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Hotels, Hospitals, And Jails: A Memoir (2012)

by Anthony Swofford(Favorite Author)

3.14 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1455506729 (ISBN13: 9781455506729)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Twelve

review 1: I picked up this audio book by chance at the library (written by the author of Jarhead), and felt like I was carrying an elephant on my chest as I read. Swofford describes his search for identity, meaning, and reconciliation with his dying father in the years after he returned from serving as a sniper in the Marines.Swofford talks a life half lived consumed by drugs, drinking, expensive cars, and women, which had him on the brink of suicide. At times, I felt exhausted by the constant descriptions of one night stands, lies and drug abuse and could only imagine how he felt living this way. His interactions with his father were down right painful to listen to but certainly for his sake, needed to said, tackled and wrestled with. There is something about this author l liked so... more much that I immediately ordered his other books.Sometimes good books are downright gritty.
review 2: Probably most people who pick this up will be expecting 'Jarhead Revisited', and this is not the case. The book is a chronicle of the author's experiences 'after' he attained literary fame and fortune. However, many unresolved issues prevented him from enjoying his new life, and first and foremost was the fractured relationship with his father. This book is Anthony's attempt to rectify the situation, but it almost becomes a chronicle of the conflict between two extremely opinionated individuals who disagree on whether young Tony's face was placed 'near' the pile of dog poop, or 'in' the pile of dog poop. And, also there is a major difference of opinion over the terms of a borrowed automobile. Also, and maybe due to his family issues, Swofford seems to be drowning in a tidal wave of women with the accompanying incidents with alcohol and drugs. I thought that as a memoir, it was a bit over-the-top, but it certainly made for an exciting read. Conflict between fathers and adult sons is never easy, and this book certainly highlights this fact. At the end, I felt like shouting 'Hey, give it a rest', but I also realized that it's impossible for him to let it go. And, I guess that is the point. less

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