Fight Club

By: Chuck Palahniuk

Narrated by: Jim Colby

Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Internationally best-selling author Chuck Palahniuk's uproarious and irreverent debut novel Fight Club was transformed into an Academy Award-nominated film starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

When a listless office employee (the narrator) meets Tyler Durden, his life begins to take on a strange new dimension. Together they form Fight Club - a secretive underground group sponsoring bloody bare-knuckle boxing matches staged in seedy alleys, vacant warehouses, and dive-bar basements. Fight Club lets ordinary men vent their suppressed rage, and it quickly develops a fanatical following. Before long it takes on all the trappings of a quasi-religious cult, replete with a devastating ideological mission to accomplish.

A masterpiece of raw violence and black humor, this exciting novel challenges listeners to see the world through a new - and quite possibly deranged - set of eyes. Acclaimed narrator Jim Colby brings out the dark satire in this tale of modern alienation.

©1996 Chuck Palahniuk (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

I am Joe's increased heart rate & breathing

Love this book! Audio is well done and very enjoyable to follow. If your are a fan of the movie this is a must listen. More detailed and more graphic. Just purchase this audiobook, tap to download and listen up you space monkey.

I am Jack's satisfied ear drum

this was a very good listen. I wouldn't rate it outstanding, but it was enjoyable and did not disappoint.

I am Jack's satisfied eardrum.

I will be watching the movie tonight.

Great book. I could picture the movie as I listened to the audiobook. I will be watching the movie tonight.

Great book having loved the movie, well performed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you liked the movie, you'll like (or love) the book. I have felt Fight Club was one of my favorite movies since I first saw it, so the book was of course familiar in many ways, but different in many others, enough to make it interesting and worth reading. Without any major spoilers, I was surprised (pleased) at the book's ending, let's just leave it at that. I'd recommend it to any of my friends, definitely. Lots of great ideas, and very well written, besides.

What did you like best about this story?

It's hard to pinpoint a single thing I liked best about Fight Club. The socio-political statements and observations, the examination of the human condition and the perception of self, it's a masterpiece in my opinion. Even from a literary standpoint, the characters and the story are well developed, interesting, there is depth to every aspect of the book. Everything down to the prose is masterful. One of the best books written in and about the modern epoch. Struck and resonated with me on every level. One of few books I plan to invest time in revisiting.

What does Jim Colby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jim Colby nailed the tone of the book, in my opinion. He made me feel the emotions of the characters, both at their best and their worst. My one negative note is that he doesn't do the best job of giving distinct voices to each character, so it's hard to follow dialog in some places. This is partly a shortcoming of the format of audiobooks, but some performers do a better job at this than others. Overall, I give him a big, big thumbs-up though. I would be more likely to pick a future book knowing Jim Colby put it to voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?
When you wake up in a different place at a different time, can you wake up as a different person?
Losing all hope is freedom
Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.
Works great even on blood stains.
[i cheated here]

Any additional comments?

If you don't like Fight Club, you're probably one of 'them.' Honestly, this book was a critical part of my formative years and helped shape the person I see myself as today.

Open Your Mind, Focus on the Experience

First off, I have to say that this was/is a brilliant concept. I fretfully have watched the movie on multiple occasions and because of that have to overlook concepts the book originally had. Respectfully, I love the movie more than the book just because it was shot so brilliantly and in such a unique way.

Now, the book, it was great in the sense of the almost philosophic principles it establishes to our need for material goods, status, purpose and past. Letting us all know that we are deeply special, but not alone. That we are also not special and function best as a collective, once we are stripped of all the bragging, boasting and rhetoric we like to throw around as if it will all mean something in a hundred years. This is a revolutionary book and takes a glimpse into the lengths we need to go to truly feel free.

powerful

Good story. I really like the performance. The narrator captures the attitude of the story just right.

Fight Club Justifies the Means to an End

I loved the movie; the book was spot on with the movie but of course you get into the narrators head a little more and have greater understanding of what is going on in his head. I guess in the movie I loved how Tyler Darden was saying: To hell with society and the American nightmare! But in the book, you get into the total dysfunction of the narrator’s thought process and it’s really disturbing. It’s not a book I’d listen to again. But, overall, it was a great performance and a good story. Just disturbing. I was glad when the book ended.

wow, just wow

this is a masterpiece. i finished this book in a week because i couldn't stop listening. absolutely incredible

Great Narration of a classic.

This is not a dark story; the book has moments of genuine wit. The book and the movie go hand in hand.

Duh, best book ever

Come on. Really? It's essential for all men to read and own in every form of media.