Abuse Books

Of course this is not going to work for everyone, but it will work for a few people. I don't mind the repetition in the book, it serves to reinforce what he's saying. Also there's a bit of a pompous attitude that I feel with his style of writing, but it doesn't bother me at all. This is the first time I have gone without a smoke in 24 hours (after 28 years) and I feel great.
If one life is saved from this book then it's worth it.

I had been a smoker for over 20 years. I had even successfully quit before for up to 2.5 years using "willpower". But for some reason, as I got older, "willpower" no longer worked for me. I tried cold turkey, "weaning off", you name it.

But this book worked. Mr. Carr explains why tapering off never works, why willpower definitely doesn't work and he really helped me to understand why I was smoking in the first place.

It's been about 4 months now. And I don't smoke!!!! What freedom!

I no longer look at friends who smoke longing for a cigarette, rather, I look at them with empathy. I know they are only smoking because they are addicted!

This book really puts smoking in a new perspective, one that I believe to be the most reasonable one. I read this book with an open mind and it worked in a pinch. It has many revolutionary points, which are drilled into your head through repitition and real life examples. After the book, with no hesitaion, my Marlboro Lights pack went on a one-way trip to the trash can. I then just stopped, and for a long time reflected on the cigarette that started it all, how smoking has interfered with my life each day, and most of all, what a waste it was! Bought 3 more copies for co-workers and family.

As an ex-smoker, I read the book with increasing enthusiasm and found myself (as I used to be ..) in almost every line of the book.

The book really appeals to human intelligence, to all smokers that can quit this dependency without falling into that trap again.

It doesnt'have to be a shock happening to make you quit ... IT CAN JUST BE THIS BOOK!

Are you a long time, heavy smoker? Do you not even KNOW adult life without cigarettes, having begun puffing away in your teens? Is your every plan dominated by the burning question of whether (or when) you'll be able to light up? (e.g. Is there a smoking section? Does the room have a balcony? Will the seminar have breaks? Do people I'm going to visit smoke? How long is the flight/train ride/movie?).

Do you feel a mixture of envy and scorn for casual smokers; those who can go for days without a fag or only smoke when they drink, and who, when they quit entirely, brag about how easy it is and nag you to quit too? Do you feel that along with lifelong non-smokers, such 'pseudo-smokers' are a different breed and simply don't understand genuine nicotine addicts like you?

Do you find it virtually impossible to imagine being happy without cigarettes? While warding off friends' and family's pleas for you to quit with a rebellious, devil-may-care, live-hard-die-young persona, does worry, self-loathing and despair over your smoking keep you awake at night?

All of the above was me. From age 16 (aside from pregnancy with my daughter at 18) I'd worked up to a couple of packs or so a day and by 50 was convinced I was hopelessly addicted. The few times I had tried to stop (in 2001 while watching my father die from smoke-destroyed lungs and more recently in 2004 after I had a serious bout of pneumonia) had been agonizing failures and I no longer had any plans to try to quit.

I can't quite recall how I came to possess a copy of the book a couple of years ago. I do recall starting to read it but then stopping for two contradictory reasons: 1) with a major in psychology and studies in hypnosis I expected I would see through any mind-bending persuasion tactics the book might employ and so, despite the glowing reviews I'd read, it probably wouldn't work for ME and 2)I had an uneasy intuition that if I finished reading the book I actually WOULD quit smoking whether I wanted to or not!

To cut a long story short, I pulled the book from the shelf again in September '08; finished it and have not smoked since. It's still early days but what a revelation to discover my body's natural relaxation now that it is off the nicotine misery-go-round; the jumpy nervy feeling that I had mistakenly attributed to my own nervous system,(which made me feel I needed to smoke) has GONE. I'm actually almost glad to have been such a hopeless, heavy smoker because of the wonderful contrast I feel now that I've stopped.

How delightful to feel comfortable wherever I am instead of always obsessing over how to escape for my next fix! Had I known how great I would feel once free and how easy it could be to get there, perhaps I'd have done it sooner. Carrots always motivated me better than sticks.

My recommendation: Even if you're not sure you want to quit just yet (or ever) buy this book anyway and keep it in your bookshelf until you're ready. Don't even consider trying to quit before you read it.
Even after finishing the book I found it tremendously valuable to always keep my copy nearby; in the beginning I took it with me everywhere like a security blanket. If an old habit of thought came up (not surprising perhaps after 34 years!) just opening up the book and reading a sentence or two would dispel it like magic and later just knowing the book was there was sufficient. I've started buying copies for friends and family, but I'm keeping my own copy right here just in case!

I don't think I could have succeeded without the information in this book (they also have other books, seminars and an excellent webcast- check online, but this book was enough to get me smoke-free) and I feel immense gratitude at having had the good fortune to come across it. Highly recommended!

Oh how I felt for this child. My heart was torn in two. Child abuse just astounds me. How does it happen. And then the ignorance of the legal system! The school dragging their feet along, knowing something was wrong. I cried through this book.

Some of the writing is uneven, the plot a little bit disjointed, but in fairness to the author, he is writing from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy.

This book is vitally important, because there still isn't much in the way of non-fiction written by grown men who were abused as children. Their needs are completely different from those of girls. Pelzer's reaction to being placed into his first foster home - literally bouncing off the walls, jumping on all the beds, is perfectly normal behavior for a boy who has been abused. At times, boys taken into foster care are doubly abused, by well-meaning caretakers who don't understand the unique temperament of the abused male child.

In my view, the system very nearly failed Pelzer by shifting him from one placement to another, often at the last minute. However, his positive attitude is truly inspiring, and he has only praise for the social workers and foster parents he dealt with as a child.

It is impossible for a normal person from an intact Brady-bunch family to understand why a child, placed into a loving and safe second home, would start acting insane and doing everything they could to get kicked out of that home. It's a child's fantasy that holds out even into teenage years, that somehow, being kicked out of a foster home means that they're one step closer to going home, even if deep down, they honestly know that they can't ever live with their parents again.

I highly recommend this book to any person considering becoming a foster parent, and for people who are employed as caretakers in group homes or who work with children and young adults in placement. The writing style is easy enough to appeal to even a middle-school age child, especially one that is already in foster care.

I also enjoyed this book as much as A Child Called "IT". This also made me cry as much as as the first one. I could not put it down as well.

This book among others written by Dave have left me riveted. I can't put them down. All I see is a man who has overcome the circumstances placed before him. He is such an inspiration, I only wish more people would read his books and make something out of their lives, instead of playing the victim (which is much easier to do)

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family by Dave Pelzer is a sequel to the heartbreaking memoir, A Child Called "It". Pelzer explains what happened after he was taken away by his abusive mother and neglectful father. This book is really uplifting and moving. I highly recommend this fascinating story and his quest to find a foster family who will love him unconditionally. Enjoy!

I was required to read this book in my high school psych class, as well as the sequel to it. It was a very captivating read, and the imagery really sticks with you. The teacher gave us a schedule of when we had to finish each chapter by, but I couldn't put the thing down.

This amazing true story is about a violent 6-year old. You will be amazed by the details of how her teacher--Torey Hayden--reaches out to this child with special needs. This book is a must for teachers and parents.

I was required to get this book for my special education training that I need for my master's. This book was very interesting. It showed the good and bad things Torey Hayden did in the course of serving this one child, Sheila. I could not put it down.

This story gave me tears of sadness and tears of joy. While it is heartbreaking to learn of all the abuse Sheila has endured, it is
heartwarming to know that SOMEONE took the time and effort to encourage her and to reach out to her. This book is a wonderful testament to the power of love and the human spirit.

I'm half-way through this book and I LOVE it so far!! I'm in school to become a teacher and we're reading this book. It has opened my eyes!!!

I read this book from cover to cover two times in a row and am still amazed at the clarity given by God in the messages for 'all of humanity.'

The only part I felt myself entirely change my view was regarding the death penalty, which I used to advocate. Since reading this book I no longer do, and the reasons are so simply put, I can't imagine anyone not changing their views.

The areas about parenting, suicide, same sex marriages, telepathic communication, abortion, fidelity, human cloning, space exploration, toxins in our foods and environment, all of them and more are profound.

I can see where much of the population can definitely benefit from this book. It took me out of the labyrinth of the media maze that covers our news, and gave me a fresh and enlightening perspective that harnesses the true meaning of God's messages. They are abundantly clear.

I would give this book at least 100 stars if I could. God really does speak to humanity through Barbara Rose. I listened in on one of her teleconferences and was taken back at what she said. I also love her other book "Know Yourself" which was life changing for me. "If God Was Like Man" is life changing for all!

In "If God Was Like Man", Barbara Rose wrote the words of God given to her for humanity in a way that is simple, and what God selected are the most heated present day topics facing every society and culture on earth.

The manner and language used to convey the solutions that plague life on earth are clear and cannot be misinterpreted. I found many areas and prejudices I used to believe vanish because of the clear and direct logic, and tell-it-like-it-is approach that made more sense to me than what I used to believe. This book opened my mind and turned around prejudices I used to have. It is the same prejudices that many people still have and fight over.

One thing is certain about this book; we do have one God who does not judge anyone. On page 134 God says, "All I can ever do is work through you. I am not physical as one being; I am physical inside of every being existing throughout the universe."

There are many topics discussed in this book. For each one God brings humanity the solutions for that topic. The solutions are a must for humanity!

"If God Was Like Man" is EXTRAORDINARY! This is one of the best books I've ever read.

Life on earth would be distinctly better for everyone if this book was read and applied by all. No matter what area of life has brought distress to humanity, it's all covered in a crystal clear manner for every side involved.

If God Was Like Man is one of the best solution oriented and mind opening books I've read. It's clear that the messages can only result in the most peaceful planet, where life on earth can actually be what it's meant to be. In short, If God Was Like Man is a gift to the human race.

God has things to say, Barbara Rose was one of the chosen vehicles to deliver the message. Once again her work is magnificent. A must read, a life-changing read, regardless of religious practice. God/our higher consciousness/ supreme power is non-denominational. When I first read this book, I was in awe! I thought, this is it, raw and to the point! This is all humanity needs to read, to hear, to understand and realize as truth! If each one of us would practice and live by this wisdom, our world would ONLY be filled with self-truth, self-love, inner and outer peace. Only love and joy would be in our lives. "If God Was Like Man" is about Unity, not You versus Me; it is about "All You Need Is Love", not love versus fear; it is about stabilizing our planet earth by meeting in the middle, not Left versus Right. It teaches us how clearing away all pre-conditioned judgment, accepting each other as equal and part of ourselves and God, there would be no right versus wrong, competition, greed, and hate. There would be no need for divide and conquer or forgiveness. Some of the most important subjects concerning our lives are covered. Any of my questionable beliefs that still existed, all vanished, and many of my perspectives changed too, after reading this book. "If God Was Like Man" is a true gift to all of us, humanity and beyond. You will want to read it at least twice!

I've read several other 'channeled' books and this is the first one I've read in which God is judgmental, shaming, crude and sarcastic.

'God' often scolds the reader with questions such as, "Why do you leave adult children alone when they are not mature?" When discussing honesty and using the example of a teen-age boy who wants sex, 'God' uses terminology like, "So he may have wanted to get laid." When discussing why prostitution should be legal, 'God' says, "I say to you: If you were to arrest every woman who remains with a man for financial profit when she is truly deceiving him in terms of her feelings, then nearly 80 percent of all women who share a bed with a man would be behind bars."

On some topics, 'God's' opinions seem nothing more than a convenient justification for Ms. Rose's shortcomings in life. On the subject of education, 'God' says that if students, "have no need to study a specific standardized area outside of their field, they should not be prevented from earning a degree..." 'God' goes on to say, "I bring this up because it is the reason Barbara does not have a degree."

In reality, this seems to be a book about Ms. Rose's opinions. Or, if she truly believes it was channeled in some way, perhaps she has another personality of whom she is unaware. In any case it hardly seems likely that the book was channeled from God. Perhaps that was the only way to sell it. Sad.

This is a wonderful family story. You will cry. You will laugh. You will picture the setting as it is described so well. The characters are all so wonderful. This book will open so many doors to compassion in the readers heart. Others gave a story over view. This story is clean. It deals with some tuff subjects but in a historical setting that open's the door to having a picture of what children and families endured during the war. You won't be able to put it down.

This is a simply wonderful novel that by no means should be pigeonholed as "young adult" if that means being denied an adult audience, though it had more than a few elements in common with "Anne of Green Gables." It works on so many different levels and is both sensitive and intelligent. The characters are memorable and believable. And it doesn't just deal with child abuse, though it does so convincingly and heart-wrenchingly, but is equally good in its descriptions of children being nurtured creatively, and in its depictions of friendships between adults and children. I can hardly think of a thing about it I didn't like, and I look forward eagerly to more from this author.

This book is very intense but a good read. It is about evacuees from the London area because WWII was beginning. This particular town is painted different than most during this era. The people are nice and giving. If anyone does misuse the children they are put out for it! The major characters meet each other and both are not too sure of the other. It tells the story of a lost soul bringing healing to another lost soul. There are some intense and disgusting scenes but when you come out on the other side it is worth it! I don't recommend this book for anyone under the age of 12 or 13.

"Good Night, Mr. Tom" puzzles me. When I read it objectively, looking only at the writing, it's not so impressive. The flow isn't particularly good and at times the book clunks along. The dialogue is engaging, though, and thoroughly real.

And the story itself is incredible. "Good Night, Mr. Tom" tells of a young London boy who is sent out to live in the country during World War II for his safety. There, away from an abusive home, Willie is able to grow and learn what it means to be loved.

With a series of remarkably realistic and fun characters, Willie (renamed Will in his new home with "Mr. Tom") moves and grows. Aspects of the book will make the reader cry (quite a few), aspects will chill you, but on the whole you will smile through your tears, because this book is just... special. It's got a very special feel to it, through tears and sad moments.

So while at times the story gets dull, it's an excellent book. I would recommend this to young teens, mostly because it deals with serious issues and might be a bit much for younger kids.

Definitely recommended.

Timid, scrawny, Willie Beech is the abused child of a single mother. She sends him to Mr. Tom, who lives in the English countryside, because London is being bombed by the Nazis.

The two main adults in this story, the mother and Mr. Tom, seem very similar in the beginning. Yet, by the end, we see that they are completely different. What really hit home was this: hard times can make hard people, but one's true colors shine through when faced with others in need.

Mr. Tom's gruff exterior is only his exterior. He's really got a warm heart, which he opens up to Willie and shows him the love that's supposed to be in a family.

The mother's quiet, strict exterior masks her bitter, mean nature. She has no love for her children, and abuses them in subtle, neglectful ways.

We don't actually see the abuse, we see the end result...which, in my opinion, is far more powerful. I cried for Willie at the end of this book, and cheered Mr. Tom for doing everything he could to save this poor boy. When children are old enough to understand the results of abuse, every family should read this book.

I give major props to Ms. Brown for the excellent work she put in for this novel. The thing that grabbed me most was that this was one of the few novels that was based on the DRUGS that infected our community, but also detailed how it affected everyone involved in the DRUG life. It didnt just detail the rise and fall of a drug dealer, or the trials & tribulations of a crackhead. It viewed what it was like to be a mother of a crackhead (Jada's mom), or the daughter of a woman with low self esteem(Ava). The book involved so many characters- Sunny was a diva, but she too had her faults. This book outlined how drugs effect everyone around you. I really loved how even after Jada got herself together, she too was human and fell back into temptation only to make it to the top again.
The ending was great. I appreciated that Jada & Born didn't live together happily ever after, or that Born didn't get killed in a drive by shooting. Tracy Brown kept it real from the beggining to the end. I have read this book at least 5 times, you would never think that this book is 496 pages!

This book was an extraordinary read and definitely a page turner. Jada and Born's story are so real and I'm sure similar to a lot of people whose lives involve drugs in some way. The book involves drama, suspense, romance, action all in a story that is far from being a fairy tale and very realistic. The book offers a history of almost all of the characters and helps you understand why they became who they are. Our book club read this book for September 2008's discussion book and all of the members were unanimously blown away by it. I would and have recommended this book to any reader. I plan to read more Tracy Brown books in the future.

This is the best book that I have read in a couple of years. It is a must read. The last book that I felt this way about was Noire's G-Spot. This story is about a young woman with a broken soul that goes through the trials and tribulations of life. She goes through and loses so much in her story just to get back to the top. I cried when she started getting her life back in order. This story is so bitter sweet. It was perfect from beginning to end. I absolutely loved this book.

This novel starts out typical enough - two teenage girls hanging out with two teenage boys in a house all alone with their hormones running wild. That's where typical ends.

Jada and her sister Ava's reality is a cycle of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse brought on by their mother Edna's boyfriend. Edna chooses to blame herself and her daughters for the abuse and sets them all up for a life of pain.

Jada starts smoking weed with her friend Shante and they advance to mixing it with crack under the false impression that they wouldn't get hooked. This is the start of Jada's crack addiction.

Born is the son of Leo, a notorious hustler. Born looks up to his dad for being the most admired man in the hood and wants to be just like him. That is until Leo falls prey to crack addiction. This changes Born's outlook forever. He can't believe his dad could be so weak.

Jada and Born cross paths after she has kicked her addiction. Both are skeptical about starting a relationship but can't deny the sparks between them. When Jada finds the strength to tell Born about her past, against his better judgment Born allows Jada into his heart. The condition is that she'll never go back to crack again or it's over. Jada agrees to these terms believing that love will conquer all. The problem is, Born is a hustler and deals in the very drug that took over Jada's life. He can't watch her 24/7 and doesn't seem to realize that having crack in front of Jada is like putting food in front of a starving person and telling them not to eat it.

Born and Jada's love story is so intense it jumps off the pages. Tracy Brown does an excellent job of making you feel for the characters. You'll laugh, cry, and root for the characters to be together but just as in life everything doesn't always turn out as planned. At first glance this book may seem long but once you start reading you won't pay attention to what page you're on. The length is necessary to understand how Jada and Born's upbringing affects the choices they make and that love doesn't always conquer all. If you buy this book it will not disappoint.

THIS BOOK WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN. I ENJOYED IT FROM PAGE ONE. Although it is a long book to read, it is so well worth it. This book never got boring at all. I recommened that everyone read this book.

I had the pleasure of joining a few hundred people today, in Malibu, to celebrate the birthday of this beautiful and enormously-gifted author! It was truly a pleasure to meet the woman who I have admired since reading, "Lilla Belle the First Stages." "Lilla Belle" stirred my heart, like few books that I have read. I laughed, cried, and it made me think. This is a glue-book. Once I started reading "Lilla Belle," I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read Ms. Cole's latest, "F.A.T. CHANCE." Hats off to you, Ms. Cole! Happy Birthday, and keep bringin' the hits. Thank you for autographing "Lilla Belle" and "F.A.T. CHANCE." And thank you for sharing your talent. You are a class act. You are one in a MILLION!

Lilla Belle touched my heart! This book also made me think. I have read it three times so far, and I just received it on Saturday. Truly an UNFORGETTABLE CLASSIC!

"Lilla Belle" is an unforgettable book, that stirred every emotion that I have as a human being! I was filled with anger, laughter, tears, and much cheer! This book educates, and speaks volumes to ALL! And it certainly didn't hurt that the BEAUTIFUL little girl on the cover, stole my heart!

Lilla Belle is a well-written, heartwarming novel that stirred my heart, especially, in major ways! This is a book for all. Old folks, (like me), and it's a very good book for our young folks, too. I loved the book, and I hope to meet the author one day.

TEARS, JOY, PAIN, LOVE ... YOU'LL EXPERIENCE ALL OF THE ABOVE!
EXCELLENT BOOK THAT TOUCHES THE HEART IN A MAJOR WAY!

An amazing book. I read it in a little over 24 hours. I knew that Kristin had gotten better before the book was written so during the part where mother and daughter talk about the difficult years, I just could not put the book down until I knew she was ok again. As a mother and a daughter I could understand both points of view and the best part about the book is it's parallel recounts of the same experiences as described by mother and daughter. I felt every emotion there was to feel. I cried with the daughter during her difficult times, and I cried with the mother during hers. They are both such strong women, true survivors who show us that nothing is for granted, things can happen to everyone and that there is no stronger bond than family. One of the most emotional moments for me was when Kristin crawled through the window at night of her mom's apartment and curled up to sleep on the floor next to her bed after which Mom put her hand on her back and they lay there in silence yet having said everything there needed to be said at that moment. I think about what I would've done in those various situations. I don't know, I've never experienced anything like that (I am married to an addict, but in different ways, and I am going to learn more about codependancy). Yet I am elated and happy to know that both authors are doing well now and helping to get other people on their feet. Thank you for sharing your story with us and teaching us about hardships, love and forgiveness.

Being a recovering alcoholic myself, this compelling story really hits home! It tells the REAL life struggles of addiction. From the first page to the last page, this a memoir you will not want to put down! I recommend "The Lost Years" to anyone who has struggled with addiction, or to any family member who has seen their loved ones go through the stages of addiction! When reading this book, you actually feel as if you are Kristina. The cold, lonely life on the streets. You can feel the fear, anger and the downward spiral into hell that she was on! You can feel a mothers' tough love with her daughter! This is an awesome read and it gives a person hope, and let's the addict know that people DO recover and the person suffering with an alcohol/drug addiction, can get better to live a happy, sober, productive life!! Thank you Kristina and Constance for a terrific, well written story!!
Deb Earleywine

This book gives an excellent look into the uncertain feelings of a teenage girl, and how her choices changed her life. Her events and life walk are depicted from her view, and then from her mother's view. There is an instant snap back to that awkward teenage time. Where do you belong, how do you fit in, and how do you cope? The popular kids (the IT group) share the same fears as the ones who seem to 'not fit in.' It does not matter the way others see you; what matters is the way you see yourself! The way teenagers find comfort is the turning point...some bully their way through and others turn to substance abuse. Either way, it is a dark place that requires the courage and will to come out of (whether one is using bad behavior or substance abuse) or you will most certainly disappear (end up all alone in this world or die). The selfish part of life allows one to foolishly think he/she is the victim and put the blame on the people around him/her. This true view story illustrates how naive reactions and destructive behaviors can shatter a family. This is a must read for parents of approaching teens. This could happen to you!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to any parent who is living in the throes of addiction with a child. It is a quick, easy read that evokes a multitude of emotions. Both the mother's and the addict's views and struggles are expressed well.
I left the book out for my addict to read and she enjoyed it, too.
This book also gave me the courage to let go of my daughter with the best of intentions......

Having lost a sibling to alcohol and drug abuse at a very young age, I wish that this book had been available when he was struggling with his addiction. Perhaps our family could have had some knowledge of the help that was available through Al-Anon. This book is a remarkable account of courage, and I encourage any family facing these issues to pay close attention to what Constance went through to heal herself and protect her other children from this terrible disease and the horrors that go along with it. To date, I have not read anything that even comes close to touching my heart and soul the way that Kristina and Constance touched mine when I read this memoir. I could not put it down.

As a Psychotherapist and campaigner for the rights of children I would recommend this book as a compulsory text for any course on child care, therapy or education.
It is gripping, moving,shocking and eye-opening. It is particularly relevant to understand the capacity of disturbed parents to hide and disguise their cruelty and the mind confusing, emotionally scarring dilemmas faced by the abused child.
And yet it is hopeful and heart warming.

I am a special education teacher at a residential treatment facility that works with children in similar situations. As an end of the year project, I read this story to my 16-18 year old high school girls. They wouldn't let me put it down. The emotions, empathy, and similar situations my girls experienced were finally put into words. David, to them, is a survivor and has given them hope for their own future! Thank you Mr. Pelzer for sharing your story and helping my girls know that they are not the only ones!

This book was about a boy named David who went through a rough time when he was younger. He would get abused by his mother and his dad was an alcholic. The boy had no right and no say in that house hold his younger brothers had more say then he did. he would get tortured everyday and his mother would make him stay and live in the basement with nothing. Later in the book he finally gets rescued and is put into a shelter home. His life isnt how it use to be anymore.

As I read this, parts of the text were unbearable. Yet, Dave's story is an unfortunate reality of the deviance that exists within the human psyche to control, manipulate and abuse another. Anyone involved with educating children in whatever form they chose should read this because the truth brings to light what is hidden in the darkness. Dave is definitely an overcomer and his book will challenge you to look at the little boys and girls we see each day...a bit more carefully and mercifully.

The story a child called "it" it shows us the life of a boy longing to be loved. he is abused by his alcoholic mother. his father is torn between the two but chooses not to tell anyone. all his younger syblings are treated with love and care. he is trying to survive in his mothers 'hell'. i recommend this book to teens and young adults it will open your eyes to smoething you might have been blinded by but yet still happens in the world today... Abuse. some people just dont have the courage to stand up for what they know and believe is right. but just think about it you would be saving and inoccent life and giving a chance that wouldnt have been givin.

I found the book infinitely more disturbing than the movie because it's so much more pleasing at the same time. Addiction is made so seductive. The characters, in their speech and mannerisms and thoughts, are so human, alive, that you want to get close to them and follow them--straight past the Gates of Hell. I remember finding the movie very disturbing on a visual level, but with the book the images didn't bother me until the final third (Which brings up Selby's simple but powerful use of classic structure: The first third introducing us to these interesting and oh so human characters, who we watch try to achieve something and then it's a fiery descent down the home stretch--the book seems to work it's way from the internal to the external in some odd way, so that we follow dreams until their consequences, nightmares, are screaming all around us.). And I was just amazed by Selby's voice. It's so warm, real, raw, off the cuff, confident. Here's a man who really lived, knew what he was talking about and didn't have to dress anything up to make it interesting or come across as 'authentic.' I know he worked for years finding his voice, but once he found it it really sang clear and true. Quite an achievement. As far as I can see he's in league with a handful of others--Celine, Miller, Genet, Cendrars, Bukowski, Algren, Artaud, some others I'm missing--who combined eloquence and mastery with a real from-the-gut approach. He's one of a few truly unique voices cut from his own experience rather than a reaction to the canon. I can't wait to read more.

The definition of the word `requiem' is a musical service or hymn in honor of the dead. How fittingly that word rests with the subject matter of this novel. `Requiem for a Dream' is just that, a musical hymn in honor of those crushed and shattered dreams. When reading Selby's phenomenal (and I mean that in the most extreme sense of the word) novel about abolished hope and sheer desperation the reader is forced to face the ugly truth about our horrific society.

You ever read that novel or watch that film that just eats away at the pit of your stomach and pains you to your very core? You ever struggle to turn the page or fight to watch the screen because the onslaught of negativity is picking away at your spirit and bringing you to a dark and lonely place you never wished to visit? That is the feeling experienced when reading (or subsequently watching the Aronofsky film adaptation) this novel.

The novel opens by introducing us to four people. We have Sara, an older Jewish woman who lives for television. The opening scene depicts her son Harry, strung out as usual, stealing her television to pawn it for money in order to get his next hit. Harry also has a girlfriend Marion as well as a best friend Tyrone C. Love. The three of them enjoy a nice taste of heroin every now and again and will do just about anything to get it. Sara dreams of one day being on television, and when she gets to opportunity she grabs it by the horns. She is convinced to lose enough weight to fit into her favorite red dress, the one she wore to Harry's bar mitzvah. This leads her to diet pills which she quickly and dangerously forms an addiction to. Harry and Marion on the other hand begin to develop a plan to buy and sell heroin for a profit, that way they can one day by that little coffee shop and make a life for themselves. This little plan involves Tyrone as well, and as the dope starts pouring in, their idea of a small taste begins to grow until they can't stomach the thought of selling any of it but feel compelled to keep all of it for themselves.

The novel brilliantly portrays the mind of an addict; the `I'll never get that bad, I can stop whenever I want to' mentality that cripples the mind and fortifies the very essence of the domination of the soul. All four of these individuals are taken over and beaten down by the disease that is addiction. There is a scene where Tyrone is arrested and spends some time in the jail cell with an elderly addict, a man who is so far gone Tyrone is disgusted by him. Tyrone is determined never to be that man, never to become that dependant on the taste, but the first thing Tyrone does when he gets out is cop him that taste. He doesn't realize that he is already there.

The novel, like I mentioned, is horribly depressing and utterly frustrating, especially as the novel comes to a close and everything begins to spiral into oblivion. As we watch Sara, Harry, Marion and Tyrone's lives completely fall apart in a gradual yet perpetual tumble towards rock bottom we are left with the bitter taste of pain and misery in the back of our throats. Experiencing Sara's mental deterioration at the hands of the pill; watching Marion degrade herself to escape the sick feeling of withdrawals; seeing Harry cast aside his own well being in order to keep that high; watching Tyrone come to realize he is no better than the men he despises; all of this eats at our very being and transports us to a place unlike any we've ever been.

Like the movie, the novel excels when focusing on the female characters. Sara and Marion are by far the most sympathetic and interesting characters in the novel; with that said they are also the most depressing and utterly devastating to read about. Their final outcome is far from pretty and makes the reader feel helpless and alone; much like these characters.

`Requiem for a Dream' is far from pretty. It is dirty, gritty and at times unbearable; but there is no denying that it is a masterpiece; literature at its finest. Hubert Selby Jr. is a deeply controlled and phenomenally capable writer who understands the appropriate darkness of his subject; an author who takes something so terrible, so bleak and painful and makes it quite frankly one of the most important novels ever penned. In my humble opinion this is the type of novel that should be mandatory reading at any substance abuse rehabilitation center. After reading this grisly novel (and of course watching the equally grisly film) I could never even stomach the idea of drug use. In a world that glamorizes any and everything harmful to the soul, `Requiem for a Dream' stands apart as a very real depiction of all you stand to lose.

If you've seen the film, better fasten your seatbelts. Aronofsky went easy on you. I can't adequately describe what Selby achieved in this novel, or in "Last Exit to Brooklyn". He is capable of describing the most brutal things with apparent (but ONLY apparent) objectivity, but at other times he writes with astonishing delicacy. I can't even think of another writer who can do that half as well as Selby.

If you found the last 20 minutes of the film as horrifying as I did, Selby's account of the fates of Harry, Sara, Marion, and Tyrone will make you want to cry for all of them.

This is not going to be an easy read for a lot of people, but it's a masterwork.

It's just that good.

If you've read "Last Exit to Brooklyn," you'll be familiar with Selby's habit of not using quotation marks when he writes dialogue. But even if this is your first exposure to Selby, you'll figure out who's saying what pretty quickly.

And don't skip Selby's prologue.

As an aside: ELLEN BURSTYN WAS ROBBED! (As Sara in Requiem for a Dream, she really should have gotten an Oscar. I'm just saying.)

Hubert Selby Jr writes with in a way that is astounding. Bringing a story like this so heavily to life, to a point where it completely envelopes and engrossing you, all the while disgusting you is a great fete. I saw the movie, which is great in its own right, but not near comparison to the language of the book. Definitely recommended!

Selby's ability to capture inner monologue is incredible. You not only empathize, but you believe with each one of the characters. You hold on to the dream and it crushes you. Should be read in highschools everywhere.