IniciGrupsConversesMésTendències
Cerca al lloc
Aquest lloc utilitza galetes per a oferir els nostres serveis, millorar el desenvolupament, per a anàlisis i (si no has iniciat la sessió) per a publicitat. Utilitzant LibraryThing acceptes que has llegit i entès els nostres Termes de servei i política de privacitat. L'ús que facis del lloc i dels seus serveis està subjecte a aquestes polítiques i termes.

Resultats de Google Books

Clica una miniatura per anar a Google Books.

S'està carregant…

The Grass Arena (1988)

de John Healy

MembresRessenyesPopularitatValoració mitjanaMencions
1514179,639 (3.99)5
John Healy, the son of poor Irish immigrants in London, grows up hardened by violence and soon finds himself overwhelmed by alcoholism. He ends up in the grass arena- the parks and streets of the inner city, where beggars, thieves, prostitutes and killers fight for survival and each day brings the question of where to find the next drink. In his searing autobiography Healy describes with unflinching honesty his experiences of addiction, his escape through learning to play chess in prison, and his ongoing search for peace of mind.… (més)
S'està carregant…

Apunta't a LibraryThing per saber si aquest llibre et pot agradar.

No hi ha cap discussió a Converses sobre aquesta obra.

» Mira també 5 mencions

Es mostren totes 4
This account of being an alcoholic and rough sleeper is told in a format similar to a diary, using an observational style that gives some distance to the events. This is useful with such awful events; John Healy tells of regular fights during drinking sessions between the rough sleepers, as well as routine abuse by the police and prison staff. He also tells of moments of kindness and care. However, it is difficult to really understand how anyone survives living on the streets in this way for over 10 years.
The book gives no indication of the years the events are happening in and is told in a disorientating way that helps you get in to the head of an alcoholic on the streets; events jump around and merge, there are periods of blacking out and not remembering anything.
Written as a recovering alcoholic, how many of the memories would resemble the memories of others who were part of them is difficult to know, but this is a very personal book and gives the reader what John Healy remembers of those years as a rough sleeper.
The book certainly helps you understood the mind-set of an alcoholic and life on the street and is an excellent and harrowing account. ( )
  CarolKub | Aug 24, 2012 |
A harrowing recollection of life as a homeless alcoholic on the streets of London. The monotonous routine of begging, fighting, arguing, drinking cheap wine in a park and doing time is not always captivating but gives an insight into a world most (fortunately) will never know. Eventual recovery (not a spoiler as clearly he must be off the booze to write an autobiography!) is a welcome relief but surprising. Recommended. ( )
  streetwa | Jul 27, 2012 |
Penguin Books uses a rather flaky definition of what makes a book a “Classic,” so, while generally speaking I would classify Penguin Books as a very reliable publisher, and would buy their books “unseen”, following their good judgment, I must say that, especially in recent years, I feel some books in the series of “Modern Classics” were misfits, and it seems commercial rather than literary motives lead to the re-publication of books in this series. The grass arena originally published in 1988 (!), (doesn’t that feel like yesterday?), fits that category.

It is the autobiography of John Healy, and describes a part of his life, particularly the time he lived on “the street in London,” which is what the title refers to. While the author of the Afterword correctly identifies such people, as he writes that few who live and work in Central London (..) have not encountered the inhabitants of The grass arena it is hard to imagine that he is truthful when he writes that had never considered, nor imagined the texture of their lives (…) the round of begging, drinking, sleeping, fighting.

An important omission, which leaves the reader wondering, is the time, when this life story took place. It is only through reconstruction, as the paper clipping from the Evening Standard is dated 5 April 1975 (included on page 250). That means that Healy’s ordeal should be situated as taking place during the 1960s and early 70s. That is a bit of relief, although the apparent lack of temporality makes that it can be imagined to be situated in the 1980s, as it would well fit Thatcherite Britain, or even today, as the effects of Neo-Liberalism financial policy gradually erodes the welfare state.

The story is not beautiful, and neither is the language used, so be ready for some stiff vernacular. Much of it reads like the autobiography of a modern-day Dickensian character, one of the lowlier ones, in his own words. The account is by all means shocking, the type of horror story that parents hold up to their children when they warn them that if they do not do their homework, they will slip and fall to the lowest strata of society; or actually, probably still worse.

It is the prerogative of the editor / writer of the afterword, to highlight and emphasis the literary qualities of the book, but it seems unfair to downplay its value as a sociological document. Alcohol and addiction are pointed out, while abject poverty is never mentioned as a possible cause for such terrible life circumstances. It is therefore best to let the book speak for itself. ( )
2 vota edwinbcn | Feb 2, 2012 |
One of the best endings I've read. Hilarious and harrowing.
  donaldmorgan | Aug 18, 2011 |
Es mostren totes 4
Sense ressenyes | afegeix-hi una ressenya

Pertany a aquestes col·leccions editorials

Has d'iniciar sessió per poder modificar les dades del coneixement compartit.
Si et cal més ajuda, mira la pàgina d'ajuda del coneixement compartit.
Títol normalitzat
Títol original
Títols alternatius
Data original de publicació
Gent/Personatges
Llocs importants
Esdeveniments importants
Pel·lícules relacionades
Epígraf
Dedicatòria
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès. Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
To my mother
Primeres paraules
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès. Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
My father didn't look like he would harm anyone.
Citacions
Darreres paraules
Informació del coneixement compartit en anglès. Modifica-la per localitzar-la a la teva llengua.
Nota de desambiguació
Editor de l'editorial
Creadors de notes promocionals a la coberta
Llengua original
CDD/SMD canònics
LCC canònic

Referències a aquesta obra en fonts externes.

Wikipedia en anglès (1)

John Healy, the son of poor Irish immigrants in London, grows up hardened by violence and soon finds himself overwhelmed by alcoholism. He ends up in the grass arena- the parks and streets of the inner city, where beggars, thieves, prostitutes and killers fight for survival and each day brings the question of where to find the next drink. In his searing autobiography Healy describes with unflinching honesty his experiences of addiction, his escape through learning to play chess in prison, and his ongoing search for peace of mind.

No s'han trobat descripcions de biblioteca.

Descripció del llibre
Sumari haiku

Debats actuals

Cap

Cobertes populars

Dreceres

Valoració

Mitjana: (3.99)
0.5
1
1.5
2 1
2.5 2
3 4
3.5 4
4 19
4.5 3
5 9

Ets tu?

Fes-te Autor del LibraryThing.

 

Quant a | Contacte | LibraryThing.com | Privadesa/Condicions | Ajuda/PMF | Blog | Botiga | APIs | TinyCat | Biblioteques llegades | Crítics Matiners | Coneixement comú | 203,210,487 llibres! | Barra superior: Sempre visible