Rating: 
Summary: Literally Heart Pumping
Review: When I watched the movie, I knew I had to read the book. I am no book reader either. As soon as I read the first three lines I was hooked. The book totally turned into an addiction. I read it in two days. It kept my stomach in knots all the way through. The book is so detailed. It tells you exactly how each character is feeling, what they are seeing, and what they are thinking. I love the way they talked to each other. None of that "Marion said, stuff". I almost cried when I was reading the last paragraph, because I didn't want it to end. I wanted the book to go on and on. It totally had me so wrapped up in their lives and what was going on I almost absolutley forgot about my own. I am very tempted to just read it over and over again, wishing the text would change into the "Part Two" of their lives! I don't think I will ever find a book that will satisfy me like this one has. When I read a book for now on it will always be compared to this one!!!
Rating:
Summary: A great buy
Review: This book is by far one of the best out there. It describes the character's descent into the holds of sddiction perfecxtly, although i would recomend seeing the movie first, because he doesn't use quoataion marks in the book. You really need to know what the character's are saying, so you can know when someone is saying something. Also, you can picture in your mind the movie, as you're reading the book. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Buy more Kleenex
Review: This novel made me cry. Not small wells of salt water pooled in the corners of your eyes, but ridiculous snot-nosed choking sobs. And yet this is one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read. Ironically, there aren't any words I know of that could do justice to the power and beauty of Selby's writing. You begin to read this book, and then the pages move away and your living room recedes and you're right there, watching Sara watch television and whisper to her dead husband Seymour about Harry coming home his girlfriend Marion with grandchildren. And then you're tying off with the same Harry and Marion in some shooting gallery. The rhythm and pacing of the dialogue pull you (almost)too close. And thank god this isn't another book romanticizing stereotypical drug users because I couldn't take any more of those waify dopers who o'd and kick off, narrative problem so easily solved. Or one of those that ends with a twelve step message. This one is more important.
Rating:
Summary: intense and brutal.. true to Selby form
Review: For those who have read or seen "Last Exit to Brooklyn" or seen "Requiem for a Dream", you sort of know what to expect. A book with addiction as a protagonist, an interesting and difficult premise pulled of with true power by Selby Jr. Amazing when a writer can grab you and force you to see the innocence of such jaded characters. The introduction by Aronofsky is a nice addition as well. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: a deep book
Review: I've seen the movie and then read the book after reading the reviews. My only regret is that I saw the movie first, but I don't think the intensity of the story was impaired. I consider myself very strong emotionally, yet I felt like crying close to the end. There was a much deeper feeling of sadness I got from reading this book than I had experienced when seeing the movie. Selby's use of imagery and his ability to go into the characters heads is his forte. All four characters had somewhat realistic dreams in the beginning; one wanted to lose weight and appear on a TV game show, two of them wanted to make it big in the drug trade and then get out clean and one wanted to go to Europe and open up a coffe shop/art gallery. As the story went on these dreams seemed more and more unrealistic. All of the characters became distracted by drug addiction yet they did not even know it. In fact, three of the chracters (Tyrone, Harry and Marion) actually looked down on drug addicts yet they wound up being junkies themselves. Tyrone and Harry who are best friends see all kinds of bad things happen (i.e. people die, man with needle marks down his jugular vein, junkies using dirty toilet water to shoot) which should have served as warnings to get out of the bussiness and stop shooting junk. There's quite a lot of profanity in this book, but it's necessary to show exactly the kinds of people being portrayed. Selby does a good job in using slang which shows how particular people think and communicate. It's almost like Selby has walked in his characters shoes and experienced their thoughts and pains.
Rating:
Summary: Shocking
Review: I read this book after seeing the amazing film version of it. Even though i knew the ending and almost all that was to happen i turned each page with eagerness awaiting to see what was to happen next. Never before have I seen a more accurate portrayal of addiction. The writting is simply exceptional, it is essentially two books in one that tie together perfectly.
Rating:
Summary: A Dark, Sobering Whirlwind of a Book
Review: Let me say this up front - Requiem is very, very dark - the setting, the characters, and the message of the book are pretty bleak and hopeless. So why should you read it? First, the characters - Selby has drawn each of the four participants in this race to hell with stunning precision - after reading the book (and seeing the largely faithful movie) you feel as if you honestly know these people. Second, the terrifyingly accurate portrait of the downward spiral of addiction. Each of these characters reacts differently to his/her being hooked, but, with the exception of Sara, the brutal truth finally becomes too evident to ignore, at least until the next "little taste". The isolation of the addict is brilliantly rendered as Sara declines to go out, Tyrone gladly says goodbye to his "fine fox", and Harry and Marion lose the intensity of their love for each other to their more urgent love of heroin. Finally, it is Selby's gifts as a storyteller that provide the main reason for this book's classic status - I have read "stream of consciousness" before, but never have I been so riveted by it. The final 50 pages or so just go by in a horrible blur. Don't expect a light at the end of the tunnel - Selby doesn't celebrate dreamers, he condemns them for obscuring their view of what is with delusions of what could be. Powerful stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Requiem for A Dream is incredible
Review: An incredible story about four individuals struggling with addiction. Sara Goldfarb, an extremely colorful character, gets called up one day to be on television. She tries to fit in her red dress, but she's gained some weight. Her friend suggests diet pills. It was the worst thing she could have ever done. Harry Goldfarb, Tyrone C. Love, and Marion also have trouble with addiction. They have a plan to cut up some uncut heroin and sell it, so they can double their money. But soon the supplies are running out, and they become desperate for money, and their heroin. Amazing storytelling, incredibly moving, wonderfully balanced between the two stories, an incredible novel.
Rating:
Summary: Touche for Mr. Selby!!!
Review: As an avid fan for Mr. Aronofsky, I went to see his long-awaited, highly acclaimed movie, Requiem For A Dream last year. I must confess that I hadn't known Mr. Selby till I saw it. Naturally, however, I couldn't help getting my hands on the original, written by Mr. Selby. Once I finished my Requeim, I got truely obsessed with his works, going onto Last Exit, then onto the Demon and the Room etc. etc. Even to me, it was deeply impressed by his way of manupulating the readers, constructing the monologues in his works through the punctuation, whatsoever. Suffice to say that it was like I could hear the devils whispering into my ears, coming out of the pages! It's really hard to describe all these emotions stirring in my mind, but all I could say is that, once you start this novel, you'll get hooked up into its complexity. I sincerely recommend Requiem for a starter, if you are interested in Mr. Selby. His Words never fails you, really.
Rating:
Summary: this book blew me away
Review: I just finished reading this book about 10 minutes ago. I also became addicted and couldn't put the book down. I finished it in one day. This book has a way of grabbing you in, I couldnt put it down. I felt a sort of addiction to it, or a need to finish it. I didnt want to take the feelings I had while reading the book into my real life, so I had to finish it. This book is dark and heavy. I don't know why, but it made my stomach queasy. Requiem For a Dream is so well written, you can feel the pain and hope of the characters grow inside yourself. Hubert Selbys writing style in this book really captures a feeling. There are no quotation marks, hardly any paragraph breaks and about four chapter breaks. It sets up a never ending falling motion that the charatcers go through. I read this book after I saw the movie, which I also reccommend. I know thats not he natural order of things but, hey what am I gonna do? The beggining parts of the story, which are lighter, make you like the characters, and you like them and understand them. Then as they begin to fall, you, the reader feel as if your falling with them. All you can do is pity the characters and dream with them, even though dreaming is not enough.
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