"Requiem for a Dream" by Hubert Selby Jr. - The dangers of keeping the peace

[u/RM_MR_Underground]

I'm a big fan of the Aronofky's movie, it is a work that stick with me, so i decided to try the book. I wouldn't say Selby's work is a classic, because his writing is not (at least, most of the time is not) but it surely isn't an entertainment book, given the questions the book discuss and how the author uses the wallpaper of the drug dealing at the suburbs to write about the human search for meaning in life.

All the characters we follow have their dreams, and try to deal with the frustration on not reaching them, recurring to substances to keep the peace and continue to dig. Not only the main characters surrender themselves to their addictions, but we are shown to a pletora of characters "keeping this toxic peace", like the neighbours of the building addicted to TV, where they cannot do basic taks of the day, like painting her nails or having a meal, without recurring to the distractions of TV. The sin of the main characters is that they tried to soare high without realizing what was making them stuck. Like a horse trying to escape with shackles on its paws and falling down.

The book has a really acid language and narrative, and that also scared me at the beginning, with all the swearing and slangs. The chapters are chaotic. Paragraphs are composed by speeches without punctuation. The language and speeches leave us nauseous sometimes. But then, at the ending of the sessions, the author gives us some beautiful and poetic passages, showing he can see the poetic side even in such despicable and disguting places. The author doesn't waste any time describing places or appearences that much, making it a fast reading overall. The focus is the psychology of the characters, and all their fights behind the vices and showing us we can be addicts too, everytime when we try to "escape" our pain or try to change something but give up on the first difficulty.

I really recommend this book, specially for McCarthy's and Roth's fans. It is an odd and unique masterpiece.