Thick As Thieves: A Brother, a Sister--a True Story of Two Turbulent Lives

by Steve Geng

A memoir about two siblings who loved each other (sometimes); the thrill of the shoplift, the power of the written word, the agony of addiction, and the joy of someone who understands you and still stays true Steve Geng--thief, addict, committed member of Manhattan's criminal semi-elite--was a rhapsody in blue, all on his own. Women had a tendency to crack his head open. His sister? Also Veronica Geng wrote brilliantly eccentric pieces for The New Yorker, hung with rock stars and Pulitzer Prize winners, threw the occasional typewriter, fled intimacy. They were parallel universes, but when they converged, it was . . . memorable.
Spanning decades of unresolved personal drama and rebellion, Steve Geng's memoir, Thick as Thieves, is the story of their lives, the bond between them, and all the things they shared. Raw, real, and funny, Geng follows his unique family history from Philadelphia to Paris, Greenwich Village to Riker's Island. We meet lovable, often treacherous characters (B.J. the Queen of Crime, Tina Brown). We hear the rants of the Geng's father, the Colonel; the malicious invective of publishing; the patter of hardened criminals. This is a memoir that will lift your spirit, kick you in the shins, and help you remember the person who understood you the most. Geng has made a lot of mistakes in his life. Thick as Thieves may just make up for them.

Genres: Memoir

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that I've gone through all the stages of grief that someone else wrote the first book about Veronica Geng, I suppose it's time to read this one.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enough about Veronica, but not because of her genius. Rather because she inspires Steven's best writing. He approaches her famously difficult personality without the awe other writers have. He lets her be a bitch, but makes it clear that she was a bitch who was loved deeply.

The end of the book, focusing on her death and his mourning is a very fine reward for spending time with this book.

[Rachel Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about his downward spiral more than his recovery...although I'm glad he recovered of course. Isn't that always the way with stories about recovery from addictions? People being bad are always more colorful than people being good.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept finding myself putting this down but eventually picking it back up. The addiction/recovery theme wears thin for me but ultimately I enjoyed his take on his relationship with his sister and his father and the glimpse into the life of a genius writer.

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love love this book and ran into a friend in it! now Steve and I are Facebook friends

[Jim Breslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Steve Geng's memoir about his life as a hipster. As his sister climbed the rungs of the publishing world, eventually becoming the fiction editor at the New Yorker and writing her own short story collections, Steve stole records to support his heroin habit and was actually nearly killed twice by ex-girlfriends. These are incredible accounts and it's amazing he survived. He found redemption in caring for his ailing father and became an actor appearing in Miami Vice. It's an interesting read about a kid who was influenced by the Beats - notably Burroughs and Kerouac - and ended up living a hardscrabble life. He also recounts hearing about his sister's death from brain cancer. Full disclosure: I read the book a year or so after Steve friended me on Facebook. I liked it so much I asked if I could interview him and did so on my blog. www.jimbreslin.com.

[Paul Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated this book. It's an addict's memoir of drugs and booze in Manhattan but sold as a portrait of a brother and sister. The author's sister, Veronica Geng, was a great humorist at New Yorker magazine. Due to his addiction issues, the author presents little about her life and has few insights into her work and career. Instead the writing--quite competent, by the way--is focused almost entirely on his own life. Like most addicts, he can only think about himself, shouting me! me! me! I'm done reading addiction memoirs.

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I'd find out more about Veronica Geng, but her thief/addict actor-wannabe brother Steve had his head up his own ass for 30 plus years and didn't get to know her. Not all his fault as Geng, herself, aplied many layers of varnish to shield herself during a tough childhood. Maybe one of her New Yorker "friends" will write a bio one day. In the meantime, read her brilliant "Love Trouble," a compilation of some of her best humour.

[Keith Ferstl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Geng's beautifully written memoir will make you laugh and cry. He keeps the pace racing along as he explores the ups and downs of his relationship with his sister, New Yorker humorist Veronica Geng, and unflinchingly describes his life as a drug addict, thief and actor.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! I read this because the author went to the same high school as I did in France. Obviously he was a lot wilder than most of us were back in the 50's. I think he should have left out anecdotes about real people back then even if they have died or married....we still know who they are.

[Dorri Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic stories, funny and heartbreaking. Read it in 1 or 2 sittings. Then read the whole book 2 more times. Loved it (obviously!).

[Peter F Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Silver Lining of Redemption

Great writing and dialogue. Compelling read. Read it in one day. Great stories.
Kerouac of the 21st Century. Monk and Miles in the early 60s.