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Milkman

#1 IRISH TIMES BEST IRISH BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURY
By Anna Burns
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Milkman by Anna Burns is set in an unnamed city during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The story follows an unnamed young woman who becomes the subject of gossip and intrigue when a mysterious, possibly dangerous figure known as the milkman begins to pay her unwanted attention. The narrative explores themes of power, control, and the impact of societal judgment against a backdrop of political unrest.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in a profound exploration of identity and societal tensions, set against the backdrop of a politically charged environment. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of a young woman navigating rumours, gossip, and the complexities of community in an unnamed city, offering a unique and immersive experience that lingers well after the last page.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2018
WINNER OF THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD

'Driven by voice; musical, wild, playful and furious. I was in awe of the author.' — Sofie Laguna

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.


"[Milkman] seeth[es] with black humour and adolescent anger at the adult world and its brutal absurdities... For a novel about life under multifarious forms of totalitarian control—political, gendered, sectarian, communal—Milkman can be charmingly wry." — The New Yorker

"A triumph of voice... darkly hilarious." — Justine Jordan ― Guardian BOOKS OF THE YEAR

"Profound, punchy, powerful prose... A tale of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness, it's thought-provoking stuff." — Sunday Telegraph, STELLA, Stella Loves

"This is a powerful, funny and sometimes immensely beautiful novel, with a female lead whose life is a low-key renunciation of the violence that shook her city for a generation." — Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

"At once intimate and universal, historical and fabulistic and timely, unconventional and almost sentimentally hopeful." — Vulture

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Milkman by Anna Burns is lauded for its unique narrative style and the way it captures the tension of living in a divided society. The protagonist's voice is both idiosyncratic and compelling, offering an intimate look at the complexities of community and individual identity. Critics have praised its ability to convey the pervasive atmosphere of fear, ambiguity, and the surreal aspects of daily life during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571338757

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 September 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main - Re-issue

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 304g

Pages: 368

Collections

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About the Author

Anna Burns was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She is the author of two novels, No Bones and Little Constructions, and of the novella, Mostly Hero. No Bones won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and was short-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction. She lives in East Sussex, England.

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