Stranger Than Fiction

True Stories

By: Chuck Palahniuk

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris, Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk's world has always been, well, different from yours and mine. The pieces that comprise Stranger than Fiction, his first nonfiction collection, prove just how different, in ways both highly entertaining and deeply unsettling. Included are encounters with alternative culture heroes Marilyn Manson and Juliette Lewis; the peculiar wages of fame attendant on the big-budget film production of the movie Fight Club; life as an assembly-line drivetrain installer by day, hospice volunteer driver by night; the really peculiar lives of submariners; the really violent world (and mangled ears) of college wrestlers; the underground world of iron-pumping anabolic-steroid gobblers; the immensely upsetting circumstances of his father's murder and the trial of his killer—each essay or vignette offers a unique facet of existence as lived in and/or observed by one of our most flagrantly daring and original literary talents.©2004 Chuck Palahniuk; (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Full of wonderful moments...Palahniuk's voice is so distinctive and intimate--he writes as though he is recounting a great story to a close friend." --Los Angeles Times

"Step into Palahniuk's dark worldview and watch for what crawls out. These stories are true to him and no one else." --The Oregonian

“One of the oddest and most oddly compelling collections to come along for some time.” —The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“In Chuck Palahniuk’s world, the ride is fast, often disturbing, and there is never any holding back.” —The New Orleans Times-Picayune

“Eccentric, idiosyncratic, and often entertaining.” —The Onion

"Priceless grace notes from an exceptionally droll and sharp-eyed observer." --The New York Times

“Rarely does a collection of essays continually resonate with a main theme and accumulate a weight that would lead you to call it a great book. . . . This is a pretty great book.” —The Seattle Times

"The book's lurid appeal rests largely on being let in on Palahniuk's secrets, the raw material for much of his fiction. . . . Acts that give spice to his novels are made more menacing when encountered in the real world." --Black Book

Ive known Chuck for years

I kinda feel like ive known Chuck for years now....this story had a speed dating kind of feel ...like listning to highlights of an old timers life of way back when...the transitionin from one story to the next has as much of a break as one paragraph to another....when writing of himself.... its like hes reflecting to one of his old friends and brings some of the insights together....i enjoyed it!

Nicely surprised

It’s a look behind the scenes. A hand full of stories leaving the listener wanting more

Excellent and hilarious

Upon reading a previous two reviews wherein the listeners expressed dislike for this material, I had to post that I completely disagree. Granted, this isn't for people looking for slapstick comedy or an action-adventure story; but if you like stories about quirky, odd characters, I think you'll find this collection to be fascinating and hilarious -- a lot of it had me and my girlfriend laughing out loud in the car as we listened. It is written and also narrated with excellent style.

Titled Correctly!

Chuck Palahniuk delivers true stories straight in line with his fiction. He delves into an unusual and sometimes darker side of society and history. This book is a must for Chuck Palahnuik fans.

I love everything chuck palahniuk touches.

A lot of these stories he tells in interviews. I always enjoy hearing them though.