testpattern's review against another edition
5.0
What this book really communicates to me is a feeling of compassion and love to all mankind, told in the inimitable, witty, whiskey-breathed voice of St. Brendan.
inordertofly's review
This was very difficult to read, but an interesting insight nonetheless.
cailinrua's review
3.0
i really don’t know how to feel about this book. surprisingly i found the first part where he spends his time in walton prison much more interesting than the actual part about him in borstal, i don’t know why. a bit disappointed after having seen the film and also after having read confessions of an irish rebel, which i enjoyed much more than this book. i guess the whole cult around it made me get my expectations up by a lot but it left me kind of hanging. not as funny as i thought it would be (even though some parts made me laugh really hard) and i was often annoyed by brendan and his unfunny lies (the one with the part worn screw) and his whole centrist attitude lmao but all in all it was an interesting and fairly entertaining read. probably bc behan himself was just a really interesting character and i am kind of fascinated by him.
poppydavenport's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. Surprisingly warm and with lots of little displays of kindness.
bryannoise's review against another edition
4.0
A surprisingly fun-to-read book, the language is great, a wild mix of british isles dialogues, cockney slang, and prison slang, all artfully compared and contrasted.
It's very upbeat for a prison book, and there's not much of a story arc or structure, it's fairly stream-of-consciousness. Some greater truths are very slowly revealed, and Behan grows as a person, but there's not much drama and very few shocks or twists, it's as if he found the monotony and structure of prison relaxing, and prison becomes easier and more pleasurable for him as time passes. He portrays himself in a very flattering light, and while he's self-depricating about his few flaws, it's almost frustrating how everything keeps going his way. He's constantly pandering to both his captors and other inmates, finding common ground to keep everyone happy, which is probably a good strategy for getting through prison, and life in general, but not great for dramatic conflict, ha.
But the book is altogether very enjoyable, I look forward to reading his fiction.
It's very upbeat for a prison book, and there's not much of a story arc or structure, it's fairly stream-of-consciousness. Some greater truths are very slowly revealed, and Behan grows as a person, but there's not much drama and very few shocks or twists, it's as if he found the monotony and structure of prison relaxing, and prison becomes easier and more pleasurable for him as time passes. He portrays himself in a very flattering light, and while he's self-depricating about his few flaws, it's almost frustrating how everything keeps going his way. He's constantly pandering to both his captors and other inmates, finding common ground to keep everyone happy, which is probably a good strategy for getting through prison, and life in general, but not great for dramatic conflict, ha.
But the book is altogether very enjoyable, I look forward to reading his fiction.
rainsofcastameh's review
1.0
1.5 stars
It was boring and I was forced to read it, so there's that. It's just... it took more than half the book before it even got slightly interesting and yeah, I can appreciate that this was an influencial book and all, but hell was it boring. NOTHING HAPPENED. He got a book about the IRA and stuff in the ward-thingy he was in, which looked like it would be important to the story but nope, they never mentioned it again..
It was boring and I was forced to read it, so there's that. It's just... it took more than half the book before it even got slightly interesting and yeah, I can appreciate that this was an influencial book and all, but hell was it boring. NOTHING HAPPENED. He got a book about the IRA and stuff in the ward-thingy he was in, which looked like it would be important to the story but nope, they never mentioned it again..
Spoiler
AND THEN THEY KILLED OFF CHARLIE?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND. Fuck this shit. I didn't like it.