The film adaptation of the movie, Requiem for a Dream, which was based on a 1978 novel of the same name, was released in November 2000.
Written by Hubert Selby, Jr., the novel deals with themes such as addiction, devotion and desperation.
In this searing novel, two young hoods, Harry and Tyrone, and a girlfriend fantasize about scoring a pound of uncut hero in and getting rich. But their habit gets the better of them, consumes them and destroys their dreams. "Selby's place is in the front rank of American novelists. His work has the power, the intimacy with suffering and morality, the honesty and moral urgency of Dostoevsky's....To understand Selby's work is to understand the anguish of America." - The New York Times Book Review
Of interest, Mental Floss shares 12 Addictive Facts About ‘Requiem for a Dream’.