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Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas Paperback – October 1, 2007
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Additional Details
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What secrets do the Las Vegas storm drains keep? What discoveries wait in the dark? What's beneath the neon?
Armed with a flashlight, tape recorder, and expandable baton, Las Vegas CityLife writer-editor Matthew O'Brien explored the Las Vegas flood-control system for more than four years.
Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas chronicles O'Brien's adventures in subterranean Vegas. He follows the footsteps of a psycho killer. He braces against a flood. He parties with naked crack-heads. He learns how to make meth, that art is most beautiful where it's least expected, and that there are no pots of gold under the neon rainbow.
- Print length292 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHuntington Press
- Publication dateOctober 1, 2007
- Dimensions7 x 0.75 x 9 inches
- ISBN-109780929712390
- ISBN-13978-0929712390
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
[O'Brien] takes you on a dizzying trip through the various drains to meet the people that live, party, and sometimes die in the tunnels. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever broken into an abandoned building, explored dirty sewers, hopped freights across the country, or enjoys a late night stroll into the unknown. More than just a documentation of one's experience in the storm drains, Beneath the Neon is equal parts Las Vegas history book, drunken biography, and psychological thriller where your worst enemy may just be your imagination. --Beautiful Decay Blog
From retracing a murder's escape route and learning how to make meth from a tunnel dweller to partying naked with crackheads and dancing under the MGM Grand, this photo-filled account proves that the only place more surreal than the Vegas Strip is beneath it. --Wired Magazine
[O'Brien] takes you on a dizzying trip through the various drains to meet the people that live, party, and sometimes die in the tunnels. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever broken into an abandoned building, explored dirty sewers, hopped freights across the country, or enjoys a late night stroll into the unknown. More than just a documentation of one's experience in the storm drains, Beneath the Neon is equal parts Las Vegas history book, drunken biography, and psychological thriller where your worst enemy may just be your imagination. --Beautiful Decay Blog
From retracing a murder's escape route and learning how to make meth from a tunnel dweller to partying naked with crackheads and dancing under the MGM Grand, this photo-filled account proves that the only place more surreal than the Vegas Strip is beneath it. --Wired Magazine
About the Author
His first book, Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas, chronicles his adventures in the city's underground flood channels, which he explored for more than four years with a flashlight, tape recorder, and expandable baton for protection.
My Week at the Blue Angel: And Other Stories from the Storm Drains, Strip Clubs, and Trailer Parks of Las Vegas is his second book.
Danny Mollohan moved to Las Vegas in 2000 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional photographer. With $300 in his pocket and a Lieca M3 in hand, he made his mark working for several weekly newspapers, showing in local galleries, moonlighting in nightclubs, and roaming the countryside.
Product details
- ASIN : 0929712390
- Publisher : Huntington Press; Illustrated edition (October 1, 2007)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 292 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780929712390
- ISBN-13 : 978-0929712390
- Item Weight : 1.24 pounds
- Dimensions : 7 x 0.75 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #551,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,008 in Pacific West United States Travel Books
- #1,595 in Popular Culture in Social Sciences
- #1,595 in Travelogues & Travel Essays
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book captivating and informative. They describe the stories as real and raw, with gripping pacing. However, opinions differ on the writing quality - some find it well-written and sincere, while others dislike the repetitive prose. There are mixed reviews regarding the photography - some find it good and paints a picture of the scenes, while others consider it too impressionist or arty.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the author's portrayal of a different side to Las Vegas. Readers also mention that the book is fun to read about places they can imagine. The author does an excellent job of taking readers into the subterranean Las Vegas.
"...Worth the read." Read more
"...Great writing. There are passages that are poetic and inspirational. Very good photography...." Read more
"...It was fun to read about places I could imagine, and Matthew wrote with such honesty and integrity and knowledge that it was an instant favorite I..." Read more
"I enjoyed reading this book. Quite interesting about those tunnels beneath Las Vegas...." Read more
Customers find the book insightful and informative. They appreciate the good research and emotional stories. The book provides a perspective few have ever experienced. The author gives the emphasis to her subjects, not herself.
"This book does a great job of discussing the part of Las Vegas few people know about but is the reality for thousands of people everyday...." Read more
"...of New York City alone as a college-aged woman, she gives the emphasis to her subjects, not herself...." Read more
"...But what really makes the book a worthwhile read is the painstaking research. The author plumbed the flood tunnel depths for years...." Read more
"...This is a spellbinding character study of some extraordinary and innovative people who can't get out of the way of their personal demons...." Read more
Customers find the stories engaging. They describe the narrative as gripping and a true depiction of the lives of those not living the life of luxury. The book is described as an adventure, suspenseful, and moving.
"...idea of it is heartbreaking and mind boggling. This book was shocking, disturbing, and beautiful in some sort of twisted way...." Read more
"...with the narration of the present time and especially enjoyed the historical facts about the use of tunnels, caves and their explorers throughout..." Read more
"...author's attitude and writing style, there really is some interesting stuff in here." Read more
"...Suspenseful, well-written, and moving, this first-person account gave me an entirely new perspective on the culture of Las Vegas." Read more
Customers find the pacing interesting, though some found it melodramatic at times.
"...It was raw, genuine, vulnerable, vulgar at times, and eye opening...." Read more
"The narrative is gripping, even if it is melodramatic." Read more
"cliched, melodramatic, semi-interesting..." Read more
Customers have mixed views on the writing quality of the book. Some find it well-researched and interesting, with poetic and inspirational passages. Others dislike the author's melodramatic and repetitive prose, as well as unnecessary descriptions.
"...Very good photography. But what really makes the book a worthwhile read is the painstaking research...." Read more
"...Its tough to read...the author jumps around and it very poorly written. I usually finish reading a book even if its not great...." Read more
"...above set the stage for this insightful and well researched and written book...." Read more
"...My major issue with this book, though, was the author's troubling insensitivity toward the individuals living in the tunnels...." Read more
Customers have different views on the photography. Some find it good and paints a picture of the scenes, while others feel it's too impressionist and arty for casual viewers.
"...and mind boggling. This book was shocking, disturbing, and beautiful in some sort of twisted way...." Read more
"...There are passages that are poetic and inspirational. Very good photography...." Read more
"...The tunnels themselves are not very interesting, since they are modern, plain, very near the surface, and not interconnected...." Read more
"...A lot of descriptive words are used that paint a picture of the scenes...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2019If I didn't know any better I would have assumed it to be fiction based solely on the absurdity, tragedy, and colorful stories held in the pages. His writing made me feel like I was actually there and seeing and crawling through the drains with him. Every time he mentioned a cockroach I physically cringed. It was raw, genuine, vulnerable, vulgar at times, and eye opening. He wasn't an expert; just a guy with questions who journaled his finding of answers.
One part that really spoke to me was when he crawled out of the storm drain, and the man gave him a dirty look as a potential drain on his property value. The homeless epidemic is a nuisance and bother to many, while veterans and the mentally ill are forced to retreat underground. The very idea of it is heartbreaking and mind boggling.
This book was shocking, disturbing, and beautiful in some sort of twisted way. Somebody had to get those people voices out there; he was that voice. The majority of the people I read about are probably dead now, just based on the time lapse, so it is "too late" for them in a sense. But he gave them a voice and wrote it down and made it permanent so people like me could read about it 10 years later. Worth the read.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2013Matthew O'Brien obviously went Gonzo on the tunnels Beneath the Neon of Las Vegas. He spent months interviewing the homeless who live beneath Las Vegas and walking deep into the tunnels, often pioneering parts of the vast network. The stories enclosed are heartbreaking and reflect some of the major issues facing society: drugs, mental disabilities, lack of care for veterans. What makes the stories that much more incredible is that it is all happening beneath a city where people squander millions of dollars each day.
O'Brien should be lauded for telling these stories. The homeless are treated with disdain, as if all of them somehow chose their lot in life. By going into the tunnels and talking with the people--not simply asking questions, but exploring the tunnels and practically living among the "residents"--O'Brien sheds light on these people that would otherwise remain ostracized and forgotten. In doing so, we see these people as they are: perhaps not that different from us. Hard luck, addiction, undiagnosed mental disabilities have sent many of these people below the city. O'Brien reveals them and their stories with genuine honesty.
More books like this should be written. It is further proof that what we see on the surface, what the world would want you to believe about a person or place, may not actually be what is actually there. If you are going to Las Vegas or simply want to read stories that are full of truth and grit, this book is for you.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024This book does a great job of discussing the part of Las Vegas few people know about but is the reality for thousands of people everyday. The author's privilege does show from time to time throughout the book, but overall a good job of providing a perspective few have ever experienced.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2011I have been interested in the underground homeless for quite some time and have read a number of books about this social issue. While in some ways I found O'Brian's text compelling (I did read it in one setting), his tone was unrelentingly arrogant and self-centered. The book seemed less about the people he encountered than his own melodramatic processing of events. He focused a lot on himself-- his fear, emphasizing himself as some great, brave explorer, his physical pain as he navigated the sometimes small tunnels, his (often stereotypical)judgements of people, his over-inflated sense of self, and his regrets.
It is also worth noting that he interviewed the people in this book for as little as 5-10 minutes. It is not as though he got to know them over a period of days and weeks. His chapters are formulated based on people he did not bother to really get to know-- mostly superficial responses that you'd have with someone passing through-- "small-talk" type of responses that don't really provide much insight into these storm drain dwellers.
If you are looking for a book that really delves into the lives of the homeless who live underground, read The Mole People by Jennifer Toth. Although her experience was undoubtedly terrifying, navigating the subway tunnels of New York City alone as a college-aged woman, she gives the emphasis to her subjects, not herself. She got to know people over a series of months and provides real insight to their lives. Unlike O-Brien, Toth masterfully includes references to tunnel-dwellers throughout history, whereas O-Brien seems to pepper them in randomly and without much authority.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2010I stumbled across "Beneath the Neon" quite by accident on Amazon.com's website. As someone intrigued on the subject matter of homelessness and survival, the book turned out to be a lucky find. Matt's writing style invited me along for his adventures in the exploration of life beneath Las Vegas. There I was able to glimpse through his eyes at the sights, smells, and desperation that others endure. I had actually visited a few of the worldly locations Matt writes about in comparing the drains to the underground tunnels of Cappadocia, in Turkey and could relate more closely with the conditions of living under Las Vegas.
In researching the book online, I read about a website ([...]), Matt founded in an attempt to assist those lost people dwelling under the city. Luckily for the readers, he keeps this updated so you can sort-of follow the "What's happening now?" question.
I feel for those people that have become disjointed from society and find solace under the drains, in the city and am thankful that I don't count myself in their numbers. I recommend you buy the book so, 1) You can be thankful about what you are missing and 2) So you can have a greater understanding of the lives of those living literally under the feet of Glamorous Vegas, and 3) To help you look into the Abyss of Life beneath the neon.
Dave Nelson
Top reviews from other countries
- Krystal FlattReviewed in Canada on December 4, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Great read. Highly recommend!
- PoppyReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars A Gripping Read
Super interesting read.
I took this on holiday with me to Cape verde, not the best book to take regarding luggage allowances as it's quite heavy. But I really enjoyed reading about the people living in the last Vegas tunnel systems.
- Gerd BehnkeReviewed in Germany on May 26, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars Beneath the neon
The book is most interesting, with personal portraits of the homeless who live in the tunnels under Las Vegas. The description of the personal emotions which the author had when he was walking in the drain-prevent system makes it difficult to stop reading.
- Betty G. AltonReviewed in Canada on August 3, 2017
4.0 out of 5 stars To think that there are that many homeless people in a supposed rich town is disgusting. I admired some of those people at how ...
I found the book very interesting and very disturbing. To think that there are that many homeless people in a supposed rich town is disgusting. I admired some of those people at how they made their money to live and look after themselves. It cannot be easy at all, what with them never knowing when the water will destroy everything they own.
- AmandaReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone interested to learn the plight ...
A must read for anyone interested to learn the plight of the hidden world beneath Las Vegas. I couldn't put this book down and read it with 2 days