The year is 1970. Owney Morrison is back from Vietnam with a Congressional Medal of Honor, which is not negotiable currency in the borough of Queens in New York City. Oh sure, there's a free drink... This description may be from another edition of this product.
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Superb Breslin
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
Jimmy Breslin is one of those writers with whom people invaiably get their politics intertwined. A staple in NYC for 4 decades, his columns have stuck a burr in the saddle of the powerful for many years{and Jimmy lets you know that, too, which contributes to his persona}In table money, he looks , in microcosm at the irish immigrant expierence in America through one family, at the horrific cost of alcoholism, and at one truly heroic woman. There are no easy, quick fixes in this novel. Owens decent into alcohol is not pleasant ,the descriptions of the sandhogs{tunnel diggers} is brilliant, and lower middle class life in Queens was absoltuely dead on. I think in many ways this book was a homage to Breslins late wife, who put up with his alcoholism for many years{his eulogy was one of the more moving things I have read in my life}. I believe firmly that Breslin is one of the simply great writers of our time, after you get pst the Damon Runyon bit, and trully, almsot spectacularly underrated because of his politics. An excellent, moving novel, though since it touches on so many things that are persoanl with me, I can indentify very strongly with the characters. Anyway, an excellent, superbly written novel for an american original.
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