Stuart: A Life Backwards – Alexander Masters review on Goodreads

Here is my review for Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters on Goodreads:

Stuart Shorter was an ex-junkie, (ex-)psychopath, ex-homeless, and relatively unknown in the grand scheme of things. Yet Alexander Masters was still entirely correct in thinking that Stuart’s story was a story worth telling. With the bizarre structure of starting the book at the end of the story, which isn’t actually as confusing as it sounds, the reader is sent on a journey through the life of a chaotic in the heart of Cambridge, England. For so many horrific things that have taken place at Stuart’s fault in his tragically short life, this nightmare of a man really does begin to grow on you. Masters has truly mastered the art of emphasising the tragedy of one’s past at the same time as filling the pages with his own realistic, yet humourous reactions to Stuart’s difficult behaviour.

One thing didn’t work for me, however. Near the end of the book we get to Stuart’s early years with a chapter titled ‘The Forgotten Years: Aged 0-10’ which made no sense to me. The irony of the chapter’s title is very apparent because it seems as if they really are forgotten. Masters visits Stuart’s grandmother to try and find out about the beginning of his life, but we don’t actually find out anything near the sort. It’s not even made clear if those years really are forgotten by the last few who had a chance of remembering them, or if Master’s made a mistake. Intentional irony or not, I didn’t like that.

Stuart: A Life Backwards is a truly brilliant debut from Alexander Masters. With heartfelt sorrow and ironic humour plastered throughout, this book really was an enjoyable read, despite the confusion around ‘The Forgotten Years’.

Stuart Shorter