed in such a way as to keep you gripped from beginning to end. Clevenger cleverly constructs each of the lead characters identity to make whilst manking the underlying characteristics shine through. I particularly liked the characters reflection on their past to show how they have become their present self.
I was personally abit disappointed by the open ending but More...
I was personally abit disappointed by the open ending but More...
Oct 08, 2007
Kurt
rated it:
nice, real nice. math is cool, but still only if you can do it in your head, and instantaneously, and pretty much only if you use it for nefarious purposes. but, that's better than nothing, math (you bastard). Clevenger's writing is smooth, not a single sentence seems out of order or does anything to disrupt the rhythm. I'm on to his next book.
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Nov 14, 2010
Brandon
rated it: 
Clevenger almost wound up as one of those guys I'd wish people would stop prattling on and on about.
"So brilliant."
"Such a genius."
And I was so incredibly sick of hearing it.
"Dermaphoria" was what I ended up cutting me teeth on regarding his work, and I must admit, I found myself struggling through it and wondering what all the fuss was about.
That didn't stop me from picking up TCH when I finally found a copy for under $4 More...
"So brilliant."
"Such a genius."
And I was so incredibly sick of hearing it.
"Dermaphoria" was what I ended up cutting me teeth on regarding his work, and I must admit, I found myself struggling through it and wondering what all the fuss was about.
That didn't stop me from picking up TCH when I finally found a copy for under $4 More...
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Sep 30, 2010
Kyle
rated it:
It's A Million Little Pieces meets Survivor. A drug addled freak is used and abused by various people throughout his life while he uses and abuses others. It's well written and descriptive/detailed but without redeemable characters.
There's a reason Chuck Palahniuk called it (years ago) "...the best book I have read in easily five years," he could have, easily, written it.
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Aug 03, 2009
Jeannine
rated it:
Craig gave me a copy of this book after I invited him to come and speak at our writers club this past June. He is a good writer and speaker, unique to the core, and probably the next Jim Morrison. Although I suspect he will live a lot longer. He challenges us as writers to think outside the box and go beyond the boundaries of scripted novels. He forces us as readers to like our characters who come off as ugly and dark. Even they have deep emotional tales that can wind us up from beginning t
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Jul 18, 2011
dani-elle
rated it:
there's a quote on the front cover from Chuck Palahniuk: "I swear to God this is the best book I have read in easily five years. Easily. Maybe ten years."
and frankly, that's because Clevenger writes the way Palahniuk wishes he could write
don't get me wrong, Palahniuk has his own shtick going on (read: shock value) but this novel has the full extent of intelligence value that Palaniuk shoots for and just falls short of.
at the same time, it's also full of g More...
and frankly, that's because Clevenger writes the way Palahniuk wishes he could write
don't get me wrong, Palahniuk has his own shtick going on (read: shock value) but this novel has the full extent of intelligence value that Palaniuk shoots for and just falls short of.
at the same time, it's also full of g More...
Dec 28, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
Chuck Palahniuk described The Contortionists Handbook as, "...the best book I've read in five years. Easily. Maybe even ten."
Palahniuk and Clevenger are definitely spun from the same thread, for better or worse. In my opinion, they each rely upon gimmicky plot devices and annoyingly cocksure characters who constantly break my willingness to suspend disbelief, and are subsequently distracting.
This story about a young con artist and forgery expert dabbles in some real More...
Palahniuk and Clevenger are definitely spun from the same thread, for better or worse. In my opinion, they each rely upon gimmicky plot devices and annoyingly cocksure characters who constantly break my willingness to suspend disbelief, and are subsequently distracting.
This story about a young con artist and forgery expert dabbles in some real More...
Dec 17, 2010
Raül
rated it:
Este “Manual Del Contorsionista” se mece peligrosamente en la ambigua (por difuminada) línea que separa a Chuck Palahniuk de Breat Easton-Ellis. Pudiera parecer que no hay mucha diferencia, pero en la caligrafía bien asimilada de Craig Clevenger se distingue la capacidad para la digresión paranoica, post-moderna y preñada de absurdo existencia tan típica del autor de “Fight Club”, pero también esa prosa psicologista, detallista y casi cientifista con la que el de “American Psycho” suele diseccio
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Feb 17, 2008
jack
rated it:
an excellent read. the contortionist's handbook was about John Dolan Vincent; a drug addict, a mathematical genius, a man in love, and an unbelievably gifted forger who creates new identites for himself to avoid getting incarcerated. many reviewers have compared craig clevenger's writing style to chuck palahniuk's; i didn't really see it. i mean, sure, it's just as edgy, stylized, and twisted as palahniuk's library, but i must say ...clevenger's writing techniques were like a breath of fresh
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Jan 11, 2008
Glen
rated it:
This book was fantastic! If you like Palahniuk's writing, you'll probably enjoy Clevenger. His characters have larger than life personas like Palahniuk's characters, but they still have the kinds of hopes and dreams that ground them in a reality to which I at least can relate to. We've all probably dreamed of reinventing ourselves in a sensational way, yet this novel goes beyond the pipe dream of creating a new life and made me question what it is about us that truly follows us through life.
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Oct 01, 2007
Adam
rated it:
I only gave this four stars because I feel strange giving five stars to a book about a six-fingered, drug-abusing guy who forges identity paperwork on a constant basis, changing his name, address, and everything else to stay one step ahead of the psychiatrists, counselors, police officers, and drug-running gangsters who all (whether they know it or not) want to figure out what this guy is really about. Oh, and he has pretty consistent, ridiculously severe migraine headaches that usually end wit
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Jun 12, 2007
Sammy
rated it:
Okay, overall a really good book. A good, if not a little confusing, read. Confusing because it jumps a lot, and you're really not sure what's truth and what isn't, because he tells you lies he's told to other people the way he's told them to other people, what's keeping him from telling you the same lies? He's made up full on histories, so how do we know this past he's telling us about, isn't just another one that has been made up. That's one thing I think most of us need in a book... is trust.
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Dec 12, 2011
Cody
rated it:
This is an great look into the psychology of a mad genius. After a while, the character's inner-dialogue is very repetitive, but that is probably more of a realistic slant for someone suffering from whatever neurosis this man has. The discussion of forgery methods was a little over-done and I felt like it was filler when I noticed some lines repeated. It is definitely an original story and quite creative. I was confused by the scene changes in some parts and the confusion came at times when
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Oct 12, 2009
Patrick
rated it:
Craig Clevenger could have let the reader in a little sooner. You know, trusted us just a little bit more. And I'm not going to spoil it for anybody, but a little more meat at the end as well would have helped - but hell man, The Contortionist's Handbook absolutely kills. A minute into it I was caught up and I never let go.
A really good friend told me to read this book, he even loaned me his signed copy. He said, "read this, you'll love it." He was right.
A really good friend told me to read this book, he even loaned me his signed copy. He said, "read this, you'll love it." He was right.
Jan 06, 2008
Mike
rated it:
After overdosing on pain killers Daniel Fletcher is being interviewed by a psychiatrist in a hospital. The doctor is trying to determine whether or not the OD was an intentional suicide attempt. Through the interview you're given a glimpse into the life of Daniel Fletcher. Fletcher isn't his name, just one of the many identities he's taken over a long and strange life as a counterfieter and forger. This book shows that that price for parents and teachers and doctors not asking the right question
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Jan 13, 2011
Tashina
rated it:
The book was recommended to me by a friend, and it more than met my expectations. I found it hard to stop reading once I started. The main character, John Vincent, is relateable and intriguing, yet dark and ugly. I found the book to be pretty inspiring, as a person who constantly wishes she had the ability to reinvent herself. This is the first book I have read by Craig Clevenger, but I will definitely be picking up more.
Jun 29, 2011
Daianara
rated it:
I actually enjoyed the book. It wasn't a quick read for me due to time constraints but I found it very interesting. The first part and the end more so than the middle part which seemed to lose it's fluidity a bit. I would have liked to read more tips about going off the grid, as the ones described in the beginning were quite fascinating. Oh, and I did not see the twist at the end. Kudos for a good book!
Nov 15, 2011
Aaron
rated it:
A quick and exciting read. I would especially recommend this for any writer who is interested in a textbook example of how to establish authority as an author. The detailed descriptions of forgery, drugs, and mental health really lend a degree of authenticity to the book. I can see the parallels between Clevenger and Pahlaniuk, but I would argue that Clevenger excels where Pahlaniuk fails - in creating interesting characters that are not overly reliant on cleverness and an ick factor.
Mar 22, 2011
Lady of the Lake
rated it:
I wish I had clever words & phrases to describe this book. It is truly a five star book. (10 stars) I thought it really interesting very original. Really amazing and as an audio the narrator could not have been better! Truly Ray Porter was spot on. I will look for more
works by Craig Clevenger. Loved...no, LOVED this book. sorry to have it come to an end. It was a great story!
works by Craig Clevenger. Loved...no, LOVED this book. sorry to have it come to an end. It was a great story!
Oct 25, 2009
Doubletrouble
rated it:
I picked up this book after reading that Chuck Palaniuk loved it, and if you're into weird yet realistic plots, con men with a human side to them and page-turners, then this is for you!
Is one of these books that is unclassifiable so I can't really pick a shelf,but all together it was amazingly entertaining, it reminded me of a VERY twisted take on Jim Thompson' "The Grifters".
Is one of these books that is unclassifiable so I can't really pick a shelf,but all together it was amazingly entertaining, it reminded me of a VERY twisted take on Jim Thompson' "The Grifters".
Dec 21, 2009
Chris
rated it:
I was given this by a friend and I must say I enjoyed it. The writing is very good and sometimes leaves your head spinning as you try to keep up with the oddbeat protagonist and his various ways of staying just out of enough trouble, a stressful life I would imagine, but you can't help but like him even though you can't quite trust him.
