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John O'Brien's debut novel was published in 1990, making it the only one in his very short body of work that was published before his death by suicide in 1994, only two weeks after finding out that his novel would be made into a movie. The way O'Brien's life ended might be the reason why Leaving Las Vegas feels so honest and real.
This is less about how to deal with addiction than about the moments after Ben's decision to end his life, and the resolve that follows. Ben is too far gone for a mirac ...more
This is less about how to deal with addiction than about the moments after Ben's decision to end his life, and the resolve that follows. Ben is too far gone for a mirac ...more
I don't remember the movie very well, but the book takes the cliche of the drunkard and the hooker and humanizes them so the story is tragic, rather than maudlin or moralistic. The reality is that Sera and Ben are universals of the human condition and any ability to connect between men and women enters the realm of the miraculous.
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Feb 03, 2018
Keeley
marked it as to-read
