The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 300 pages and is available in hardcover format. At a swoop, it has solved the major problem of writing a biography of a man who is not famous. A life backwards, by alexander masters, a portrait of a. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait. I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that i hardly know where to begin. 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. As stuart tells alexander about his traumatic life, alexander asks stuart if he can write his story. A life backwards this article is more than 12 years old the tale of this supremely odd couple made for a terrific film and a terrible chicken curry. 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. A life backwards by alexander masters and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Jun 11, 2006 an unlikely friendship bloomed and in a new book, stuart. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a. A life backwards by alexander masters librarything. Pdf stuart a life backwards download ebook for free.
A life backwards is a writers quest to give voice to a man who, beneath his forbidding exterior, has a message for us all. Pdf download stuart a life backwards free nwc books. Shocking, inspiring, and hilarious by turns, stuart. A life backwards 2007 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. A life backwards is the story of an extraordinary friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator and a chaotic, knifewielding beggar whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison. A life backwards by alexander masters when i found out that this was one of the 25 books i had won from booka i was really excited. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world. A life backwards is a biography by alexander masters of his friend stuart clive shorter at various times, a prisoner and a career criminal. This brilliant biography, winner of the guardian first book award, presents a humbling portrait of homeless life, and is as extraordinary and unexpected as the man it describes. This is an exlibrary book and may have the usual libraryused book markings inside. Like a break in the hedgerow during the country lane part of a journey.
Thankfully, alexander took stuarts advice and rewrote the book, and so begins a journey back through time to discover not just the cause of the death of stuarts innocence, but of stuart himself he died of probable suicide before the second version of the manuscript was complete. 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. A life backwards is a biography by alexander masters of his friend stuart. 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. For an instant you glimpse scenery you havent seen before fields of poppy and cornflower, trees gnarled in the shape of demons. 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. Stuart a life backwards by alexander masters true stories. 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. 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. And a lot has gone wrong with stuart s life, from gluesniffing, to drug addiction and alcoholism, from minor crime to car theft, robbery, violence and possible charges of. 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. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Mar 05, 2014 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 hi.
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. The first edition of the novel was published in 2005, and was written by alexander masters. 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. Telling the story backwards was s tuart shorter spent his late teens and adult life alternating between the streets and prison with occasional, mostly short lived, forays into accommodation. In this case, the book is much more notable than the individual. A life backwards by alexander masters harpercollins. Yet the stuart depicted in this book was also a man with a fierce sense of justice and honor a frank, funny. Stuart s story is not the worst i have come across nor can it alone represent all the individual narratives of rough sleepers on our streets.
Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item,300grams, isbn. A life backwards is a remarkable account of a free fall into the. The story revolves around reclusive author alexander benedict cumberbatch and homeless alcoholic stuart tom hardy who become friends when they meet during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison. A life backwards, the new book by alexander masters, deserves every accolade that can be awarded. Aug 14, 2014 explore lorelieofthesacs board stuart. Forgive my possible lack of knowlidge concerning juridical terms in the uk. A life backwards by alexander masters in djvu, epub, fb2 download ebook. A gripping whodoneit journey back in time, it begins with masters meeting a drunken stuart lying on a sidewalk in cambridge, england, and leads through layers of hellback through crimes and misdemeanors, prison and homelessness, suicide. The acting and directing are brilliantly executed and the lights are spot on. Stuart shorter spent his late teens and adult life alternating between the streets and prison with occasional, mostly short lived, forays into accommodation.
A life backwards 1st harper perennial edition by masters, alexander isbn. 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. A life backwards is an exceptional and unique memoir and i am confident that, with the help of a truly firstrate cast, the. Awardwinning british drama based on the biography by alexander masters. A life backwards from the worlds largest community of readers. It explores how a young boy, somewhat disabled from birth, became mentally unstable and violent, living homeless on the streets of cambridge. 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. Trouble is, i also had a book to read for french over the summer, and the details of all three keep getting all mixed up in my head.
However, if every medical professional read stuart. 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. Stuart s backwards inspiration has turned out to be excellent. Even with a wellknown person it can be boring work to spend the first fifty pages reading facts and guesses about grandpa, granny, mum, dad, subject aged one, two, three, seven, eight. A life backwards, by alexander masters the new york. Stuart a life backwards projects neal street productions. A life backwards with grace and wisdom, working with a depressive subject without sentimentalism and using of plenty of humor, some comic reliefs and a great deal of imagination throughout little animated segments everytime masters thinks of stuarts ideas or picturing moments of his life.
See more ideas about stuart a life backwards, tom hardy and benedict cumberbatch. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Stuart s life and way of thinking momentarily exposed. It explores how a young boy, somewhat disabled from birth, became mentally unstable, criminal and violent, living homeless on the streets of cambridge. I feel so strongly about this strange, funny, sad book that i hardly. Buy stuart a life backwards by alexander masters online from the works. 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. Stuart advises him to tell the story backwards, so that its more exciting like a tom clancy murder mystery.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. In this extraordinary book, alexander masters has created a moving portrait of a troubled man, an unlikely friendship, and a. Well, i guess i should start at the beginning which, of course, is actually the end of stuart s story. Apr 07, 2006 a major new launch for the paperback edition of the most original, capitvating and awardwinning memoir of the year. 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. Id seen the film and absolutley loved it thanks to benedict cumberbatch and tom hardy. A life backwards, masters takes us on a gripping journey through stuart s troubled youth, introducing an unforgettable man with a cockney. Alongside this alexander looks backwards over stuart s adult life and childhood to try and discover what went wrong with his life. He exemplifies the so called chaotic homeless people, who are on the streets because, curiously, it is the only place where they can manage. Benedict cumberbatch as alexander masters, tom hardy as stuart shorter.
Stuart a life backwards details the remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator and a chaotic homeless man whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison. Yet the stuart depicted in this book was also a man with a fierce sense of justice and honor a frank, funny, eloquent and often thoughtful. A life backwards by alexander masters is an honest and gripping look at the often untold life of a homeless alcoholic excon. The story of a boys hunger, if nobody speaks of remarkable things. A life backwards, it may prevent the health service from contributing to further marginalisation of the already marginalised. 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.
His life is a very sad story, but the book doesnt milk that or play on that. Told backwards stuart s idea it starts with a deeply troubled thirtytwoyearold and ends with a happy pdfgolucky little boy of twelve. Visit now to browse our huge range of products at great prices. Click download or read online button to get stuart a life backwards book now. A life backwards you might like similar books once in a house on fire, engleby, all in the mind, toast. Julie gardner, head of drama for bbc wales, continued.
Stuarts life and way of thinking momentarily exposed. Nov 23, 2006 its called a life backwards because i tried to write it forwards to begin with, but when stuart read the first manuscript his comment was its. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. A life backwards 9780385340007 by masters, alexander and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. A life backwards, by alexander masters, a portrait of a homeless man. A life backwards by alexander masters in djvu, epub, fb2 download e book. 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. Original post by 418am im doing my coursework in year 2 of my langlit alevel on comparing stuart. Original post by 418am im doing my coursework in year 2 of my langlit a level on comparing stuart. 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. The main characters of this non fiction, biography story are.
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