Dead As Doornails

When I studied Olivia Laing's The Trip to Echo Spring: Why Writers Drink in a contemporary literature class a few years ago, the lecturer Mike McCormack suggested Dead as Doornails as a similarly useful text in its exploration of how writers can be gripped by alcoholism. The only difference being was in his view, Dead as Doornails had plenty of humorous moments. Though certain sections in Dead as Doornails are definitely funny, thematically reading about how three of some of the most talented Irish writers of all time succumbed to the drink is pretty morbid stuff.

Still, the link between alcohol and creativity is something that has generally fascinated me. Could someone like Flann O Brien have written some of the unique forms of metafiction in At Swim Two Birds without Alcohol in his life? Borstal Boy is considered Beehan's masterpiece but would a sober Beehan have undertaken it? I'm speaking from personal preference here, but I wouldn't have minded if Cronin had explored this discourse in the book.

Also, the Soho section of the book didn't enthral me like the rest, but I initially thought the book's entirety was about these three writers.