"The unreal is more powerful than the real. Because nothing is as perfect as you can imagine it. Because it's only intangible ideas, concepts, beliefs, fantasies that last. Stone crumbles. Wood rots. People, well, they die."

Victor Mancini goes to restaurants and pretends to choke, creating heroes in people as they save him. They feel sympathetic towards him and compensate him, which he then uses to cover his mother's medical bills.

Leave it to Chuck to create an absurd yet genius idea like pretending to choke and making money off it. Who would have thought?? That is the main storyline, but there is definitely more to this book.

Victor is a character you dislike. He's an asshole, but at least he's honest about it. He is a medical school dropout but still intelligent as he spews medical facts at you throughout. He also attends sex addicts meetings, but instead of actually attending the meetings, he has sex with other addicts. Backwards, right? However, there is strong character development here, which is why I like him. We get glimpses of his childhood with his mother, and you can see what led him to his "dysfunctional" ways.

You will find yourself flying through this one. The chapters are short, it is humourous, and quite outlandish. I was invested in Victor and his mysterious self just as much as the first time I read this a long time ago!