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Stuart: A Life Backwards
- Narrated by: Jot Davies
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
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Stuart: A Life Backwards
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Publisher's Summary
A unique biography of a homeless man and a complete portrait of the hidden underclass. ‘So here it is, my attempt at the story of Stuart Shorter, thief, hostage taker, psycho and sociopath street raconteur, my spy on how the British chaotic underclass spend their troubled days at the beginning of this century: a man with an important life. I wish I could have presented it to Stuart before he stepped in front of the 11.15 train from London to Kings Lynn.’
Stuart Shorter’s brief life was one of turmoil and chaos. In this remarkable book, a masterful act of biographical restoration, Alexander Masters retraces Stuart’s troubled journey. Stuart was homeless, with many of the problems this sub-section of English society display: alcoholism, drug-addiction, crime, violence. Scattered with glimpses of the author’s friendship with Stuart in the years before his death, Masters gives us Stuart’s life in reverse, tracing his route backwards through the post-office heists and attempts at suicide and the spells inside many of this country’s prisons, on back to a troubled time at school and learning difficulties and a violent childhood that acted like a springboard into the trouble that was to follow him all his life.
This extraordinary book is a glimpse at the underbelly of English society, a world largely hidden from our lives. Funny, despairing, uplifting, brilliantly-written, it is one of the most original biographies of recent years.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- E
- 2019-11-07
Great Story
This is a great story of an extraordinary ordinary man told backwards. Hilariously funny yet tear-jerking listen. I've listened to this audio book twice and found it even more enjoyable the second time. I enjoyed the accuracy of the accents.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Angela A.
- 2021-03-09
Excellent
I selected this book after watching the film of the same name, and I am very happy that I did. The story of Stuart is touching, engaging, and real. Of course, it is also extremely sad, but is balanced enough that I wasn't crushed by the numerous harsh realities that Stuart has experienced.
Stuart is genuine and comes off very likeable. He shares his life with Alexander with total honesty, and the friendship that builds between them is one of the best things about this story.
The book doesn't shy away from anything. It gets up close and personal with Stuart's dysfunctional lifestyle, time in prison, his many addictions, violent outbreaks, and explores the plethora of mental and physical challenges he faces as well. He constantly undermines his own successes, and makes a lot of 'not too bright' decisions, but through it all is clear that Stuart is, on some level, well-meaning and largely innocent.
The narration is another big plus in this audiobook. After watching the film I had a certain idea of what the characters should sound like, and this narrator was perfect for both Alexander and Stuart's voices. Stuart can be a little frustrating to listen to, as he speaks slowly, with odd inflection, but that is his character, and the author nailed it.
I really enjoyed this book. I might even listen to it again. Highly recommend.
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