O Brother
A heartfelt exploration of family and loss
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Canongate Books
Published:24th Aug '23
Should be back in stock very soon
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£10.99(9781805303343)
This memoir offers a heartfelt look at family dynamics and the impact of suicide, as seen through the lens of John Niven's brother, Gary.
In O Brother, John Niven shares a poignant memoir that blends humor and heartbreak, chronicling his working-class upbringing during the 1970s and 80s. This compelling narrative explores the complex emotions surrounding guilt, culpability, and regret that linger in the aftermath of his brother Gary's tragic suicide. Gary, characterized as fearless and charming yet troubled, faced a tumultuous life filled with struggles against addiction and societal pressures, ultimately leading to his untimely death at 42.
The memoir delves into the lives of the Niven family as they navigate the chaos that surrounded Gary's existence, witnessing the darkest sides of life through drug deals and financial ruin. John's own journey through the music industry, marked by its own set of challenges, is intertwined with the family's attempts to support one another amidst the turmoil. O Brother captures the essence of familial bonds, illustrating how love can be both a source of strength and a potential burden.
Through a blend of humor and sorrow, O Brother paints a vivid picture of two brothers growing up in a changing world, from carefree days of youth to the stark realities of adulthood. It is a heartfelt exploration of loss, memory, and the enduring connections that define us, ultimately shedding light on how families cope with the aftermath of suicide and the enduring impact of those we have lost.
Vivid, visceral, brilliantly funny in places, dispensing sharp punches to the gut in others . . . [O Brother] made me sob more than once, and I suspect it will do the same to you * * Guardian * *
Riotous and yet bracingly moving . . . Often exuberant, laugh-out-loud funny, touching, sad and rueful * * Observer * *
Heartbreaking, and told with tenderness and honesty . . . The writing is first rate, without announcing how good it is. I can't recommend it strongly enough * * Spectator * *
An honest epitaph for a troubled soul, tender and sentimental, but shot through with anger and regret for the things left unsaid * * The Times * *
Oh my God, this book! O Brother feels like war-level reportage from the nuclear-blast that suicide inflicts on a family. [. . . ] A book whose genuine importance is only equaled by its sheer, visceral, compulsive readability -- CAITLIN MORAN
Absurdly well-written, painfully funny and painfully painful -- ADAM KAY
Tender, raw and beautiful . . . Niven is a tremendous storyteller. It is a memoir, it is a remembrance, and it is a guttural cry for us all to take those we love and hold them closer, to love them harder - to fight for them, in a society that gives up on men like Gary all too easily * * iPaper * *
As moving, scalding, funny and harrowing as any memoir I've ever read -- IAN RANKIN
O Brother is an extraordinary memoir; as devastating as it is colourful, forensic in its examination of family dynamics and oh so beautifully written. I earmarked so many pages that my copy doubled in width. Do not read the final chapter without a box of tissues -- JOJO MOYES
A brutal and brilliant sibling memoir. It's with both humour and pathos that [John Niven] recalls his and Gary's early life growing up in Irvine, Ayrshire, their diverging adult trajectories * * Guardian * *
- Short-listed for Gordon Burn Prize 2024 (UK)
- Short-listed for Saltire Society Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2024 (UK)
ISBN: 9781805300588
Dimensions: 220mm x 162mm x 35mm
Weight: 559g
384 pages
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