![]() ![]() You can imagine being watched by the IRA and the state and informers and your own family, which takes an emotional toll on the reader like it does on the protagonist. The repetition and circular thoughts create a claustrophobic atmosphere, which is difficult to read. Narrated in the first-person past tense, Milkman is an interior monologue. GOOD BITS: The style, setting and theme are the best aspects of this novel. But despite the wonderful style, this novel simply lacks the fundamental core of storytelling – it needs a beginning, middle and an end. In keeping with the setting there’s misdirection, fear, darkness and confusion that suffuses everyday life for a civilian in a guerilla war zone. Don’t get me wrong it’s a beautifully written novel. It’s alluded to and skirted around but there’s no action. ![]() RATING: The plot summary sounds interesting, right? Well this novel gets three stars because the plot I’ve outlined never really happens. However, Milkman begins to stalk her and the rumour of their supposed relationship grows beyond her control. ![]() When middle sister captures the eye of IRA bigshot Milkman, she is unsettled and doesn’t want anything to do with him. An intelligent girl, she’s considered strange by her community, and her mother doesn’t understand why she does not want to settle down and get married. THE PLOT: Set in 70’s Belfast during the Troubles, the protagonist is an eighteen-year-old girl known only as ‘middle sister’. ![]()
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