A review by rebeccavenchers
The Corner by David Simon
5.0
Anyone who knows me has been subjected to my love for 'The Wire', mostly though my melding of quotes from the show into my everyday language. The show is one of my all time favourite series, and one day, when perusing the shelves in the famous Parisian bookstore Shakespeare and Company, I saw this book sitting there, jumping out at me. It was one that I was familiar with, being a fan of the show and having seen the book before, and despite the 15 euro price I snapped it up quickly and had it stamped by the bookstore.
Months later, I finally decided to take on the 600+ page brick. I had always wanted to read more about the people that were the inspiration for The Wire. I can safely say that this is one of the most incredible books I've ever read. Set in 1993, the book is divided into the four seasons and focuses on one broken family, the McCullough's in West Baltimore and their friends, family, enemies and acquaintances along the notorious open air drug market surrounding Fayette Street.
The form of the book is very difficult to describe. Some of the time, it reads like a novel; the intricacy and depth in which the characters are explored and their incredible stories sometimes seem like they could only come from someones imagination. Couple this with the fact that their stores are told is what has been termed 'non-fiction prose' and it almost seems like it is just an intricately woven plot. But, in fact, through not-so-conventional journalistic methods, like integrating themselves into the lives and daily routines of drug addicts, fiends, touts and school children on the edge of the chasm of manhood, the result is a beautifully written account of the hardship where everyday surrounds the needle. Whether or not that person is or isn't a drug addict, everyone is somehow affected by it - drug users whose days revolve around finding enough money to keep the pain of withdrawal at bay, teenage boys selling on the corner to save enough for Nike's with the constant knowledge that a stray bullet could end their short lives, or the upstanding, blue-collar citizens of the area being subjected to an open air drug market on their front porches, or drug addict sons blasting in their basement. They are all affected.
Though all its 628 pages, you may laugh at the capers, or you may cry at the pain and injustice these people suffer but there is always a profound sense of sadness. It prevails in this book because sometimes you forget that it isn't a novel - it is real life, it is fact and these are peoples lives being described. One of the best aspects of the book is the authors' wonderful writing and at times, their seemingly lyrical descriptions of life on the corner, history as it was and what has happened since the publication. Some have fallen, some have moved on, some have stayed and managed to climb out of the depths of addition and reliance on drugs.
But ever present is 'the corner'. The corner, it becomes clear, is a character, in much the same way as Tyreeka, DeAndre, Fran or Gary. It is tangible, always there, lurking with a stranglehold on each and every one of the residents of West Baltimore. And it doesn't care whether they live or die, stay or go - it will always be there, consuming and feeding off the vulnerability of these people. What Burns and Simon have produced is a voice for these people, those who perhaps would never get a chance to be heard or would otherwise be misunderstood. They explain clearly how things have reached this point, why current strategies do not work and freely admit that no-one from the upper echelons of society will be able to understand, and therefore solve the problem. They do this by stating facts, weaving in personal stories and never condescend or write with a patronising voice.
This book is incredible. That's all there is to it. It is not a book to be devoured in a weekend - even if you could, there is no point, because you need to allow the book to seep into you. You need to allow time for the people to become a part of you in order to fully be able to comprehend the triumphs and the downfalls.
Months later, I finally decided to take on the 600+ page brick. I had always wanted to read more about the people that were the inspiration for The Wire. I can safely say that this is one of the most incredible books I've ever read. Set in 1993, the book is divided into the four seasons and focuses on one broken family, the McCullough's in West Baltimore and their friends, family, enemies and acquaintances along the notorious open air drug market surrounding Fayette Street.
The form of the book is very difficult to describe. Some of the time, it reads like a novel; the intricacy and depth in which the characters are explored and their incredible stories sometimes seem like they could only come from someones imagination. Couple this with the fact that their stores are told is what has been termed 'non-fiction prose' and it almost seems like it is just an intricately woven plot. But, in fact, through not-so-conventional journalistic methods, like integrating themselves into the lives and daily routines of drug addicts, fiends, touts and school children on the edge of the chasm of manhood, the result is a beautifully written account of the hardship where everyday surrounds the needle. Whether or not that person is or isn't a drug addict, everyone is somehow affected by it - drug users whose days revolve around finding enough money to keep the pain of withdrawal at bay, teenage boys selling on the corner to save enough for Nike's with the constant knowledge that a stray bullet could end their short lives, or the upstanding, blue-collar citizens of the area being subjected to an open air drug market on their front porches, or drug addict sons blasting in their basement. They are all affected.
Though all its 628 pages, you may laugh at the capers, or you may cry at the pain and injustice these people suffer but there is always a profound sense of sadness. It prevails in this book because sometimes you forget that it isn't a novel - it is real life, it is fact and these are peoples lives being described. One of the best aspects of the book is the authors' wonderful writing and at times, their seemingly lyrical descriptions of life on the corner, history as it was and what has happened since the publication. Some have fallen, some have moved on, some have stayed and managed to climb out of the depths of addition and reliance on drugs.
But ever present is 'the corner'. The corner, it becomes clear, is a character, in much the same way as Tyreeka, DeAndre, Fran or Gary. It is tangible, always there, lurking with a stranglehold on each and every one of the residents of West Baltimore. And it doesn't care whether they live or die, stay or go - it will always be there, consuming and feeding off the vulnerability of these people. What Burns and Simon have produced is a voice for these people, those who perhaps would never get a chance to be heard or would otherwise be misunderstood. They explain clearly how things have reached this point, why current strategies do not work and freely admit that no-one from the upper echelons of society will be able to understand, and therefore solve the problem. They do this by stating facts, weaving in personal stories and never condescend or write with a patronising voice.
This book is incredible. That's all there is to it. It is not a book to be devoured in a weekend - even if you could, there is no point, because you need to allow the book to seep into you. You need to allow time for the people to become a part of you in order to fully be able to comprehend the triumphs and the downfalls.