a book
The Grass Arena
John Healy · 1988 · 194 pages
Winner of the J.R.Ackerley prize for "The Best Literary Autobiography of 1988", this is the true story of John Healy. Born of poor Irish parents in London, he succumbed to alcoholism and lived as a vagrant alcoholic until he learns to play chess in prison. Then he becomes a tournament champion.
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Cillian Murphy
“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.”↗