John of John Douglas Stuart

[PartyQuestion30th]

Anyone reading John of John yet? I'm about a third of the way through and absolutely loving it - I'm trying to savour it and not romp through it. The descriptions of colours are amazing and there's a real warmth to it as a story.

Haven't read anything else by this author though I'd heard of Shuggie Bain but hadn't thought I'd like it. I think I was probably wrong....

I haven't started it yet but my husband bought me a signed copy - I'm looking forward to starting it :-)

I was serialised on radio 4 last week, you can catch it on sounds. I've downloaded to lister later, but haven't read the book yet.

I enjoyed it. He recreates the tensions of living in such a small community really well. Shuggie Bain is excellent and is closely based on his own childhood experiences of growing up gay in 80s Glasgow . Young Mungo is imo excessively bleak. Unrelieved violence and gloom. He’s a very talented writer though.

I'm listening to it and probably a third of the way through. Really enjoyed his other books, bleak as they are, and this one is equally well written.

I think I'll give Young Mungo a miss - I don't need unrelieved violence and gloom...not matter how well written!

Snuggie Bain was gruelling too so
I’ll give young Mungo a miss. Might try John of John. Love the Hebrides.

I have just read Shuggie Bain (very late to the party). It was bleak - but stunning. What a writer. Very keen to read more by Stuart.

There was also an episode of Take Four Books on on Radio 4 recently on John of John. This programme takes a new novel and interviews the author on his/her influences etc - of which the author chooses 3. I love this and This Cultural Life for the same reason.

I haven’t read John Of John, but I loved Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo. They’re both harrowing though. Not relentlessly so, and there is some note of hope and a bit of humour in both of them, but they are both stories of poverty, neglect, abandonment, addiction, and abuse of every possible kind.

I love the Hebrides and have spent a lot of time there, so I’m keen to read John Of John soon.

Religion, farming, family secrets, the isolation of island life - my favourite of Douglas Stuart’s books. I want to read more about Cal, John and Innes and if they followed their hearts or their heads.

Finished it. Superb.