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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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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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Critic reviews
'It will surely prove to be the debut of the year.' Andrew O'Hagan, Telegraph
'I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that I hardly know where to begin … My enthusiasm feels almost limitless. A page-turner…the structure of Stuart is a masterstroke, allowing buried secrets to be uncovered like hunks of beef beneath silver domes.' Observer
'One of the most unusual biographies of recent years … one of 2005's outstanding debuts.' Metro
'A bitterly funny book.' Guardian
'Funny and original, a startling book … By the end I was doubled up in tears, but throughout I was often doubled up with laughter. It is dazzling.' Vogue
'A remarkable biography. Not since John Healey's classic memoir The Grass Arena has life on the street been catalogued with such candour and to such illuminating effect … unforgettably moving. A gripping read." Tim Lott, Sunday Times
'This is a very rare and moral and haunting book, the best of its kind since Alan Bennett's The Lady in the Van. On the way to telling the story of one homeless man, Alexander Masters manages to tell a compelling story about modern Britain, and a new and sometimes funny story about the trials of authorship. A great first book: I think it should replace the Gideon Bible in every hotel room in Britain.' Andrew O'Hagan'It will surely prove to be the debut of the year.' Andrew O'Hagan, Telegraph
'I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that I hardly know where to begin … My enthusiasm feels almost limitless. A page-turner…the structure of Stuart is a masterstroke, allowing buried secrets to be uncovered like hunks of beef beneath silver domes.' Observer
'One of the most unusual biographies of recent years … one of 2005's outstanding debuts.' Metro
'A bitterly funny book.' Guardian
What listeners say about Stuart: A Life Backwards
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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- hayley green
- 19-05-22
Fantastic and an Eye opener.
This book and story will stay with me forever and I will tell people to read it. it's a must!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Li
- 27-01-13
Such a great story!
I'm so glad that the publisher decided to make an audiobook edition for this book. This is a masterpiece and definitely worth buying.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Bee
- 07-11-24
Heartbreaking and Heart-lifting
I'm a bit useless when it comes to reviewing books so I've given up but have made an 'effort' here. Brilliant book. Shows the damage of child abuse but also human resilience.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Caroline Mitchell
- 20-04-18
Brilliant
A brilliantly written and narrated book, invoking many emotions. Highly recommend this thought provoking read.
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- Emma Cooper
- 24-09-23
Love you Stuart
Although we never met it has been a privilege to read about your life and your struggles having a short peak into your friendship with Alexander I hope wherever you are now you have the peace you deserved so much when here x
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs B.
- 15-06-23
Not what I was expecting
I wanted to read this book to support my daughter with her A Level in English Literature. When she gave me a brief synopsis, I really didn’t want to read it. As soon as it starred, I just loved the writing style and the performance. It was so rich and funny as well as being heart breaking. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jaxndm
- 21-10-24
Unusually moving and infuriating
You experience the frustration and disappointment of the author when listening to Stuart retell his life, and then your frustration and disappointment turns away from the Stuart and towards all those that failed and had a part in his minds demise. Truly heartbreaking, eye-opening and just so desperately sad. A must listen!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sophie Bickle
- 29-04-16
An actual "must read". Surprisingly funny.
Brilliantly written, brilliantly narrated, heartbreaking, heartwarming.
"Stuart: A Life Backwards" tells one of the hundreds of thousands of untold stories of the discarded, disregarded, and forgotten of our society.
Alexander is the perfect author for this story - though he met Stuart through his work with a charity for the homeless, he is not a "bleeding heart liberal" who wants to pull you in to outraged action by tugging on your heart strings and screaming about the unfairness and injustice. He tells the story as calmly and rationally as Stuart's chaos allows, without judging or preaching.
I am grateful to Alexander for letting me meet Stuart, and grateful to Stuart for his searing honesty, his warmth, and his humour.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Julie G
- 06-08-24
A heart wrenching listen
Watched the film ages ago so wanted to listen to the book. Both on par. A story that reminds us how difficult life can be for some but how still very profound and insightful Stuart was. Never write anyone off. If only he’d been listened too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Wendy
- 11-04-13
I couldn't stop listening
This is warm and caring account of one man's roller coaster life. It drew me in to a 'relationship' with Stuart who is someone society will walk by in the street any day of the week and possibly dismiss as undesirable.
Alexander Masters beautifully and sensitively exposes Stuart's very complex personality, his standards,his coping skills and the 'niceness' which is in there not far below the surface!
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