Book Review: Fight Club (Chuck Palahniuk)

  It was the cult favorite movie "Fight Club" starring Brad Pitt which introduced me to Chuck Palahniuk and his style of transgressional fiction as he calls it. That is in layman's terms books about people who feel trapped and depressed living within society, and "Fight Club is his most famous work. The novel follows the life of an unnamed Protagonist who suffers from severe insomnia. He believes himself to be suffering without end and even attends support groups for terminally ill people such as cancer support groups, in order to gain sympathy where he meets Marla Singer, who also fakes.
  One day he meets a mysterious man named Tyler Durden and together they establish an underground fighting club for men to fight their depression away. Through this club both him and Tyler find a way to feel like their lives have a purpose. Tyler has a desire for chaos within society and pranks such as to "wipe my ass with the Mona Lisa" which leads him and his followers down a dangerous path of destruction.

Character Development 8.5/10
The book features three main characters each unique "Tyler", "Marla" and the narrator. Since the entire story takes place within the narrators head any other less significant characters whom he didn't car for like "Bob" and "Angel Face" don't see much development.

Dialogue/Monologue 9.5/10
The narrators monologues are fantastically disturbing, a real glimpse into the mind of a lunatic. 

Memorable Quotes or Scenes 9.5/10

The book's greatest attribute are the memorable lines which will cause you to put the book down pause and ponder about today's society.

"Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else".

Engagement 8/10
An entertaining book yet I needed to read it twice to really come to grips with what was happening. At first I found it a bit difficult to grasp what was going on (the book beings at the end) so maybe watching the movie also will help those of us who are reading Chuck Palahniuk for the first time.

Impact 9.5/10
Definitely leaves a lasting impact on your thought process, if you sometimes suffer from social anxiety or shyness then this book will help you overcome these roadblocks. The rules and expectations imposed on us by society are truly brought into question by this book.

Overall Rating 9/10
A great place to start a literature affair with Chuck Palahniuk, the book will leave you feeling like you should quit your job and beat up your boss. A favorite of mine among modern fiction.

Book Review: Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

A timeless classic this novella has seen several adaptions into both movies and plays. A tragic story of an unlikely pair of best friends Lennie and George. The two are travelling men who work on ranches to get by in a world where every man is for himself. Lennie is mentally challenged and can be accurately described as a friendly but easily startled man of a huge size. George is a wise guy and a dreamer whom Lennie depends on to survive in the tough times of 1930s America. 

  The story has been challenged many times over the years for apparent offensive and racist language which I don't believe is justified, Steinbeck does an excellent job of absorbing us into the world of the ranches of the 1930s where I doubt punctuation or vulgar language concerned people in the slightest.
  The principle theme of the book is freedom, which to George means someday owning land. He dreams of owning his own place and living off the "phat of the land" with Lennie but the simple nature of his childhood friend leads the pair into trouble frequently and the presence of a flirtatious young lady on the ranch with her rowdy husband worries George.

Character Development 9.5/10
The books is a a short story but yet Steinbeck portrays greatly intriguing characters fantastically whom I felt genuine admiration and in other cases loathing for. The great achievement of this book is how we sympathies so much with the characters after such a short story.

Dialogue/Monologue 8.5/10
The dialogue is coloured nicely with slang, full of abbreviations yet easily read. There is a constant necessity for George to repeat things to Lennie but it doesn't ever drag on.

Memorable Quotes or Scenes 9/10
Quite possibly the most memorable ending to a story ever (note its not the quote below).

"They come, an' they quit an' go on; an' every damn one of em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of em' ever get it. Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out there. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land. It's just in their head."

Engagement 8.5/10
An entertaining and hard to put down kind of book but too short to keep you awake at night, I read it over two evenings.

Impact 9/10
Most definitely leaves a lasting impact about friendship and how we view people who are more mentally challenged in life, will be a book I re-read again in years to come.

Overall Rating 8.9/10
One of my favorites and a book I love to quote, definite must read and if you can't read then you need to watch the movie version for the great story.

Book Review: The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

  I heard about a Brazilian author by the name of Paulo Coelho from a Hungarian friend one evening in Budapest whilst drinking my last Soproni and smoking the last of my cheap cigarettes before the return to Ireland. The name slipped my mind however for a few months at least. One day whilst googling critically acclaimed authors looking for inspiration his name crept up again, and luckily I found a copy of his most well known book "The Alchemist" at a local charity shop.

  The story centers around a young shepherd boy from Spain who's name I don't believe was revealed instead he was merely addressed as "the boy" through out the book. He embarks on a journey of discovery after experiencing a dream about a treasure he believed was nearby the Pyramids of Giza. Putting all his trust in this dream he sells his sheep and heads across the Mediterranean for Africa in search of material treasure and along the way finds love and acquires great wisdom from such characters as a Gypsie, a King, Merchants and an Alchemist. The entire story centers around the books quote that "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" but along the way the boy faces obstacles and learns that "The secret of life though is to fall seven times and to get up eight times".

 The time period in which the books is set is never revealed but my guess would be the 19th century. Omens and forms of magic (such as speaking to the earths elements) play a major part in the plot so if you lack an imagination you may find this book frustrating. In fact it is in essence a simple book which can be read in a day or two. While I enjoyed it, I did fail to see at first how it deserved the great reputation. I can recommend not approaching the book with too high expectations because it is afterwards that you realise how the story has stuck with you and seems to have provided a life lesson on striving to reach goals. 

  Character Development 6/10

By far the books weakest attribute. Nothing is really know of any of the characters in this book, little is know of the main character either other then that he is a Shepherd. If the book had been longer maybe the characters could have been developed further.

  Dialogue/Monologue 9/10

The books strongest asset, clever dialogue between the boy and the various people he meets along his journey is what makes the book most engaging as we witness his growing maturity through his words with strangers.

  Memorable Quotes or Scenes 8/10

The book contains many memorable quotes especially from the king and the alchemist. There is an especially memorable scene where the boy speaks to the sun and wind in order to help achieve his goal.

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure"

  Engagement 8/10

The book was very engaging and I read through it very fast unwilling to put it down, however it is too short to capture your imagination for more then a day or two.

  Impact 8/10

The book can clearly have a huge influence on the lives of people who are afraid to chase their dreams. It definetly leaves a lasting impact but maybe not as much as other more dense books.

Overall Rating is a 7.8 out of 10, definitely worth reading and a good place to start with Paulo Coelho books.