Books › Milkman
Booker Prize 2018
Milkman
360 pages
A fiercely energetic and darkly funny exploration of what happens when simply trying to remain invisible makes you a target.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like navigating a minefield where even the most mundane actions carry a suffocating weight. The atmosphere is intensely claustrophobic and paranoid, steeped in the lingering threat of violence that permeates an unnamed, deeply divided city. Yet, despite the heavy psychological tension and the terrifying reality of unwanted paramilitary attention, the narrative is propelled by a ferocious energy and a sly, wicked humor. It is a brilliant, unsettling coming-of-age experience that captures the terrifying repercussions of inaction and the danger of becoming interesting in a place where conformity is survival. This will captivate readers who crave psychologically sharp, darkly comedic fiction about the crushing weight of societal surveillance and the weaponization of rumor.
- Mood
- tense
- claustrophobic
- paranoid
- ominous
- Tone
- sly
- wicked
- ferocious
- darkly funny
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- coming of age under pressure · the weight of inaction · societal surveillance · rumor and reputation
- The writing
- Delivered with ferocious energy and sly, wicked humor that captures the psychological weight of a hyper-vigilant society.
- The arc
- Moves from a desperate desire for invisibility to the suffocating, psychological pressure of unwanted attention and lingering threats.
- Who it's for
- Readers who appreciate psychologically astute, darkly funny coming-of-age stories set against a backdrop of intense social pressure.
Content notes
- threat of violence
- stalking and unwanted pursuit
- intimidation
About the book
In an unnamed city, middle sister stands out for the wrong reasons. She reads while walking, for one. And she has been taking French night classes downtown. So when a local paramilitary known as the milkman begins pursuing her, she suddenly becomes “interesting,” the last thing she ever wanted to be. Despite middle sister’s attempts to avoid him―and to keep her mother from finding out about her maybe-boyfriend―rumors spread and the threat of violence lingers. Milkman is a story of the way inaction can have enormous repercussions, in a time when the wrong flag, wrong religion, or even a sunset can be subversive. Told with ferocious energy and sly, wicked humor, Milkman establishes Anna Burns as one of the most consequential voices of our day.
Description from Open Library.
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