A review by brendini
Brendan Behan's New York by Brendan Behan

4.0

I have always found Behan an engrossing read, and this work does not disappointed! A sequel of sorts to his Irish Sketchbook, this book contains a wealth of interesting stories and anecdotes regarding his time in New York city. It is written less like a book and more like a conversation (I believe he dictated this work, so that makes sense) and as such the stories tend to meander as any good story told over a pint in a pub would. The stories are, however, those of a visitor to New York, not a local, and as such they tend to lack the insight and depth that his stories about Ireland did. Moreover, and this may come from simply knowing that this was one of his final works, there is a sort of resigned sadness to this work - Behan seems very aware that he is telling stories of a bygone age. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining and easy read that I would highly recommend.