Milkman

By Anna Burns

This book won the Mann Booker Prize this year.

I found it a very interesting book.  It was a bit unusual both in the writing style and the story.  The author seemed to write almost in a stream of consciousness style at times.  You had to read every word, I found I had to re-read at times so I wouldn't miss what she was saying.

The story takes place in an unnamed country but it sounds a lot like northern Ireland.  There is a lot of turmoil and chaos.  The people don't mention the "other country", even hits of familiarity with or attention to the other country can get you branded a traitor.  There is fighting between people of different religions but also it seems that the government is spying on everyone.

The young woman tries to mind her own business.  She walks along reading books.  She navigates by various local landmarks including a bombed out zone.  She has a person she refers to as her maybe-boyfriend as they have not made a real commitment to a relationship. The girl's mother is urging her to settle down and marry.  The people she proposes as potential husbands are creeps.  Her boyfriend likes to work on cars and collect car parts.... he gets part of a Bentley car and one person implies that by virtue of having a part of this car he could be considered a traitor.

The young girl tries to remain emotionless in her speech, motions and reactions.... This behaviour makes her a suspect.  She is taking a french class. The Teacher tries to get the students to really look at things, sunsets, etc.  She is trying to make the children aware of beauty in the world.

The young woman somehow attracts the attention of a local tough guy, known as the milkman.  He stops to talk to her, walks with her, seems to be spying on her.  She rebuffs his attention but by virtue of the rumour mill she gains some acclaim as his girlfriend (he is a married man).  She becomes frightened when he threatens to hurt or kill her maybe boyfriend.

In another part of the story there is a real milkman in the neighbourhood.  He is considered a loner. He is suffering from an unrequited love.  Anyone considered unusual or a loner are considered dangerous, on the edge, by the locals.  The real milkman doesn't carry about others' opinions and goes about helping people including the girl's mother.  One day the real milkman is shot.  The girl's mother and other single women in the neighbourhood rush to comfort him at the hospital.  The other women are jealous when the girl's mother wins him over.  Eventually they get married.  The girl's maybe boyfriend discovers he loves his best friend "Chef" and they make plans to leave and move to the carribean.

This write up may not make the books seem very interesting but I really enjoyed the story and the interplay of the lives of the character and how the author told the story but also the girl's perspective.
It was a worthy winner of the MB Prize.