Thanks to #DreamscapeMedia and #NetGalley for the timely loaner of #Requiem for a Dream ON AUDIOBOOK which was RELEASED yesterday, NOV 19 2024 and narrated by #WilliamDeMeritt who does an absolutely outstanding job tackling accents and nuances for every character in the novel..

Harry and Sara Goldfarb of Bronx, NY, as well as Tyrone C. Love and Marion Silver, are the primary characters amid an array of others from drug dealers to the sun-worshipping older women with whom Sara congregates to regale them with tales of being "on the television" and on losing weight to fit in a special red dress with gold shoes. These are not spoilers, just examples of the incredibly poignant details with which Selby Jr. paints this brutally heartbreaking novel from start to finish.

This book is NOT for the light-hearted -- it's a gritty, authentic, and devastating account of the irreversible and deadly consequences of spiraling addiction(s) -- to substances (esp. heroin), to dreams, to nostalgia, to validation, and later on to secrets, betrayals, thievery, and whatever it takes to maintain the soul-sucking habits that seem to hold no bottom(s). This book is a collective heartbreak but, like all the best books I've read, it's filled with humor and irony and vivid, powerful prose.

I can't say enough about the choice of the narrator: William DeMeritt simply kills it -- brings it to life. And while the book is famously challenging for its idiosyncratic use of language and grammar (or lack thereof), none of this comes through on the DeMerritt's narrative performance. The content and quality of the writing, heard through this narrator's talents, is like listening to a stage play or tragic film and then allowing your mind to conjure the twisted imagery.

It is THAT good. But, truly, it is also THAT dark. One of the darkest books I've ever read. And Darren Aronofsky adapted Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1972 novel into a stellar and unforgettable film in December of 2000 winning multiple awards (esp. for Ellen Burstyn's portrayal of Sara Goldfarb - probably the most crushing all-around fate of all - and all outcomes are crushing) as well as adapted screenplay, directing (noms and wins).

If you are a reader who 1/ has read and enjoyed this novel, 2/ has seen and enjoyed the film adaptation, 3/ has a HIGH tolerance for extremely gritty and often offensive (!!) language (intertwined with GORGEOUS prose and characters who POP), and 4/ just plain love a well-narrated book regardless of the pain level of the story -- YOU MUST EXPERIENCE THIS ON #AUDIOBOOK!!!!

I am going to delve into Selby Jr's other (for me, lesser known) books and there is no doubt he wrote from the real and held nothing back. I needed a lot of quiet time to absorb the experience once I finished this ~ 8.5 hour gem, to write a thoughtful and careful review, and again to express my appreciation for the opportunity to listen to it and provide a review thanks to Dreamscape and Net Galley.