Stuart: A Life Backwards

Touching and informative biographical account of a troubled homeless youth. I read this as a teenager and it’s just as poignant and enjoyable now as it was then.By the way, for anybody who does enjoy this, there was a Channel 4 film based on this book made in the early 2000s starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange, Sherlock etc...) and Tom Hardy (yes that Tom Hardy) before either of them got famous.

This is a very impressive book - a thought provoking study of a 'chaotic' life that succeeds in explaining what it's like to lead a chaotic life, and also, for Stuart Shorter, the circumstances that led to his chaotic life. A very unusual undertaking then, and the decision to write the book backwards (though it's interspersed with 'forwards' discussions between the author and Stuart about the book and their ongoing friendship) is inspired - it give you first a sense of what Stuart is like, and then gradually reveals what he has been like, and why, in the past.The background to the book is given by the prosecution and jailing of the head and deputy head of a homeless shelter in Cambridge for allowing drug dealing on their premises. The author ran the campaign for their release (achieved after 7 months of emprisonment) and Stuart was clearly a start turn as part of the supporting team.The author comes across as very likeable and broad-minded, seeing both sides of most questions - though perhaps just a little over inclined to sympathise with Stuart about the iniquities of 'the system' that he has fought against all his life. But then actually he did have plenty to fight against - and the 'system' did owe him a much better shot at his life.I would very strongly recommend this.

I have rarely been so affected by a book and reading about the life of Stuart Shorter was a terrifying experience. Terrifying because, written backwards as it is, I knew I was coming closer with every page to some kind of explanation for what happened to Stuart in his early life. Everything followed from that. The man we meet in the first chapter is someone most of us would avoid like the plague. A man habitually used to sleeping in the street, a drug addict, a regular self-harmer, a man who, when cornered by the police, held his small son up at the window and threatened to kill him if they did not leave him alone. A man at the end of his life at the age of 33. But this is not a book about excuses. Stuart readily admits that many other children are abused as he was and don't turn to crime. Stuart doesn't know why he didn't turn out to be a better man, but he offers no excuses. It takes Alexander Masters an excess of patience for any kind of justification to evolve from their interviews and conversations, and even then Stuart would never accept them as excuses. The details of the reasons for his first escape from home into a children's services Home, are far too raw and shocking to form part of this review. He was abused by paedophiles, including within his own home by his own brother, and at more than one of the so-called refuges he was forced to accept. I would only say, read this book. It will set you back on your heels, and you will find such heartbreak eviscerating, no doubt. It takes some courage for the reader to persist, but the book, for all that, is not without its moments of humour. All the same it left me profoundly affected. Sorrowful, ashamed, heartsick. And amazed, too at the resilience, and the bravery of this astonishing man.

Utterly brilliant. Should be on the curriculum for students in their last year. An eye opener to a section of the "real world" that thankfully the majority don't experience- yet everyone should know that life can spiral out of control. Knowing is understanding; understanding promotes compassion.Despite the terrible events & circumstances describes, this is not a "misery memoir ". There are some laugh-out-loud moments along the way, and it is beautifully written.

I'm going to see the play of this book in a few weeks and decided I would like to read the book first.This is the story of Stuart Shorter, a homeless man that Alexander Masters meets on the streets of Cambridge when working for a homeless shelter. AM becomes fascinated about why Stuart has become what he has and starts to write down the story.Throughout, this book is full of emotion. Within the first 20 pages I had gasped out loud twice, smiled lots, frowned and laughed out loud.AM has the ability to make you try to understand Stuart and his situation, whilst acknowledging the impossibility of actually succeeding.The concept of writing the life story backwards is a great idea (actually coming from Stuart) but it does result in the timeline of his life becoming very chaotic as time jumps forwards and backwards. This makes the book more difficult to follow than it could have been but does serve to reinforce the way Stuart feels about his life.Unexpectedly, the book ends up being a lot about Alexander and his feels and relationship with Stuart. This is unusual for a biography and I think works well.