'Last Exit to Brooklyn' by Hubert Selby Jr. is a raw and brutally honest portrayal of life in the projects of Brooklyn in the 1950s. The book delves into the sordid side of American culture, depicting poverty, prostitution, alcoholism, drugs, and sexual perversion, painting a stark contrast to the wholesome image often associated with that era. Through a series of interconnected short stories, the novel explores the lives of vile low-life criminals, hookers, drag queens, dealers, and addicts, offering a relentless journey into America's underbelly post-WWII. Selby's writing style is described as raw, crude, and dark, capturing the gritty reality of urban life with searing detail and unfiltered honesty.
The characters in 'Last Exit to Brooklyn' are portrayed as deeply flawed and often despicable, engaging in acts of violence, abuse, and degradation. Selby's narrative weaves together these individual stories, showcasing the struggles and dreams of people living on the margins of society in Brooklyn. The book presents a stream of consciousness account of urban life, with each character's experiences adding layers to the overall depiction of a harsh and unforgiving environment. Despite the grim subject matter, the novel is praised for its powerful storytelling and the unapologetic way in which Selby captures the complexities of human nature in extreme circumstances.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include graphic violence, sexual assault, drug addiction, mental illness, and general themes of despair.
From The Publisher:
Described by various reviewers as hellish and obscene, Last Exit to Brooklyn tells the stories of New Yorkers who at every turn confront the worst excesses in human nature. Yet there are moments of exquisite tenderness in these troubled lives. Georgette, the transvestite who falls in love with a callous hoodlum; Tralala, the conniving prostitute who plumbs the depths of sexual degradation; and Harry, the strike leader who hides his true desires behind a boorish masculinity, are unforgettable creations. Last Exit to Brooklyn was banned by British courts in 1967, a decision that was reversed the following year with the help of a number of writers and critics including Anthony Burgess and Frank Kermode.
Hubert Selby, Jr. (1928-2004) was born in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 15, he dropped out of school and went to sea with the merchant marines. While at sea he was diagnosed with lung disease. With no other way to make a living, he decided to try writing: 'I knew the alphabet. Maybe I could be a writer.' In 1964 he completed his first book, Last Exit to Brooklyn, which has since become a cult classic. In 1966, it was the subject of an obscenity trial in the UK. His other books include The Room, The Demon, Requiem for a Dream, The Willow Tree and Waiting Period. In 2000, Requiem for a Dream was adapted into a film starring Jared Leto and Ellen Burstyn, and directed by Darren Aronofsky.
If you enjoyed Last Exit to Brooklyn, you might like Larry McMurty's The Last Picture Show, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.
'Last Exit to Brooklyn will explode like a rusty hellish bombshell over America, and still be eagerly read in 100 years'
Allen Ginsberg
'An urgent tickertape from hell'
Spectator
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About the Author:
Hubert Selby, Jr. was born in Brooklyn in 1928. At the age of 15, he dropped out of school and went to sea with the merchant marines. While at sea he was diagnosed with lung disease. With no other way to make a living, he decided to try writing: 'I knew the alphabet. Maybe I could be a writer.' In 1964 he completed his first book, Last Exit to Brooklyn, which has since become a cult classic. In 1966, it was the subject of an obscenity trial in the UK. His other books include The Room, The Demon, Requiem for a Dream, Song of the Silent Snow, The Willow Tree and Waiting Period. In 2000, Requiem for a Dream starred Jared Leto and Ellen Burstyn and was directed by Darren Aronofsky. Hubert Selby Jr died in Highland Park, Los Angeles, California in April 2004.
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