Alexander Masters' tragicomic portrait of Stuart Shorter starts in the present and moves backward through the particulars of a fractured life.The British antihero of this moving biography started with teenage glue-sniffing, petty thievery and gang brawls, then graduated to heroin and major thievery. He endured prison stints and led a "medieval existence" on the streets, finally emerging into triumphant semistability as an "ex-homeless, ex-junkie psychopath" with only occasional episodes of violence and suicidal impulses. In Cambridge, England, Masters, an advocate for the homeless, befriended Stuart—someone for whom "cause and effect are not connected in the usual way"—and found him at times obnoxious and repellent, but also funny and honest hoping to answer Stuart's question "What murdered the boy I was?". Masters notes bad genes and ugly childhood, and critiques "the System" of British welfare and criminal justice institutions that help with one hand and brutalize with the other, but he doesn't reduce Stuart's intractable problems to simple dysfunction or societal neglect. By eschewing easy answers (the easy answers—don't drink, don't use, don't steal, don't play with knives—are precisely the hardest for Stuart), he accords full humanity to Stuart's stumbling efforts to grapple with his demons.The real attraction, however, is Stuart's own voice, as when he recalls "getting rageous" or offers recipes for "prison hooch" and "convict curry." Hilarious, deeply humane and clear-eyed, the author's superbly drawn portrait of Stuart is an unforgettable literary evocation and a small masterpiece of moral empathy and imagination. Stuart's story resists easy explanation, which makes Masters' patient attention to its concrete details all the more affecting.
This is by far the best book I read last year. I recommend it unhesitatingly even though I consider it as a haunting story very touchingly told.
The best comment I read about this book was from the Financial Times: "A fascinating and disturbing read, this book delves into the underbelly of society". It's true.

This is one of two books I selected at the Athens Bookcrossers' monthly meet-up yesterday. I recall having read something about this story some time ago, and after reading the back cover blurb, I know I am going to be fascinated by Stuart's life.

Thanks maroula for releasing this book!

Reserved for vekiki's European Nonfiction Virtual BookBox (round 4).

For the meeting of the Athens book swap club, on Thursday November 7th, starting at 12 noon.

Cake cafe-pastry shop
19 Makriyianni street, metro stop "Acropolis"
Google map location