Milkman's On His Way, The (The Milkman's On His Way)

David Rees's 1982 novel is something of a modern classic, and deservedly so. The story of the teenage Ewan is told with much vividness and his travails falling in love with his straight best friend Leslie, and attempts to follow a heterosexual path, his falling out with his parents, move to London from Cornwall, and further stages towards an openly gay life, are very well drawn. The section about Leslie is particularly effective in getting his sexiness and unavailability - Rees is good at this sort of character, as he would do the following year in The Estuary, in the form of Luke. Masculine and distinguished by a large feature that is given a subtle emphasis, both draw in the gay reader by taking us back, or across, for someone young now. It works as a fantasy, while also being embedded in a realistic context, both of its time and universal. One hopes most young people don't face such parental hostility any more, but it is still probably difficult for some. My only criticism is with the ending - in the last chapters there is a feeling of rounding things off that rings less true than the very exact evocation of life in Bude, being a young surfer and competing, then a swimming pool attendant in Richmond, falling in love etc. By the end it just falls into slight cliches and particularly an adumbration that Ewan's relationship, good as it is, will probably be just another stage in his development. At the end he is working as a milkman, as his father does also, but he has been through other jobs as well. Rees draws attention to the pluses of such a job, generally overlooked in a world hellbent on achievement. The character seems to feel that being a strong adult alone is ultimate aim - I'd say it is love, not being alone - but this is perhaps meant to be open to debate as everything else. There is a slight feeling of ordinariness on the one hand and resignation to outsider status on the other; I would reject both, as Rees seems to more in other novels. Perhaps it is just how Ewan feels at that moment in time.

This ground breaking novel looks at the fears, wants and desires of gay life. No rose tinted glasses are used; the cold abusing world is shown with all its homophobic cracks for all to see. Read it then sit down and think!

This sort of young adult coming out novel wouldn't normally be my sort of book as I'm a bit passed all that. However I came across this book purely by accident - and I was pleasantly surprised. It's not a long book so don't expect a lot of evenings reading by the fire. I read it in a day. The book however is very well written and although written for late teens the quality of observations and writing means that anyone could find something worthwhile to reflect on. The plot is simple enough. Ewan is 15 and realises that he is not as other boys. He lives in a very quiet little town in the South West of England where nothing much happens. Being a pre-internet age he is in no position to research about his predicament so has to try to come to terms with his situation in a vacuum. Making things worse is that he falls for his attractive best friend who rejects him - but not enough to cancel some `shamefaced fumblings' they have every so often. He hangs about the town after leaving school and meets a teacher on holiday from London. He has a brilliant week and meets some of the teachers friends who seem perfectly normal and happy with their sexuality - unfortunately the teacher isn't totally honest and hides his relationship in London for the duration of the holiday - leaving Ewan feeling even more rejected. Getting nowhere in the town he tells his parents who, although not totally rejecting their only son, simply clam up and pretend the situation is temporary. He eventually leaves for London and the latter third of the book is about his first years there - the people he meets etc. Nothing of any drama - work, bedsits, pubs and clubs. The work doesn't do major drama and would appeal to most people because that's how most people live their lives. You do feel for Ewan -possibly because you can see a lot of yourself in him and his search. Buy it if you can find it.

I was given this book when I was struggling to come to terms with my sexuality and with coming out. The story is very moving and very well written. Reading it definitely helped me see that I was not alone and that I would get through the more difficult times and be happy. Looking back, this is a close to an early ' it gets better' as you can get. The author showed amazing insight and I cannot recommend this book enough. I have a hard copy that I read from time to time, but I would be very happy to see it on kindle.Gay literature at its best!

A good read really interesting

My book arrived early and in excellent condition. Very pleased. Look forward to ordering from this organization (Quatrefoil Library) again in the future.

If only a novel like this was published in the late 50s and early 60s or at any time in fact. Same sense of isolation as there had always been but David Rees book helped people in their isolation to understand that they weren't alone.

Bien évidemment, quand ça a été publié c'était une oeuvre courageuse et "utile", même si c'est assez conventionnel et prévisible.Mais nous sommes maintenant 40 années plus tard, alors ...