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Milkman by Anna Burns

Milkman

by Anna Burns
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  • Dec 2018, 360 pages
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There are currently 4 reader reviews for Milkman
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Pegeen Brosnan

Immersive and humorous
The Milkman is an immersion into a society which demands taking sides, loyalty to one’s “ tribe” and especially for “ middle sisters” staying below the radar. Dreaming of a future free of these ties, reading while walking are all as noticeably so odd as to cause comment and negativity. Even a Middle Sister can be caught up in false rumors and facing the unwanted attentions of a local, powerful thug. The author, using dialogue, interior monologue and simple actions, creates the pervasive and claustrophobic sense of everything being political and potentially violent. There can be no bystanders , no escaping, even if you walk with your eyes literally down, stuck in a book. There is also humor — engine repair parts as a political stance . The reader experiences the reality of living in the midst of domestic terrorism. And isn’t that an astonishing achievement?!

I think, based upon other negative reviews about the confusions some found reading, that perhaps this text works better as an audiobook. I did not find it confusing or difficult with the audio narration. Don’t expect the traditional, but don’t dismiss this book so quickly.
Student

Difficult to read, but story has meaning
The narrator in this book seems so ramble off forever at time, sometimes without meaning. I listened to it on Audible at x2 speed and it still didn't get to the point fast enough. The author describes very useless details to the story and that's what makes the reader lose interest. Even the ramblings don't flow and feel choppy. But the book keeps you guessing and keeps you hanging by a thread, satisfying ending in my opinion. and some deep ideas are brought up. I wouldn't finished this book if it wasn't assigned by my teacher, but I'm kinda glad it was. I'd give it a 2.7.
Karen

Milkman Anna Burns
I expected much more from this book given the prize.
It was difficult to read. I found no conclusion to the patter of conversations and endless ramblings that were seemingly in the head of the main character. It didn’t seem to draw any conclusions, it seemed the confusion of conversation was never ending, therefore I had to let it go and couldn’t finish. I would not recommend.
Patricia

Pretentious prose on steroids
Style should not be torturous for the reader. Paragraphs that troll on for pages, sentences that have no foreseeable end, do not capture my attention. Rather take an aspirin and go to bed. Sorry.
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