Fight Club created a cult-like sensation around author Chuck Palahniuk. And why shouldn't it, for the first time in a long time an author had the courage to challenge society's norms and put his balls on the line for his beliefs.
Three books later, Choke is no different. This time around Palahniuk uses sex rather than violence to drive home his ideals.
Street caught up with Palahniuk on his US book tour to ask him about Choke, life, support groups and his mom.
Street: You started writing about a decade after finishing college, why then?
Chuck Palahniuk: I lived in this dumpy little house in the country and there was no cable or radio reception so I just started reading. After I started I couldn't find any of the types of books I wanted to read so I thought to myself, why don't I write the kinds of books I want to read.
Street: Victor Mancini in Choke is quite a character, sex addict, con-artist, closet mama's boy. Where did you get your inspiration for him?
CP: I went to sexaholics meetings for six months.
Street: Seriously?
CP: Yeah. I went to the Wednesday and the Friday night meetings and listened to everyone tell their stories. Victor is a sort of composite of all those people.... and of me.
Street: How of you?
CP: Once I tried to get out of a bar tab by pretending to choke.
Street: Did anyone save you?
CP: Well my friends saved me by showing up and paying the bill.
Street: The web sites dedicated to your books and movies border on the obsessive. Why do you think people relate so deeply with your stories?
CP: I don't know. Some of it is because my books are like surveys of my friends. Each character is like a hundred different people. They're people talking honestly about their lives and their perspectives and I think a lot of people find themselves in it.
Street: Support groups play ahuge part in both Fight Club and Choke. Do you see them as becoming a staple of modern American life?
CP: People used to have other contexts for getting together and being honest. For a long time religion was one, but recently religion has become a lot more superficial, a lot about the way you look and act and how proper you are. We all want someplace where we can really let our hair down and be honest and cry and be really unflattering.
Street: Victor's mother in Choke was domineered and controlled by his mother. How is your relationship with your own mom?
CP: It's pretty good. But my mom is a feminist and sometimes when she is talking about feminism and men being the enemy I wish she'd remember I'm in the room. I'm really proud of her for all she has done, but I do wish I could stop being the great gulog of evil men.
Street: Victor is surrounded by these women who manipulate his life in one way or another. How suseptible do you think men are to women's conscious or unconscious machinations?
CP: Oh damn....Men are more suseptible to women because men are brought up to view other men as competition and to think that women are supposed to save us from other men in a way, so because of that yeah I think women have much more influence over us.
Street: How have fans and critics responded to Choke?
CP: Same as they did to Fight Club. They either love it or they hate it. It's a screaming rave or a crazy rant. But that'sort of the point isn't it, to get a strong reaction out of people.
Street: Fight Club, two more novels, movie rights in negotiations, and now Choke..Are you working on anything right now, or just taking a breather?
CP: I just finished a book called Lullaby, a horror novel. The response I am getting from it is just incredible.
Street: How does it compare to your last four novels?
CP: Its much darker than the other four. Espescially the ending. I think its probably the darkest book I've ever done.
Street: Darker?
CP: Hey it's horror.
Street: Well the other ones weren't exactly light.
CP: This is darker than dark.
