The Grass Arena (A Book Recommendation)

I recently read John Healy’s autobiographical memoir, The Grass Arena. The book, first published in 1988, recounts Healy's harrowing life story, focusing on his descent into alcoholism, homelessness, street violence, jail time, and his eventual redemption through his passion for playing chess.

The book had been out of print for several years but was re-issued in 2008

I picked it up after reading somewhere that the actor Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) was a big fan of the book. He put it in his top 10 favorites. I'm always curious about what other great artists are influenced by.

Murphey said:

I had heard about this book for many years before I read it. Ostensibly, it is the autobiography of a former alcoholic who chronicles his struggles living rough on the streets of London in a vivid and unique style, but it is more than that. It is the story of determination and rebirth, the tale of a chess champion who overcomes a savage childhood to live again. A powerful book indeed.

He wasn’t the only one.

Daniel Day-Lewis, too, was greatly moved by this book. He once said that Healy was a master storyteller “with an ear, an eye, and a voice that should be the envy of many men with weightier reputations.” He went on to say that “we are utterly compelled both by the power of Healy’s story and his great power in the telling of it, no matter how bleak the outlook, to stay by his side until his last word is writ.”

Besides the great storytelling, what I love most is his raw prose. Healy writes with grit and muscle—short, witty sentences that pack a punch. No fluff. No pretentious meandering.

It’s hard to categorize his writing style. But if we tried, we might say he writes in a partially journalistic manner with Bukowski's guts and toughness interlaced with Saul Bellow's perceptive literary and self-revelatory exposition.

Anyway, I want to give you a taste of his writing. Below is one of my favorite passages from the book that captures the essence of his rock-bottom life before the grace of a new passion became his salvation. I hope you enjoy it.