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Survivor: A Novel Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,172 ratings

"Brilliantly satiric and savagely funny, Survivor is a wild amphetamine ride through the vagaries of fame and the nature of belief." —San Francisco Chronicle


Tender Branson—last surviving member of the Creedish Death Cult—is dictating his life story into the recorder of Flight 2039, cruising on autopilot at 39,000 feet somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. He is all alone in the airplane, which will crash shortly into the vast Australian outback. But before it does, Branson will unfold the tale of his journey from an obedient Creedish child and humble domestic servant to an ultra-buffed, steroid- and collagen-packed media messiah.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Some say that the apocalypse swiftly approacheth, but that simply ain't so according to Chuck Palahniuk. Oh no. It's already here, living in the head of the guy who just crossed the street in front of you, or maybe even closer than that. We saw these possibilities get played out in the author's bloodsporting-anarchist-yuppie shocker of a first novel, Fight Club. Now, in Survivor, his second and newest, the concern is more for the origin of the malaise. Starting at chapter 47 and screaming toward ground zero, Palahniuk hurls the reader back to the beginning in a breathless search for where it all went wrong. This time out, the author's protagonist is self-made, self-ruined mogul-messiah Tender Branson, the sole passenger of a jet moments away from slamming first into the Australian outback and then into oblivion. All that will be left, Branson assures us with a tone bordering on relief, is his life story, from its Amish-on-acid cult beginnings to its televangelist-huckster end. All of this courtesy of the plane's flight recorder.

Speaking of little black boxes, Skinnerians would have a field day with the presenting behavior of the folks who make up Palahniuk's world. They pretend they're suicide hotline operators for fun. They eat lobster before it's quite... done. They dance in morgues. The Cleavers they are not. Scary as they might be, these characters are ultimately more scared of themselves than you are, and that's what makes them so fascinating. In the wee hours and on lonely highways, they exist in a perpetual twilight, caught between the horror of the present and the dread of the unknown. With only two novels under his belt, Chuck Palahniuk is well on his way to becoming an expert at shining a light on these shadowy creatures. --Bob Michaels

From Publishers Weekly

The rise and fall of a media-made messiah is the subject of Palahniuk's impressive second novel (after the well-received Fight Club), a wryly mannered commentary on the excesses of pop culture that tracks the 15 minutes of fame of the lone living member of a suicide cult. Tender Branson, aged 33, has commandeered a Boeing 747, emptied of passengers, in order to tell his story to the "black box" while flying randomly until the plane runs out of gas and crashes. Branson relates in his long flashback the vicissitudes of his life: a member of the repressive Creedish Death Cult, supposedly founded by a splinter group of Millerites in 1860, he is hired out as a domestic servant who must dedicate his earnings to the cult. Despite his humble beginnings, Branson finds himself on the edge of fame and fortune when the cult members begin their suicide binge, and he keeps himself on the media radar by using the psychic dreams of his potential romantic interest, Fertility Hollis, in which the girl accurately predicts a series of strange disasters. After a brief period at the top of the freak-show heap, Branson succumbs to the excesses of his trade when his agent mysteriously dies at the Super Bowl as Branson predicts the outcome of the game at half-time, simultaneously triggering a riot and turning him into a murder suspect. Branson's spookily matter of fact account of his bizarre experiences does not excite tension until the narrative is well under way, but the novel picks up momentum during the homestretch when Branson goes on the lam with Fertility and his murderous brother Adam, and the story steamrolls toward its nightmarish climax. Palahniuk's DeLilloesque cultural witticisms and his satirical take on the culture of instant celebrity invest the narrative with a dark humor that does not quite overcome its lack of a coherent plot. Agent, Edward Hibbert. (Feb.) FYI: Fight Club is being filmed by David Fincher.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004SOBLIE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reissue edition (March 21, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 21, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 531 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 294 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,172 ratings

About the author

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Chuck Palahniuk
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Chuck Palahniuk's nine novels are the bestselling Snuff, Rant, Haunted, Lullaby and Fight Club, which was made into a film by director David Fincher, Diary, Survivor, Invisible Monsters, and Choke, which was made into a film by director Clark Gregg. He is also the author of the non-fiction profile of Portland Fugitives and Refugees and the non-fiction collection Stranger Than Fiction. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
3,172 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book's story and found it exciting and interesting. They found the humor funny and entertaining, with satire and heart. The writing style was described as great, fluent, and detailed. The characters were described as interesting and well-developed. Overall, customers found the book thought-provoking and captivating.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

173 customers mention "Readability"162 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the book's story. They find it exciting, interesting, and inventive. The ending is described as clever and fantastic.

"...say that while he is not my favorite writer he is one of the most intriguing, original and engrossing novelists working today, and it is a pleasure..." Read more

"This is a really great book, and interestingly weird in a "I can't put this down even though I have work in 3 hours" way...." Read more

"...The greatness that lies within this terrific read is that you cannot predict what's going to happen next. Read the novel and take the trip." Read more

"...In terms of my taste, this book is an average read that I wouldn't really say anything bad about, but that I also would not necessarily recommend to..." Read more

67 customers mention "Humor"63 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it a funny and entertaining read with sharp dialogue and satire. The main character is described as cruel yet humorous. It's an imaginative and engaging novel for adults.

"...halftime riots only make up a small yet essential part of this wildly entertaining and completely original tale of one man's journey from outcast to..." Read more

"...Tender suspects it to be his estranged twin brother. Definitely a fun read & his books are always worth reading, especially if you appreciate dark..." Read more

"...and dialogue is so crisp, so sharp, so dark, and yet so funny and entertaining all at the same time. The writing is so original an groundbreaking...." Read more

"...It has the same dark humor that I openly laughed out loud at; thankfully when you are reading, no one knows exactly what you find so amusing...." Read more

61 customers mention "Writing style"54 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the book easy to read with a clear narrative and dialogue. The author's voice is unique and enjoyable, making it an intriguing read that makes them want to read more from the author.

"...favorite writer he is one of the most intriguing, original and engrossing novelists working today, and it is a pleasure to read any and everything..." Read more

"...Chuck Palahniuk is hilarious and creative; definitely give him a try." Read more

"...This is strongly my opinion and nothing more. The narration and dialogue is so crisp, so sharp, so dark, and yet so funny and entertaining all at..." Read more

"This book was clever and well written and I think the characters were developed and personified very well...." Read more

25 customers mention "Character development"20 positive5 negative

Customers find the characters interesting and well-developed. They appreciate the author's unique storytelling style and twisted imagination. The main character is described as humorous, cruel, and insightful.

"...and interesting ideas, and his stories are filled with great, issue-riddled characters...." Read more

"This book was clever and well written and I think the characters were developed and personified very well...." Read more

"...There supporting characters are better than in fight club they are more every day than realistic than those of fight club...." Read more

"...- Characters became annoying 1/4 of the way through and just got worse from there, ESPECIALLY the main guy...." Read more

24 customers mention "Thought provoking"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and engaging. They appreciate the author's unique perspective and imaginative writing style. The book offers a darkly humorous look at life with interesting ideas and commentary on key themes.

"...for me, but I must say that even I was floored with how impressively captivating this novel really was...." Read more

"...I love this author, he has super random and interesting ideas, and his stories are filled with great, issue-riddled characters...." Read more

"...They story was also interesting with some major commentary on key themes in humanity such as religion, fame, sex, and mental health...." Read more

"...a great job of really establishing a tone for the story and sparking an intial flair to get the reader really interested early on...." Read more

26 customers mention "Pacing"18 positive8 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it picks up speed with each chapter, making it a quick read with an easy to follow storyline. Others feel it starts out slow and almost loses them before picking up speed.

"...I liked the style of writing and because of that, this was a quick read for me...." Read more

"...Like most of Chuck's works, this book picks up more and more speed with each chapter...." Read more

"I found the story style hard to follow and read...." Read more

"...Starts hot to hook you, and then slows a bit to let the plot simmer. As your're anxiously reading, more twists & developments further hook you in...." Read more

15 customers mention "Dark tone"9 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the tone of the book. Some find it funny and entertaining, while others feel it's disturbing at times and difficult to return to consistently over a longer period.

"...The narration and dialogue is so crisp, so sharp, so dark, and yet so funny and entertaining all at the same time...." Read more

"The beginning of Survivor really sets a very dark, sad and original tone, with the Tender Branson ultra loser, ultra isolated character...." Read more

"...the book was great and I am only giving it three stars because it was so dark and disturbing at points that it was a little sad, which is not really..." Read more

"Dark and hilarious like just about everything else he's written. Haunting and irresistibly page turning...." Read more

25 customers mention "Plot"7 positive18 negative

Customers find the plot improbable and bizarre, but entertaining. They say the story doesn't hold together well, is dark, and abruptly ends.

"The plot of the book is improbable, but it is entertaining. The author presents one interesting insights into the human condition." Read more

"...The book starts at the ending....which is retarded. I like surprises and twists in my book and if you start with the end, you ruin it...." Read more

"...But this book really spoke to me. Sick, twisted, and funny as hell. Choke and Fight Club were decent, but this book is just over any expectations...." Read more

"...Characters start to seem similar, plots seem somewhat stale and recycled and an overall sense of deja-vu tends to overrun the work...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2009
    Suicide death cults, psychics, mass murderers and Super Bowl halftime riots only make up a small yet essential part of this wildly entertaining and completely original tale of one man's journey from outcast to celebrity. Leave it to Chuck Palahniuk to paint such an intriguing and twisted tale. I've been a fan of his for some time now, so my adoration of this novel wasn't much of a surprise for me, but I must say that even I was floored with how impressively captivating this novel really was. I remember back when I was first getting into Palahniuk. This particular novel didn't seem to strike me very much; I actually thought it sounded rather boring. Instead I read `Invisible Monsters' and `Choke' and `Diary' and I became more and more intrigued at just what this man was capable of. Chuck is the type of author that can astonish even when his novel is less than brilliant. Even the likes of `Choke' and `Diary', his two least effective novels for me (I have yet to read `Snuff' though) completely captivated me and still linger in my subconscious; so it's safe to say that he is above and beyond talented and remarkably memorable.

    So that brings me to `Survivor'. I don't know if you know this about me yet (I've mentioned this in a few reviews) but I am definitely a `mood reader' or whatever you want to call it. What I mean is that I like to try and put myself in the atmosphere best suited to the novel I am reading. When I read `Blindness' I read it in the dark, only at night, with a flashlight shone solely on my book. I wanted to feel the blindness surrounding me. When I read Ballard's `Crash' I read it in my car on my lunch breaks. I had to feel the confined spaces which permeated the novel. So, with `Survivor', I read it in an airplane on my way to vacation this past week.

    I mean, when a novel opens with a man hijacking an aircraft only to record his personal life story and then plummet to the ground in a horrific plane crash, where else are you going to read it?

    One thing that I've found about Palahniuk as an author is that to review his novels in any real detail does him, and the eventual reader, a huge disservice. It makes things very hard for me, because if you've read any of my reviews you know that I like to talk; a lot. I have a lot to say about just about everything I watch and or read and or listen to, so same goes for `Survivor'. For your sake though, and for respect of the author, I'll keep this brief.

    In my opening paragraph I mentioned that the whole `cult, psychic, murder' thing was small part of the story, and I know many people reading this that have read the novel will be quick to scream "no, it's the whole shebang", but the thing is; this novel is about something much bigger than that. `Survivor', first and foremost, is a social commentary unveiling the ugly truth behind the media circus that is celebrity. The truth that lies behind `Survivor' is that anyone can become a celebrity whether they want to or not, and if you will make someone else rich then you better be prepared to find for you life because you will quickly become nothing more than a puppet in a sick and twisted world of fame.

    As fabricated and far-fetched as `Survivor', and really just about any of Palahniuk's novels may seem, there is a blatant honesty that permeates each page.

    I've read just about everything Mr. Palahniuk has written (I'm halfway through `Rant' and have yet to read `Snuff', `Haunted' or his latest `Pygmy') and I can honestly say that while he is not my favorite writer he is one of the most intriguing, original and engrossing novelists working today, and it is a pleasure to read any and everything he puts out there. `Survivor' is without doubt one of his best works and is a must-read for any fan.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2017
    This is a really great book, and interestingly weird in a "I can't put this down even though I have work in 3 hours" way. I love this author, he has super random and interesting ideas, and his stories are filled with great, issue-riddled characters. This particular book, Surviver, stars the last remaining member of a Creedish cult. His name is Tender, and he begins the book by informing the reader that he has just hijacked a plane and will be reciting his life story into the black box, to ensure that it survives an impending crash into the Australian Outback. It then takes you back in time to the beginning. Through a newspaper typo, he has acquired a suicide hotline, through which he indirectly meets a prophetic dreamer. They start a strange adventure together after someone begins offing the last remaining cult survivers. Tender suspects it to be his estranged twin brother. Definitely a fun read & his books are always worth reading, especially if you appreciate dark humor. Chuck Palahniuk is hilarious and creative; definitely give him a try.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2002
    "Testing, testing. One, two three. Maybe this thing is working. I don't know. If you can even hear me, I don't know."
    Tender Branson is on an airplane all by himself, cruising on autopilot at about 39,000 feet above the ground. The only other thing on the plane is the black box, which he is planning to recite his life story into it, so there are no mistakes about his life when he is found dead. So nobody calls him a monster, or a murderer.
    What he is about to reveal is his life in the so-called Creedish Death Cult, and how he came about to being the last survivor Twisted and unpredictable events land him into the spotlight, bringing unexpected fame and recognition in this hilarious and dark satire, "Survivor." Chuck Palahniuk strikes once again, bringing life and wickedness to this wildly entertaining novel. You are about to find out all about Tender Branson, and all of the things that had happened to him, leading up to where he is now, alone on the plane, and ready to face death. Although according to his daily planner, he should probably be cleaning one of his many employers' houses, or telling them how to eat a lobster the right way. This novel will stun you from start to finish, and will never let go of you until the final sentence.
    As impossible as I would've thought, I actually enjoyed this novel more than "Fight Club," and that is one of my favorite books. This book had me laughing aloud in so many parts and so many places. I think it's a much better novel than "Fight Club." I know not many people will agree with me, that is fine. This is strongly my opinion and nothing more. The narration and dialogue is so crisp, so sharp, so dark, and yet so funny and entertaining all at the same time. The writing is so original an groundbreaking. To think that I used to hate first-person narrations. Palahniuk is a very impressive author, and is able to show us that he isn't afraid to tackle on issues that may be frowned upon by others. This is a great satire that takes a bitter look at fame and organized religion. It also proves to be a much more funnier novel than "Fight Club," or at least I think so.
    It is so refreshing to come upon a talented author, such as Palahniuk. This is by far one of my new favorite books, and I have just got done reading it for the second time. You'll be sad when you finish it, but will be excited to re-read it. "Survivor" is a magnificent and unforgiving tale of fame, religion, and superstardom. Take nothing for granted and expect the unexpected. Once you start, you cannot stop reading.
    I must go now, because according to my daily planner, I'm supposed to be somewhere else and try to better myself as a human being. Besides, I don't want to give too much away. The greatness that lies within this terrific read is that you cannot predict what's going to happen next. Read the novel and take the trip.
    17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Ernesto N.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente compra
    Reviewed in Mexico on May 25, 2023
    El libro esta impecable, y la ediciòn es muy bonita
  • Leo Navis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gruselfaktor
    Reviewed in Germany on September 17, 2021
    Echt geniales Buch. Hab von Chuck auch schon Choke und Fight Club gelesen, und wurde auch diesmal nicht enttäuscht. Hat mich schnell in seinen Bann genommen und dann nicht mehr losgelassen bis ich's durch hatte. Sehr zu empfehlen.
  • Kenny Julien
    5.0 out of 5 stars Survivor is a satirical novel by Chuck Palahniuk
    Reviewed in France on May 15, 2019
    In the book, every member of the Creedish Cult learns how to be a servant for the human race—most of them are butlers and maids—and fear most human pleasures. They await a sign from God to tell them to deliver themselves unto Him; that is, they must commit suicide.

    The sign finally comes, and a good ten years later, Tender becomes the last surviving member of the cult. He is thrown into mainstream culture and becomes a personal icon for many people.
  • Soman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Chuck never disappoints!
    Reviewed in India on March 17, 2019
    The story thematically presents a foray into what I believe to be the standard progression of an individual's status from an outcast to an outcast cult celebrity. What makes it different from your regular fiction novel is how it brings the underlying money grabbing objective of a cult to the forefront. Another Palahniuk classic!
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in Australia on July 1, 2017
    Good

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