Review: The Nipper by Charlie Mitchell
Charlie Mitchell starts off his physical/mental abuse survival memoir with a bite-sized education for people outside Scotland of the world of Dundee, almost 30 years back. Much of the speech is phonetically written so you may find it easier to imagine a Scottish overall narrator to the book (or Mel Gibson doing his Braveheart accent). Once you do that, all speech in the book becomes easier to understand.
The book is routinely horrific when describing the alcoholism, violence and mental cruelty and you find yourself reading and thinking it couldn’t get worse, and then it does, over and over again in chapter after chapter. From an early age the author seemed able to analyse his father, know his moods and routines, and survive as best he could up to the age of 16 when he leaves and the abuse stops. As we all know on this network his problems do not end at that point, but Mitchell charts his early adulthood in an edited manner, sticking to the exact events when he worked outside the UK, his meeting with a British public figure/sort-of celebrity and the earliest spark to his present relationship. He also knows himself very well and it’s clear that he has made peace with the past.
As with all abusive childhoods, even with this level of violence this kid, as they do, still found time to have some fun. Mitchell points out the peaceful and tender and lighter moments in his first 16 years though they were rare. The humour ranges from high comedy down to gallows. Whilst you are well immersed into Scottish life at that time thanks to the writing, the best part of the book is the camerarderie of all the victims as they become teenagers at the same high school and compare notes over their various forms of abuse going on in their homes, without judgement and with an element of peer support that, as far as modern-day England is concerned, has definitely fallen by the wayside. This contrasts with the adults who refuse to get involved and leave the kids to suffer their fates. The author appears not to have had therapy thanks to his support from friends, siblings and stepfamily, but that doesn’t detract from the book. On a visual front, it’s quite refreshing to have generic down-at-heel packaging and a disclaimer that the picture on the front ISN’T the author as a child. Hopefully that means British publishers are toning down the annoying heartstrings technique to sell books with powerful stories.
I don’t know the American publishing schedule for The Nipper and they may change the title, but it’s definitely worth reading as a complete story, so, maybe get it from the library if think you’re only going to read/handle it, the once. In my case, I did borrow it but like Criminal by Caspar Walsh, it’s on the buy list for the future.
Check the existing information for it here;
- CBG
Related posts:
- Review: Cry Myself To Sleep by Joe Peters
- Review: Not Alone By Jenny Tomlin
- Review: Crossing The Line by Laura Robinson (1998)
- Review: Child C by Christopher Spry
- Review: Criminal by Caspar Walsh
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sounds interesting., thanks for the post..take care..Mary
picked this book up and never put it down until i finished it.
coming from dundee and having lived in 48 st. fillans road in the 70’s i was totally shocked to think
true dundonians would let things like this go unchecked.
charlie must have went through a terrible existence for one so young and for this to go on under
peoples noses doesn’t bear thinking about.
to be able to tell his tale with the sadness in his life and also the hilarity of genuine funny incidents
made this one of the best reads ever.
p.s. i’m a dundee fan , united are keech!
Hi Derek
i have just read the review you left on my book and would like to thank you for your kind words. i could go on forever about the ins and outs and doom and gloom of my childhood but the only thing i would like to say to you is, you have just about made me soil my undercoms with the keech coment. my cousin was working in Newcastle years ago as the area manager of a lorry firm that delivered fish and he would pretend to be serious to the english office girls, telling them one of the lorries had turned over and covering the m6 in bridies and keech. they would then phone head office in glasgow in a right state panicing and telling the directors what had happened. your comment brought it back to me, so cheers and thanks again for the review. p. s dundee fc are a toly on a lolly pop stick haha. all the best mate.
This is a brilliant book, what makes it more interesting to me is the fact that I am originally from St Mary’s and I actually think I know the author, we’re about the same age and obviousy ‘mucked aboot’ the same area. The story is the complete opposite to my childhood, which was spent in the bosum of a close, loving, working class family so I don’t recognise the St Mary’s that Charlie lived in, I thought it was a great place to grow up and have very fond memories of my chilhood there. I do recognise that Charlie was obviously looking at life through an abused kid’s eyes so it’s little wonder his memories of the place are bleak, I also recognise that alcohol abuse was and still is a scourge within the Scottish working classes and that domestic violence was common. What really horrifies me about reading this book is the fact that nobody stepped into do anything about the abuse this kid was clearly recieving on a daily basis, neighbours must have heard what was going on and chose to do sod all about it, unbelievable, but it obviously still goes on as the Baby Brandon case proves, this kind of cowardice and apathy really frustrates me!! The author’s humour shines through throughout his harrowing story proving that the human spirit is indomitable. Definitely one of the best books i’ve read in a long time!!
[...] The Nipper by Charlie Mitchell, the overseas getaway and the meeting of his wife has been shoe-horned in at the end. There’s [...]
couldnt put the book down i too was brought up in st marys and have lived in st nicholas place for 21 years the story about bonnies pups and the fire makes me think i know who the family are and am horrified to think that this was going on and no one did anything to help wee charlie im glad he can still look at parts of his childhood with humour but feel disgusted at the abuse he went through all the best for the future charlie and away the dees xx
Bought on a whim and once I started reading it, well, I simply could not put it down. Sometimes, just sometimes you get the feeling of wanting to turn page-after-page with a book. This is one of them. Like many Dundonians, we love to see the town portrayed in books and film/TV. Dundee is shades of light and dark. I have to say, Charlie, that amidst the gruesome squallor and ‘bastardry’ (if there is such a word!) of your upbringing is a balance of humour and survivability. Yes, I did grow up in Dundee and the language, sights, sounds and attitudes all come back in this excellent book. Well done, Charlie. When I write mine, I’ll send you a copy. GD
I have just finished reading “The Nipper” givin to me by my mum. We only like to read true stories. I can honestly say that this one disturbed me more than anything i have ever read. But I must also say that I literally had tears of laughter poring down my face at some of the patter Charlie used in his book. One minute I was crying in sadness, the next I was in stitches.
I was born in Paisley in 1977 but immigrated to Australia in 1989 when I was 11. All through the book I kept thinking that this little boy Charlie was only about a year or 2 older than me and to think that at the same time all this was happening to him. The book also brought back a lot of nice memories for me because some of the sayings reminded me so much of how people used to talk there.
I find Charlie to be an absolute inspiration in everyway possible. Thankyou so much for sharing your life with me. x
i have just finished reading this book and was absoultly astounded that this kind of thing went on without the word of help from anyone. i was brought up in downfield not far from St Mary’s and brought up totaly differently, but being 3 years younger than Charlie i know first hand that these things went on to a few of my friends who also lived in St Mary’s and no one at that time said anything either (neither did they) it wasn’t untill a few years ago i discovered a lot of these things too my closest friends. good luck in the future charlie
i was given this book yesterday morning i didnt put it down until i finished last night , when i first started to read it, i thought no i will have to stop but continued wanting to know what the future held for you , your a survivor , may your life be long and full of love.
Thank you Charlie Mitchell for allowing me to share your childhood experiences in your wonderful book..I could not put it down. I live in dundee and experienced life with an alcoholic father.. I, like you have turned out to be the opposite to what he was like and although the memories freak me out at times, I have learned to tell myself that he is the one that missed out on having a great family and not the other way around. I want to thank you for making me laugh one minute then cry the next. I feel ashamed that no one was there for you when you needed them. You are an inspiration to others and I wish you and your family a healthy and happy life.
I have read this book in days…which is a miracle for me because, as much as I like books, I am so busy raising my young family that, unless a book grabs me instantly, I hardly ever finish a book. This book is hardly a pleasant subject but I admire Charlie Mitchell’s honesty, wit and no nonsense approach. The strength of his spirit is truly inspirational. I can’t imagine the hell Charlie went through and it pains me to think that there are kids out there now suffering. Happy that Charlie now has his lovely wife and young family which he’ll treasure more than the majority of us do….although, after reading this book, I am grateful for my average upbringing and certainly appreciate the fact that I always knew I was loved and cared for. It’s even made me cut down on the nagging with my three young sons…although it can’t last, ha, ha!
A truly incredible book for everyone to read and think about. I have neighbours who are raving alcoholics and their daughter is 7 years old. They worship the group she walks on but she has no limits and is out there at school…just like Charlie. I doubt it’s as easy to blag through life these days and wonder how it will all turn out for her. Her Mum is more stable than the Dad and the daughter is well fed, clean and tidy but, at the end of the day, they are still failing her as parents. They are not physically abusive. She’s like my substitute daughter and she’s often around here for tea. Even my own partner tells me not to get involved as he says I’ll be tarred with the same brush! People, eh?
Just finished reading your book, what an incredible person you are. I also grew up in Dundee with alcohol playing a major part in my childhood. A father who beat up his family for no reason. A father, who, like yours, liked everyone to think he was funny and smart, but in reality, was nothing more than a coward and a bully. But Charlie, like you, I can proudly say, my siblings and myself have taken the best possible path in life and made our mother and children so proud of us. Thank you for making me laugh and cry throughout the book. God Bless you Charlie Mitchell, you are 1 special guy.
May you continue to walk with your head held high..
A wonderful story with a truly happy ending. I hope you and your family have a fantastic life. I too experienced life in Dundee with a violent alcoholic father. The book was fantastic and took a lot of courage for you to speak up. you are definately an inspiration to others and a true survivor. I wish you all the very best for the future Charlie.
Hi Charlie, Just finished reading your incredible, if not deeply disturbing book, and like other readers, I simply couldn’t put it down. My childhood experience also included ‘violence’ and ‘alcohol’, and at the time I just thought this behaviour was normal. It is not!!! No excuses, alcohol or otherwise. It is pure EVIL! Fortunately, you have a terrific spirit and indeed have the love of your wife, child, mum, brothers and close friends. Your child will most definately make the biggest impact on your life. Nothing else compares..That unconditional love you will feel will just blow you away.
Anyway, I wish for you and your loved ones, good health and happiness, always. Take care.
Fantastic book, would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read. Unbelievable what Charlie went through. A very brave man who deserves the very best in life.
hola amigos
i would like to start by saying thanks alot for all your great reviews and kind words. i hope i never brought back too many bad memories for the people that were in the same situation as i was. i supose it must be hard too for people with normal backgrounds reading stories like ours, and i doubt many of them can get there heads around it. i mean some of the things that went on back then, and even nowadays, make my childhood look like a weekend at the waltons. dont get me wrong i know my childhood was a nightmare with him, but i also had some cracking times when i was out the house. i kind of adapted and tried to adjust my brain to cope through humour and that worked for me, it kept me sane, well a few people that know me would beg to differ but thats my opinion and im sticking to it. some people on the other hand are not built to cope or deal with bad things, well they think there not. i believe 1 million percent that every single person on the planet has a fight inside them, a strength that they might not know about yet, that will to survive that kicks in naturally when you switch off. and if they are rock bottom or depressed to the point of no return or feel like things couldn’t possibly get any worse. they are right! things always get better when you feel that low. the only person who can turn it around though is you. you make your own destiny. keep smiling and my tip for today is never eat yellow snow.
ps i have a 13 month old girl now who is as mad as a box of frogs. she already has me wraped around her finger. nickname taz
hasta logo muchachos y senoritas
i forgot to mention, look out for a new one of mine comming out next year as ive almost finished it. the title is….. A BIG BUCKET OF KARMA. its a feel good comedy about a robber who is literaly the most usless theif on the plannet but he gets away with it for a decade, the book has twists and turns of how he ends up with this life. the book is also packed with real historical events and a bit of a history lesson/load of waffle. it will be my first attempt at fiction so fingers crossed.
all the string vest.
charlie
would like to know when your grandfather played for united
Look forward to …A BIG BUCKET OF KARMA.. just reading the title made me smile..
Lots of love and best wishes to TAZ…
Best book Ive ever read by far.
Id like to take this opportunity to wish you, your family and all you other survivors a very merry christmas and a happy new year. ALL THE BEST!!!!!!!
merry christmas to all and have a cracking new year, lets see how many people can stick to a new year resolution. ive never lasted more than 4 days. all the best!!!!!!!!
Brilliant story, cant wait for new book to be published
I’ve just finished reading “The Nipper” and reading the comments left by others. I come from a wee town just north of Dundee and have to say that although it was tough having to read some of the things that happened, it made me laugh to read the conversations written in the Dundee accent. It is a fantastic book which has you hooked until you finish (which generally doesn’t take long, as it’s impossible to put down!), I feel like I know the characters so well, although I’ve never met them.
Charlie Mitchell and others like him are truely amazing individuals to be able to cope with what happened in their childhood and to be able to move on and make a good life for themselves and their loved ones. Although I feel sympathy for what you have all had to cope with, I admire you so much for coming through it and managing to keep your sanity.
I wish you and others like you all the best for the future and hope you have many happy years ahead of you.
xx
Just read your book in less than a day. Could not put it down. Your story is truely fasinating and heart warming. How you have turned your life around is amazing. Sophie sounds like a lovely lady. I have always said that life is what you make of it. Always look to the future and not the past, we can’t change things and more times than not the past gets in the way of the future, by holding you back.
You really are an inspiration. Good luck with your life, you really are an amazing man. Enjoy quality family time xxxxx
The nipper the first book I’ve EVER managed to finish and in only 2 days the sadness and comic goings on had me gripped.
I was truly heartbroken that a Father could treat his wee boy in such a way, But after reading this book maybe their is another side to people who may be out of control and I should be more understanding maybe they have a story to tell to.
I was brought up a few miles from Dundee and Iam a year younger than Charlie, You think that your upbringing was hard then you read The Nipper and it brings it back into perspective (it was pretty damn good.)
Charlie is an inspiration to everyone , When you think life’s getting tough just think back to this incredible book.
Thank you so much for sharing your life with us.
Was brought up in St Edmund Tce. Your book has had a massive impact upon me as I now work for SWD. Why was nothing done for you. As a dog owner too your suffering with Bonnie reduced me to tears and sleepless nights as I read on. My husband removed your book from me at bed time as I could not sleep. God only knows how and what made you survive such a monster. I admire you so much X
read this book, took less than 6 hours, hard to put down, have so much respect for you and sophie too,
i know it would be hard to imagine being in your shoes but you wrote everything so realistically that it
brought me to tears,one can tell how accurate this is, i take my hat off to you, sophie and taz. god knows
how you survived but thank god you did because obviously taz is going to be soooo lucky, lv to you all j x