Milkman

Anna Burns

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the troubles

northern ireland conflict

harassment from political activists

societal pressures in conflict zones

dense, stream of consciousness prose

themes of fear and mistrust

unnamed characters

introspective pacing

social scrutiny and gossip

literary fiction with experimental narrative

oppressive social dynamics

disconnection and oppression in society

tension and conflict atmosphere

deliberate, slow pacing

'Milkman' by Anna Burns is a challenging novel set in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles' in the 1970s. The story follows an unnamed 18-year-old girl who narrates her experiences dealing with unwanted attention from an older political activist known as the milkman. The writing style of the book is dense and requires concentration, with long paragraphs and a lack of traditional names for characters, creating a sense of discomfort for the reader. The novel delves into themes of fear, gossip, mistrust, and the societal pressures faced by individuals living in a politically turbulent environment.

Characters:

Characters are largely unnamed, identified only by their roles or familial relationships, conveying the oppressive nature of their society during the Troubles.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by dense, stream-of-consciousness prose, with a unique structure that often omits names, enhancing the novel's themes of disconnection and oppression.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers around an unnamed girl in Northern Ireland facing harassment from a paramilitary figure known as the milkman, while depicting the social dynamics of her community during the Troubles.

Setting:

The setting is an unnamed Northern Irish city during the Troubles, creating a tense atmosphere of conflict and social scrutiny.

Pacing:

The pacing is slow and deliberate, characterized by lengthy sections that promote introspection and build tension.

The day Somebody McSomebody put a gun to my breast and called me a cat and threatened to shoot me was the same day the milkman died. He had been shot by one of the state hit squads and I did not care ...

Notes:

The novel Milkman won the 2018 Man Booker Prize.

The story unfolds in Northern Ireland during the late 1970s, a period known as the Troubles.

The protagonist is an unnamed young woman referred to as 'middle sister'.

Characters in the novel are referred to by their familial or social roles instead of personal names.

The book explores themes of social control, gossip, and the pressures of conformity in a divided community.

The narrative style features long sentences that contribute to a sense of flow and chaos in the protagonist's thoughts.

The Milkman, a senior paramilitary figure, becomes a source of unwanted attention and gossip for the protagonist.

Humor is interspersed throughout the bleak narrative, often highlighting the absurdity of the situation.

The protagonist copes with her oppressive environment by immersing herself in 19th-century literature, rejecting 20th-century works.

With its stream-of-consciousness style, the book requires considerable concentration to read.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include discussions of stalking, sexual harassment, violence, and the psychological effects of living in a conflict zone.

From The Publisher:

In this unnamed city, to be interesting is dangerous. Middle sister, our protagonist, is busy attempting to keep her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. But when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle, and rumours start to swell, middle sister becomes 'interesting'. The last thing she ever wanted to be. To be interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous…

Milkman is a tale of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness. It is the story of inaction with enormous consequences.

ABOUT THE FABRIC

Liberty Open Call 2019 winner Duncan Grant's Small Town print is one of his series of 'smalltown' ink designs, drawing inspiration from the homes and billowing chimneys of Grant's childhood in Gravesend. Born out of a doodling style, the design features a world that is by turns childlike, slightly abstract and colourfully simplified

Ratings (17)

Incredible (5)
Loved It (5)
Liked It (1)
It Was OK (3)
Did Not Like (3)

Reader Stats (40):

Read It (17)
Want To Read (18)
Did Not Finish (3)
Not Interested (2)

1 comment(s)

Pallavi

It Was OK

6 months

****3.0****

If you want a slow read, where you would like to turn the words around in your head and savor the sentences, then Milkman by Anna Burns is the one you should pick up.

But if you like fast paced story, great plot and witty conversations then please do NOT pick this one at ALL.

There are no names in this story. Just people, relationship between people and the Milkman. Our protagonist, an 18 year old girl, suffers from unwanted attention from Milkman and becomes the topic of social gossip, which she does not want. From here it is her (the Protagonist's) ramblings and thoughts and conversations about the society, family, "Troubles" that are referred to the political issues at that place, woman issues, consequences of straying far in a strict society etc etc etc.

"I came to understand how much I’d been closed down, how much I’d been thwarted into a carefully constructed nothingness by that man,” … “Also by the community, by the very mental atmosphere, that minutiae of invasion.”"

Brilliantly written, intense narration where the book demands readers complete attention. Skillfully constructed and this book is worth what it is hyped about.

BUT

I didn't enjoy this book but I really appreciate/respect it. Lot of stuff seemed circular rants and I just couldn't cope with those. This one really needs ones attention. But surely taking it up again later.

"I didn’t see anything wrong with this but it became something else to be added as further proof against me. ‘Reading-while-walking’ was definitely on the list."

Happy Reading!!!

What can you read after
Milkman?

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About the Author:

Anna Burns was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is the author of three novels - No Bones, Little Constructions, and Milkman - and of the novella Mostly Hero. No Bones won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Milkman has, to date, won the Man Booker Prize 2018, the 2019 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, and the International Dublin Literary Award 2020, and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize and the Rathbone's Folio Prize. Anna Burns lives in East Sussex, England.

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