From the Bookshelf of Diversity in All Forms!…

Fight Club

Chuck Palahniuk

Start date: November 1, 2018

Finish date: November 29, 2018

Discussion: Monthly Group Reads

Why we're reading this: The diversity topic we will cover in November is Men & Masculinity.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
[close] The diversity topic we will cover in November is Men & Masculinity.

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

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What Members Thought

Dec 25, 2016 Melania 🍒 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.75|5 👊 2025 TBR

17 likes · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2014 Shay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2014, 2015

First Rule of Fight Club, You Don't Talk About Fight Club!

So here's what I can tell you as I abide to this rule:
1. This is a very graphic novel
2. It's gritty and wonderful
3. Tyler Durden is has his plans for his own reasons. Don't question anything.

The organization that shall not be named but happens to be the title of a book is an incredible journey through the psyche of an emotionally void individual. A man who is fighting back in "a generation of men raised by women." Tyler is spreading his ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Feb 21, 2017 Toni FGMAMTC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, mental-health, cult, transgressive-fiction, postmodern-literature, satire

There was no denying the pull to this story for me. Because I've seen the movie, I knew pretty much what was going to happen, but it's just such a train wreck that I couldn't possibly look away. Sad when you think of it in the mental illness light, but amazing piece of writing for sure.
4+ stars ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 11, 2016 Jenny Whetzel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I saw the movie before I even realized there was a book. I wish it would have been the other way around though. Because while reading, I had the movie characters playing in my mind and my imagination wasn't used as much. That is a fault of my own and not the authors.

This is the first time I have read anything by this author and I want to say that it won't be the last. What a wonderful and creative imagination he has. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 06, 2018 Ray rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: books-everyone-but-me-has-read, boring, recommendation, action

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Let's push aside the hype for a moment.

Not push as in fighting and - oh geez, I can practically hear the Fight Club members coming to beat me up for mentioning it. Oh well.

This book? It tells you what it is from the beginning. No, I don't mean the first couple chapters preview a later scene (which they do) - I mean, in the first few chapters when the protagonist decides to fight to the end, he does. That's it. That's the book finished in the first - what? Five chapters? The beginning already rev Let's push aside the hype for a moment.

Not push as in fighting and - oh geez, I can practically hear the Fight Club members coming to beat me up for mentioning it. Oh well.

This book? It tells you what it is from the beginning. No, I don't mean the first couple chapters preview a later scene (which they do) - I mean, in the first few chapters when the protagonist decides to fight to the end, he does. That's it. That's the book finished in the first - what? Five chapters? The beginning already revealed what happens later, so all those 25 other chapters? Filler.

I like filler. It gives me time to think, but this book isn't a think piece. I mean, it can be. You can consider what it has to say about masculinity, LGBTQ+ themes in toxic masculine circles, groupthink, the middle class, anarchy, satire, our understanding of satire, and the list continues! The thing is: the actual text past around the first five chapters is just an escalation. It saw that you liked eggs at the buffet, so it made you 50 more eggs. There's nothing new after the beginning - and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I just personally found it repetitive. Delicious in its own way, but excessive.

For the squeamish ones, you should know that it glamorized the heck out of gore - and I know, some of you may say it's ironic: maybe it is. It doesn't really matter one way or another. Both the Saw movies (known for absurd amounts of gore) and every horror movie parody (that also use heaps of gore) show the same things. For some people, there's an inherent interest or fear in seeing what's broken and bloody. I think in safe settings, both of those reactions are fine.

Personally, whenever there's gore around, I go into medical mode. I wonder how they're treating those wounds. Oh, teeth went through gums or someone got sliced? I'm completely unfazed. No amount of escalation is ever an issue, and for that reason, this book was a slog for me. I understand how many people can be captivated - I'm glad they are. I personally found myself craving more story points outside of Big Scary Gore because whatever emotion built to that point would vanish as soon as a punch hit. That's kind of on me for picking up a book with a warning in the title, but I still thought I'd warn anyone like me.

It's not all bad. If you like Trainspotting, there's a similar ambience. If you like action-packed and violent books, this might be for you.

Most importantly, if you're looking for a fight...oh, never mind, I'm not allowed to talk about it. ...more

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