The Portable Henry Rollins

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Review: To this day no author's work has been able to strike me so profoundly as the work of Mr. Henry Rollins.

Sure, Henry hasn't put out a decent record since his Black Flag days. But when I read this book, I discovered that I had a newfound respect for the man. I have yet to read the work of an author who can convert feelings of anger, depression and violence so perfectly into words. Rollins can turn misery into ART.

His work is angry, real, and raw, and when I read it I felt like I was staring into the recesses of his very soul. I felt like I truly was looking at the world through his eyes. I felt like I KNEW the guy, and for those 2 hours or so on my couch with this book in my hands, I found myself completely understanding his resentment for his less-than-perfect upbringing, his bitterness toward the human race, his obsessive fascination with violence, cockroaches, and graphic, off-color subject matter. When I had finished reading this compilation of his work cover-to-cover, and I had completed the subsequent 30 minutes of going back and poring over certain parts of the book, it's true, I left with a slight feeling of depression that I hadn't been feeling before I'd started reading. But I also left with a new perspective on life, with a more open mind, with what I believe to be a genuine understanding of Rollins' pain, rage and frustration with the disgusting world we live in today.

I was able to forget how terrible the Rollins Band is and I was able to view Henry not as a 43-year-old punk rock burnout, but as an amazingly talented writer.

This book changed my life.