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nastya 's Reviews > Milkman
Milkman
by
by
nastya 's review
bookshelves: irish, x2, peer-pressure-reread
Feb 05, 2020
bookshelves: irish, x2, peer-pressure-reread
Read 2 times. Last read October 21, 2021 to October 31, 2021.
The first time I've read Milkman, I had such a range of emotions: frustration, adoration, impatience. The only way I could finish it was switching to audio.
This time it was very different. No frustration, never felt like a hard read. But lots of giggling out loud. Because this book can be hilarious, amid the totalitarian horror of course.
The tone of the ending though, is like from the different movie. Like in the end of the musical where this bigoted, tribalist, deeply suspicious cast of characters gathered for the final musical number. And black-and-white movie suddenly got color, not just sepia, but sunset exploded pink all over the sky.
It's still
But then
Hope.
This time it was very different. No frustration, never felt like a hard read. But lots of giggling out loud. Because this book can be hilarious, amid the totalitarian horror of course.
The tone of the ending though, is like from the different movie. Like in the end of the musical where this bigoted, tribalist, deeply suspicious cast of characters gathered for the final musical number. And black-and-white movie suddenly got color, not just sepia, but sunset exploded pink all over the sky.
It's still
Meanwhile, the little boys, oblivious of the little girls, temporarily too, suspending operations against that army from ‘over there� � owing, probably, to the current absence of that army from ‘over there� � were taking turns at being good guy in their new play of the latest martyr killed recently in the political problems: Renouncer Hero Milkman, shadowed, set upon, then gunned down in their usual cowardly fashion by that murder squad spawned by a terrorist state.
But then
But my mother, desperate to get us wed, to anybody, before the old age of twenty, knew nothing because she was still in her day with her people, not realising it was now my day with different people...
Hope.
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Reading Progress
February 3, 2020
– Shelved
February 4, 2020
–
Started Reading
February 5, 2020
–
Finished Reading
October 21, 2021
–
Started Reading
October 21, 2021
–
7.67%
"…so it would be hard to fathom fingers not getting pointed and words not being added, also being judged in these turbulent times, resulting too, not in having your feelings hurt upon discovering others were talking about you, as in having individuals in balaclavas and Halloween masks, guns at the ready, turning up in the middle of the night at your door."
page
27
October 24, 2021
–
13.64%
"It was just they didn’t want to hurt older relatives� feelings, such as those of their parents, their grandparents, their deceased forebears, their long-deceased fragile ancestors possibly set in ways easily to be affronted, especially by what the tenor of the media was calling ‘depravity, decadence, demoralisation, dissemination of pessimism, outrages to propriety and illicit immoral affairs�."
page
48
October 26, 2021
–
19.6%
"This was a deliberate withholding on my part because never had it been in my remit not to withhold from my mother because never had it been in her remit to get my message and to take me at my word.
ok, this one hits too close to home"
page
69
ok, this one hits too close to home"
October 27, 2021
–
25.85%
"But it was mental hospitals, and it was mental breakdowns, which meant cover-up, which meant shame, which meant even more shame in his case because he was a man. Males and mental hospitals went together far less than females and mental hospitals went together. In a man’s case, this equalled a gender falling-down in pursuance of his duties, totalling a failure above all to keep face."
page
91
October 29, 2021
–
39.2%
"Again, this was suggestion, with his continuing in that friendly, obliging vein, the one of doing me favours, of helping me out by taking my walking away, taking my running away, taking away maybe-boyfriend."
page
138
October 29, 2021
–
47.16%
"I’d be committing social suicide even to catch eyes with one of them in the street.So no thanks.Not keen to have a word,not now, not ever. These women, constituting the nascent feminist group in our area � and exactly because of constituting it � were firmly placed in the category of those way, way beyond-the-pale. The word ‘feminist� was beyond-the-pale. The word ‘woman� barely escaped beyond-the-pale."
page
166
October 30, 2021
–
55.4%
"Meanwhile, somewhere at the back of this was the milkman wedged between us; also maybe-boyfriend being killed by this milkman wedged between us. At back of all there was the image of my sister, my first, eldest, perpetually grieving sister, sitting in our house in that awful silence, with that look on her face on her murdered ex-lover’s funeral day."
page
195
October 31, 2021
–
60.8%
"after that I had three further encounters with longest friend from primary school. One was at her wedding.Then I met her a year after her wedding, this time at the funeral of her husband.Three months on from that I went to her own funeral when they buried her with her husband. This was in the renouncers� ‘the no-town cemetery�, ‘the no-time cemetery�, ‘the busy cemetery� or just simply, the usual place."
page
214
October 31, 2021
–
77.27%
"…she admonished, saying, ‘I think I hate you,� which meant she didn’t because ‘I think I hate you� is the same as ‘probably I hate you�, which is the same as ‘I don’t know if I hate you�, which is the same as ‘I don’t hate you, oh my God, my love, I love you, still love you, always, always have I loved you and never have I stopped loving you�."
page
272
October 31, 2021
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-27 of 27 (27 new)
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message 1:
by
Prerna
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Oct 22, 2021 12:36PM
Can't wait for a review! Please tell me you're writing a review. I promise to read it as I walk.
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but will you get in my van? also don't give me a performance anxiety 😁
Depends. Will you follow me in the park?
I'll be jogging right next to you
Lol. Then I'll get into your van right as we step out of the park.
ok, but bring your third brother-in-law and I'll get a party van. I asked your maybe-boyfriend, but he says he has some plans with chef 🤷♀�
Loooool! You win, I'm running out of references.
This was lovely, you two. Fun to read. Please do it again for another book. And since I have now read most of the book, I understood every reference. Thanks. peace, janz
How interesting that your second read brought out a different experience! Glad it was more enjoyable! :)
thank you. <3 it was a compelling book on the first read - hence the reread. although it rarely happens, usually I'm less enthusiastic with rereads. This book is very special. Books like this are why reading is my favorite hobby!
Bingo - me, too. I read and I know things. Thanks for the entertainment on this thread. love and peace, janz
Peacejanz wrote: "Bingo - me, too. I read and I know things. Thanks for the entertainment on this thread. love and peace, janz"❤️
Yes, I remember thinking this book was hilarious. And it's the dry wit combined with observations of cruelty arround the narrator made it one-of-a-kind read for me. The dry wit almost seems like a coping mechanism.Oh and I absolutely love your description of the ending as a transition of a black-and-white movie to the colors of an exploding pink sunset! I haven't seen a more apt description of the book.
I still have no idea whatsoever what this book is actually about. And a sneaking suspicion that I could read it and still have not idea what it's about.
Prerna wrote: "Yes, I remember thinking this book was hilarious. And it's the dry wit combined with observations of cruelty arround the narrator made it one-of-a-kind read for me. The dry wit almost seems like a ..."it makes me so happy! 😊
Left Coast Justin wrote: "I still have no idea whatsoever what this book is actually about. And a sneaking suspicion that I could read it and still have not idea what it's about."oh no, you won't. sorry for my vague review! this is a story of 18 year old girl trying to live her life during The Troubles. And she has a very distinct voice. If you decide to read it, you won't forget her anytime soon, I promise!
Lots of giggling out loud, nastya? Yes! that's it. When you get on middle-sister's wavelength, the giggling becomes irresistible—and a huge reward for the reader who has given the book enough commitment to reach that wavelength.
this time I reached her wavelength instantly. I was enjoying it from the very beginning!
The audio is the way to go with this book. Loved loved it.
Adina wrote: "The audio is the way to go with this book. Loved loved it."audio really helped me the first time to plow through the seemingly endless paragraphs. this time, however, had zero issues with reading with my eyeballs, I even liked taking my time with the text. don't know what has changed.
but I'm such a sucker for an audiobook with any Irish accent.
Yes! I loved this book too, and I felt a beautiful sense of hope at the end. Quite a singular book. I wonder what else this woman will write!
Robin wrote: "Yes! I loved this book too, and I felt a beautiful sense of hope at the end. Quite a singular book. I wonder what else this woman will write!"oh me too, can't wait for her next one
Lovely description of the feel of the ending here, my friend!
Thanks, love. I enjoyed this book more on the reread. This is a special one that really does something quite amazing, I love finding gems like this one, that dare to try to be different and challenge the reader, that have so much creativity behind them. But then it has something like 3.5 average rating so you have to pay for it 😀
Thanks for suggesting this one to me! Now what other hidden gems have you got?
Nataliya wrote: "Thanks for suggesting this one to me! Now what other hidden gems have you got?"
Ha I need to think carefully. I have a good track record lately with recommending you Lymond and then Milkman. I’m afraid to screw it up!
