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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Oh, Sara. You broke my heart. All of the horror and outrage of this novel culminates in the many, many losses this woman suffers: her family, her hopes, her home, her friends, her freedom, her future, and finally her sanity. What happens to her is so exquisitely unjust that I know it will occupy my thoughts for a long time to come. She is overthrown by forces more universal than she could ever imagine, having done nothing to deserve the soul-killing sabotage done to her by the unthinking brutes to whom she cried for help. Motherf*ckers.
Of course the other three characters in Requiem have their own wrenching stories. Harry's arm (ARGH!) is something I would pay money to have removed from my memory. But you, Mrs. Goldfarb of the red dress and golden shoes, you are the star of this story. How unfortunate for you, my dear, how deeply unfortunate for you.
Of course the other three characters in Requiem have their own wrenching stories. Harry's arm (ARGH!) is something I would pay money to have removed from my memory. But you, Mrs. Goldfarb of the red dress and golden shoes, you are the star of this story. How unfortunate for you, my dear, how deeply unfortunate for you.
challenging
tense
medium-paced
a Selby book is never met with joy exactly but a seriousness, an understanding of the bleak destroying totality of is word worlds.
REQUIEM flutters up and done like the junkies heart rate. your mind dragged against its will by the narcotic narrative. its bad. then good. then worse then relief. then desolation.
nothing more real than this.
REQUIEM flutters up and done like the junkies heart rate. your mind dragged against its will by the narcotic narrative. its bad. then good. then worse then relief. then desolation.
nothing more real than this.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Wow.
This genuinely shocked me I loved it I couldn’t put it down
This genuinely shocked me I loved it I couldn’t put it down
3.5 stars
The edition I read was printed right about the time the movie was made, and contains a foreword by director Darren Aronofsky. The brief foreword describes how he came to read this book, like me first reading [b:Last Exit to Brooklyn|50275|Last Exit to Brooklyn|Hubert Selby Jr.|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1362815242s/50275.jpg|543352] and then coming to Requiem. Like Mr. Aronofsky, I found the book difficult to finish, especially the last 5th of it, as the reader can clearly see where this is going. Not specifically down to individual events, but to the general end-state of all the characters.
You could probably make some much larger statements about the hereditary qualities of addiction, or the effect of incarceration versus rehabilitation on the addict, or the possible effects of legalization of drugs, but I do not believe that is the best nor intended purpose of this book. This book is just there to show you what was/is out there, what Selby saw and documented, to be taken at face value and, probably, held up to a mirror next to the reader. Do I see this in me? How do I react to this when I see it in others? Am I conscious, really conscious, of those around me as beings as complicated as myself, and not just set-pieces?
Those who have read Brooklyn and did not enjoy it (and I know several very smart people who feel that way) will not enjoy this. There is no one to really root for, no hero, and certainly no angels. There are other books with "no angels," but often there is a redeeming quality to them, or at least a redemption. There is none of that here. The book is bleak, and will not leave you happy.
Side note, the movie did an admirable job of capturing a lot of the same feeling, but with more Hollywood "flash" than is in the book.
The edition I read was printed right about the time the movie was made, and contains a foreword by director Darren Aronofsky. The brief foreword describes how he came to read this book, like me first reading [b:Last Exit to Brooklyn|50275|Last Exit to Brooklyn|Hubert Selby Jr.|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1362815242s/50275.jpg|543352] and then coming to Requiem. Like Mr. Aronofsky, I found the book difficult to finish, especially the last 5th of it, as the reader can clearly see where this is going. Not specifically down to individual events, but to the general end-state of all the characters.
You could probably make some much larger statements about the hereditary qualities of addiction, or the effect of incarceration versus rehabilitation on the addict, or the possible effects of legalization of drugs, but I do not believe that is the best nor intended purpose of this book. This book is just there to show you what was/is out there, what Selby saw and documented, to be taken at face value and, probably, held up to a mirror next to the reader. Do I see this in me? How do I react to this when I see it in others? Am I conscious, really conscious, of those around me as beings as complicated as myself, and not just set-pieces?
Those who have read Brooklyn and did not enjoy it (and I know several very smart people who feel that way) will not enjoy this. There is no one to really root for, no hero, and certainly no angels. There are other books with "no angels," but often there is a redeeming quality to them, or at least a redemption. There is none of that here. The book is bleak, and will not leave you happy.
Side note, the movie did an admirable job of capturing a lot of the same feeling, but with more Hollywood "flash" than is in the book.
One of the most heartbreaking stories i’ve ever read, but never to the stories detriment, it’s very hard to formulate words on a novel such as this but Requiem for a Dream will most certainly stick with me for a long time.
Five stars for this book that is horrifying yet not as horrifying as the movie that traumatized me. I need to take a shower.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Difficult but truly remarkable book. Beautiful writing.