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bdrury43's review
fast-paced
5.0
Inspiring life; is truly a wonderful read! I'm excited to read the rest of Behan's works
foggy_rosamund's review
2.0
Behan dictated and recorded this book during the last months of his life. At his death, the book was complete but had not been edited by Behan. This, and Behan's illness, at least in part must account for why this book feels so loose and disjointed in comparison with Borstal Boy. I love Borstal Boy for its wit and compassion, and it is a comparatively tight narrative, focusing on the three years Behan spent in Borstal and British prisons. Confessions of an Irish Rebel, on the other hand, accounts for around ten years of Behan's life. It was a turbulent time: Behan remains part of the IRA on his return to Ireland, and spends a further four years in prison. He also assists in helping an IRA man escape from prison in the UK, and spends a further period in an English prison. He fits in many jaunts to France, in this time, as well as work in the house-painting trade, writing articles and pornography for various newspapers, and working as a pimp. His alcoholism grows and grows, and is clearly taking a toll on his health. The narrative wanders, travelling back and forth in time, and is full of yarns and anecdotes. Much of Behan's time is spent telling stories in pubs, and this is perhaps what Confessions of an Irish Rebel most resembles: listening to Behan tell stories over a drink. It's entertaining enough, but it lacks the self-insight and subtlety of Borstal Boy. This one is probably only interesting to those of us who are already fans of Behan's work.
alexture's review
funny
fast-paced
2.75
I have no idea what I was reading. But hey, it was pretty hilarious, I guess there's that?
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