Editing Choke (novel)

{{Short description|2001 novel by Chuck Palahniuk}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox book 
| name          = Choke
| image         = Chokecvr.jpg
| caption = First edition cover
| author        = [[Chuck Palahniuk]]
| cover_artist  = [[Rodrigo Corral]]<br/>Bob Larkin
| country       = United States
| language      = English
| genre         = Satire, [[Black comedy]]
| publisher     = [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]]
| release_date  = May 22, 2001
| media_type    = Print (hardcover)
| pages         = 304
| isbn          = 0-385-50156-0
| dewey         = 813/.54 21
| congress      = PS3566.A4554 C47 2001
| oclc          = 44905122
| preceded_by   = [[Invisible Monsters]]
| followed_by   = [[Lullaby (Palahniuk novel)|Lullaby]]
}}

'''''Choke''''' is a 2001 novel by American author [[Chuck Palahniuk]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://chuckpalahniuk.net/books/choke|title=Choke|work=The Cult|access-date=2018-02-22|language=en|archive-date=February 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223051349/http://chuckpalahniuk.net/books/choke|url-status=dead}}</ref> The story focuses on Victor, a [[sex addict]] and [[con man]]<ref>{{Cite news| url= https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-50156-9|title=Fiction Book Review: CHOKE by Chuck Palahniuk |work= PublishersWeekly.com|access-date= 2018-02-22|language=en}}</ref> who also works at a colonial reenactment museum.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/jul/22/fiction.chuckpalahniuk|title=Observer review: Choke by Chuck Palahniuk |last=Adams|first=Tim|date=2001-07-22|website= The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-02-22}}</ref> The novel was later [[Choke (2008 film)|adapted for film]] by [[Clark Gregg]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web| url= http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=choke.htm |title=Choke (2008) |website= boxofficemojo.com|language= en| access-date=2018-02-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2008/aug/15/checkoutthetrailerforchuc|title=Check out the trailer for 'Fight Club sequel' Choke|last=Child|first=Ben|date= 2008-08-15|website= The Guardian |language= en|access-date= 2018-02-22}}</ref>

==Plot summary==
''Choke'' follows Victor Mancini and his friend Denny through a few months of their lives with frequent flashbacks to the days when Victor was a child. Victor had grown up moving from one [[foster home]] to another as his mother was found to be unfit to raise him. During his childhood, his mother would [[kidnapping|kidnap]] him from his various foster parents, though every time they would eventually be caught and he would again be remanded over to the child welfare agency.

In the present-day setting of the book, Victor has left medical school to support his feeble mother, who is now in a nursing home. In order to pay for elder care for his mother, he resorts to being a [[con artist]]. Victor goes to various restaurants and purposely causes himself to choke midway through his meal, luring a "[[good Samaritan]]" into saving his life. He keeps a detailed list of everyone who saves him and sends them frequent letters about fictional bills he is unable to pay, causing them to send him money out of sympathy. 

Victor works at a re-enactment museum set in colonial times, where most of the employees are drug addicts or, in Denny's case, a fellow recovering [[sex addict]]. He spends most of his time on the job guarding Denny (who is constantly being caught with "contraband" items that do not correspond with the time period of the museum) in the stocks. The two met at a sex addiction [[support group]] and later applied together for the same job. Denny is later fired from the museum, and begins collecting stones from around the city to build his "dream home".

While growing up, Victor's mother taught him numerous [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] and obscure medical facts, which both confused and frightened him. This and his constant moves from one home to another have left Victor unable to form lasting and stable relationships with women. As a result, Victor finds himself getting sexual gratification from women on a solely superficial level. Later on, he starts talking to his mother again for the first time in years.

==Film adaptation==
{{main|Choke (2008 film)}}
A film adaptation directed by [[Clark Gregg]], starring [[Sam Rockwell]] and [[Anjelica Huston]], was released commercially on September 26, 2008.<ref name=":0" /> Palahniuk makes a cameo appearance in the film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1566440/20070806/story.jhtml|title=On The 'Choke' Set With Chuck Palahniuk, Sam Rockwell — And Dave Matthews?!|last=Horowitz|first=Josh|date=August 7, 2007|website=MTV|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218161835/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1566440/20070806/story.jhtml|archive-date=February 18, 2008|url-status=dead|access-date=February 22, 2018}}</ref>

==Editions==
* {{ISBN|0-385-50156-0}} (hardcover; New York: Doubleday, 2001)
* {{ISBN|1-58945-971-7}} ([[e-book]], 2001)
* {{ISBN|0-385-72092-0}} (paperback; New York: Anchor, 2002)

==Trivia==
{{Wikiquote}}
*Much of Palahniuk's research on ''Choke'' was conducted with total strangers at the gym and sexual addiction groups.<ref>"[http://www.alternet.org/story/11049/?page=2 The Unexpected Romantic: An Interview with Chuck Palahniuk]". Tamara Straus's interview with Chuck Palahniuk. June 19, 2001.</ref>
*A song by Scottish band Biffy Clyro is titled "[[Joy.Discovery.Invention]]" after a line in the novel.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{ChuckPalahniuk}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choke (Novel)}}
[[Category:2001 American novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Chuck Palahniuk]]
[[Category:Postmodern novels]]
[[Category:American satirical novels]]
[[Category:Fiction about sexual addiction]]
[[Category:American novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:Books with cover art by Rodrigo Corral]]