Fight Club

Disruptive, unexpected and acid, there are many ways to describe this book but I think these 3 words encapsulate it well, this book speaks to generations of men who yearned for a place to belong and for independence but couldn't find it in day-to-day life.

"If you're male, and you're Christian and living in America, your father is your model for God. And sometimes you find your father in your career."

The narrator and the men around him saw in Tyler Durden a father figure who could give them meaning in life. By eliminating their identities and throwing out their names they acquired an identity that is way beyond social conventions, a purpose that they could look toward, ironically in the search for autonomy and detachment from the current system, they fall into another authoritarian structure where freedom consists of blindly following rules, the dehumanizing effect that they experienced daily at work is now forgotten because of a sense of community and the feeling that they were working for something bigger than themselves overrode any alienation they could possibly perceive, in a society where identity is affirmed by consumerism and materialism, a purpose is all a man needs.

"Napoleon bragged that he could train men to sacrifice their lives for a scrap of ribbon."

Fight Club was nothing more than a reaction, like a swelling after being punched in the face or a fever reacting to a virus in the body, you call it, and Tyler was more than capable of taking advantage of that reaction.

The main trio has good chemistry, especially the relationship between Marla and the Narrator being one of the things that I wish I could've seen a little more, the side stories are also well built and remarkable despite their short length and they add a little more depth to the characters.

Overall it's a great satirical book that knows how to handle itself, with good characters, an intriguing story and events that make you want to finish the entire book in one sit, I'll probably check into other books from Chuck in the future (besides the continuation of Fight Club, it seems quite the bs for me).