The Novels of Edward St Aubyn

I have stumbled onto the five-volume works of Edward St Aubyn called The Patrick Melrose Novels. These are books filled with horror - child abuse, heroin addiction, alcoholism, suicidal depression, and more. I try to avoid these themes, but I started reading Never Mind, the first of the Melrose books and the toxic combination of fear, anger, and wit is addictive.

I can't say how long I'll be able to tolerate the cruelty and misery but it seems obvious already after only about 50 pages that the suffering will be worth it if I can tolerate it. James Wood has written a perceptive review in the New Yorker of St Aubyn's books, and especially the last in the series, At Last.

Comments

[Chloe]

I finally gave in to my general opposition to the misery memoir and read the first of the Melrose books in January. They are quite brilliant, satirical and beautifully written. But I was left feeling a bit damaged by all the damage. I didn't help myself by reading Jeanette Winterson and Janice Galloway's own memoirs hard on the heels of this one.
But I will return to them I'm sure, thanks for the New Yorker link which was a similarly good read

[Mary]

Chloe, you put it very well, "feeling a bit damaged by all the damage." I thought the Wood piece in the New Yorker was excellent.