Warning: Contains spoilers. As even Chuck Pahlaniuk said, the film is better than the novel, but the film could never have been made if Pahlaniuk’s dark comic genius had not created it. if you have already seen the film, as I had before I read “Fight Club”, the book is still well worth reading, as there are some parts of the novel that director David Fincher could not transfer to the screen.
The novel isn’t really the love story that the film is. The film ends with the narrator and Marla Silver holding hands together on the top floor of a skyscraper as they watch empty office towers explode around them. It’s a pity that the novel didn’t end the same way. Instead of this, there is a silly scene in the afterlife that was incongruous with what had gone before. In the novel Marla tells the narrator after they have had sex that she wants to get pregnant by him and have his abortion. I thought it was funny but I can understand why others wouldn’t, including, apparently, Fox executive Laura Ziskin. According to Fincher the line didn’t get used in the film only because the bedroom scene between them was shot, improbably enough, in the rectory of a church, and it seemed sacrilegious to do so. Maybe so, but it is a line that doesn’t work so well in a love story either. The line that replaced it,“I haven’t been f--ked like that since grade school,” apparently had Helena Bonham Carter in stitches.
Not that it matters but on p.218 there is a typo that really should have been corrected in this later edition of the novel. “Then, when they’re exhausted, the men and woman [should be “women”] go to church.”
The later edition, not the original, is the one to read, as Pahlaniuk has a fascinating afterword on what inspired his novel, and everything that has transpired since it was published.

For a debut, this novel is stunning. Palahniuk's narrative voice is confident and funny. The story starts strong but loses steam about 2/3 of the way through, mainly because the big "a-ha!" moment comes way too early and in a very predictable way. If the sheer amount of times the narrator says "I know this because Tyler knows this" isn't a spoiler, then I don't know what is. He bashes you over the head with that declaration dozens of times. But that narrative voice... WOW!

I preferred the movie (I hate to say that, book lovers). I felt the screenwriter, director, actors, and crew took Palahniuk's fantastic ideas and expanded upon them, creating a tighter story and a better ending. From what I've read, Palahniuk agreed at the time too.

The book is worth reading even if you dislike what it is saying! It is written in such a way where you never get bored and it always has some exciting new scenario it throws at you! I loved this book and it is one of my favorites! High recommend, even if you aren't a huge reader!

This is Palahniuk at his most accessible. Fight Club is a very straight-forward critique of capitalism. There should be no further spoilers.

If you have seen the movie, how most of us came to Palahniuk, there are little surprises, but more adept critiques of modern culture and consumerism.

If this is your first take on Palahniuk and you enjoyed it, you should read his other pieces. They are all weird, disturbing, and generally in line with challenging a moral order which is illegitimate.

He is one of the premier postmodern authors and you should really sink your teeth in.

I enjoyed the movie more. The book is a couple shades darker in violence and nihilism.

meh.

"Probably one of my favourite books of all time, Fight Club is definitely a must-read. Mashing up multiple genres, this book is fast-paced, complex and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Although there is enough action to spare, this book is definitely a think-piece, asking deep philosophical questions that the protagonist does his best to answer. Featuring a great twist and ending that will leave you thinking, Fight Club is a book you just have to read for yourself. 5/5 Stars" - @Fulton of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library

Complex. Thrilling. Engaging. Fight Club explores the story of an insomniac coming to grips with himself and his other self, as well as every other character mentioned. An admirable trait about this book is that you never know the next character's motives – they seem to hide behind a veil of ambiguity that pushes the plot into chaotic reading enjoyment. Breaking out of compliance, the narrator ventures through the world that he simultaneously creates and destroys. This book can be described as a social commentary, a love story, a thriller... the list goes on. A must-read for anyone ready to experience the tight-knit secrets of Fight Club.
- @spaghettibro of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library

The things you own end up owning you. - Nice words from Tyler Durden

This is a book undone by its finale. The movie solves the problem by not flinching at the critical moment (where the book does flinch and lose its nerve), and as such is a much better version of the story.

That said, up until the book loses its nerve it is a sharp and dark and glorious piece of deconstructive satire. Almost worth the read, but sadly, you're better off watching the film.