The Patrick Melrose Novels: Mother’s Milk
It is a challenging task to write about something society considers a taboo. British author Edward St Aubyn did just that with his semi-autobiographical book series commonly known as “The Patrick Melrose Novels” (published between 1992 and 2011). Threatened with death, lucid, sweat soaked and restless at night; sometimes he lost consciousness from the effort it took to save his own life. More than two decades passed until Patrick’s story, soon to be televised, found its witty, eloquent and carefully chosen words on printed paper – it is no bedtime story. Hence this five part book review includes numerous trigger warnings [addiction, adultery, depression, domestic violence, incest, suicide, severe substance abuse, sexual assault] when needed, continuing with “Mother’s Milk”.
The fourth volume from the “Patrick Melrose Novels” is different to the others from the get-go: It is shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2006, dedicated to St Aubyn’s son and initially not meant to become another Melrose novel. During its writing process, however, its leading man named Mark turned into Patrick. His story wasn’t finished yet. “Mother’s Milk”, unlike the previous novels, is set in France and America during four summers of the early 2000s. Patrick Melrose is a husband and a working father of two but life is far from sorted. Although drunkenly desperate to make no mistakes in marriage and fatherhood his ever-present past lingers in the French shadows. Threatened with disinheritance by his increasingly helpless mother and bored by everyday life with his besotted wife Mary, he finds himself overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for a new generation.
“He had to face facts, though: they had been separated. He understood now that his mother had already been on the outside. For her this wild shore was a new role, for him it was a new world. The strange thing was that he felt as if he had been there before. He had known there was an outside all along. He used to think it was a muffled watery world out there and that he lived at the heart of things. Now the walls had tumbled down and he could see what a muddle he had been in. How could he avoid getting in a new muddle in this hammeringly bright place? How could he kick and spin like he used to in this heavy atmosphere where the air stung his skin? Yesterday he had thought he was dying. Perhaps he was right and this is what happened. Everything was open to question, except the fact that he was separated from his mother. Now that he realized there was a difference between them, he loved his mother with new sharpness. He used to be close to her. Now he longed to be close to her. The first taste of longing was the saddest thing in the world.”(p. 5)
Trigger warning [alcoholism, addiction, adultery, depression, suicide] – First things first: “Mother’s Milk” (Picador) is an exceptionally brilliant piece of fiction, of writing, and the brief excerpt above alone is proof such. This novel literally opens with the beginning of life itself. In this case Robert Melrose’s, Patrick’s firstborn, who remembers his own birth following the imminent arrival of his brother, Thomas. To quote the five-year-old big brother: motherhood explored from all possible angles by author St Aubyn is “at the heart of things” in this one. Patrick, who seeks consolation in drink, tranquillizers and intercourse, has reached a new level of observation – He reflects, observes, questions and judges as much as he himself is being observed, questioned and judged by the few loved ones he shares his life with. St Aubyn explores both the limitation and liberation of speech with the help of Eleanor Melrose’s health decline and her grandsons’ discovery of many witty and well-spoken words. The adult language used is both English and French, sometimes sexually explicit, and includes swear words. Overall it’s a brilliant, delightful 300 pages read even though its troubled protagonist is often drunkenly faced with decision making he would rather not be made responsible for. This novel can be read by all above the age of 16.
“Mother’s Milk” is the fourth 60 minutes episode from the “Patrick Melrose” TV series (ShowTime/Sky Atlantic), which will air on Saturdays from May 12/13 starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Blythe Danner, Anna Madeley, Jennifer Raine, Dixie Egerickx, Bryony Miller, Dainton Anderson, Marcus Smith, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Guy Paul and Benedict Cumberbatch. The TV series includes “Adult Content, Adult Language, Strong Language, Suggestive Dialogue and Sexual Situations”, according to ShowTime.
Book review: Never Mind | Bad News | Some Hope | Mother’s Milk | At Last
Write a comment
You need to be logged in to leave a comment.