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John O'Brien

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The Assault on Tony's Kindle Edition

by John O'Brien (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.0 26 ratings

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As a riot rages outside a bar, patrons barricaded inside face their own battle in a “brilliant and twisted” novel by the author of Leaving Las Vegas (The Kansas City Star).

Completed posthumously, The Assault on Tony’s is an unapologetic, unsentimental, and at times exuberant examination of the joys and sorrows of intoxication, written with the same unflinching eye and grim wit that made John O’Brien’s Leaving Las Vegas an instant classic.

Barricaded in a bar called Tony’s while a race riot rages outside, five affluent white men—all strangers—are united by their desire to drink to the end, no matter what. Social alliances are forged and challenged as each member of this macabre party ignores his fears in favor of keeping his tumbler full to the brim. As time goes on and the liquor supply starts to dwindle, the novel reaches a gritty intensity that explores the highs and lows of the human spirit.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

John O'Brien's first novel, Leaving Las Vegas, which was turned into an Oscar-winning movie, focused on the despair of the alcoholic; so too does this second novel, but with an even darker vision. O'Brien killed himself before he finished it (his sister, Erin, wrote the conclusion from his notes). The book is set in the near future, in Tony's bar, with the world outside consumed in a fury of race violence. While the pressures of that world impinge on the middle-class white barflys at Tony's, their main concern is the supply of booze. Passionate and wrenching.

Review

Praise for The Assault on Tony’s
“O’Brien’s singular voice . . . [takes] us deep into an alcoholic’s world that we others have described so well.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Haunting.” —Chicago Tribune

“You’ll wish . . . that John O’Brien was still alive and writing.” —The Kansas City Star

“Metaphorically rich and remarkably smart.” —Cleveland Magazine

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005LPUBJY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grove Press (December 1, 2007)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 2007
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3683 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 226 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #143,217 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #239 in Psychological Literary Fiction
- #317 in Dark Humor
- #1,022 in Contemporary Literary Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.0 26 ratings

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John O'Brien

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JOHN O’BRIEN was born in 1960 and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to Los Angeles in 1982 with then-wife Lisa. During his lifetime, he was a busboy, file clerk, and coffee roaster, but writing was his true calling. He committed suicide in April 1994 at age thirty-three. His published fiction includes Better, Leaving Las Vegas, The Assault on Tony’s, and Stripper Lessons.

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4 out of 5

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Scott Short

Odd premise for a novel, a bit uneven, but lots of brilliant parts

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013

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I'm very surprised that this is not more well known. (I looked at several bookstores before purchasing on line, and most of the people I spoke to had never heard of John O'Brien). Some of the characters blend together at times (most are gun toting alcoholics). Some of their inner thoughts on life, culture, human nature, etc. show O'Brien's genius. I was blown away by parts of this. Surprised that this came from someone under 33 years old. The afterward is incredibly sad (by John's sister) and conveys heartfelt love. If you know a bit about the author's bio, it makes the story even more moving.

2 people found this helpful

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Richard A. Herman

Not easy to follow

Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2013

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This is a writer that had a lot to say in his short life. However, I find the writing a little unsteady and, at times, hard to follow. If you know the history of the writer it makes the reading easier.

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2014

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This book is brilliant and it is also very disturbing with despair creeping through like ooze. Like a mirror on the alcoholic experience their is a need for alcohol without it ever quite providing the hoped for comfort. The characters are for the most part shorn of redeeming features and in the end we are left with an unpleasant allegory for social breakdown and withdrawal. The utility and ultimate uselessness of guns is also a theme; what are our weapons in the end. Recommended.

2 people found this helpful

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Sparky

Dark, leaden, despairing, unique

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2004

I'm a big admirer of John O'Brien's work but there's something at the heart of this book that transcends literature and gives me the creeps. I have never read a novel that gives off such intensely despairing and black vibrations. There really is a power to this book, but to me it's a negative energy. I had the horrible feeling when reading this of witnessing something that wasn't meant for public view. When you know the history behind this book you'll understand what I mean. I don't mean the prose style -that's just fine- rather the count down to the writer's exit. People have said that "Leaving Las Vegas" was John O'Brien's suicide note -I disagree: this was the note and once you've read it you're not sure you should have. A testament to the unique power that novels still have.

17 people found this helpful

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Dex

Fantastic

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2017

I absolutely loved this book. If you are a big drinker it certainly reads loud and clear. Very powerful, the build up is tremendous. Highly recommend.

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Danny Barbeau

Sweet Little Combination

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2000

Well, I've always been a fan of the "end of the world" scenarios. Ranging from Romero's zombie trilogy to anything with nuclear war, and this was a beautiful little twist on it. Told from the point of view of hard core alcoholics. Only work I've read by O'Brien, and I was quite impressed, it's a shame he's not around to keep writing, and expanding his skills. The last paragraph of the book was just perfect. And his sister's afterword is very moving.

8 people found this helpful

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Jeffrey G. Eisenberg

My Own Private Dry Storage

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2002

I need to collaborate on a biography of this O'Brien fellow...any takers?

One person found this helpful

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