A review by stephen_coulon
Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

It's a first-person exploration of the traumatic origins of young grifter’s sex addiction. The author does his thing here, writes in an intentionally disjointed, gritty style to spotlight the often wretched lives of people struggling with loss, trauma, and addiction (usually all three mixed up and carrying on together). The protagonist is likable enough even though most of what he does, behaviors driven by trauma and compulsion, are lurid, disappointing, and often gross. By the end of it all Palahniuk explicitly states that he hopes readers will have a better understanding of the reality and difficulties of sex addiction, develop some pathos for those who suffer. It’d be impossible not to, though as a story it’s ultimately unsatisfying. The author’s chunky blocks of plot lack cohesion, and he often gets lost in his own passionate criticisms of culture but has no place to elegantly include them in the narrative. Palahniuk comes off like a cultural journalist diarizing important issues that are lesser known in American life. It’s stuff that’s good to know, but he lacks the craft to mold these stories into a truly great novel.