Story novels about alcoholism?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 213
Story novels about alcoholism?
Does anyone know of any good story novels with characters dealing with either addiction or alcoholism fiction or non-fiction?? Other than the basic literature we all know of in AA.. I am just curious.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 226
I really liked "Dry" by Augusten Burroughs (and I love his "Magical Thinking," though it's more about life than about his drinking/drugging). I also have enjoyed "Drinking: A Love Story" by Caroline Knapp; "The Night of the Gun" is good; and I am currently reading "Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man" by Bill Clegg, and it's pretty good. I've read lots of memoirs about drinking and using, but these are the only ones I would recommend as most of the others are either poorly written and executed, or pompous, or boring. Hope this helps!
rode hard and put away wet
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 999
Those were all really good ones, viavai!
Also, More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction by Elizabeth Wurtzel
Wake Up, Sir by Jonathan Ames
Susan Cheever's Note Found in a Bottle
That's all I can think of right now.
Also, More, Now, Again: A Memoir of Addiction by Elizabeth Wurtzel
Wake Up, Sir by Jonathan Ames
Susan Cheever's Note Found in a Bottle
That's all I can think of right now.
One moment at a time.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 213
Thanks a lot guys for the quick replies.. I didn't really start reading until I first joined the military to pass some of the down time while deployed and lately I've wanted to get back into a good novel but it seems that the only thing I think would spark my interest is good stories about characters with problems with drinking/using. Thanks again, and I will definitelly be picking up a few of those suggestions.
A work in progress
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: South Jersey
Posts: 16,633
Under the Volcano, by Malcolm Lowry (novel)
Symptoms of Withdrawal, by Christopher Lawford (memoir)
Broken, by William C. Moyers (memoir)
Moments of Clarity, by Christopher Lawford (collection of personal stories)
Symptoms of Withdrawal, by Christopher Lawford (memoir)
Broken, by William C. Moyers (memoir)
Moments of Clarity, by Christopher Lawford (collection of personal stories)
Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Los Angeles, California
Posts: 8,326
"Rummies" by Peter Benchley. It's a fiction about a detective who's in rehab solving a murder. I thought it was amusing and it seemed the author knew a bit about alcoholism and recovery.
Love,
Lenina
Love,
Lenina
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 525
A Million Little Pieces was a best seller. Story is that it became a best seller because Oprah talked it up. Then, someone researched the story and found the author's autobiography was half-truths.
Anyway, i never read that.
The one i liked best was "Drinking: A Love Story". I listened to it on audiobook, read by the author.
I also read this one by ex presidential candidate George McGovern. it's truly sad. His daughter got so drunk that she passed out in the snow and died. But that occured after at least ten+ years of therapy, rehab houses and all kinds of help. The daughter, Terry, once got out of rehab after being there 6 months. She seemed sincere to stop drinking. but within a day or two, she stopped at a bar on the street and got extremely drunk within an hour. She seemed truly helpless to alcohol.
Reading about the tragedy this drug brings is good therapy.
Terry : My Daughter's Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism
Anyway, i never read that.
The one i liked best was "Drinking: A Love Story". I listened to it on audiobook, read by the author.
I also read this one by ex presidential candidate George McGovern. it's truly sad. His daughter got so drunk that she passed out in the snow and died. But that occured after at least ten+ years of therapy, rehab houses and all kinds of help. The daughter, Terry, once got out of rehab after being there 6 months. She seemed sincere to stop drinking. but within a day or two, she stopped at a bar on the street and got extremely drunk within an hour. She seemed truly helpless to alcohol.
Reading about the tragedy this drug brings is good therapy.
Terry : My Daughter's Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism
Last edited by Dee74; 10-31-2010 at 10:38 PM. Reason: removed commercial link
One moment at a time.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 213
Originally Posted by AcceptingChange 
A Million Little Pieces was a best seller. Story is that it became a best seller because Oprah talked it up. Then, someone researched the story and found the author's autobiography was half-truths.
Thanks for the suggestion on Drinking: A Love Story. I believe I have heard about that book from somewhere but I can't be sure, I'm going to have to look in to it.
and thanks again to everyone else aswell these are some good replies.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 213
Originally Posted by Spirit08
Crazy Heart with Jeff Bridges was really good. Not sure if it's a book though.
One moment at a time.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 213
Originally Posted by Spiritual Seeker
Many of the recommended books are available at the public library.
I'm kind of wierd and picky in a way that I need to buy things to be my own and brand new so I can break them in myself lol...
I'm probably going to run to Barnes and Noble in a bit and pick up a few of the suggested books.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: the high desert
Posts: 887
Originally Posted by GreenAces
Crazy Heart is a GREAT movie, I started watching that for the second time last night before bed.. I love it, such a good story, I am going to have to finish it tonight.
All of it is Albuquerque, where I currently live. It was hilarious seeing that at the thearter here!
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Location: massachusetts
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I happen to love Anne Lamott. Her essays, rather than her fiction (Grace: Eventually, Traveling Mercies). She speaks more about how she handles life sober...so it's more about recovery. She's quirky, irreverent, honest and spiritual.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Norfolk, VA
Posts: 213
So I made the trip to Barnes and Noble and I decided to pick up "Dry" by Augusten Burroughs and "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey..
I'm going to go ahead and start digging into Dry tonight.
I'm going to go ahead and start digging into Dry tonight.
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