Survivor

Probably my favorite of Chucks's books. Terrific narrator, incredibly startling and funny. You won't be able to stop listening. It grabbed me in the first five minutes and never let go.

The thing that I've always liked about Chuck P's books is that they are generally less about story and more about odd coincidence. In answering one burning question about a character, he generally opens about ten new mysteries, and that makes his work really compelling. This book is no different, though I felt it dragged a bit in the last quarter. Still, he's never predictable, always surprising, and often disturbing -- a trio of characteristics that keep me coming back for more. If you travel through a Chuck P novel without running across an image that sticks with you for the rest of your life, then you're probably dead from the belly button both directions.

I was looking for a dark read for the weekend and a friend of mine suggested Survivor to me. Palahniuk always paints his story with black, grey, dark, with no other colors in the rainbow and maybe that is why I enjoy his writing so much because there is a part of me where I wished that I was like his main characters, very egoistic and demented.

Survivor is written very well, if you like this kind of slasher genre. The Biblical references, sexual taboo and the ongoing suicides, is just brilliant because it goes against what is norm. You can see Tender's hell from his point of view and can understand his arrogance toward everyone. The descending order with the chapters is a count down to the black box.

I highly recommend this title. It is 100% gruesome then the Dexter series, which is a total garbage. I just wished that Dexter was Chuck Palahniuk's idea because it would be that much darker without the fluff.

When this book started I wasn't sure of what to make of the depressed, monotone delivery of Tender Branson's autobiography, but it quickly drew me in. Despite the fact that you know things aren't going to ending well, it just draws you in to see exactly how they got this bad. Tender follows a narrow line of puppy-dog-lost and sociopath -- but Palahniuk had me routing for this anti-hero, right up to the end. If you are looking for shiny happy people, this isn't your choice. But looking for flawed and funny people this book delivers and was a great 'listen', although I felt a little Schadenfreude about it :-)

After reading the reviews on this book I thought what the heck, why not give it a read. I did and I'm not disappointed. Even though we knew the ending at the start it was a fun getting there. I will now search more by this author.

The narrator's voice is spot on for this story - if you enjoyed fight club, you will enjoy this.

Not your typical book, but very entertaining. I found myself listening to it whenever I could. Full of interesting, but logical twists and turns. A worthy listen.

Survivor is one of my favorite Palahniuk books. The way the author organizes his story is excellent. I give this book the highest recommend.

I like Chuck's work, especially the way he peppers the story with oddball factoids, but this is far from his best offering. It's an interesting premise, though. Paul Garcia does a commendable job. He's appropriately deadpan and animated when the story calls for it.

There is one particular moment in the book that was so out of left field that it really took me out of the story. After that point, I wasn't nearly as enthralled.

Worth it for a diehard Palahniuk fan, not the best place to start for the casual reader.

Trite. Un-original. Disappointing. Predictable. If this audiobook was playing over the intercom system on an auto-pilot guided flight with no one aboard, only vapors in the tanks and engines burning out--I would gladly force the yoke forward and rocket myself terra-bound, but I do not believe the final moments would pass quickly enough to end my suffering. Gilbert Gottfried doing a one-man production of "Little Women," is more appealing than the thought of listening to Survivor again.

Same character archetypes as in many other Chuck's books. Same nihilistic ennui and dull, achingly obvious reveals.

Some ideas are best kept scribbled on napkins and not graced with a cover and space on a bookshelf, let alone an audiobook production.