Milkman

 

Milkman by Anna Burns - Book Review - Bookmarks and Popcorns

Genre: Psychological Fiction
Author: Anna Burns
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Another book of which I could not ascertain or classify the genre and had to Google it. The genre suggested is also not something I completely agree with.)

All of us have a habit that makes us unique. That makes us stand alone. Not a habit that many or anyone else has. A habit that is not offensive or bothering anyone in any way. Just you and your harmless habit. Imagine being judged by that habit. Imagine being judged, categorized, classified, and objectified by the society merely because of that habit.

Milkman is the story of a girl with such a habit. In a society where mundane is preferred over an interesting lifestyle, lives the protagonist, an 18-year-old girl who is rumored to be in a relationship with Milkman who is twice as old as she. The rumor, being spread by her first brother-in-law, has tormenting and cascading consequences. Some of which, even prove to be fatal. Will she save herself from these rumors? From these consequences? From the Milkman? Not to mention, the time period is probably the 90s, because of the technologies and the political conditions.

The characters in the book are not named. Instead, they are being called as First Sister, Maybe-Boyfriend, Somebody McSomebody, etc. Yet, they are given the utmost details. The scenes, the explanations, the flashbacks, the flashbacks of flashbacks, the rare glimpses into the future are told in a way how a typical mind works. A surveillant society that has both good and bad aspects co-existing, reminds me of our own society. The book had a humor that was as alluring as the relationship between people as explained and escalated.

The challenging part of the book was, reading. No, seriously. The writing was very dense and the scene had drifting yet concentric associations that it was hard for me to pause or recollect where the scene actually was. I, someone with an attention span of a butterfly, found it really challenging and requiring patience.

On the whole, I loved the book and found it deserving of all the prizes that it had won. If you like challenging yet interesting read, you should definitely not think twice before picking this.

Milkman by Anna Burns - Book Review - Quote - Bookmarks and Popcorns

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Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

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