Orangutan: A Memoir

by Colin Broderick

Few people who have been slave to an addiction as vicious, as destructive, and as unrelenting as Colin Broderick's have lived to tell their tale. Fewer still have emerged from the darkest depths of alcoholism—from the perpetual fistfights and muggings, car crashes and blackouts—to tell the harrowing truth about the modern Irish immigrant experience.

Orangutan is the story of a generation of young men and women in search of identity in a foreign land, both in love with and at odds with the country they've made their home. So much more than just another memoir about battling addiction, Orangutan is an odyssey across the unforgiving terrain of 1980s, '90s, and post-9/11 America.

Whether he is languishing in the boozy squalor of the Bronx, coke-fueled and manic in the streets of Manhattan, chasing Hunter S. Thompson's American Dream from San Francisco to the desert, or turning the South into his beer-soaked playground, Broderick plainly and unflinchingly charts what it means to be Irish in America, and how the grips of heritage can destroy a man's soul. But brutal though Orangutan may be, it is ultimately a story of hope and redemption—it is the story of an Irish drunk unlike any you've met before.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Addiction, Adult

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Colin Broderick is a playwright, filmmaker and author. He has written a previous memoir, Orangutan. He currently lives and works in New York City.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few books have left me as speechless as Colin Broderick's "Orangutan." In the rich (and well-represented) "junkie memoir" genre, whose staple is, in part, to shock the reader over the writer's compulsion and self-destruction, it's hard to render me so floored, so impressed, at both power of prose and will of spirit to overcome. This guy is the real deal. Among the top few I've ever read (and I feel like I've read them all). Broderick excels at balancing the hope against the hopeless, the beauty and want to love against the desire to die. But here's the best part: he doesn't apologize. Not that he's romancing or proud of much of the behavior, but he recognizes that doing so after the fact is somewhat pointless. And the good part still shine no matter how rotten, if you can find where to look. Here it's the city at sunrise, the snippets of poetry to keep him holding on, the documentary that shares the secret story. There are forces far more powerful than the self at play. In the recovery genre, you can get a lot of apologists. And for good reason. It's a selfish, harmful lifestyle. Still, these sort of addictions coincide with the traditional bildungsroman; these books are about growing up. And few complete that process without stumbling. I am sure there are plenty of folks who go to school, pick the career, get married and live happily. But they don't write books. At least not the kind people want to read. What compels are those trips to hell's end, those real crises of character; and when a writer as skillful as Broderick brings you along for the journey, it is enthralling.

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what I always think when I read an addiction memoir: How do people remember so much in such detail when they are wasted all the time?

Definitely one of life’s greatest mysteries.

[Roxanne Meek · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this gritty substance abuse memoir, it's evident that alcoholism is endemic to the Irish! I really enjoyed this story and although at times I was enraged at Colin's behavior , at how he messed up his, and other people's lives, more often than not I found myself really rooting for him to make sobriety stick. He makes no apologies for his addiction and it clearly wasn't written for atonement but he was, and is, a like-able guy, notably sensitive and kind when sober. It's hard not to want someone who loves books, the written word and who dreams of becoming a writer, to succeed. An entertaining and at times really funny memoir that looks into the mind of an addict.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this page turning tale of drunken debauchery in New York City. The author warns us from the beginning that it will not be a pleasant story and at times it will get downright ugly. Read at your own risk, but it is worth it.

A good deal of the book was very funny, the type of comedy that comes out of deep and hopeless tragedy. Much of it is an absolute laugh out loud -- so beware of reading this on the subway or other public places. I loved the author's spot on and insightful descriptions of life's quirky situations. His cast of characters are hilarious, too. Crazy excessive drunks, construction workers, co-dependent women, drug dealers. A few parts of the book are a bit disgusting (but hey, we have been warned!) Just when we think Colin has hit the lowest of low bottoms, he manages to sink even lower. Not for the weak of stomach. Don't expect apologies or justifications. This is a book of truth.

Although there are many tales of hopeless alcoholism, there are a few silver linings, too. I highly recommend this book as a funny, entertaining read, and also for anyone interested in what really goes on in the mind of an addict. Fascinating stuff.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was mostly disappointed in this and reading it reminded me of how underated James Frey's A Million Little Pieces is. It was an ok train read, but the writing was mostly flat with a lot of telling rather than showing. The only thing that sort of redeemed this book was the author was still trying to find ways to drink without falling back into addiction and general outrageous behavior up until the second to the last page of the book, so I like that he didn't miraculously recover and find solace with sobriety. Still, too many loose ends and not enough probing to make this very compelling. And he walks away from too many car crashes without a scrape to make this very believable.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gutted at how raw and brutally beautiful this memoir is. The last chapter is heart-wrenching.

[Donal Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! I recently finished On the Road and genuinely thought it was the biggest load of self important sheite. This is what I was after. I loved it.

[Odessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took this title up when it was published a decade ago, but put it down before finishing the first chapter and never went back, until this time. One of the reasons I gave another try was because the author wrote another memoir That's that a few years ago and I wanted to treat the books as the Irish diaspora material to look into in depth. The particular subject of growing up in Northern Ireland Broderick recounts still interests me but more importantly, I recalled the author's approach to recovery in this book--as far as I had heard him talk on the radio that cued me to pick the book up then in the first place-- still seemed unique or counter intuitive among the addiction and recovery books that mostly involved 'white middle class that is equipped with luxury of going to rehab facilities.' Broderick's emphasis was to have recuperated from severe alcoholism without going through what was considered to be the norm in the US context.

Other than that, I have to admit that I was faced with the same predicament and what put me out in the initial attempt still persisted. I struggled to read on and was put out repeatedly. Despite the fanfare as the opposite, the account's undertone was as self-pity, swagger, sentimentality or glorification of days of being wild and was pretty much like that throughout the book. Reminiscent of A Million Little Pieces, which was brought up with the issue of ethics of the addiction recovery genre and capitalizing it, I could not get over the very trouble that made me to ditch this a decade ago: this book read so much alike A Million... It is not to say that these two different books are telling an identical story or Orangutan was imitating A Million.. But it still is undeniable that the publication of Orangutan was surely treading on the path that had been already forged by the infamous bestseller and there seemed little introspection or criticism into the issue of the formulated memoirs genres and selling new books by jumping on the wagon. Or misery competition. Or whose drugs of choice was more potent than the other's. So how do you handle such phenomena as an author, reader, aspiring memoir writer, editor, publisher, and/or blurb offering fellow writer? Even if this type of debate sounds already outdated as of 2018, it might be a question worthwhile to set to yourself according to how you came across a book as this.

[Peter P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We lay in our attic rooms and slip the devil's noose around our necks and and we fall back into the nightmare of reality." Colin Broderick's memoir is not for the faint of heart. It is particularly discomforting for me, as an Irish immigrant who came to these shores as a young man and who did not live the endless cycle of construction work to bars day in and day out. Broderick's story of his immigrant's journey as an alcoholic and aspiring writer, leaving failed relationships in his wake, is at times funny, but more often dark, depressing and even harrowing. In the end, it has enough truth in it to keep the reader engaged and hopeful that the central character can ultimately save himself from himself.

[S.D Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, funny, poignant. And a lot of Drinking and hilariously dark experiences. Highly recommend to the harrowing Addiction story with a side of some Romantic love. From working for the City, an Irish Immigrant New York experience, and watching other Irish ruffians fight before the Job started and then just work together like nothing happened. To being very close to the Twin Towers on 9/11 as he was on a job. Charismatic, maddening and beautifully dark and sardonic. This man's first half of his life is one of most compelling reads of non-fiction I've ever read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I couldn't put this book down. Wow.

[James Piss · Rating 4 out of 5]

i didnd nkno horangertang was so stresful

[Ismail Elshareef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colin Broderick starts his memoir with a warning. "This is not a pleasant story," he says. "In fact, it's downright ugly in places. But it's my story and I'm not going to apologize for it." Well, he's right. It is ugly and indulgent, but a fascinating and well-written ugly and indulgent story.

The fact that Colin is still alive is beyond me. He actually touches upon that in the book: "I had not died. I was alive. I had been through car accidents, I had been stabbed and hospitalized and almost drowned, and now I had fallen off a roof and I was alive ... God was telling me that I should drink." As glad as I'm that he's still alive and well, I think the fact that a lot of drunkards, like him, pull through unscathed dampens the cautionary tale their collective experience is supposed to convey: alcohol kills.

There are some genius moments in the book, like the sage advice Colin gives aspiring writers. "To write you must rewrite. You must be willing to sacrifice your darlings. Rip it apart, throw some of it out--throw it all out if you have to--and rewrite." and his ballsy move to hand Colum McCann--author of Let the Great World Spin (HARDCOVER)--the manuscript of his first novel. He definitely has what it takes to get a book like this into my and your hands.

Colin's story sheds light on alcoholism and Irishmen, which is evidently endemic. Colin admits that "the possibility of not drinking at all was out of the question. My fellow country men would never forgive me." It's pretty hard to quite drinking when everyone around you--your friends, your family and your community--are big drinkers.

Aside from his alcohol and cocaine addictions, Colin actually reminded me a lot of myself, which made his story that much more devastating. He's a bibliophile and a writer and a sensitive SOB. He's a great guy if you're lucky enough to catch him sober.

This was a fast read and written really well. I wonder, however, if Colin has another great book in him or if this is it. Whatever you think of Colin the person, the addict or the flake, you gotta hand it to him as a great writer.

[Kasandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining memoir by a former Irish drunk (still Irish, hopefully not still a raging drunk). Funny and fast-paced, it's amazing how much Broderick still supposedly remembers, after spending years trying to kill himself with booze and drugs and waking up in hospitals. For a guy who blacked out an awful lot, he seems to have a pretty decent memory. He must have quite a gift of gab or a lot of charm to have hurt and upset and disappointed as many people as it sounds like he did, and still find work, love, and friendship. After a while, the book does get old, as Broderick sounds like he didn't learn a hell of a lot from his near-death escapades except DON'T DRINK, but it's still a fun read. I was a bit disappointed that he says he took Billy Collins' poetry classes for 3 years and yet has nothing much to say about that except that Collins says that much of the work of poetry is rewriting and editing. Duh. And Broderick meets Colum McCann, who apparently also didn't offer much advice for a fledgling writer except to tell him that his then-current manuscript wouldn't be the one he first published. Broderick clearly has the ability to make influential friends who will write book blurbs for him. It'd be interesting to see what he can do with fiction or poetry instead.

[Neil Mudde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where ever Colin is, I hope he is well, that he was able to perform jobs while drunk out of his mind is mind boggling. His comments about AA are interesting from a person who was a member for 8 years. His affairs/marriages were doomed to failure, in the condition he was in often, one wonders about his ability to "perform" The trip to Russia, good god, pretty harrowing, filled with misery, and a small insight of what life is like in Russia. Colin must have an amazing constitution to have swallowed all those poisons. I was deeply touched by his knowledge that continuing the road he was on would lead to death, yet he could not "not use" he was well aware of the results of another bender.
Just finished reading the book a few hours ago,although there were a few times that I threw it aside, as "enough already" but had to finish the story hoping for a good ending. some of the scenes are still going through my head.
Addiction to whatever is devastating, more power to those who are willing to deal with it, or accept it for what it is, and hopefully not become victimized by it,we are able to learn so much more about this today, and its possible various treatments.
Looking forward to another book by Colin, hopefully with the setting in the "here and now"

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very powerful memoir, and it's interesting that there were times I despised the main character for the way he messed up his life and treated others and other times when I was really rooting him on to stay sober. I've never read a book before that captures addiction in such a way – raw, uncensored, and ugly at times, but riveting nonetheless. I want to look up Colin Broderick on the Internet now and see if he stayed sober. I really hope he did. But I wouldn't be getting my hopes up. It seemed like he always relapsed just as he was doing well – I can only hope that now that he's married (for the 3rd time) and has a daughter he will find the strength not to pick up again. I found it interesting how Broderick was able to explain what it was like being an Irish person in New York, and the pressure to drink as part of the Irish American culture. His life had so many up and downs, and he's only a little bit older than I am (or at least was at the time this was written, which I see was back in 2009) I'm going to have to Google him now to see if he wrote anything else. Anyway, this book is definitely worth reading because it gives you an inside look at what it's like to be an alcoholic. It's amazing how much someone can mess up their life

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty gripping tale of someone drinking himself to oblivion. It doesn't romanticize alcoholism, and his ironic descriptions of his behaviour are humourous. I was amazed at how many women fell in love with him and stayed with him through the drinking, although not surprised that ultimately each one of them dropped him like the dirty sock he was (except the last one, who he turned his life around for). Alcoholics are not fun to be around and it would be so interesting to hear from the guys he mentions throughout the book, about how he really acted. It went on and on in the end, could have been a little tighter to finish as we get the picture that he really was an ass hole time and time again because of alcohol. But overall, a good read.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broderick's gritty tale of substance abuse stands alone in its genre. His book does not give the sense of being written for atonement of past transgressions, and he is not apologetic for the decisions he has made. Yet it is harrowing and emotional and real. His voice is unpretentious and often humorous. Having grown up in the Irish enclaves of the Northern Bronx and Yonkers, I feel that I truly know this author. An Beal Bocht, Characters, the Terminal, and McLean Ave were all haunts of my youth. There are so many young men from the neighborhood with similar stories but it is wonderful to see one following his dream.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has a gut that starts to churn and burn after just one drink, reading about Broderick's Herculean boozing nearly made me retch. It's unfathomable to me that someone can continue to consume that much booze and feel so poorly day after day after day. Orangutang is an effective illustration into the workings of a true alcoholic.
I liked this enough to want to read his latest publication. If you enjoyed Barfly, any of Bukowski's or Hubert Selby's books then you d probably like this too.
Colin Broderick is a good guy with a deadly problem. I sincerely hope he can keep his shit together.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read especially when you can relate to the author's point of view in part because you know and interact with people much like himself on a day to day basis living and working in NYC. His perspective gives the true lifestyle that many lead in NYC.

The books gives a good amount of background to show that America is the land of opportunity but for those who are willing to in some cases sell their soul but also were born here. NYC is quite the melting pot of diversity but it's in many cases all in who you know.

[Alexis Gustamente · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this baby up by chance at the library. So glad I did. Awesome perspective of the life of an Irish guy moving to NYC in the mid 80's. Drugs, love, high & lows. I found myself laughing out loud in rooms by myself. My jaw dropping at his open & honest thoughts and situations. Truly enjoyed this book, sometimes its hard for books to get my attention, I couldn't put this down. Just started reading his newest book, "That's That", a prequel of sorts.

[Anna]

I met Colin last week when he read a chapter of ORANGUTAN at a local writers' group meeting. He charmed us all with both his brogue and his hilarious experience in a fertility clinic. As he was signing my copy of his book, he said, "It's not all funny." I can live with that! I look forward to diving into this one.

[Dale Stonehouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broderick's tale of being an Irish immigrant in New York City is bluntly matter-of-fact about relationships, alcoholism, Irish-American culture, and even prescription drug abuse. The only thing missing is some sort of emotional explanation behind his behavior. Perhaps one must be of Irish descent to understand. Not quite at the level of Augusten Burroughs' work, but not bad.

[Marla Miller]

Colin Broderick read at Women Who Write-an artists' salon in LA. This Irish storyteller shakes just the right mix of humor/pathos into his work. I knew I wanted to interview him so we could talk more about that fine line between telling the truth and telling a good story-every memoirist's challenge.
Here's the link to my website & our Skype interview---
www.marketingthemuse.com
Join us.
Marla

[Marianne Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a young Irishman moving to New York and dealing with addiction and identity. Although not a book I would normally choose, I heard Colin read at an event and was impressed by his self-effacing style and quiet humor. A compelling read and, in the end, redemptive and satisfying.

[Kathy Cudlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced. Hard to put down. Young man's life as a train wreck in progress. Engaging, well-written, but when I step back from it, I'm not certain it has much depth or meaning, except for one man's examination of his own out-of-control alcoholism.

[Orangutan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Broderick engages you with his his descriptive yet easy language. I like the fact that it is present time (well, the book ends as recent as 2008). Interesting story. His life was pretty crazy. I really hope he is doing well now wherever he is.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really surprised me... for the fact... I picked it up on a whim... with no prior knowledge of who/what the book was about. I laughed and had a few moments of deep thought. Great book... I even recommended to a few friends.

[Robb Todd]

At first glance it might be easy to cast this off as just another substance abuse memoir, but Broderick knows how to make me turn a page and I did, quickly. Plowed through this book. It helped that I've been to many of the bars he wrote about. Cheers.

[Carie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was happy to read this book for so many reasons. I've seen alcoholism in many forms amongst my own family I'm also happy to know Mr Broderick survived, although its surly by the Grace of God Himself! I was entertained, enlighten, and inspired! Thank You for sharing!