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Palahniuk' proves again he is a great story teller with a unique and engaging writing style in his novel Choke.
Sexual addicts, repeated kidnapping, a dying mother, rock collecting and the Heimlich maneuver are all included in the page turner by author Chuck Palahniuk, Choke. Meet Victor ManciniWelcome to Victor Mancini's life. Victor's a medical school dropout who works at a Colonial re-enactment village, and enjoys fine dining. He enjoys the especially expensive restaurants, since they are most likely to have wealthy patrons. Victor is a con artist. Each night Victor picks a different restaurant and halfway through the meal intentionally gets food lodged in his throat, and begins to choke. Someone always immediately rushes over to save Victor's life, and springs the trap. The act of saving his life makes the hero feel responsible for Victor's life. The hero feels obligated to call Victor and see how he's doing, to send a birthday card with a little money, or to just send money when they hear that Victor's having a tough time making ends meet. Life isn't all fun and games for Victor. His mother is in a care facility, slowly dying, and doesn't even recognize her son anymore. His best friend is completely dependent on him, and keeps filling his entire house with rocks. He works a crummy job re-enacting colonial times for elementary school children making minimum wage. He finds himself a slave to his own sexual impulses and those of the many girls in his life. To top it all off an episode of foreign anal blockage puts his health at risk and makes his daily life extremely uncomfortable. The story explores Victor Mancini's journey through life from the time he was a child, to present time. Piece by piece Palahniuk reveals some of Victor's past providing insight to Victor's current life. From his dysfunctional love for his mother to his raging sexual addictions, the past brings light to the present. Memorable Characters and Unique StyleThe story is fascinating, but what might be even better is Palahniuk's unique style of writing. Written from the first person perspective, Choke makes the reader feel as if Victor Mancini was sitting right there telling his story. The characters are well developed and Palahniuk's prose flows so easily, a reader could easier find him or herself engulfed in the world Palahniuk has created. His use of a simple, yet broad, vocabulary adds intelligence to the novel without readers having to consult a thesaurus between chapters. One thing is for sure: Palahniuk's unique style of writing and great story makes Choke a novel that's not hard to swallow. Choke was written by Chuck Palahnuik and originally published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc. in 2001. ISBN: 0-385-50156-0
The copyright of the article Book Review - Choke in Modern American Fiction is owned by Joe Martin. Permission to republish Book Review - Choke in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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