In this, his first novel, Peter Kalafatis tells the gut wrenching story of his younger brother's death from a drug overdose. Growing up in Brooklyn in a working class environment from Greek immigrant parents, this book explores the socioeconomic and urban conflict in the home, family, and community, while combining the readability of a novel with the educational content of a political tract.
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"Energy which fizzes and snaps at every turn. Kalafatis’s language is violent and forceful, expressing an intense and visceral anger. The voice lying underneath this anger, however, is tender and filled with softened emotion, particularly discernible when evoking memories of his brother. There is absolutely no doubt that this is an authentic narrative voice, rough and rasping but also poetic and sophisticated." - 3:AM Magazine (UK)
"With its caustic journaling of a bum’s life, reminds me very much of Bukowski (but I bet lots have made that connection)...Interesting stuff, honest and powerful." - Incendiary Magazine (Netherlands)
"An important contribution to understanding the causes and consequences of youth rebellion and violence." - Book Pleasures (Canada)
"contains observations of how the American dream isn't as it appears, and how the less affluent are swallowed whole by the system." - Good Times Magazine (NY, USA)
"This is one of those books you won't put down once you've picked it up. Dealing with death, drugs, capitalism, classism, homelessness and violence this book is defnitely worth checking out since it's a true story lived by the author himself." - Mutiny Zine (Sweden)
"There's a great passage were he gets stabbed and lies bleeding on the street, scared, but excited because this will get him a reputation. That sums it up really. If you haven't been through that you were never a punk." - Summer of Hate (Sweden)
"Peter’s narrative and writing style not only allow the reader to get a vivid picture of what’s happening, but to feel every bit of emotion he did in the stories." - The Punk Vault (Illinois, USA)
"The ending is brilliant, when he finally gets his revenge in an unexpecting way." - ASICE (Dutch)
"For those who feel that they havn't had enough good choices in life, this should be a booming affirmation. For those who came up in the punk rock/ hardcore squat scene, this should be a sad trip down memory lane. For those who like a tear jerker or a revenge novel, this has all of the best elements of both. You can cry and get mad reading this book." - Neo-Zine (PA, USA)
"Through the haze of rage and grief that kind of tragedy must inspire, Peter recounts the events that lead to his brother’s demise to explain why he refuses to accept that Archie was to blame for his own death." - Razorback (Texas, USA)
"The letter that Peter wrote on the last part of the book for his son is actually inspirational." - NB Zine (Philippines)
"A Rebel Life" is a true story about life and the continuous battle against the system." - eMPTY Zine ( Romania)
"Peter Kalafatis is one of those writer who we stumble upon and thank God for all the trauma that he's been through, otherwise we might not have such fascinating stories to interpret." - Voices Magazine (Colorado, USA)
"I really do think the author is on to something, at least to some extent, with his accusations of the wealthy keeping the working classes from better education and opportunities" - Ear Damage (Alabama, USA)
"A smart rebellion, the book is tinted with sociopolitical analysis that might seem extreme to some, but it is an interesting read to anybody with an open mind." - Herlaka (Texas, USA)
"A Rebel Life' is an excellently crafted novel that tells a compelling story, but more importantly throws a spotlight on the disgusting and inherent inequalities of the capitalist system, demands class-consciousness, and strongly argues that until equality has been achieved, "there can be no war but the class war". - Free Society (Canada)
" To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement as the book I received had absolutely NOTHING to do with what my original perception was. No...this was something different...something more fierce, yet still loaded with deep heartfelt emotion and even a bit of educational value. What I received was a book with meaning , substance, and a message which we all should heed and take to heart." - Metal Beer Horror (New Jersey)
Interviews
(AEA) Magazine Interview - March 2008
Free Society Interview - Nov 2007
Ear Damage Magazine Interview - July 2007
More Punk Than You Zine Interview - March 2007
More reviews and interviews
