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A review by jlboro
Milkman by Anna Burns
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book is challenging and it will not be for everyone. First, you need to have more than a shallow understanding of The Troubles. (I recommend “Say Nothing” by Patrick Radden Keefe. It’s a fantastic book but even after reading I STILL don’t fully understand and that’s just bc The Troubles see so damn confusing to an outsider.) Second, you have to be okay with stream of consciousness and be okay with unusual diction. Third, you need to be open to taking a deep, deep dive into the mind of a teenager in an oppressive, tyrannical society.
I listened to the audiobook and I HIGHLY recommend this if you’re struggling reading this book. I even read along at times. The narrator is Irish, she’s amazing, and I think she completely nails the tone of Middle-Sister, the secondary characters, and the community overall. I don’t want to say the audiobook is the ONLY way to approach this book, but it’s an experience.
This book is also oppressive. Belfast in the late 70s was an oppressive, tyrannical place, and, at times, I felt the heavy weight of judgment, mistrust, and reality-checks on my chest. You can feel everything bearing down on you all the time and I absolutely believe that this is only an inkling of how incredibly difficult it was to be a young woman during that time.
Could this book have been less dense? Is this book a little much with its rattling off? Sure. But how many 18-year-old brains aren’t bursting with extremes?! I think a lot of readers have completely missed the point when it comes to this.
Anywho, this book is worth a read. It’s worth the challenge. It’s worth diving into and thinking deeply on how the environment can shape people, families, and communities. And it’s worth reflecting on how you would react if you were in Middle-Sister’s shoes.
I listened to the audiobook and I HIGHLY recommend this if you’re struggling reading this book. I even read along at times. The narrator is Irish, she’s amazing, and I think she completely nails the tone of Middle-Sister, the secondary characters, and the community overall. I don’t want to say the audiobook is the ONLY way to approach this book, but it’s an experience.
This book is also oppressive. Belfast in the late 70s was an oppressive, tyrannical place, and, at times, I felt the heavy weight of judgment, mistrust, and reality-checks on my chest. You can feel everything bearing down on you all the time and I absolutely believe that this is only an inkling of how incredibly difficult it was to be a young woman during that time.
Could this book have been less dense? Is this book a little much with its rattling off? Sure. But how many 18-year-old brains aren’t bursting with extremes?! I think a lot of readers have completely missed the point when it comes to this.
Anywho, this book is worth a read. It’s worth the challenge. It’s worth diving into and thinking deeply on how the environment can shape people, families, and communities. And it’s worth reflecting on how you would react if you were in Middle-Sister’s shoes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Grief, and War