First things first, if you’re not from Ireland, or at least from some part of the UK I have no idea how you’ll understand what’s happening in this 2018 Booker prize winning novel. The city along with the different characters are not named, rather described. To an Irishman/woman/other, there is no doubt that the setting is 1970s Belfast and the novel is rife with its intricacies. This was a time of intrigue, suspicion and death.
The story is told through “middle sister” who lives in a no-go area controlled by renouncers of the State (Republican paramilitaries). It is the story of her relationships and of her sexual harassment by a man in power.
That man is Milkman, who is high up in the republican movement and uses his position to insidiously prey on a vulnerable, young woman who is only eighteen years old and just trying her best to get by in very complex times. Gradually and methodically he takes away her support network, whether its her maybe relationship or longest friend. The community as a whole, including her own family almost pushes into the relationship rather than protecting her.
The novel is multi faceted and the writing is dense. It is beautifully difficult with memorable characters like strong willed Ma and Nuclear Boy. But, it took me a long time to get through it and in the end she’s just lucky to survive it all. There is no piece of ingenuity, just pot luck and I found that somewhat disappointing. It is the kind of book that I can imagine coming up in and English exam, and students complaining about being forced to read it.
All in all, this novel gets three stars out of five from me.
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