Mother's Milk

MOTHER'S MILK
by Edward St. Aubyn

 Nomination: Booker Finalist 2006

 Date Read: January 26, 2014

 I read all of the Patrick Melrose novels and I did not enjoy them that much. It became more of an endurance contest towards the end. I found Patrick Melrose himself to be a thoroughly unlikeable character who I struggled to identify with. Reading it at the time, I had no idea that Patrick was modeled on St. Aubyn's own life, which now just makes me feel miserable.

 I cannot believe he endured all the events as outlined in Never Mind, Bad News, Some Hope and Mother's Milk - rape by his father, negligent mother, heroin addiction and all other manner of self-sabotage. As a study in how childhood adversity affects one's adulthood, therein lies in the value in this work. 

 I am pleased that he survived his own attempts at undoing and was able to write these as a self-reflective (perhaps) healing for the wounds he endured early on. I hope beyond hope he pulled his shit together. 

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