| Title | : | My Own Worst Enemy |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1800750811 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781800750814 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 260 |
| Publication | : | Published February 24, 2022 |
My Own Worst Enemy is a wry and moving memoir of a working-class childhood in 1960s Sheffield, and the relationship between a touchy, tragicomic bully of a father and a son whose acceptance to grammar school puts him on another track entirely.
With a novelist's eye, Robert Edric vividly depicts a now-vanished of working-men’s clubs; of tight-knit communities in factory towns; and of a time when a woman’s place was in the home. And he brings to colourful life his family, both close and extended – though over all of it hovers the vanity and barely-suppressed anger of his own father.
My Own Worst Enemy is a brilliantly specific portrait both of particular time and place – the Sheffield of half a century ago – and a universal story of childhood and family, and the ways they can go right or wrong.
My Own Worst Enemy Reviews
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My Own Worst Enemy by Robert Edric is a memoir re-telling the story of his life growing up in a working-class family in the Northern city of Sheffield. With each chapter detailing a different stage/experience in his life, we read about him coming home from school and finding his Dad in an obscene looking toupee, his Mum working extra hours to 'keep up with appearances' along with accounts of first family holidays and much more.
The book has such a Northern feel to it - so huge kudos to Edric for pulling this off with his writing style! 👏🏼 Being a Northerner myself, although being born decades apart - there were so many parts of Edric's story that rang true to me - the chippy teas and the stolen pub ashtrays to name a few! 🤭
Whilst reading through this memoir there were many times when I got those Billy Elliot / Brassed Off film kinda vibes! Although as a rule I never rate Non-Fiction books I'm absolutely positive that this will be an extremely enjoyable and nostalgic read for many. -
Evocative account of a working class upbringing in 1960s Sheffield. I was born only a few years after Edric, in 1960, so this brought back many memories, although my own childhood was less hard-scrabble than the one depicted here, and my own father a far cry from the vain, bullying despot of Edric's memoir. There are chapters on family life, holidays, local characters, pub culture and the move to grammar school, all bookended by the story of the wig. Sorry, toupeé. An enthralling read. 4 stars.
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Robert Edric was born in 1956. This is his memoir of a working class childhood in Sheffield in the 1960s, where he lived with his mother, father, younger sister and brother.
I enjoyed the details of the time he was growing up. I was born in 1969, so missed most of the 1960s and am unfamiliar with how things were back then. He mentions his household sharing three outdoor toilets with a dozen houses! I recall my grandparents having outside toilets, but contained in their own garden and just for their use. I didn’t know shared outside loos was even a thing!
The Second World War was still fresh in people’s minds when Robert was growing up and he writes about an air-raid shelter near his school. By my childhood, these were further back in history but things like ashtrays, Green Shield stamps and collecting cards from packets of tea still prevailed into the 1970s and Robert’s memories triggered some of my own.
Each chapter deals with a theme, a particular moment or topic from his childhood. We read about his father’s wig (toupee!), moving house, various family gatherings, getting into Grammar School, doing a paper round, trips to the cinema, the local working men’s club and so on. These are varying lengths, but easy to read and usually interesting. (I wasn’t so keen on the chapter about fishing.)
I enjoyed reading this, but I think you’d love it even more if you’re from Sheffield or brought up in the 1960s. I’m sure plenty of this book will resonate with you and bring back lots of memories. -
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#robertedric documents the story of his youth in this descriptive and well written book.
He explains the details of his youth, growing up with family issues and the trials of a young boy finding his place in life. He particularly describes the “old school” was of past day where the men went to their work and their working mens clubs and the women stayed at home, doing their chores and looking after the family.
I love reading about peoples lives and this book did not disappoint. A fabulous piece of nostalgia 😊.
Available in hardback, paperback and on your kindle. Link in bio
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I really enjoyed this book! Each chapter is a different stage in Robert's life from coming back from school one day to find his dad has a wig (and not meant to notice it) to getting a paper round, first job, first time fishing, first pub outing, first holidays and trips to the chip shop etc
It made me smile in certain parts with the descriptions of curry sauce being classed as 'foreign food' as it wasn't their norm and describing his first time fishing, also bringing back memories of my own experiences!
It also brought back memories of holidays myself in Skegness and Mablethorpe in chalets and the same chip shop trips just as he describes them.
Very enjoyable read, would recommend this book! -
I really enjoyed this!
being of a certain age it evoked many memories, some I had forgotten.
Robert grew up in Sheffield in the 60's and he captures the age perfectly; however the book is dominated by the effect his bullying father had on him & the whole family.
A very enjoyable and evocative memoir. -
Stunning sense of time and place.
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one of my favourite memoirs ive read
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I rarely read memoirs but this is set in Sheffield, my home for the first 18 years of my life (nearly two decades later than Robert’s time there).
I work for a social mobility charity and this book looks at how going to Grammar school was considered important to escape being a working class person in the future.
Some of the chapters are very dark whilst others are much more light hearted. This book reminded me of my own childhood – older relatives smoking, paper rounds, primary school with bottles of milk for break time, local corner shops etc.
Robert shares many stories about his dad – the heavy drinking, his chauvanistic attitude at home, the toupee (he had a very different childhood to me). I would love to know how their relationship progressed after Robert went to University but this is where the book ends.
I felt sorry for Robert’s mum, a full time working mum trying to look after the family finances whilst dad spent his evenings drinking his wages away. An fascinating read, looking at a working class family in an industrial city and a social history of the time.
