Brendan Behan

by Ulick O'Connor

When Brendan Behan died in 1964 at the age of 41, he had rung the changes in his short bomber, gunman, borstal boy, alcoholic and, finally, international literary figure with the success of "The Quare Fellow", "The Hostage" and "Borstal Boy". But Behan drowned his talent in a whiskey bottle and became the caricature of an Irish stage drunk, clowning his way with oaths and stories between bars in Dublin, London, Paris and New York. Written in association with his widow, his mother and others of his family and friends, and old IRA comrades, this is a biography of Brendan Behan.

Genres: Biography, Ireland, Irish Literature, History

Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Ulick O'Connor was an Irish writer, historian and critic.

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific, comprehensive, warts-and-all biography of the superb playwright and raconteur Brendan Behan by fellow Dubliner, Ulick O'Connor. This book is an excellent mix of anecdote, remembrances, and quotes from Behan's life, writings, and interviews. Behan is one of my favorite writers, and it was a joy to read this account of the late "daylight Atheist" himself.

[Len · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long time ago I remember seeing a recording of Brendan Behan's BBC interview with Malcolm Muggeridge. I must have been quite young as I can only recall being both amused and disgusted at watching an adult having little or no control of himself. My father was in the room at the time and I think I sensed even then an ambivalence in his thoughts – he admired Behan as an intelligent, forthright, articulate working class man but he could not accept the stupefied alcoholic drivel that Behan was allowing to put a smug smile on Muggeridge's public school face.

Ulick O'Connor exposes Behan's worst side. Forget the IRA and borstal and the sentence for the attempted murder of a police officer, this is Behan the drunk, Behan the pub crawler, Behan the literary man clouded by drink, Behan the slurred raconteur, Behan the fool, Behan the formidable, loquacious, inebriated, broth of a laughing boy, drinking his way to death. He wrote Borstal Boy, The Quare Fellow and The Hostage, poems in Gaelic and little else of value. He ended as a man remarkable only for his capacity to down Guinness, whiskey and later champagne in quantities that repulse most people. I'm sorry, but it is difficult to be kind about someone who destroyed himself for so little.