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uninen 's review for:
Young Mungo
by Douglas Stuart
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Really loved Shuggie Bain so getting into this was a bit daunting, since I wondered if maybe I'll be left disappointed. Luckily it wasn't so!
Many same themes as Shuggie Bain, so much that the beginning made me wonder if maybe Douglas Stuart can only write about one thing and his following books can't compare to Shuggie Bain because of that. However, Young Mungo still has its own clear identity. The narration is different as are the central themes on which it focuses. The book is much more centrally about Mungo and his sort of rendition of Romeo and Juliet (through the filter of West Side Story) amidst Protestant vs Catholic confrontations while also examining homophobia and CSA/pedophilia.
Douglas Stuart writes beautifully and is so good at really making you feel what the characters are going through. Even the worst person is nuanced and we understand how much the misery capitalism has brought on them plays a part in how some victims become the victimizers and how hard it is to break that cycle and escape. It doesn't excuse the pain they cause others, but you understand the root cause of it all while also seeing that you can choose to opt out (at a great price at times).
I also greatly appreciate Stuart's ability to write about complex mothers, who themselves have suffered greatly due to misogyny and poverty but then take it out on their children in various ways. Neglecting your children and their needs as well as making them your caretakers IS child abuse, even if you never raise a hand to them. His portrayals of emotional incest are very realistic and touching, and it's an important topic to explore especially when many parts of it are normalized/downplayed.
At its core, Young Mungo is a story about hands in all their infinite potentials.
Many same themes as Shuggie Bain, so much that the beginning made me wonder if maybe Douglas Stuart can only write about one thing and his following books can't compare to Shuggie Bain because of that. However, Young Mungo still has its own clear identity. The narration is different as are the central themes on which it focuses. The book is much more centrally about Mungo and his sort of rendition of Romeo and Juliet (through the filter of West Side Story) amidst Protestant vs Catholic confrontations while also examining homophobia and CSA/pedophilia.
Douglas Stuart writes beautifully and is so good at really making you feel what the characters are going through. Even the worst person is nuanced and we understand how much the misery capitalism has brought on them plays a part in how some victims become the victimizers and how hard it is to break that cycle and escape. It doesn't excuse the pain they cause others, but you understand the root cause of it all while also seeing that you can choose to opt out (at a great price at times).
I also greatly appreciate Stuart's ability to write about complex mothers, who themselves have suffered greatly due to misogyny and poverty but then take it out on their children in various ways. Neglecting your children and their needs as well as making them your caretakers IS child abuse, even if you never raise a hand to them. His portrayals of emotional incest are very realistic and touching, and it's an important topic to explore especially when many parts of it are normalized/downplayed.
At its core, Young Mungo is a story about hands in all their infinite potentials.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail