Lead Review (Malc’s Boy)
- Book: Malc’s boy
- Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Pattaya, Wigton
- Author: Shaun Wilson
Malc’s Boy by Shaun Wilson, autofiction set in Wigton, Cumbria; Newcastle-upon-Tyne; Pattaya, Thailand
Malc’s Boy by Shaun Wilson is warts-and-all autobiography and it’s an extraordinary book with a unique and memorable voice. Growing up, Shaun wants to be just like his dad – as might any young boy. Malc is not the ideal role model, however, so Shaun both loves and rejects his father. The novel is Shaun’s coming-of-age story, and it tells of the tensions and affections between the two. It reflects Shaun’s internal dialogue and the struggles he has in choosing his direction in life.
Malc’s Boy is written partly in Cumbrian dialect, which can take a bit of getting used to, but adds to its authenticity. Shaun’s character is both narrator and protagonist, with some chapters written in the first person and some in the third. At times the navel-gazing self-consciousness is quite alarming, but it is well balanced with self-deprecating and downright funny episodes.
Shaun and his father, Malc, are the main characters in this examination of “toxic masculinity”. The book explores Shaun’s working-class childhood and the influence that his fist-fighting, bird-shagging father had on his development. This despite the two having lived apart seemingly for much of Shaun’s childhood. (Shaun knows he has half-siblings but appears surprised to learn how many women Malc has been married to). The book goes so far as to suggest that being a hard man – or at least aspiring to it – is a hereditary trait. Shaun’s mother hardly rates a mention and the women in the book are objectified. There are exceptions – Shaun’s girlfriend “Martine” and a few others who offer insights into a feminine world. For the most part Shaun rejects this knowledge, seemingly fearful that it will weaken him. He does see himself as “a man of peace”, and he wants to be a better person, but that doesn’t stop him fighting and shagging just like his father.
Shaun was born in Wigton, Cumbria – a small market town where it is hard for a person to hide. This might explain his preoccupation with how others see him; something that governs his actions and choices throughout. His father, Malc, was second hand car dealer but became a property developer/publican in the 1980s. He bought a farm and sent Shaun to boarding school where others were middle class. Shaun said they were more sheltered than him. But he got top grades. He contrasts his experience with that of a “posh boy” who once attended his local school and who tried to blend in. “Ye can’t help who ye are”.
As a young man he moves to Newcastle. The author describes both locations in a no-nonsense, factual way – but then he can’t help himself and there are some wonderfully poetic descriptions of his surroundings. This seems to me to reflect the inner conflict he’s experiencing. Sometimes his artistic soul can’t help but burst through. You might expect the descriptions of Pattaya to be more romantic but that’s not the case. Shaun is focussing too much on finding a girlfriend (and not being killed) to create tourist-brochure-style accounts of one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
The book recalls such working-class, post-industrial novels as Shuggie Bain. It proclaims itself to be a work of autofiction, and it depicts the author’s life (and his father’s) but with a big dollop of artistic licence and creativity. It also falls into the category of metafiction, in that the author-protagonist discusses at length the process of writing the book – much as I imagine he did in tutorials with his PhD tutor. Malc’s Boy was written as part of his PhD studies, which explored autofiction.
Malc’s Boy relies on detailed descriptions to place the narrative in the seedier side of the locations it features, with references to drink, drugs and prostitutes. It also has fantastic descriptions of people, its characters virtually punching their way off the pages. As such, I recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about what makes people tick.
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