Last Exit to Brooklyn (Evergreen Book)

Great book good condition

As far as the question how would I describe the "plot of this book", one would say that it has no plot to speak of...LEtB ends pretty much the way it begins. That being said, it is a very perceptive and observant overview of the tragedy of what happens when people are born to, grow into, and live out their adulthood on what could only be described as a subhuman level of life and existence. Every aspect of their "lives" is related to sex, food, and personal security, and how to get, or keep, them. One could be correct in an observation that some 80% plus of their mental activity is essentially "reptilian brain-stem" activity, with the remainder of the brain-certainly the frontal lobes connected with reason-simply providing a very superficial patina of speech, upright walking, and dressing oneself to disguise the animal (or insect/reptile/ fish) within. The only possible results are violence, ugliness, and tragedy, and those are what happens! The rather eccentric text notwithstanding, I think that Mr. Selby does very good work in illustrating the kind of people who inhabit what Maxim Gorky more than a century ago called "the lower depths", and-unlike most other writers and dramatists discussing this-does NOT fall into the trap either of 'bad genes" or bad environment" as superficial attempts at "explanation". He simply relies on the narrative to tell the story of what happens to people who choose their lives bereft of any commitment to reason, good judgment, or even ordinary decency, and (still worse) what happens to their children... There is little or no romanticizing poverty (or its purported "helpers") and this too is a strength of the book, and its author. This may well have the status of a modern classic! As a work of literature, it certainly has not outgrown its relevance or importance. It is at least as applicable to many millions of people today as it was when it was first released a half century or so ago. The fact that no attempt at "solution" or "correction" to their self-inflicted and self-imposed degradation anywhere in his book is an additional point in its favor, understanding that sometimes evil is beyond remediation or cure. All told, it is an engaging read, a well written novel (or collection of short stories) and a book that I am glad to have read-even though the avoidance of the usual "happy ending", the book-and even each of the short stories-ends the squalid ways they begin-might dismay many readers.

This is the second book of Selby's I've enjoyed, Requiem of a Dream was the first. I will continue to order his works, as I consider him one of the best American writers, The Room more than likely will be next. He is a very talented writer who prefers writing about characters with major character flaws, yet instead of condesending them, he allows us to see what drives them to do the things that ultimately destroy their lives, thus allowing the reader to see the tragedy and feel empathy towards them. He writes in a musical fashion, something of a cross between poetry and a typist's prose with minimal punctuation to get in the way (although that takes some getting used to). Last Exit concerns itself with the downward spiraling lives of various "lowlifes" in NYC during the 50's. There's a transvestite drug abuser named Georgette who is in love with Vinnie, a street thug who only uses him for drugs and money. Tralala is a vain street hustler and hooker who blows her chance at a decent life, and wastes away in bars searching for the next john that will make her feel like she is as beautiful as she imagines herself again, and Harry is an unhappily married and disturbed union strike leader. During the story he discovers he is a homosexual and finds happiness in various relationships with the drag queens of a local bar. However, after the strike is over and he is broke, he is shunned by the group and destroys himself by doing a terrible thing trying to regain his lost fulfillment. Also there are quite a few short stories at the end, following various characters through their daily routines, personally my favorite part of the novel. The stories intertwine at times, and are very graphic in language, sex, and violence, not allowing the reader to look away even in the darkest sections of the novel. It was released in 1964, and was banned in Britian for a couple of years, labeled by the government as "obscene". However, if you can look past the subject matter and read this book, I can pretty much guarantee you will grow as a person. And anyone who enjoys classic American literature and/or a good story, albeit not always with a happy ending, will find much to love here.

Selby's 1964 debut novel is still as gripping and relevant some 50+ years since its publication. It's a brutal, uncompromising close-up of the lives of the disenfranchised, the desperate people society would rather ignore. Last Exit to Brooklyn is a harrowing read, the ultimate in gritty realism, and although it might seem a bit gratuitous in its detailed descriptions of the characters' daily habits and activities, it's also darkly comic, especially in the final chapters. We cannot turn away from these characters; the desperation of their circumstances and the personal demons with which they struggle demands our attention and empathy as their fellow human beings. Selby's unflinching realism is reminiscent of late 19th / early 20th century literary experimentation, in particular, the so-called Naturalism as embodied in the novels of Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, and France's Emile Zola, perhaps the granddaddy of the movement. Highly recommended.

I had expected it to be more hardcore but for the time it was published 64 or 65 I am sure it was quite controversial and probably even banned in some markets. some of the stories seemed to leave a little to be desired in character profiles and description. however I did enjoy it for what it was but I guess I was really expecting to be blown away which I wasn't still is a worthwhile read and I do recommend it but I guess I am just desensitized by 2015 standards.

1er livre de Selby que je lis... et bien je ne suis pas déçue !!! ^^ J'avais vu le film Requiem for a Dream tiré d'un de ses romans et j'ai retrouvé dans Last Exit to Brooklyn cette atmosphère déliquescente, ces relations humaines écorchées vives et ces êtres à la dérive... Fresque poignante et choquante d'une partie bien réelle de la population humaine, j'y ai découvert un univers, celui d'un quartier de Brooklyn dans les années 60, de l'intérieur. Les personnages de Selby sont hauts en couleurs, forts et quelques part attachants - pour certains. L'écriture sans apostrophes ni virgules est haletante et fait partie intégrante du charme du livre, même si au début cela peut agacer. J'ai en tout cas étoffé mon vocabulaire de gros mots en anglais.... lol L'avant-propos de l'auteur qui parle de sa vie est touchant et à mon avis utile dans la compréhension d'une oeuvre qui interpelle, voire peut choquer. Je vais lire "Requiem for a Dream" maintenant et pourrai alors confirmer mon ressenti mais pour le moment pour moi Selby = Bukowski + Despentes (et c'est un compliment bien sûr !!! ^^)

Wegen einer Fernsehsendung kam ich darauf, dieses Buch zu lesen. Es ist verstörend, aber ich lese trotzdem weiter. Gefällt mir.

This was my introduction into the world of Hubert Selby Jr. and just what a world it was! Any fans of transgressive fiction will love this book. I read it in just a couple of nights and was left powerfully affected by the whole affair. The novel is constructed in seven different parts, all preceded by a biblical quote, which leads to almost a 'bric-a-brac' style. Some stories intertwine and characters you met early on in the novel will often reappear to play another part later on. The characters are compelling, memorable and live long with the reader after the book is finished. Harry, the union leader, would probably be my favourite protagonist in the book. Suffice to say, his could be the darkest and most shocking story in a dark and shocking book.* The novel is generally written in a stream-of-conciousness style and the pace is just relentless. The slick dialogue throughout the novel (written in continuous prose, Selby doesn't seem to like quotation marks very much) is mashed in, rather seamlessly, to Selby's narrative voice. At first, it takes some getting used to and I did not think I would enjoy it so much, but when I got into the swing of things the book became thoroughly engrossing and easy-to-read. I like to keep my reviews rather short and concise, so I will not say too much else. I did order a few other books at the same time, one of which was Requiem for a Dream, and that is also a thoroughly riveting read. I would highly recommend both. * The book was famously subject to a censorship trial in both the UK and Italy. The ban was installed in the UK in 1966 but lifted two years later. Let it be known that this book is not for the faint-hearted. The issues it deals with are shocking but, like some other great literature around, maybe the reason it is so revered is because it broke down barriers in it's day.

Brilliant

la cruda realidad de la vida en norteamerica y está a la altura de Charlkes Bukowski