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You Can't Win
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You hold in your hands a true lost classic, one of the most legendary cult books every published in America. Jack Black's autobiography was a bestseller and went through five printings in the late 1920's. It has led a mostly subterranean existence since then - best known as William S. Burrough's favorite book, one he admitted lifting big chunks of from memory for his first
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Paperback, 279 pages
Published
April 1st 2001
by Nabat Books
(first published 1926)
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Start your review of You Can't Win
Aug 25, 2014
James Thane
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
crime-fiction
This book, newly reissued in a very nice trade paperback edition by Feral House, was first published in 1926, written by Jack Black, a drifter, hobo, small-time criminal, drug addict and jailbird who finally went straight and wound up with a job at a newspaper in San Francisco.
Black left home as a young boy and took to the road. Falling in with other drifters, he was apprenticed in a life of crime that included valuable lessons in casing a job, breaking and entering, cracking safes, fencing ...more
Black left home as a young boy and took to the road. Falling in with other drifters, he was apprenticed in a life of crime that included valuable lessons in casing a job, breaking and entering, cracking safes, fencing ...more
It's kind of like a Jimmie Rodgers song in book form; hopping trains, "riding the rods," hobos, gambling, hold-ups, violent deaths, prison, duplicitous backstabbers, tried-and-true pals, pistol-packin' papas (and mamas); it's just about all in there. I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff if it's done well—and this is done very well—so I loved every minute of it. Some critics have called into question the veracity of Black's "autobiography," but to me it just doesn't matter whether he told the
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This book is written by a reformed criminal known as Jack Black (1871-1932). He had been a homeless vagrant, a burglar and a thief, had cracked safes and had been sentenced to a penitentiary five times. He lived a life of liquor and prostitution and was addicted to both gambling and opium. Details specifying incidents of his life dating from the late 1880s to around 1910, taking place in western USA and Canada, are chronicled in this book.
Exactly how the burglaries, thefts, cracking of safes ...more
Exactly how the burglaries, thefts, cracking of safes ...more
I read this book while tramping up and down the East Coast. There were four of us and then there were three of us, our most grizzled and seasoned tramp abandoning us in New York City. He bummed this book off a girl in Pittsburgh, a girl he got wet without ever touching her. She borrowed the book from a former tramp who has the words "You Can't Win" tattooed on his neck. The book was passed from gentleman to gentleman who each dreamed of hopping trains across America. Some of us did more than
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I am not really getting why people are reviewing this book so highly. I thought that it got a bit boring: In and out of jail and onto the next heist is most of the book.
I enjoyed the beginning and thought the book held promise. It was well written and he is a pretty interesting guy, but the charm wore off. It was only the suspense of the crimes as he committed them that really drew me in. Even when people died in the story, it didn't really engage me, emotionally.
I suppose that just for the ...more
I enjoyed the beginning and thought the book held promise. It was well written and he is a pretty interesting guy, but the charm wore off. It was only the suspense of the crimes as he committed them that really drew me in. Even when people died in the story, it didn't really engage me, emotionally.
I suppose that just for the ...more
I will probably always scramble for words to describe this epic. Though I can say for sure that it will be the first book I'm going to recommend to anyone, for the foreseeable future.
Frightening, surreal, very very real, heart breaking and shocking, adventurous and humorous - all with a moral lesson tucked away in the shadows of this underground while told in the voice of your older, kindly neighbor. Feelings and words are everywhere.
It wasn't until I reached the end that I noticed the text at ...more
Frightening, surreal, very very real, heart breaking and shocking, adventurous and humorous - all with a moral lesson tucked away in the shadows of this underground while told in the voice of your older, kindly neighbor. Feelings and words are everywhere.
It wasn't until I reached the end that I noticed the text at ...more
I didn't know before I starting reading You Can't Win that this was supposed to be William S. Burroughs' favorite book, or that he admired it, or... who the hell really knows what the true story is, or what's a marketing ploy. But I was kind of disappointed because the narrative voice and style was eerily similar to Junkie, Burroughs' first novel. Did Burroughs outright steal this from Jack Black? I had the same feeling while reading John Fante's work - it sounded exactly like Bukowski. Chinaski
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I thought the book was great. I read it with tremendous interest. Jack Black wrote this in 1926. He wrote about a lot of things that I am curious about - riding the rails, tramping in general, being a thief, doing time in prison. Now I said I was curious but I did not mean that I have any desire to repeat his experiences. I meant that I really wanted to get a fresh view from his perspective. And it was fresh. At times it was like Hollywood shows it, at other times completely different.
He wrote a ...more
He wrote a ...more
You Can’t Win is a romance story, or at least it’s romantic. It’s about deviating from the path that’s expected of you to one of your own choosing, a path free from the influence of government and polite society. On this second path, your responsibilities are governed only by a transactional code of honour between you and the person next to you; a compelling idea in the world of 2012.
And that would be the entirety of the book – if you only skimmed the introduction by William S. Burroughs and the ...more
And that would be the entirety of the book – if you only skimmed the introduction by William S. Burroughs and the ...more
A major inspiration for Burroughs, it seems, this is a book unlike many else. How many other stories are there of 19th Century vagabonds and junkies? Equal parts Genet and Deadwood, this shows the side of America at that time left out of conventional narratives, whether that narrative is the Hollywood Western or the Victorian novel of manners. Here is a uniquely filthy, depraved world, albeit one not without camaraderie and hope, depicted with grace and passion. For those of us who have an
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one of my favorite parts of this book is when the author describes the wino scene in turn-of-the-century san francisco. it's basically a large common room, everyone brings their own cup, there are people laid out along the walls, passed out drunk. there is a huge pot of stew, with ingredients coming from whatever scraps were on-hand. once a day the dead are culled from the sleepers and taken out to free up space for the next hopeless drunk.
I bought this book at a now defunct left wing bookstore. I bought because I felt guilty about browsing so long. A wonderful autobiography, and perhaps the best I've ever read by a nonprofessional writer. A fascinating life this guy lead.
Loved it. I loved the window it gives into the late 19th century, a time before police radios, credit checks, and widespread fingerprinting. A time when paper money was not completely trusted. A time when grizzled civil war veterans populated hobo jungles and strait jackets were used to punish prisoners.
I also loved it from a security perspective. The author's objectives (anonymity, recon, break-ins, secure drops) were analogous to those of a computer hacker and he came up with some ingenious ...more
I also loved it from a security perspective. The author's objectives (anonymity, recon, break-ins, secure drops) were analogous to those of a computer hacker and he came up with some ingenious ...more
What an immensely tough life to have lead. Reading books from this era of life never ails to enthrall me. And specifically learning about hobos and the like, crime and the lower classes of this era is fully satiated from this read. What a point in history!
Jack Black's amazing life story, filled with petty thievery, narrow escapes, prison breaks, and hobo jungles. An insider's look at transience and crime in Depression Era America. A truly unique book.
Perhaps my all-time favorite. What is there to say about a man beaten down by life, looking back at the mistakes he's made? The humor and violence of Jack's life are really remarkable. The stories he has to tell about "The Johnson Family" of hobos and thieves are just incredible.
Anyone who has ever even broken the speed limit should read this. A bit too individualist and product of its time, but other than that...
I heard about this book on an NPR game show, where Natasha Lyonne said it was her favorite, so I gave it a shot.
Though an autobiography, this reads like a work of fiction. Action-packed and suspenseful, this story follows Jack Black (an early 20th century hobo, not the present-day comic and videogamesman) around the U.S. and Canada along the rails from one heist to the next.
Along the way, Mr. Black provides the reader with a wide breadth of insight into riding the rails, cracking a safe, ...more
Though an autobiography, this reads like a work of fiction. Action-packed and suspenseful, this story follows Jack Black (an early 20th century hobo, not the present-day comic and videogamesman) around the U.S. and Canada along the rails from one heist to the next.
Along the way, Mr. Black provides the reader with a wide breadth of insight into riding the rails, cracking a safe, ...more
An interesting piece of social history following the story of someone living life on the road, living as a hobo, traveling the boxcars, and being drawn into the life of the petty criminal, slipping in and out of jail. Once you get over the social history part, the way hobos folded the clothes and placed their shoes when they slept, the meetings and information exchanges between different people on the road, the actual stories are pretty dull, and Jack Black does nothing to evoke tension or
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I enjoy reading about an interesting life, and this man's experiences are fascinating.
Jack Black (probably not his real name) outlines his story in an honest and open manner, sparing the reader few gory details.
I must admit that there was a part of the book, around a third of the way through, that I became more than a little disgusted by his tales of unconscionable crimes, seemingly told with relish for those good old days.
But the overall message of the book (one I will not spoil for any ...more
Jack Black (probably not his real name) outlines his story in an honest and open manner, sparing the reader few gory details.
I must admit that there was a part of the book, around a third of the way through, that I became more than a little disgusted by his tales of unconscionable crimes, seemingly told with relish for those good old days.
But the overall message of the book (one I will not spoil for any ...more
This is a fun book. It reads like an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, which makes sense because it was first published in 1926. It presents itself as an evangelical testament to the evils of a life of lawlessness.
The narrator describes his many misadventures as a professional thief. In his eyes the highest thing a person could be was a member of the 'Johnson Family'. The Johnson Family refers to people who mind their own business and who will aid others to stay out of the hands of the law.
The novel ...more
The narrator describes his many misadventures as a professional thief. In his eyes the highest thing a person could be was a member of the 'Johnson Family'. The Johnson Family refers to people who mind their own business and who will aid others to stay out of the hands of the law.
The novel ...more
Such an insanely refreshing book. Written in another time when this was a far simpler country, this book is free of today’s silly attempts to fuse literature with mass marketing. There are no writing styles, no flashy gimmicks to wow lit agents, no dumbed down PC dialogue for the pampered YA market. Just simple, strong, fluid, beautiful writing.
Jack Black does what Kerouac strived so hard to and just couldn’t get right from his aunt's basement in Bayonne, he grabs you by the wrist and hauls you ...more
Jack Black does what Kerouac strived so hard to and just couldn’t get right from his aunt's basement in Bayonne, he grabs you by the wrist and hauls you ...more
"Justice is a word that resides in the dictionary. It occasionally makes its escape, but is promptly caught and put back where it belongs." Every bit as true today as it was when this book was written. Probably even more true nowadays.
"My experience with short rations in many places has convinced me that we would all be healthier and better nourished if we ate half as much food and chewed it twice as long." Another bit of wisdom from Jack Black that has more relevance today than it did when he ...more
"My experience with short rations in many places has convinced me that we would all be healthier and better nourished if we ate half as much food and chewed it twice as long." Another bit of wisdom from Jack Black that has more relevance today than it did when he ...more
Having heard of this book through my studies of the Beat Generation writers (they were deeply inspired by it, especially Burroughs), imagine my surprise when I found a first edition copy in an antique shop in Morrison,CO for only $2.00! (It's been reprinted and is easily available now.) The sordid, autobiographical tale of a petty criminal and wanderer, You Can't Win is a fascinating book, and necessary reading for Beat Generation fans.
Was made aware of the title through reading The Place of Dead Roads by WSB and was delighted to see the passages that he had lifted from memory after all those years. This is a pulp style biography of a drifter and criminal and occasional addict who lived by a code of ethics that are probably higher than your average New York or London banker.
Recommended historic yarn of a life of crime and punishment.
Recommended historic yarn of a life of crime and punishment.
A fun book, I always wanted to know what a “highwayman” was.
That said: most of it is bullshit. But fun bullshit.
There is dialogue where some "highwayman" mentions “Psychology”.
Considering when this book was written I find that hard to believe.
Some of this book was written by someone other than “Jack Black”.
That said: most of it is bullshit. But fun bullshit.
There is dialogue where some "highwayman" mentions “Psychology”.
Considering when this book was written I find that hard to believe.
Some of this book was written by someone other than “Jack Black”.
This is an actually a very amazing book. Written in the early 20th Century, William S. Burroughs took the 'voice' of this book and used it consistently through out his career. He admits that this was a blueprint to his own writing. But beyond that, "You Can't Win" is a great document of hobo life in the U.S. A truly classic book!
Written very plainly which makes it read realistically. It was an interesting story about being a criminal, but I found the stories from the prisons and jails to be the most memorable. While living outside the law sounds like a blast - those jail stories were scary. I heard they are making this into a movie. It would adapt to a script easily.
Mar 26, 2016
Moonit
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
non-fiction,
western,
crime-and-justice,
coming-of-age,
a-plus-plus,
page-turner,
social-justice,
history
This book was fantastic. Socially relevant to now. It's to do with an old timey train hopping hobo and his life of crime and rehabilitation. Straightforward and fascinating. Filled with adventure, compassion and musings on the human condition. I loved it.
Jan 08, 2008
Matthew
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
people who like themselves.
Recommended to Matthew by:
matteo vianello
hobos, bulglarly, murder, prostitutes, prison, heroin.
true story. amazing. An America I actually wish still existed.
skip the last chapter (unless you want to read a 1920's version of the last five minutes of a full house episode), but read the epilogue about the author's death.
true story. amazing. An America I actually wish still existed.
skip the last chapter (unless you want to read a 1920's version of the last five minutes of a full house episode), but read the epilogue about the author's death.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| What's the Name o...: SOLVED: Fictional memoir of a turn-of-the-century petty criminal. [s] | 8 | 49 | Sep 13, 2014 12:34PM |
Readers also enjoyed
John Black was a late 19th century/early 20th century hobo and professional burglar, living out the dying age of the Wild West. He wrote You Can't Win (Macmillan, 1926) a memoir or sketched autobiography describing his days on the road and life as an outlaw. Black's book was written as an anti-crime book urging criminals to go straight but is also his statement of belief in the futility of prisons
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“I was wrong. I knew I was wrong, and yet I persisted. If that is possible of any explanation it is this: From the day I left my father my lines had been cast, or I cast them myself, among crooked people. I had not spent one hour in the company of an honest person. I had lived in an atmosphere of larceny, theft, crime. I thought in terms of theft. Houses were built to be burglarized, citizens were to be robbed, police to be avoided and hated, stool pigeons to be chastised, and thieves to be cultivated and protected. That was my code; the code of my companions. That was the atmosphere I breathed. 'If you live with wolves, you will learn to howl.”
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“There were times when I thought I got a bit more punishment than was coming to me, but I don't regret a minute of it now. Each of us must be tempered in some fire. Nobody had more to do with choosing the fire that tempered me than myself, and instead of finding fault with the fire I give thanks that I had the metal to take the temper and hold it.”
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