Modernist Dreams Brutalist Nightmares (LG Thomson Memoirs)

This book was written by a woman who is a member of a Facebook page devoted to Jackie magazine which is how I discovered it. So glad I did. Beautifully written although let down by poor editing at times.Lorraine is only four years younger than me so her experiences of growing up in Scotland are very similar to mine. She and her parents flit from a tenement flat in Glasgow to a brand new three bedroom house in one of Scotland’s new towns, Cumbernauld. The town famously features in the movie Gregory’s Girl. It’s no spoiler to tell you she suffers sexual abuse because it’s mentioned on the back cover.Lorraine gloriously describes growing up in a working class family with parents who love her but unfortunately cause her pain with their complete inability to understand her or even grant her the freedom to be her own person.I just love Lorraine as a character and it’s painful to know it’s a memoir and she really did go through such hard experiences.Interestingly the book seems to have been written with the idea of explaining Scottish life to American readers. I’m certain the Scottish diaspora in the US and elsewhere would really appreciate it.So much humour too. For example in the glossary of Scottish terms at the back of the book she explains the dish Mince and Tatties, saying the potatoes are served mashed but some people serve them whole, adding ‘They know no what they do’. Or fish and chips, served with salt and vinegar but in Edinburgh with salt and sauce ‘The heathens’I’m looking out for her other books, particularly a thriller Boyle’s Law

L.G THOMSON . Newest Book. Modernist Dreams Brutalist Nightmares. The title could either Intrigue or Discourgage. I was Intrigued. Setting the scene L.G. leads you through her turbulent life of growing up in the Sixities and Seventies New Town of Cumbernauld. Its Dynamic - Hard - Exciting - Poignant & Shocking. As she discovers when forced upon her the harsh realities of distrust, and finds herself alone as her childhood is roughly crushed through sexual abuse.. A rebellious teenager who found no sympathy or pleasure in her school years. Art and life takes L.G. into adulthood. Throughout the book her reminiscences brought similiar sharp memories of my home town of Dundee. Hard working women and men. Comics- sweets- cinemas. Its nice to know Dundee had at one time more cinemas than Glasgow, one of the many local and historical facts she has blended throughout the book. L.G.Thomson is vibrant, challenging, with an excellent voice creating the author she has become. Her other published works lures the reader in with fast moving plots - details- captivating / hateful characters making good reading. Modernist Dreams Brutal Nightmares is in certain parts a disturbing & uncomfortable read. But does not disappoint. This author is a must for your bookshelf or kindle. Isabel Monifieth.

This is the first book to ever make me laugh out loud and cry. A rollercoaster of emotions experienced. A sense of some dark memories/experiences were going to be revealed was riveting although emotional and upsetting to read about. I hope the author had some sense of release from revealing such personal and horrible experiences. Kudus to her for also remembering the funny memories and writing about them in such a way to bring laugh out loud reaction that made me feel I was there..I look forward to more from Lorraine…

I loved this book from start to finish. Although I was brought up in a small village nearly 200 miles north of Cumbernauld, so much of this book resonates with me, growing up as a teenager in the 80’s. I could relate to so many of the characters and the stories. I can’t wait for what she’s going to produce next

Don't be put off by the title - this is not a dry history of Twentieth Century architecture. It's a deeply personal, often self-deprecating yet ultimately uplifting memoir of a young girl growing up in the New Town of Cumbernauld at a time of great social and economic upheaval. Most of us remember being bullied at school, being misunderstood by our parents, choosing rebellion as a coping mechanism no matter how trivial the gesture, and having dreams that are either fulfilled but somehow fail to live up to expectation or are dashed. Lorraine manages to keep the balance between painful experiences and laugh-out-loud memories that most of us can relate to no matter when or where we were raised. A triumph - and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel.

I’ve just finished reading this amazing memoir of growing up in ‘70’s Cumbernauld and it’s absolutely brilliant. I laughed, flinched, recognised and remembered so much, the author holds up a mirror to so many of us growing up in that intended utopia. A memoir of awkward childhood, growing into young women in an era that tried to suppress all expressions of independence and individuality, this book speaks honestly and openly about sexual abuse, relationships with mothers, defining ourselves against a backdrop of traditional family life in another era. Music, fashion, punk and that coming of age come through so beautifully.A fabulous read. ❤️❤️

You might need to be of a ‘certain’ age to understand some of the cultural references, but the incisive humour will slay you whatever your vintage. A childhood retold, a person discovered, recovered and at peace with who they are. Acceptance of where they are, where they came from and how they got there, told in a creative, authentic and humorous voice.The ‘toonie’ looms large in this auto-biographical tale full of 70’s ephemera and lasting impressions. It made me squirm, laugh and tear up in equal measure. Don’t see how you won’t love this book.

There’s something about working class Scottish memoirs that hits home like an axe. Modernist Dreams Brutalist Nightmare drags you into the first generation growing up in Cumbernauld and generations before in Glasgow through the eyes of a potato-hating squiggle of a wee lassie. It’s funny, sad, rich in history, brutally honest, and most of all well crafted. Thomson shows she can write non-fiction just as well as her crime noir.