Book: Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby

There are lists of books posted online by avid readers with the purpose of guiding other readers toward a particular theme or genre or period. I think I found this book in a list called Literary Smut. The list was created by someone who had the original intention of warning people away from indulging in the books posted, but since I love fringe culture and since a good portion of the fringe is made up of different forms of obscenity, the list had the opposite effect than was originally intended.

Last Exit to Brooklyn is a series of short stories which attempt to describe the slums of Brooklyn in the 1950's. The stories are only loosely connected, mentioning the same bar and maybe a few recurring characters. The focus isn't on making a story arc of any kind, but rather on a few short illustrations of people struggling to survive conflicts that are completely internal, completely dependent on the human condition. The conflicts covered: drug and alcohol abuse, sexual dysfunction, and violent urges of almost every kind imaginable.

I don't want to get into any explanations of the stories because each story is worth complete immersion without forewarning. I would like to defend the merit of a book like this though. I think most would immediately dismiss it as mentioned above, literary smut, an author getting off on creating revulsion in the hearts of his readers. But, it's not that at all. Last Exit to Brooklyn explains in great detail the insecurities of man taken to absolute extremes, insecurities that are present in everyone. For me this novel is a warning to watch those insecurities, those universal weaknesses, and attempt to address them in a thoughtful way. So many people rely on their insecurities, view them as parts of their identity, embracing them and lashing out at people for questioning them. If those people read this book they would see parts of themselves in the characters and as they turn the pages they would be disgusted in themselves for embracing traits that could lead to so much pain for them and everyone around them.

5/5