On the Shelf: Fight Club

FIGHT CLUB | CHUCK PALAHNIUK | W.W. NORTON & COMPANY | 1996

The first rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club. Every weekend, in the basements and parking lots of bars across the country, young men with whitecollar jobs and failed lives take off their shoes and shirts and fight each other barehanded just as long as they have to. Then they go back to those jobs with blackened eyes and loosened teeth and the sense that they can handle anything. Fight club is the invention of Tyler Durden, projectionist, waiter, and dark, anarchic genius, and it's only the beginning of his plans for violent revenge on an empty consumer-culture world.

It took me longer than it should have to finally get around to reading this book. I've been a fan of the movie for years, but I have had bad experiences with other Palahniuk books (okay, I've only attempted to read one other one, but I hated it so much that I swore to never read one of his books again). Clearly, I hold grudges.

I finally got over myself and read Fight Club. The book is far, far, far better than the film (as is usually the case). I couldn't believe how inspiring the book was, especially since I went into it assuming that I wouldn't be able to connect to any of the characters. Maybe I read it at a good time in my life, as I was just starting to go through my quarter-life crisis (which is most definitely a thing).

This book had me over thinking everything about my life -- and I don't believe that's a bad thing. Palahniuk certainly has a unique (for lack of a better word) way of writing, but this book is such a quick read that I really didn't find it a problem. Then again, he is a writer who has established a cult following, so my dislike for his writing style doesn't mean much of anything.

Even if you have no interest in reading the book, at least find it at a bookstore and read Chapter 20. It's only five pages and it will hit you hard.

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"I didn't want to, but Tyler explained it all, about not wanting to die without any scars, about being tired of watching only professionals fight, and wanting to know more about himself.

About self-destruction.

At the time, my life just seemed too complete, and maybe we have to break everything to make something better out of ourselves."