I am Jack's Incredible Sense of Awe

Before reading Fight Club for class, I knew only two things about it. The first was that, for some reason, I wasn’t supposed to talk about it, and the second was a quote from a dear, plot-spoiling friend of mine: “They turn out to be the same guy!” Although I knew I wouldn’t be able to experience the infamous plot twist with the same magnitude, I was still excited to finally see if the book and movie lived up to their reputations. However, both exceeded my expectations.

I knew from the beginning that the novel would not disappoint me, simply because it is by Chuck Palahniuk. That being said, I had no idea I could enjoy a book about violence so much. Normally squeamish, I embraced page upon page of bruises, slashes, and pools of blood. I felt almost like a member of the club itself: I knew all the rules, was in close contact with Tyler Durden, and kept coming back for more. And while the film does an incredibly good job of depicting the men’s need for fight club, the book simply conveys that fact with more emotion. Instead of watching the men fight and connect, a reader is drawn into this underground world of secret stress-relief.

Regardless of which version was “better”, both the movie and film are incredibly original, thought-provoking, and worth the time to watch or read. Both use the rhetorical devices available to them to make readers and viewers question society, their relationships, and even themselves.