CalvinHobbes Posted November 20, 2012 Report Share Posted November 20, 2012 Hello NF book clubbers! This is the thread to discuss this month's book, Fight Club.Out of respect for others who may have not yet finished the book, if you are going to post spoilers in your post, please start it with "SPOILER ALERT" or something of the sort Enjoy!! Quote Link to comment
LRB Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 SPOILER: I feel a bit like I did at the end of The Sixth Sense. What do you mean, they're the same guy? Now I have to go read it again to figure out if they could be in two places at once -- or if they ever actually were (e.g., blowing up the apartment AND in another state). I haven't seen the movie -- does a multiple personality disorder figure in it as well, or is the movie really about the violence and release that comes from Fight Club, without also being about the tension (for lack of a better word) in the "love triangle"? Quote LRB, Lifelong Rebel Badass || June 3 challenge thread"What I lack in ability, I make up in stubbornness" -me"Someone busier than you is working out right now" -my mom Link to comment
Tocho Posted November 21, 2012 Report Share Posted November 21, 2012 SPOILERNow, I have not read the book, but I've seen the movie several times. The movie does indeed portray a multiple personality disorder as well, and it's a brilliant movie. Quote Ash nazg durbatulûkÎα είσαι καλÏτεÏος άνθÏωπος από τον πατÎÏα σου▲STR 7 | DEX 11 | STA 6 | CON 6 | WIS 9 | CHA 5â–² Link to comment
CalvinHobbes Posted November 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 SPOILER:SPOILER: I feel a bit like I did at the end of The Sixth Sense. What do you mean, they're the same guy? Now I have to go read it again to figure out if they could be in two places at once -- or if they ever actually were (e.g., blowing up the apartment AND in another state). I haven't seen the movie -- does a multiple personality disorder figure in it as well, or is the movie really about the violence and release that comes from Fight Club, without also being about the tension (for lack of a better word) in the "love triangle"?Agreed about the Sixth Sense feel--I felt the same thing when I finished reading Life of Pi...just a "whaaaaa?" feeling. I'm going to start re-reading it now to see if they are ever in two different places too. Quote Link to comment
cracked_belle Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 SPOILER@LRBwell, if you notice when Marla moves in with the him/them, the narrator never sees Marla and Tyler in the room together. it's interesting to observe Marla's interaction with the nar once you have this information.@TochoI grew up with movie, if you will. but this is my first read through of the book. I really like already knowing that they are the same, as it allows me to see how well Palahniuk writes it. 1 Quote just another cracked southern belle, and a specialist in self-kintsukuroi. Current Challenge Accountability: Health & Happiness Are Hard: Wherein the Cracked_Belle Un-Dies Epic Quest: Adventures in Badassery [under construction] Spoiler There is never a sudden revelation, a complete and tidy explanation for why it happened, or why it ends, or why or who you are. You want one and I want one, but there isn't one. It comes in bits and pieces, and you stitch them together wherever they fit, and when you are done you hold yourself up, and still there are holes and you are a rag doll, invented, imperfect. And yet you are all that you have, so you must be enough. There is no other way. ― Marya Hornbacher, Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia Link to comment
ellisd012 Posted November 28, 2012 Report Share Posted November 28, 2012 Yeah...wish I had read the book first...it was interesting how at times there were hints of the similarities between them and I appreciated the mental game of the realization of what was happening without him really being able to take control of himself anyway. Great book!Did anyone read the edition that was published after the movie? The afterword made me laugh! Nutty stuff...eww! Quote Celtic ScoutLevel 4Str 8 | Dex 7.5 | Sta 12.25 | Con 9 | Wis 10.5 | Cha 7.75Battle Log"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment
bgvanbur Posted December 5, 2012 Report Share Posted December 5, 2012 Did anyone read the edition that was published after the movie? The afterword made me laugh! Nutty stuff...eww!That's the version I read and liked the afterword.SPOILERI saw the movie a while ago and this was my first time reading the book. The whole time I was thinking how well the movie depicted the book (since usually they change and omit lots of things). One of the things that I noticed partly in was how the narrator never talked in quotes but narrated what he said. I tried to think about why this is but not fully sure on why the author did that. Time to watch the movie again! Quote Level 26, Primal Ultra Trail Scout, Non-Binary Robot Link to comment
BeckyBuckeye Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 SPOILER(ISH) ALERT:I have never seen the movie, but the book stands really well on its own. Really interesting and I want to see the movie now. So how did the narrator fight Tyler at the beginning? Quote Link to comment
cracked_belle Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 SPOILERI have never seen the movie, but the book stands really well on its own. Really interesting and I want to see the movie now. So how did the narrator fight Tyler at the beginning?they have Brad Pitt as Tyler the whole way. at the end of the movie, they go back and replay scenes with Pitt removed. really neat. Quote just another cracked southern belle, and a specialist in self-kintsukuroi. Current Challenge Accountability: Health & Happiness Are Hard: Wherein the Cracked_Belle Un-Dies Epic Quest: Adventures in Badassery [under construction] Spoiler There is never a sudden revelation, a complete and tidy explanation for why it happened, or why it ends, or why or who you are. You want one and I want one, but there isn't one. It comes in bits and pieces, and you stitch them together wherever they fit, and when you are done you hold yourself up, and still there are holes and you are a rag doll, invented, imperfect. And yet you are all that you have, so you must be enough. There is no other way. ― Marya Hornbacher, Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia Link to comment
cracked_belle Posted December 10, 2012 Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Toy Story + Fight Club movie preview mash-up: Quote just another cracked southern belle, and a specialist in self-kintsukuroi. Current Challenge Accountability: Health & Happiness Are Hard: Wherein the Cracked_Belle Un-Dies Epic Quest: Adventures in Badassery [under construction] Spoiler There is never a sudden revelation, a complete and tidy explanation for why it happened, or why it ends, or why or who you are. You want one and I want one, but there isn't one. It comes in bits and pieces, and you stitch them together wherever they fit, and when you are done you hold yourself up, and still there are holes and you are a rag doll, invented, imperfect. And yet you are all that you have, so you must be enough. There is no other way. ― Marya Hornbacher, Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia Link to comment
Namednoname Posted December 19, 2012 Report Share Posted December 19, 2012 Oh god.. It never even occurred to me that Fight Club was originally a book. >.<Imma buy this book ASAP Quote Link to comment
Georges Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 Since reading, I just can't get over the differences between the end of the book and the end of the movie. I feel like it almost says more than the story does. Anyone else feel that way, or am I just crazy? 1 Quote This used to be where my weight loss progress bar was. Maybe it will be here again when I'm ready to face the scale and work on my fat problem. NewBattleLog OldBattleLog (between challenges) Spoiler Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. -John Wooden 2013 Running Tally: I lost track in July, at 148.925 ((plus 0.5)) but I finished a Very Slow marathon in October. Then I mostly stopped. 2014 Running Tally: 134.1 miles plus 5k (as of 17 September) lost track again, but I know I had at least 147.2 plus 5k for 2014. 2015 Running Tally: 41.2 treadmilled miles & 251.93 real world miles 2016 Running Tally: 0 Link to comment
Maj. Bloodnok Posted January 2, 2013 Report Share Posted January 2, 2013 It had been a while since I read the book; I didn't like it then, and I didn't like it now. Not that Palahniuk is a bad writer; he has an excellent command of language and imagery. I don't like his ideas or his characters. There are some positive things to be found: 'you are not your posessions', 'don't let your fears get in the way of your goals', 'don't die regretting what you didn't do'. The book goes headlong into destruction fantasies, but doesn't address the aftermath. Take Tyler's dream of hunting elk through the canyons of abandoned skyscrapers: yeah, cool story bro, but what happens when you cut yourself and there's no antibiotics to stop the infection? A lot about modern society sucks, but that doesn't mean it should be completely scrapped. How much of your life are you willing to destroy, knowing that much of the good you've created will go along with the bad? Are you that hungry to belong to something greater than yourself, that you'll seriously consider shaving your head, sleeping in a barracks, and making high-end soap? (OK, rant over. Deep breath.) A lot of things became clearer after finding out that Palahniuk had written 'Fight Club' after going through the Landmark Forum. The 'in yer face', all-or-nothing mindset, the homework assignments, even the groupthink of the Project members: that's a lot like what I've seen in the Landmark enthusiasts I've known. (None of them have discussed making homemade explosives, though.) Ultimately, Palahniuk is too much of a misanthrope for my tastes. The book and movie are cultural touchstones; they're important, but that doesn't mean I have to like them. I much prefer Douglas Coupland. Quote "If you get into trouble, you can always eat something, blow something up, or throw penguins." - Jim Henson Link to comment
Raidne Posted January 3, 2013 Report Share Posted January 3, 2013 Honestly, I had the unfortunate experience of ONLY seeing the last 5-10 minutes of the movie. As in, I knew ONLY the ending of the movie and the book before I started reading. That being said, I'm very glad that I participated in this read. The book was fantastic and now I want to see the entire movie. Quote Level 0, Rebel, Agency Recuit STR: 0 | DEX: 0 | STA: 0 | CON: 0 | WIS: 0 | CHA: 0 Battle Log: Metamorphosis Link to comment
BeckyBuckeye Posted January 4, 2013 Report Share Posted January 4, 2013 Maj. Blooknok, I agree with you. It's an interesting read, but a little too "I don't like some pieces of my life so I'll completely destroy all of it." Throwing everything away to feel "alive" has some nasty consequences (do NOT try this at home). Not saying Palahniuk should have addressed the consequences, but I guess it's too much anarchy and destruction for my taste. Quote Link to comment
Raidne Posted January 5, 2013 Report Share Posted January 5, 2013 Honestly, I had the unfortunate experience of ONLY seeing the last 5-10 minutes of the movie. As in, I knew ONLY the ending of the movie and the book before I started reading. That being said, I'm very glad that I participated in this read. The book was fantastic and now I want to see the entire movie. Well, I sat down and watched the whole movie tonight. I guess I saw the first 5 minutes of the last 10 minutes of the movie, because I definitely didn't see the last 5 minutes before. LOL Anyway. Truthfully, now that I've read and watched both, the movie pales in comparison. A lot more character depth and development in the book (as per usual.) For as hyped as this movie remains in current pop culture, I don't think it did the book justice. Yes, as a statement against the lost generation with no great war and no great depression, suffocating under the pillow of materialism and corporate greed, the book could possibly be argued as the catalyst for the minimalist movement. The book/movie gives an underlying theme of emasculation. From the testicular cancer support group (and Bob) to the threat of castration by Project Mayhem, the book (and movie) reiterate how men of the current society have lost their 'chest-beating, hunter/gather' status and are now simply becoming carbon copies of what Corporate America tells us makes a man. White Collar JobsIkea FurnitureNice CondoCollege EducationWifeTyler Durden, as the primal conscious of the narrator, is pulled out of the psyche to help the narrator "hit the bottom." I think the bottom can be paralleled to 'back to basics' - survival of the fittest with the base desire to eliminate the weaker "desk jockeys." Quote Level 0, Rebel, Agency Recuit STR: 0 | DEX: 0 | STA: 0 | CON: 0 | WIS: 0 | CHA: 0 Battle Log: Metamorphosis Link to comment
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