Leaving Las Vegas
Leaving
Las Vegas
By John
O’Brien.First published 1990.
Paperback.
ISBN-10: 080212593X
ISBN-13: 978-0802125934
Leaving
Las Vegas, the first novel by John O’Brien, is a disturbing and emotionally
wrenching story of a woman who embraces life and a man who rejects it. Sera, a
prostitute, and Ben, an alcoholic, stumble together and discover in each other
a respite from their unforgiving lives. A testimony to the raw talent of its
young author, Leaving Las Vegas is a compelling story of unconditional love
between two disenfranchised and lost souls – an overlooked American classic.
“There is
not a false note in the novel . . . O’Brien has a strong tradition behind him
here, that of American naturalism, and he fits into it well. From Stephen Crane
to Hubert Selby, Jr. . . . [O’Brien] achieves real power in his writing. You
seldom encounter it anymore, but when you do you know you’ve been properly
whacked by a real talent.” – New York Daily News.
“This book
is not only dark and dire, it is crushing. How can a novel so absolutely devoid
of hope be so gripping? The portrait of Sera and Ben is a tour de force –
masterful and relentless. Leaving Las Vegas is the strongest and most extreme
look at alcohol I’ve ever read. This book moved and bothered me and weeks later
it is still in my mind. I think O’Brien is simply terrific.” – Ron Carlson,
author of Plan B for the Middle Class.
“A brutal
and unflinching portrait of the low life in the city of high rollers, Leaving
Las Vegas is both shocking and curiously exhilarating. John O’Brien was a
stunningly talented writer who created poetry from the most squalid materials.
This is a beautiful and horrifying novel.” – Jay McInerney, author of
Brightness Falls.
No comments:
Post a Comment