Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars | 254 ratings

Price: 17.46

Last update: 08-11-2024


Top reviews from the United States

Wade W.
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and Well Worth The Read
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2019
If 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.
KRG
5.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, well-written book
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2013
Matthew 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.
Amazon User
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good Book
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024
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. 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.
Reading Rainbow
3.0 out of 5 stars Beneath the Neon--
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2011
I 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.
Aussie_readex
5.0 out of 5 stars An informed approach to an invisible part of Las Vegas
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2010
What a summer!

I got the book yesterday and started reading it at about 6:00pm. It is now 1:30am and I just finished reading it. I only stopped a couple of times but I really could not put it down. Bravo!

I don't believe Matthew O'Brien when he says that he more an author and journalist than an explorer. It is true that he was motivated because of a felon escape story, but a regular journo would have stopped after reenacting the escape and a regular author would have relied more on fiction. O'Brien created a chronicle about what lies beneath, not only Las Vegas but beneath many other metropolitan areas around the world.

Throughout the whole book he kept mentioning the baton. I really hope it always stayed in its sheat.

I also liked his wrinting style, the waythe flashbacks keep connection with the narration of the present time and especially enjoyed the historical facts about the use of tunnels, caves and their explorers throughout the history of mankind.

O'Brien was able to uncover the real people that lives in the drains, and showed us that even if forgotten, ignored or simply at large, they are not the monsters that people think hide in the dark and humid corners of the undercity. And the author goes beyond simply writing a book by helping those in need through his foundation.

Thanks for writing that book, for telling the story of those people living underground and for helping them out.

Best Sellers in

 
 

Yellowstone National Park, Audio Tour: An Insider’s Guide

2.8 2.8 out of 5 stars 2
8.75
 
 

Learn Jamaican Patois for Beginners: Learn the Jamaican Language Fast - Vocabulary Edition - Contains Over 1500 Patwah Words

0 0 out of 5 stars 0
17.46
 
 

Exploring Santa Barbara County: Insider Insights from a Local Resident for Your Ultimate Travel Experience 2024 Edition: Trav

4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 24
13.08
 
 

Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America

4 4 out of 5 stars 1125
13.12
 
 

Greater than a Tourist: Klagenfurt Carinthia Austria: 50 Travel Tips from a Local

2.5 2.5 out of 5 stars 2
6.08
 
 

Guía mágica del Camino de Santiago: Un viaje en busca de lo mágico y lo sagrado en el camino de las estrellas

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 156
18.05
 
 

American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 509
23.14
 
 

The Solace of Open Spaces

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1169
11.81