DDC/MDS
| 813/.5/4 |
Publication
New York : Playboy press ; trade distribution by Simon & Schuster, 1978.
Original publication date
1978
Description
Fiction. Literature. HTML:A tale of four people trapped by their addictions, the basis for the acclaimed Darren Aronofsky film, by the author of Last Exit to Brooklyn. Sara Goldfarb is devastated by the death of her husband. She spends her days watching game shows and obsessing over appearing on television as a contestant�and her prescription diet pills only accelerate her mania. Her son, Harry, is living in the streets with his friend Tyrone and girlfriend Marion, where they spend their days selling drugs and dreaming of escape. When their heroin supply dries up, all three descend into an abyss of dependence and despair, their lives, like Sara's, doomed by the destructive power of drugs. Tragic and captivating, Requiem for a Dream is one of Selby's most powerful works, and an indelible portrait of the ravages of addiction. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Hubert Selby Jr. including rare photos from the author's estate..… (more)
Status
Available
Call number
Collection
User reviews
LibraryThing member parrot_person
This was a difficult read for me. I dislike having to wade through phonetically transcribed dialects such as the 70's new Yawk druggie lingo in this book. I want to spend my reading time following the storyline, understanding the characters, and considering the ideas, not have brainpower siphoned
But Selby has my absolute admiration for his brave and honest exploration of human misery, of the ways in which we fail each other and ourselves, of good intentions gone awry, of the lies we tell (again, each other and ourselves), and the sorrow we try to cover up in ways that ultimately cause more sorrow.
I've heard several people say that the characters are "unlikeable", and I could not disagree more. They are believable, complex (the Marion character in particular is much more fully drawn than in the movie), deeply flawed but deeply human, and should inspire compassion in someone who is compassionATE. If someone finds the characters "unlikeable", I'd venture a guess that that person hasn't had many authentic relationships in their life. This book is definitely not for people who prefer social pleasantries, masks, and superficial relationships. To know someone deeply is to know their pain, their flaws, and their broken-ness. Selby knew people.
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off simply parsing what the hell the characters are saying. I also find Selby's refusal to use apostrophes annoying. [Another phenomenal novel I read recently, The Road by Cormac McCarthy, also avoids the use of apostrophes; I'd love to know what the motivation for this is]But Selby has my absolute admiration for his brave and honest exploration of human misery, of the ways in which we fail each other and ourselves, of good intentions gone awry, of the lies we tell (again, each other and ourselves), and the sorrow we try to cover up in ways that ultimately cause more sorrow.
I've heard several people say that the characters are "unlikeable", and I could not disagree more. They are believable, complex (the Marion character in particular is much more fully drawn than in the movie), deeply flawed but deeply human, and should inspire compassion in someone who is compassionATE. If someone finds the characters "unlikeable", I'd venture a guess that that person hasn't had many authentic relationships in their life. This book is definitely not for people who prefer social pleasantries, masks, and superficial relationships. To know someone deeply is to know their pain, their flaws, and their broken-ness. Selby knew people.
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LibraryThing member ezigman6
Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr. caught my attention after I watched the movie version of the novel two years ago. According to a website that I found, Requiem for a Dream was one of the most controversial novels of the 1960’s. Even though the novel was really explicit sexually and as far
The main characters, Harry Goldfarb, Sara Goldfarb, Marion Silver and Tyrone Love, all suffer from addiction. Personally, I thought that Sarah’s and Marion’s addiction was far worse than Harry and Tyrone’s. Although Harry is the main character, his girlfriend, Marion, and his mother, Sara, tried so hard to make him happy. At the end of the novel, all of the characters have a climax. Marion’s is unfortunately prostitution. She came from a rich Jewish family and she had so much going for her, but Harry’s addiction got in the way of Marion’s dreams to become an artist and move to Italy.
Sara believed a scam that she would be on a television show. Her false hope really made me upset. I mean this older woman was just waiting and waiting to be on the show, and she tried to lose weight to fit into her red dress that she wore at Harry’s graduation. She unknowingly became addicted to speed after it was subscribed by her doctor to lose weight. It was successful so she took more and more. My reaction to this addiction was that hers was the worst. She became addicted by accident; all she wanted to do was be back to her former weight and that’s what made me react sympathetic toward her.
I think the way Harry treated his mother and Marion was horrible. He was constantly craving sexual acts from Marion and since she loved him, she just wanted to make him happy. His mother missed him so much and he thought of her as a burden. Harry took away Sara’s television set in order to sell it for money to use for cocaine and heroin. Every time he would take it, she would have to go to Coney Island, which wasn’t far from their house and buy it back. He treated his mother, a lonely widow, with no respect, and that made me realize that no matter what you try to do, sometimes people don’t appreciate the kindness people offer their family members.
Overall, I reacted pretty strongly to this novel. I really just couldn’t put it down. After reading the language and the unique spelling of words to look like how the accents sound was great. There was so much cursing, and violent parts, but that’s why it was so controversial for the 1960’s.
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as drugs, I couldn’t put it down.The main characters, Harry Goldfarb, Sara Goldfarb, Marion Silver and Tyrone Love, all suffer from addiction. Personally, I thought that Sarah’s and Marion’s addiction was far worse than Harry and Tyrone’s. Although Harry is the main character, his girlfriend, Marion, and his mother, Sara, tried so hard to make him happy. At the end of the novel, all of the characters have a climax. Marion’s is unfortunately prostitution. She came from a rich Jewish family and she had so much going for her, but Harry’s addiction got in the way of Marion’s dreams to become an artist and move to Italy.
Sara believed a scam that she would be on a television show. Her false hope really made me upset. I mean this older woman was just waiting and waiting to be on the show, and she tried to lose weight to fit into her red dress that she wore at Harry’s graduation. She unknowingly became addicted to speed after it was subscribed by her doctor to lose weight. It was successful so she took more and more. My reaction to this addiction was that hers was the worst. She became addicted by accident; all she wanted to do was be back to her former weight and that’s what made me react sympathetic toward her.
I think the way Harry treated his mother and Marion was horrible. He was constantly craving sexual acts from Marion and since she loved him, she just wanted to make him happy. His mother missed him so much and he thought of her as a burden. Harry took away Sara’s television set in order to sell it for money to use for cocaine and heroin. Every time he would take it, she would have to go to Coney Island, which wasn’t far from their house and buy it back. He treated his mother, a lonely widow, with no respect, and that made me realize that no matter what you try to do, sometimes people don’t appreciate the kindness people offer their family members.
Overall, I reacted pretty strongly to this novel. I really just couldn’t put it down. After reading the language and the unique spelling of words to look like how the accents sound was great. There was so much cursing, and violent parts, but that’s why it was so controversial for the 1960’s.
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LibraryThing member Katie_H
Selby's "Requiem" is a devastating look at addiction and an allegory illustrating the consequences of focusing more on receiving than giving, more on materialism than altruism. There are two parallel, but intertwined, story lines, both of which begin innocently, with apparently bright futures, but
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dreams and hopes are quickly shattered. Sara Goldfarb, a lonely widow, spends her time watching tv and eating. One day she finds out that she may be chosen to appear on a game show, so she becomes obsessed with losing weight via diet pills to fit into her "red dress." In a separate chain of events, her son, Harry, and his two friends, Marion and Tyrone, concoct a get-rich plan that involves selling heroin. They become hopelessly addicted, experiencing intense horrors along the way. The prose was initially confusing, as it is presented in gritty street slang as a meandering stream of consciousness, with no distinctions between speakers, but I gradually got used to the language and flow. This fable was depressing, and the downward spiral is painful, but the lesson is well worth it, and highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member gooneruk
I finished reading Requiem for a Dream on the plane on Saturday, and am still amazed by how good it was. I’ve still got scenes running through my head over and over.
It’s a fast-paced stream of consciousness style book, with very little punctuation or use of paragraphs. This goes some way to ape
Which is frequently. Very frequently. If graphic descriptions of hard drug use offend or upset, this is not the book for you. Selby does a fantastic job of putting across the euphoria that each person feels each time they score, and also of the desperation they feel to get that score.
The subplot of the mother’s character, feeding a different addiction, is horrifying, especially the resolution. During the last 30 pages, I was genuinely becoming upset each time the narrative switched to her. Anything else I say would spoil it.
The obvious comparison I made in my own head is to our cult British heroin novel, Trainspotting, which I unashamedly adore. The book is fantastic, as are the film and soundtrack. I’ve heard good things about Requiem’s film adaptation, so I will have to check it out soon.
So if you haven’t already picked up Requiem for a Dream, I highly recommend it.
It’s a fast-paced stream of consciousness style book, with very little punctuation or use of paragraphs. This goes some way to ape
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the drug-users’ states of mind, and there is a distinct switch from rapid to slow whenever someone takes a hit.Which is frequently. Very frequently. If graphic descriptions of hard drug use offend or upset, this is not the book for you. Selby does a fantastic job of putting across the euphoria that each person feels each time they score, and also of the desperation they feel to get that score.
The subplot of the mother’s character, feeding a different addiction, is horrifying, especially the resolution. During the last 30 pages, I was genuinely becoming upset each time the narrative switched to her. Anything else I say would spoil it.
The obvious comparison I made in my own head is to our cult British heroin novel, Trainspotting, which I unashamedly adore. The book is fantastic, as are the film and soundtrack. I’ve heard good things about Requiem’s film adaptation, so I will have to check it out soon.
So if you haven’t already picked up Requiem for a Dream, I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member ursula
As chilling a depiction of a downward spiral as I think there could be. Your breath catches as you cross that moment from which there is no going back -- only to find another moment farther down the path which is another turning point.
LibraryThing member rimbo90
One of the few books I like as much as Last Exit to Brooklyn! This is another mesmerising work by Hubert Selby. I just cannot recommend it enough.
People will no doubt draw comparisons with the film. The film is brilliant but I think the book actually surpasses it. I just love Selby's style; it all
People will no doubt draw comparisons with the film. The film is brilliant but I think the book actually surpasses it. I just love Selby's style; it all
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seems to effortless to him. Show Less
LibraryThing member diebyownhands
I usually grab a book and I don't put it down 'til it's finish or I found a dull moment and new book.
I can't seem to read more than 2 pages at a time of this book. It has a good plot, but I don't like the style. Usually not even a good plot would hold me to a book if I didn't like the style but
I can't seem to read more than 2 pages at a time of this book. It has a good plot, but I don't like the style. Usually not even a good plot would hold me to a book if I didn't like the style but
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there is something about it that keeps me comming back Show Less
LibraryThing member ScottSummers
Requiem for a Dream is perhaps one of the heaviest novels in print. It has a no holds barred attitude toward drug addiction and sex and is constantly in your face, disturbing the reader to a point of near discomfort. The story involves the growing addiction crises of Harry Goldfarb, Sarah Goldfarb,
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Marion Silver, and Tyrone Love. Through their desires to leave their current lives behind, they each enter various depths of addiction that they cannot escape. This novel may be a bit too extreme for high school use, but its merits lie in the fact that it describes addiction in a real way that isnt sugarcoated. I believe that high school students would have a positive response to the grit of Requiem for a Dream. Just an analysis of the title would spur conversation on a literary and content based level. Show Less
LibraryThing member samia
Don't get me wrong, the movie's great. The book, however, allowed me to connect with the characters on a level that was simply impossible with the film. One of my favorites.
LibraryThing member kishields
Vivid depiction of four characters' descents into the madness and hell of heroin and speed addiction. Extremely seedy and graphic, the book also shows the characters' escape into the "dream" served up all day and night by American television. Sara's pathetic slide into diet pill addiction and
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madness is the most compelling of the stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
I was surprised by this book. I ended up with an appreciation of it when I expected to dislike it. The book was written by Hubert Selby, Jr in 1978. It is a story that tells the story of four people living in the Bronx. Selby is an author who endeavors to attack the American dream and his book
Quotes
"Nobody know who they are. Everybody is running around looking for an identitiy or trying to borrow one, only they don't know it."
"dope continues to flow through their blood, whispering dreams to every living cells int their bodies.".
Comments at the end of the book;
Selby experimented with grammar, punctuation, spelling, language.
The brutal urban landscapes he portrayed, combined with potent immediacy of his prose.
His frank descriptions of drugs, prostitution, and the rough Brooklyn streets that he (the author) had known since his childhood.
Selby also experienced addiction to first morphine then heroin
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looks at life lived in urban poverty and addictions. It is a story of addictions; addictions to TV, addictions to food, addictions to drugs and the desire to achieve something but never getting there. Selby captures the spiral of degradation that these addictions bring to Sara the mother addicted to TV and food, her son Harry with a dream to have a coffee house, Tyrone C. Love, and their girlfriends. It explores loneliness, futility and being unnecessary. The author captures the downward spiral into madness. Quotes
"Nobody know who they are. Everybody is running around looking for an identitiy or trying to borrow one, only they don't know it."
"dope continues to flow through their blood, whispering dreams to every living cells int their bodies.".
Comments at the end of the book;
Selby experimented with grammar, punctuation, spelling, language.
The brutal urban landscapes he portrayed, combined with potent immediacy of his prose.
His frank descriptions of drugs, prostitution, and the rough Brooklyn streets that he (the author) had known since his childhood.
Selby also experienced addiction to first morphine then heroin
Show Less
LibraryThing member steadfastreader
This book is fabulous. It's a perfect description of the subtle decline in to addiction and what a slippery slope the 'I can stop any time.' and 'I would never do THAT for [enter addiction here]'.
The writing style is almost Faulkner-like, so you have to pay attention or it's really easy to lose
The writing style is almost Faulkner-like, so you have to pay attention or it's really easy to lose
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who's talking and what exactly they're talking about (or doing) highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
It is rather dark and depressing but since I was prepared for that I was able to keep on reading. Out of all the people profiled the one I felt did not deserve her fate was the mother who got hooked on diet pills because she wanted to lose weight to fit into her red dress to be on TV. The medical
And its not as though dangerous drug addictions occur just in big cities with heroin. Just after I read this book I read an article about crack cocaine and ecstasy and the effects those drugs have on users. Crack cocaine apparently is instantly addictive and because it is relatively cheap it is accessible to lots of people in a way that heroin never was.
The writing style of this book was terrific. It really made me feel like I was right in the room with the people talking. That's a rare gift.
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profession enabled her addiction and then denied her the appropriate treatment. I would like to think that would not happen any more but I am not so sure. As for the three younger people, they sought their own addictions so I couldn't feel too sorry for them but, of course, their fates were horrible. And its not as though dangerous drug addictions occur just in big cities with heroin. Just after I read this book I read an article about crack cocaine and ecstasy and the effects those drugs have on users. Crack cocaine apparently is instantly addictive and because it is relatively cheap it is accessible to lots of people in a way that heroin never was.
The writing style of this book was terrific. It really made me feel like I was right in the room with the people talking. That's a rare gift.
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LibraryThing member amerynth
Hubert Sebly's "Requiem for a Dream" is a dark descent into a world of addiction, poverty and hopelessness. He chronicles the lives of four people who become addicts as their lives take darker and darker turns.
I liked the story (though the ultimate ends for the characters all seemed a little on
I liked the story (though the ultimate ends for the characters all seemed a little on
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the extreme side.) The writing style was a bit challenging at first but ended up being appropriate because it all sort of reinforced the story itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member ennuiprayer
God knows when I last read this book. I try to read it once every year, but I slipped up. I love the book and I don't think it can take another trip with me so I haven't read it.
I learned, hehe, that the American dream is dead so we must let it go. While many people tell you to follow your dreams,
I learned, hehe, that the American dream is dead so we must let it go. While many people tell you to follow your dreams,
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this book suggests that when your dream is leading you down dark allies, maybe you should reconsider it. Show Less
LibraryThing member datrappert
Selby's depressing portrait of the futility of seeking the American dream, whether it is the personal triumph of appearing on a TV show, the pursuit of riches through drug dealing, or seeing your dreams and talent fade as you sink into endless addiction and exploitation is pretty powerful stuff, in
There is little that is unconvincing about the stories of Harry, Marion, and Tyrone, however. But neither is there any reason for the reader (at least a non drug-addicted reader) to identify with them. There is little back story, and we don't see how they became addicts in the first place, which makes it hard to be very sympathetic. Selby, I suppose, would blame it on the American dream, but I don't think the American dream has drug addiction as a prerequisite. Still, getting inside these characters' heads is quite an experience, although it is sometimes difficult to believe that some of their thoughts come from brains impaired by heroin, marijuana, alcohol, pills, and whatever else they can get their hands on (and use simultaneously!) Harry and Marion also like to listen to Mahler, which seems a little odd.
Many readers will undoubtedly be put off by Selby's writing style, such as his lack of quotation marks and style of running conversations among multiple characters into single paragraphs that are not always completely clear. Still, once you get accustomed to it after a few pages, it isn't hard to follow the story and it provides an immediacy that breaking every conversation into a stream of short paragraphs would kill.
Overall, I'm certainly glad I read this book. It immerses you in a world that is totally alien to most of us, and, depressing as it is, it still manages to provide a grim entertainment. It doesn't rise to the level of profundity or greatness, but it certainly stands out from the pack.
The author bio and family photographs at the end of this Kindle edition are also a nice touch.
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part. Certainly, the depiction of drug dependency and the self-delusion of addicts who think they are still in control, rings with absolute truth--as it should, being drawn from Selby's own life story. Unfortunately, the three addicts, the couple Harry and Marion, and their friend Tyrone, don't have Selby's resiliency. The fourth subject of the book is Harry's mother, Sara, who goes from a couch potato mourning the passing (10 years ago) of her husband and oblivious to her son's addiction, to a misled women who believes she is going to appear on a TV show and is willing to do anything necessary to lose the weight so she can fit into her treasured red dress (that she wore to her son's bar mitzvah). Her story is the most pitiful, but also the most connived and unbelievable, and it definitely mars the effect of the book as a whole.There is little that is unconvincing about the stories of Harry, Marion, and Tyrone, however. But neither is there any reason for the reader (at least a non drug-addicted reader) to identify with them. There is little back story, and we don't see how they became addicts in the first place, which makes it hard to be very sympathetic. Selby, I suppose, would blame it on the American dream, but I don't think the American dream has drug addiction as a prerequisite. Still, getting inside these characters' heads is quite an experience, although it is sometimes difficult to believe that some of their thoughts come from brains impaired by heroin, marijuana, alcohol, pills, and whatever else they can get their hands on (and use simultaneously!) Harry and Marion also like to listen to Mahler, which seems a little odd.
Many readers will undoubtedly be put off by Selby's writing style, such as his lack of quotation marks and style of running conversations among multiple characters into single paragraphs that are not always completely clear. Still, once you get accustomed to it after a few pages, it isn't hard to follow the story and it provides an immediacy that breaking every conversation into a stream of short paragraphs would kill.
Overall, I'm certainly glad I read this book. It immerses you in a world that is totally alien to most of us, and, depressing as it is, it still manages to provide a grim entertainment. It doesn't rise to the level of profundity or greatness, but it certainly stands out from the pack.
The author bio and family photographs at the end of this Kindle edition are also a nice touch.
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
Published in 1978, this is the story of four people who get addicted to drugs while in pursuit of their capitalistic dreams. Sara Goldfarb gets a call about a possible television appearance on a game show. In attempting to lose weight, she becomes addicted to diet pills. Her son, Harry, girlfriend,
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Marion, and friend, Tyrone, want to open a business and improve their lives. They decide to do this by selling heroin but end up as addicts. There is a lot of tragedy in this book. It seems to be an indictment of the “get rich quick” mentality that was (and is still) so prevalent in American society. This is a bleak story. I picked it up because it is on the Boxall List, but it is definitely too depressing for me. Show Less
Physical description
279 p.; 22 cm
ISBN
0872235106 / 9780872235106