Yet the stuart depicted in this book was also a man with a fierce sense of justice and. A life backwards, published in 2005, masters set out to explore the life of a wholly unknown man he had met begging on a street in cambridge. If it wasnt for stuarts full disclosure and willingness to share his life story, there. A writer cumberbatch takes a backwards look at the life of his unlikely friend stuart hardy, a homeless alcoholic who experienced a traumatic event in his childhood. The story line is told backwards, as stuart requested, and the film ends with a poignant resolution to stuarts heartbreaking situation. With a keen writers eye, a gift for narrative and a friendship that lasted only four years, masters recounts the life of stuart clive shorter whose untimely death in 2002 inspired this work. Stuart was homeless, with many of the problems this subsection of english society display. He was studying for an msc degree in mathematics with the open university, and working as an assistant at a hostel for the homeless in cambridge, when he wrote his first book. Well, i guess i should start at the beginning which, of course, is actually the end of stuart s story.
Based upon the novel by martina cole, this tv series is mostly about freddie jackson, portrayed by tom hardy, who is just out of prison. A life backwards is a biography by alexander masters of his friend stuart clive shorter, formerly, at various times, a prisoner and a career criminal. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Jun 11, 2006 a backwards life revealed in stuart alexander masters spent five years working in hostels for the homeless. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving. He exemplifies the so called chaotic homeless people, who are on the streets because, curiously, it is the only place where they can manage. Stuart, a life backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, alexander and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison. A life backwards in this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely friendship, and a desperate world few ever see. Along the way he met stuart, a homeless, drugaddicted excon.
A writer takes a backwards look at the life of his unlikely friend stuart, a homeless alcoholic who experienced a traumatic event in his childhood. May 17, 2019 some of the very best of tom hardy in his role as stuart shorter in the 2007 true life drama based on the best selling book by alexander masters, stuart. It explores how a young boy, somewhat disabled from birth, became mentally unstable, criminal and violent, living homeless on the streets of cambridge. In this remarkable book, a masterful act of biographical restoration, alexander masters retraces stuarts troubled journey. In this case, the book is much more notable than the individual. Well, i guess i should start at the beginning which, of course, is actually the end of stuarts story. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Ive been keeping a list of all books read by date and title for 50 years and have now reached book number 3,500.
The intent is to trace to the origin of how stuarts life devolved from childhood innocence to a cycle of prison sentences and sociopathic assaults ending, or rather beginning according to the books structure. A life backwards by alexander masters harpercollins. I catch myself, and the eyes of one or two others, searching for a section of the pavement with which we might want to become familiar. Forgive my possible lack of knowlidge concerning juridical terms in the uk. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. As the title of both book and film suggests, the book took the unusual approach of detailing stuarts life from his adult life down through to his childhood.
A life backwards is a film about human diversity and the things we all share. The story, as hinted by its title, is told backwards, like what tom clancy writes, as stuart puts it. Some of the very best of tom hardy in his role as stuart shorter in the 2007 true life drama based on the best selling book by alexander masters, stuart. A life backwards by alexander masters in this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely friendship, and a desperate world few ever see. Pdf stuart a life backwards download full pdf book download. Part thriller, part love story, part social history, a life discarded is a biographical detective story that unfolds with the suspense of a mystery but has all the warmth, respect, humor, and dazzling originality that made masterss stuart. But in writing, he always drops the third syllable. A life backwards on tv writing a script is full of hidden pitfalls, as i found out when adapting my book stuart. A life backwards is a writers quest to give voice to a man who, beneath his forbidding exterior, has a message for us all. The first edition of the novel was published in 2005, and was written by alexander masters.
A life backwards from the worlds largest community of readers. A life backwards kindle edition by masters, alexander. Stuart life backwards abebooks shop for books, art. As the title suggests, the book starts from shorters adult life, and works backwards to trace through his troubled childhood, examining the effects his family, schooling and disability had. It is an amazing story and shows how one person can change your life forever. A life backwards is a biography by alexander masters of his friend stuart. In a life backwards, stuart gradually takes the author alexander masters and the reader back in time and shows how his life experiences as a child and young adult shaped him into becoming the person that alexander sees which is an unstable adult who eventually looses his life. A life backwards is a rare, droll, moving film that grows to understand the maddening complexity of life and subsequent near hopelessness in trying to find the factors behind someones life. Jan 02, 2006 stuart, a life backwards, is the story of a remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator a middle class scum ponce, if you want to be honest about it, alexander and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison.
I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that i hardly know where to begin. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man. A life backwards, by alexander masters, a portrait of a. 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. A life backwards, the new book by alexander masters, deserves every accolade that can be awarded. 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. Stuart shorter spent his late teens and adult life alternating between the streets and prison with occasional, mostly short lived, forays into accommodation. Stuart shorters brief life was one of turmoil and chaos. A first book, written in reverse, by a fastidioussounding, failed phd student who has also contributed a few wonky line drawings to the whole.
A simple thank you to stuart shorter would have ended the book nicely. We are looking among the concrete slabs for the outline of a home. A life backwards by alexander masters and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. If it wasnt for stuart s full disclosure and willingness to share his life story, there would be no stuart, a life backwards. A life backwards isbn 0007200374, the biography of stuart shorter. Shocking, inspiring, and hilarious by turns, stuart. With benedict cumberbatch, tom hardy, nicola duffett, clairelouise cordwell. Stuarts backwards inspiration has turned out to be. Mar 07, 2017 ap lang stuart a life backwards duration. A life backwards was a 2007 bbc film based on the award winning biography, penned by alexander masters, of stuart clive shorter a homeless man living on the streets of cambridge in the year 2000. My only regret or concern is that at the end of the book i was surprised to see that alexander masters did not thank stuart shorter for providing the material for this book.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 300 pages and is available in hardcover format. Jun 11, 2006 in speech, stuart is careful to give my name its full four syllables. Both inspired movies which made me put my life in perspective. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely friendship, and a. A life backwards is that it leaves you feeling thoroughly ashamed of your own cynicism and thoroughly infuriated buttingly so. And if you know anything about the soundtrack, let me know, ok. If it wasnt for stuarts full disclosure and willingness to share his life story, there would be no stuart, a life backwards.
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