John O'Brien was an American novelist who wrote literary fiction. His acclaimed novel, Leaving Las Vegas, gained recognition and was adapted into a successful film.
If you enjoy reading books by John O'Brien then you might also like the following authors:
Charles Bukowski is an author known for his raw, unfiltered portrayals of life on society’s edges. If you enjoyed John O’Brien, Bukowski’s direct style and gritty storytelling could appeal to you.
His novel Post Office is a semi-autobiographical story about Henry Chinaski, an indifferent postal worker who drags himself through mundane days with humor, cynicism, and heavy drinking. The book captures setbacks, small victories, and often absurd realities of ordinary life.
Bukowski’s stripped-down prose and rough-edged humor shine throughout, offering an honest glimpse into the world of working-class struggles and human resilience.
If you enjoy John O’Brien’s raw and brutally honest storytelling, you’ll probably connect with Hubert Selby Jr. Selby writes with incredible intensity about characters trapped in desperate lives, often set within gritty urban neighborhoods.
In his most famous novel, Requiem for a Dream, Selby explores addiction and the haunting dreams of four interconnected characters whose lives spiral out of control.
The novel digs deeply into their inner turmoil and their struggle for escape, painting a harrowing picture of longing and loss. Hubert Selby Jr. doesn’t pull punches—his storytelling is direct, vivid, and powerful.
Hunter S. Thompson was an American writer famous for creating a unique form known as Gonzo journalism. His style combines intense subjectivity with unfiltered experiences, pulling readers right into the midst of chaotic and bizarre adventures.
If you enjoy the raw emotion and honest storytelling found in John O’Brien’s novels, you might connect with Thompson’s writing as well. In his book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Thompson sends the reader on a wild ride through the Nevada desert.
He explores the surreal side of the American Dream, fueled by drugs, paranoia, and a savage irony. The main characters, Raoul Duke and Dr. Gonzo, navigate chaotic situations in a landscape filled with strange characters, hallucinations, and biting social commentary.
Thompson’s sharp humor and candid observations make the journey through the book entertaining, unsettling, and unforgettable.
Books by Denis Johnson often explore raw humanity and personal struggle through characters who drift at life’s edges. If you liked John O’Brien’s Leaving Las Vegas, you might appreciate Johnson’s Jesus’ Son.
This collection of linked short stories focuses on a narrator known only as Fuckhead, a young drifter moving through addiction and chaotic relationships. Johnson captures moments of darkness and unexpected humor with simple, clear language.
His stories never soften reality, yet reveal flashes of hope and tenderness in unlikely places.
If you enjoy the raw, intimate writing style of John O’Brien, you might appreciate Jack Kerouac. Kerouac captures life’s restless search for meaning with introspective honesty and gritty realism.
His novel On the Road follows Sal Paradise and his charismatic friend Dean Moriarty as they crisscross the country in a spontaneous exploration of freedom and identity. Kerouac vividly portrays jazz-soaked clubs, quiet highways, and late-night conversations.
The narrative pulses with youthful rebellion and an endless desire for authentic experience, capturing a generation caught between exuberance and uncertainty.
Books by William S. Burroughs explore gritty worlds filled with unfiltered narratives on addiction, alienation, and human turmoil. In Junkie, Burroughs offers readers a raw, autobiographical look into heroin addiction and underground life in 1950s America.
He tells the story through vivid, blunt prose that places readers directly into his daily reality of accessing the next fix and navigating interactions with dealers and addicts alike.
Similar to John O’Brien’s honest and stark portrayal of dependency in Leaving Las Vegas, Burroughs gives a firsthand, non-judgmental glimpse into a hidden, often misunderstood existence.
For readers drawn to authors who confront human fragility head-on, William S. Burroughs delivers narratives every bit as intense and memorable as O’Brien’s.
Readers who enjoy John O’Brien’s gritty portrayal of troubled lives will probably find Irvine Welsh’s novels fascinating. Welsh captures raw urban life with humor, shocking honesty, and a blunt depiction of addiction and struggle.
His book Trainspotting showcases a group of friends in Edinburgh who get caught up in heroin use, petty crime, and unpredictable friendships. The dialogue is vivid, sharp-edged and unfiltered.
Welsh pulls you right into the chaotic streets of Scotland, capturing memorable characters who are flawed but incredibly human.
If you’re drawn to narratives that take you into the darker corners of life but still offer moments of humor and insight, Irvine Welsh is worth exploring.
If you enjoy John O’Brien’s intense exploration of troubled lives and inner struggles, Malcolm Lowry might interest you as well.
Lowry’s novel Under the Volcano follows Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British consul in Mexico, whose life unravels during one fateful Day of the Dead in 1938.
Firmin’s painful attempts at reconnecting with his estranged wife and confronting internal demons unfold within a vivid Mexican backdrop.
The novel moves deeply into a mind shadowed by regret, addiction, and self-destruction, offering a powerful glimpse of a man on the precipice of ruin.
Lowry’s writing is raw, honest, and profoundly human; it resonates with readers who value depth and emotional intensity in literature.
Frederick Exley was an American author known for capturing raw honesty and dark wit in his writing. His autobiographical novel, A Fan’s Notes, explores the life of a man obsessed with football and success.
The story follows Exley’s struggles with alcoholism, mental health, and his search for meaning in a world that often feels empty or disappointing. He mixes humor with heartbreak, painting a vivid picture of personal failure and the universal longing to belong somewhere.
Readers who connect with the gritty honesty and emotional intensity of John O’Brien’s Leaving Las Vegas may find similar appeal in Exley’s portrayal of life’s difficult realities.
If you enjoy the raw and honest style of John O’Brien, check out Bret Easton Ellis. His novel Less Than Zero captures the emptiness and detachment felt by wealthy teenagers in Los Angeles during the 1980s.
The book follows Clay, a college student who returns home for Christmas break to find his friends living aimless and destructive lifestyles. Ellis portrays their lives filled with drug use, partying, and troubled relationships.
The story gives readers a blunt, unfiltered look at youth and privilege and the emotional numbness that can come with that lifestyle.
Ken Kesey was an American writer famous for stories that explore the darker, often overlooked corners of human experience.
His novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest offers a deep dive into life inside a psychiatric ward, seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, an enigmatic and quiet patient.
The psychiatric facility becomes a battleground, where the eccentric new patient Randle McMurphy openly challenges Nurse Ratched’s oppressive rules. This confrontation reveals profound insights about power, rebellion, and sanity.
Readers drawn to John O’Brien’s raw, honest portrayal of troubled lives in Leaving Las Vegas will appreciate Kesey’s stark and emotionally charged narrative.
Books by Ryu Murakami explore the darker side of human experience with honesty and intensity that readers familiar with John O’Brien might appreciate.
Murakami’s novel In the Miso Soup takes the reader into Tokyo’s nightlife through the eyes of Kenji, a young guide who caters to foreign tourists in Shinjuku’s red-light district.
Kenji meets Frank, an unsettling American visitor whose strange behavior soon becomes troubling and dangerous.
The story builds suspense as Kenji starts to suspect Frank is responsible for the disturbing events happening around them, leaving readers wondering what’s real and what’s not.
Murakami paints an unsettling yet fascinating picture of loneliness, alienation, and violence hidden beneath the city’s bright lights.
If you enjoy John O’Brien’s raw and honest storytelling, Nick Tosches is another author worth exploring. Tosches brings a similar intensity and depth to his characters, often focusing on people trapped by their darker sides.
Check out In the Hand of Dante, where Tosches blends two timelines—modern-day and 14th-century Italy. The story follows an edgy version of the author himself who discovers an ancient manuscript thought to be an original draft of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
This discovery pulls him into a dangerous underground world where literature mixes with crime and obsession. It’s gritty, dark, and fascinating, the type of narrative that keeps you hooked from start to finish.
Dan Fante was an American writer known for stories about life’s raw edges and personal struggles, often set in gritty urban environments.
If you liked the honest and stark storytelling of John O’Brien in Leaving Las Vegas, Dan Fante’s novel Chump Change can be a rewarding read. The book follows Bruno Dante, a troubled writer who returns home to Los Angeles for his father’s funeral.
Bruno wrestles with alcohol, self-doubt, and complex family ties, all described in an authentic voice that captures you from the very first page. Fante isn’t afraid to show life’s darker realities, and his characters feel human and deeply flawed.
Chump Change offers readers a believable and raw portrayal of addiction and personal conflict, with writing that stays with you long after you set the book down.
Readers who appreciate John O’Brien’s raw storytelling might also connect with Jerry Stahl. Stahl’s writing is sharp, darkly funny, and brutally honest.
In his memoir Permanent Midnight, he shares his experiences as a successful Hollywood screenwriter battling severe heroin addiction. Stahl doesn’t sugarcoat reality. He lets you see the grim side of Los Angeles, complete with chaotic nights and surreal daytime meetings.
The story doesn’t glamorize drugs. It gives a clear and gripping look into the mess and absurdity behind addiction and fame. If you enjoyed the emotional honesty and intensity in O’Brien’s works, Jerry Stahl offers a similar sense of authenticity and depth in his storytelling.