The Assault on Tony's [Paperback]

John O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 1997

The Assault on Tony's is an unapologetic, unsentimental, and at times exuberant examination of the joys and sorrows of intoxication, combining the inimitable unflinching eye and grim wit of John O'Brien, author of Leaving Las Vegas. Barricaded in a bar called Tony's while a riot rages outside, the characters that people The Assault on Tony's are united by their desire to drink to the end, no matter what the consequences. In this stark and darkly humorous novel, social alliances are forged and challenged as each member of this macabre party ignores his fears in favor of keeping his tumbler full to the brim. As time goes on and the liquor supply starts to dwindle, the novel reaches a gritty intensity as it exposes the highs and lows of the human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

John O'Brien's first novel, Leaving Las Vegas, which was turned into an Oscar-winning movie, focused on the despair of the alcoholic; so too does this second novel, but with an even darker vision. O'Brien killed himself before he finished it (his sister, Erin, wrote the conclusion from his notes). The book is set in the near future, in Tony's bar, with the world outside consumed in a fury of race violence. While the pressures of that world impinge on the middle-class white barflys at Tony's, their main concern is the supply of booze. Passionate and wrenching. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

(O'Brien takes) us deep into an alcoholic's world that few others have described so well. -- The New York Times Book Review, Michael Harris --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (December 8, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802135420
• ISBN-13: 978-0802135421
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #972,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dark, leaden, despairing, unique, September 26, 2004

By 

Sparky (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Assault on Tony's (Paperback)

I'm a big admirer of John O'Brien's work but there's something at the heart of this book that transcends literature and gives me the creeps. I have never read a novel that gives off such intensely despairing and black vibrations. There really is a power to this book, but to me it's a negative energy. I had the horrible feeling when reading this of witnessing something that wasn't meant for public view. When you know the history behind this book you'll understand what I mean. I don't mean the prose style -that's just fine- rather the count down to the writer's exit. People have said that "Leaving Las Vegas" was John O'Brien's suicide note -I disagree: this was the note and once you've read it you're not sure you should have. A testament to the unique power that novels still have.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Little Combination, August 2, 2000

By 

Danny Barbeau (Dartmouth, NS Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Assault on Tony's (Paperback)

Well, I've always been a fan of the "end of the world" scenarios. Ranging from Romero's zombie trilogy to anything with nuclear war, and this was a beautiful little twist on it. Told from the point of view of hard core alcoholics. Only work I've read by O'Brien, and I was quite impressed, it's a shame he's not around to keep writing, and expanding his skills. The last paragraph of the book was just perfect. And his sister's afterword is very moving.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Life is nasty, brutish, and short", October 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Assault on Tony's (Paperback)

Three months after reading this book, I am still haunted by many of the images painted in John O'Brien's captivating and disconcerting novel. Like Leaving Las Vegas, the characters in this novel do not attempt to be something that they are not, but instead find themselves saturated with what they are...There is a grace with which John O'Brien's characters accept their weaknesses that is almost admirable...almost. I loved this book although its commentary on human nature is not in any way uplifting. However, the writing is simply stunning, and the thoughts provoked are dark, but honest.