Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
Chuck Palaik is a contemporary American writer who calls his style 'Transgressive fiction' (transgressive prose). In all his works, he touches on social problems, the heroes of novels and stories are ordinary people, somewhat similar to the author, the more interesting it is to read their stories. The portal's experts found out which Chuck Palahniuk's books are preferred by readers.
Rating of the best books by Chuck Palahniuk
| Nomination | a place | book | rating |
| Rating of the best books by Chuck Palahniuk | 1 | Fight Club (1996) | 5.0 |
| 2 | Survivor (1999) | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Lullaby (2003) | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Choking (2003) | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Diary (2003) | 4.6 | |
| 6 | The Invisibles (1999) | 4.5 | |
| 7 | More Fantastic than Fiction (2004) | 4.4 | |
| 8 | Damned (2011) | 4.3 | |
| 9 | Snuff (2008) | 4.2 | |
| 10 | Doomed (2014) | 4.1 |
Fight Club (1996)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 5.0
In the center of the plot is Sebastian, suffering from insomnia caused by a psychological problem – a rejection of the total culture of consumption in American culture, a distorted vision of masculinity. To pacify the ailment, the hero takes medications, visits support groups, and then organizes a fight club with Tyler Durden to intensify therapy. Soon Sebastian learns that his co-founder is pursuing the goal of not just helping those in need of psychological help, his main motive is to control society. Over time, the club turns into the project 'Mayhem', whose members become punishers, thieves, hooligans and terrorists.
The novel 'Fight Club' became Palahniuk's starting work: a film of the same name was shot based on the work, which brought the author popularity and dizzying success, which led to the appearance of regular readers and fans of creativity.
Survivor (1999)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.9
The second highest-rated novel, The Survivor, was being prepared for film adaptation, but the project was frozen after the 2001 events in New York, perhaps soon the film company will show it on the big screens.
The plot is based on a story about the life of a member of the organization, dictated to a black box during a flight on an empty Boeing-747. Members of the once large religious community, whose members helped people keep their homes clean, the narrator throughout the story gives a lot of useful tips on removing stains, scaring away rodents from the site, and a lot of other useful information.
Once the faith of the community members was debunked, the participants in the movement began to die in different ways, the main character turned out to be the only survivor and became the new messiah, the prophet, but he curses the day when life gave him a second chance on this Earth.
Lullaby (2003)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.8
The novel Lullaby is full of mysticism. In the collection 'Poems and Nursery Rhymes from Around the World' a lullaby song of one of the African tribes has been published, which has the magical property of killing people who have heard its text. Initially, it was used to alleviate the death-suffering of wounded soldiers, hopelessly sick people, and babies during times of famine and drought. Reporter Karl Streitor took up the investigation of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and discovered that it was this lullaby that caused a series of tragic deaths of babies in their beds and even in their parents' arms. The spell killed the reporter's colleague, neighbors, even a few passers-by on the street.
Karl decides to destroy all copies of the publication so that the spell does not harm anyone else, but Helen Hoover Boyle, obsessed with magic and the desire for omnipotence, and police doctor Nash have their own plans for the original collection of the book.
In the novel 'Lullaby' there are many events that are inexplicable at first glance, Palahniuk offers an unusual view of death and the attitude towards it.
Choking (2003)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.7
The next novel in the ranking is dedicated to the young fraudster Victor Mancini and his friend Danny. Every day they stage choking pretenses in restaurants, thereby extorting money “for damage to health” from the administration of the establishments. This is how they lived, and not poorly.
Palahniuk describes the life of the heroes, at first glance, strange: they wear strange clothes, in the park posing as characters from the 18th century, English settlers who arrived in the United States. And the main characters are sexaholics, sex addicts, people who attend help groups of the same enthusiastic people.
Viktor explains the strange ways of earning money with the goal of awakening feelings of care in people. And he collects money for the maintenance of a sick mother in a psychiatric clinic. The woman feels so badly that she does not recognize her son, constantly confusing him with a lawyer, to whom she once decided to reveal the “secret” of Victor's immaculate conception, who, in her words, turned out to be a “clone of Jesus Christ.”
Diary (2003)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.6
The novel “Diary” was created by the author in the form of a daily personal diary. Such an unusual presentation reveals the story of Misty Mary Wilmot, whose husband tried to commit suicide, but unsuccessfully – he was hospitalized. The woman learns that her husband, while working in a construction company, left unpleasant graffiti on the walls in every new house, which is why new tenants sued him one after another.
The action takes place on an island. Misty learns about a conspiracy, repeated every hundred years, aimed at expelling the rich, tourists and other people involved in real estate transactions, distributing advertisements from the island, and her husband among possible victims. She is forced to take care of her mother-in-law, loses her daughter, these events force the heroine to go into art – she begins to paint incredible paintings, which were later combined into a common canvas. The incredible happens at the exhibition – visitors cannot take their eyes off the works, despite a fire that broke out, started by the daughter of Misty, who was considered dead. Her motive is an insurance payment that ensures a comfortable existence for the islanders.
The plot of the work seems confusing, but the story is laconic and intriguing, the denouement is unlikely to become predictable for the reader.
The Invisibles (1999)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.5
The life of the once-successful top model Shannon McFarland suddenly changed after a fatal rifle shot in the face. The woman survived, but her appearance no longer allows her to do what she loves. Shannon becomes 'invisible', hiding her face with a translucent veil, and begins to engage in fraud, gains access to strong narcotic drugs, sleeping pills. Her accomplices – ex-boyfriend and stranger Brandi, together they are looking for the main character's offenders and seek to avenge the ruined life of the former top model.
Chuck Palahniuk conveys the mood of the characters so atmospheric that it seems as if he himself experienced these events, and wrote them in his own blood.
More Fantastic than Fiction (2004)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.4
The next novel in the rating, 'More Fantastic than Fiction', reveals to the reader the secret – where Chuck Palahniuk gets his inspiration from. Life path, rich experience, a special look at the usual circumstances, the creation of your own world – all this underlies the creation of the author's novels. All stories are taken from the life of Palahniuk himself or his entourage.
The reality of the world in the eyes of a journalist is perceived ambiguously, and therefore reviews of the works are contradictory. However, not a single work of Palahniuk leaves the readers indifferent.
In the novel 'Fantastic Fiction', real stories from the author's life are concentrated.
Damned (2011)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.3
Thirteen-year-old girl Madison dies from a marijuana overdose and goes to hell. In the new world, she is met by the same sinners, typical characters of the reality show: 'jock', 'princess', 'brain', 'bandit', Madison got the role of 'freak'. The search for Satan, adventures with demons, communication with living people through telemarketing – all this is an ordinary life in hell. Every day passes according to a script written by Satan, even the thoughts of his 'wards' are subordinate to him. However, this situation does not suit Madison and she goes in search of a road to heaven.
Snuff (2008)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.2
In the novel 'Snuff' there are many revelations and obscene language, therefore, the work is unlikely to be liked by especially anxious readers. In the center of the plot, legendary porn star Cassie Wright decides to leave a mark on history at the end of her career by planning sex with 6 men! Around such an upcoming event, a real excitement flares up – in the night programs on cable television this topic is actively discussed, bookmakers are accepting bets, there is real excitement in line at the casting. Will Cassie Wright's plans come true?
Doomed (2014)
Book author: Chuck Palaik
Rating: 4.1
Closing the rating is the novel by Chuck Palahniuk 'The Doomed', which is written as a continuation of the previously presented work 'The Damned'. For the girl Madison, who died in the previous book and ended up in hell, not only Satan has special plans, but also God in paradise. The author sympathizes with his heroine, makes her famous in the world of the living, even elevates her to a number of cult characters. Now her name is becoming so famous that the man-made island is named after the girl, where everyone who wants to go to heaven after death goes. They are adherents of a new religion dedicated to Madison.
We recommend reading the novel “The Doomed” immediately after meeting the first part of “The Damned”, while the background of the young person is fresh in the memory.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
