The assault on Tony's

With The Assault on Tony's, John O'Brien's curiously distinctive combination of tone and subject matter - an unapologetic, unsentimental, and at times exuberant examination of the grittier side of life and the joys and sorrows of intoxication - once again produces a compelling and blackly humorous novel. Five men are trapped inside a bar called Tony's while a race riot rages outside, spreading chaos across the nation. The men are serious, committed drinkers, driven to consume gross quantities of alcohol to maintain a carefully orchestrated physical and mental equilibrium. But the liquor supply is, of course, not limitless, and as the days pass, the violence outside shows no signs of decreasing. Against this surreal backdrop, a weird and mesmerizing drama plays itself out: The shifting allegiances among the men become subject to the pressures caused by the impending shortage of booze as time, liquor, and patience all threaten to disappear. The unfinished manuscript for The Assault on Tony's was discovered after John O'Brien's untimely death. His sister, Erin, using notes and an outline he left behind, brought the novel to its inevitable conclusion. In addition, she has written a poignant afterword about her brother and his work.