Rate this book

Losgeslagen (1988)

by John Healy(Favorite Author)

4.02 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Maarten Muntinga

review 1: This was a book that I really came across by chance and its a rare, rough, gritty, carefully told autobiography of a life that is not usually told. Healy was born to Irish parents in London and traveled back and forth across the UK during his young life. His early life was brutal, with a father who was very abusive and who did not provide a solid upbringing for Healy. He was a boxing champion by the time he was 16, was dishonorably discharged from the military and then lived the life of a wino in London. While doing a prison stint, he traded his alcohol for chess and later became a chess champion. He is self-educated which is evident in his writing- the prose is very raw but he is able to express himself in a way that allows one to connect and really understand the lif... moree of someone with real demons and who struggles with them throughout his life. The reason this book was recommended to me is that it was recently in the news because penguin picked it up as a modern classic after it being out of print for several years. He had a "row" with his previous publishers and threatened to "chop all your heads off with an axe." You cant make that stuff up:)
review 2: Heard this praised to the hilt on Radio 4's A Good Read, looked on here and loads of 5* reviews. However, I found it tedious and repetitive, written by a self-destructive and very unpleasant character who didn't show any remorse for any damage he'd done, and although he may have had some sort of reason for his alcoholism, that doesn't excuse him, and doesn't make it an interesting read. There's only so many drunken binges you can read about without becoming irritated by his behaviour. Not for me, this one. less

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