Reviews for Assault on Tony's

The average rating for Assault on Tony's based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-10-19 00:00:00 Humza Paruk Great if you are a lit fan and into symbolism-imho. Taken literally it is a chaotic look at alcoholics and their disease. Metaphorically, it could be seen as the attack that an addict forces upon himself. The riot representing the decay and crumbling of one's dignity and morality as seen from the outside, while the clients inside represent the inner demons visited upon the addict as he attempts to stave off the most basic animal instinct-survival, in order to exterminate himself. Or at least that's how I see it. As metaphorical lit it's a 5 plus As a novel a 2. As an aside the author's father considered this to be his son's magnum opus. Based on the imagery and havoc that characterizes the book, that makes sense to me. It's almost like the author opened up his being to expose those inner demons buffeting his existence to us.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-10-31 00:00:00 Mandi Nichol 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? While this is a very American story there are lessons for Canadians here as well. The door between us and the disenfranchised may be more frail than we think. Recommended.