I reread this one by way of audiobook. Ray Porter's narration was wonderful. I have no preference over text or audio, though. Read/listen to either; they're equally awesome.

The Contortionist's Handbook is not easily categorized or reviewed. It's a tremendous accomplishment, both in terms of research and delivery. I never once questioned whether or not the information in this book was fact or fiction. I simply enjoyed the ride. Those of you that read for fun might find this book monotonous and boring, so I suggest skipping it. Those of you who enjoy stylish writing that's full of heart, you should adore this little book.

There is little to no action inside The Contortionist's Handbook. Most of the novel takes place in Johnny's/Danny's mind as he tries to beat a headshrinker and stay out of the nuthouse after his latest overdose. It's a battle of wits, and you're hanging with the guy who's brought a gun to a knife fight. The psychiatrist is definitely out of Johnny's/Danny's league. Witnessing Danny/Johnny outsmart his "opponent" is big fun and never boring.

The writing snaps, crackles, and pops. Craig Clevenger's prose can dice cantaloupe, if you can dig it. There's no filler, no word out of place, no flowery fuckery, only tight writing you can bounce a quarter off.

The love story in this book is handled well. There's no insta-love or love triangle bullshit, so if you're tired of those tropes in your fiction, you should enjoy this one. Kyra and Johnny's/Danny's relationship is noteworthy because we're dealing with two emotionally-broken individuals who manage to find each other floating in the tumultuous sea that is life. Let me be very clear, I hate romance, despise love stories of any kind, but this one worked for me. Oh, and don't get me wrong, this isn't a romance book. If anything, I'd call it bleak lit fic. Not really dark, but you shouldn't expect sunshine and rainbows.

In summation: This is a helluva smart book. When it first came out, Chuck Palahniuk said it was easily the best book he'd read in five years. Maybe ten. I'd have to agree with him. Since then, there have been better books in the general fiction world, but not many. The Contortionist's Handbook has stayed with me since I read it over a decade ago, and more than withstood a reread. In fact, I would go as far as saying I enjoyed my reread more than my original experience, and I loved this book after that first pass.

Final Judgment: My highest possible recommendation... you know, if you dig this kind of thing

I'll start this review by saying that while I'm a fan of Chuck Palahniuk, who wrote this which I really liked...

 

 

                                                  ...I do find his perverse narrative a bit much at times! Anybody else agree? Anyway, this novel, praised by Palahniuk, strikes the perfect balance. It has the style of Palahnuik, without the craziness.

 

The synopsis of this is the protagonist-I don't know what to call him and you'll understand if you read it-suffers from chronic headaches. This immediately pulled me in as I too am a chronic headache sufferer. He frequently over-does in an effort to quell the pain, is hospitalised and reinvents himself by using another identity. This, by the way, is his other skill-reinventing himself and other's using another's identity.

 

During this book he has been hospitalised due to another over-dose and is having a psychiatric evaluation-something which he's experienced at.

 

I listened to this on audio which I think added to my enjoyment of it, so if you get the opportunity I'd say seek this out.

 

I was slightly confused at the beginning due to the constant name changes, but as I soon realised, it wasn't really important to remember each name, so I soon stopped being bothered about this.

 

As the protagonist is being interviewed by the psychiatric evaluator, he recounts his past as a by-product of certain questions. This resulted in a fully-formed character who I felt as if I was personally acquainted with.

 

This was a nice short novel and one that I will definitely re-read.

Full review to follow soon...once I shift this headache!

Master the fundamentals of dramatic storytelling while eliminating the dead wood that drags down your prose in this four-week master class with Craig Clevenger.

 

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The Contortionist's Handbook isn't perfect. If I had to pick out flaws I'd zero in on the heavy reliance on research to sustain interest in what is, basically, a novel of four fifths backstory and one fifth current predicament. I'd question the portrayal of mental institutions and psychiatry as still stuck in 1950s methodology and attitudes (remembering that the mc was born in 1970). I'd suggest that the predicament of the main character probably isn't dire enough to justify the radical nature of the solution he chooses. I'd say that three way sex isn't usually the hallmark of a relationship that's going to last.I'd say all that and then I'd say that it is brilliant.