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James Kelman’s How Late It Was, How Late (1994) is a challenging, experimental novel that won the Booker Prize in 1994. Set in Glasgow, the novel is an unflinching and gritty exploration of working-class life, identity, alienation, and the search for meaning. Known for its raw language and stream-of-consciousness style, the novel offers a deep and intimate look at the struggles of its central character, Sammy Samuels, as he faces a series of personal crises, including a sudden loss of sight.
Plot Overview:
The novel follows Sammy Samuels, a man in his thirties, who lives in a rough, working-class neighborhood in Glasgow. He is a petty criminal, struggling to survive in a harsh and unforgiving world. The story begins when Sammy, after a night of drinking and getting into trouble, wakes up to find that he has gone blind. The cause of his blindness is unclear, but it becomes a key aspect of the narrative, leading Sammy into a state of confusion, despair, and frustration.
The novel chronicles Sammy’s journey in the aftermath of his blindness, as he tries to navigate a world he can no longer see. His experience of blindness is not just physical, but metaphorical, representing his disconnection from society, his alienation, and his inability to communicate meaningfully with those around him. Sammy is forced to rely on others—both strangers and familiar faces—to help him cope with his new reality. Throughout the novel, he struggles with the bureaucratic systems, social services, and the people in his life, who often seem indifferent or incapable of offering real help.
Kelman’s narrative style mirrors Sammy’s disorientation. The story is told through a fragmented, stream-of-consciousness approach, with much of the dialogue and internal monologue in thick Glaswegian dialect. The narrative moves back and forth between Sammy’s thoughts and his interactions with others, creating a sense of disjointedness and confusion that parallels his experience of blindness.
As Sammy tries to come to terms with his new condition, he grapples with issues of identity, masculinity, and social class. His sense of self-worth is deeply tied to his ability to assert control over his life, but his blindness strips him of this power. The novel explores the ways in which he responds to his sense of powerlessness, often through anger, defiance, and a deep cynicism towards the systems and people around him. Through this lens, How Late It Was, How Late becomes a broader critique of the social structures that fail people like Sammy, leaving them marginalized and vulnerable.
Key Themes:
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Alienation and Dislocation: A major theme of How Late It Was, How Late is the profound sense of alienation felt by Sammy. His blindness serves as a metaphor for his disconnection from the world around him, as well as from himself. His experiences reflect the ways in which people from working-class backgrounds often feel disconnected from the larger social and political systems. This alienation is also reflected in the language of the novel, which is deliberately fragmented and sometimes difficult to follow, mirroring Sammy’s disorientation.
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Identity and Masculinity: Sammy’s identity is central to the novel, and much of his sense of self-worth is tied to his masculinity and his ability to navigate the world as a man. His blindness forces him to confront his vulnerabilities and challenges the traditional notions of masculinity. As a working-class man in Glasgow, Sammy is accustomed to exerting a certain level of control over his environment, but his blindness strips him of this power. The novel explores how this loss of control impacts his sense of self and his interactions with others.
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Social Class and Marginalization: Kelman’s novel also critiques the class structures in Britain, particularly the ways in which people from working-class backgrounds are often ignored or overlooked by the state and society. Sammy, as a working-class man, faces systemic barriers to accessing support and care after becoming blind. The bureaucracy he encounters reflects the indifference of institutions toward the marginalized, highlighting the alienation that comes with being part of the working class. The novel suggests that individuals like Sammy are often forgotten or abandoned by the system, which further exacerbates their sense of isolation.
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Language and Communication: The novel’s distinctive use of language is another key theme. Sammy’s internal monologues are presented in a Glaswegian dialect that can be challenging for readers unfamiliar with it, mirroring the character’s struggle to communicate and be understood. The fragmented and disjointed narrative also reflects the difficulty of communication in Sammy’s world—he is often misunderstood or ignored, even when he tries to reach out for help. The novel emphasizes the isolation that can come from both physical and linguistic barriers.
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Powerlessness and Agency: As Sammy struggles with his blindness, the theme of powerlessness becomes central. He is at the mercy of bureaucratic systems and the indifference of others, and much of the novel’s tension revolves around his attempts to regain some sense of agency. However, his anger and frustration often prevent him from finding the help or support he needs. The novel raises questions about how much control individuals have over their lives, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, and it explores the ways in which power is distributed within society.
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The Absurdity of Life: The novel also explores the absurdity of life and the unpredictability of fate. Sammy’s sudden blindness, which occurs in the midst of his ordinary life, can be seen as an arbitrary and meaningless event that throws him into a new, chaotic reality. This sense of absurdity permeates the novel, as Sammy’s attempts to make sense of his new condition and his world often lead to frustrating, comical, and tragic situations. Kelman suggests that life is often unpredictable and unfair, and the novel’s tone reflects this bleak, existential perspective.
Narrative Style:
Kelman’s writing in How Late It Was, How Late is highly distinctive and unconventional. The novel’s structure is fragmented, with long passages of stream-of-consciousness narration and dialogue in the Glaswegian dialect, which may be difficult for some readers to understand. The lack of punctuation and the disjointed flow of thoughts contribute to the sense of disorientation experienced by the protagonist, Sammy.
The novel is told in the first person from Sammy’s perspective, and the language used reflects his working-class background and his internal confusion. The dialect and fragmented syntax create an intimacy with the character, allowing the reader to feel the full force of his isolation and internal struggle. Kelman’s prose is blunt, direct, and unadorned, mirroring the tough realities of Sammy’s life and his experiences in Glasgow.
Reception:
How Late It Was, How Late received widespread acclaim for its bold, experimental narrative and its unflinching portrayal of working-class life and personal suffering. Critics praised the novel for its rawness and its ability to evoke empathy for its flawed, complex protagonist. The novel’s stream-of-consciousness style, while challenging, was also recognized as a powerful way of conveying the confusion and frustration that Sammy feels as he navigates his blindness and his relationships.
The novel’s success was solidified when it won the Booker Prize, though it was also controversial due to its difficult language and unconventional structure. Some critics found it difficult to read, but for others, the novel’s unique style and its exploration of social issues made it a powerful and memorable work.
Legacy:
How Late It Was, How Late is considered one of James Kelman’s most important works and remains a significant text in contemporary British literature. Its unflinching portrayal of working-class life, its critique of societal systems, and its innovative narrative style continue to resonate with readers and scholars alike. Kelman’s exploration of identity, alienation, and powerlessness has made the novel a key text in discussions of class, disability, and the human condition.
The novel’s use of Glaswegian dialect and its fragmented, experimental narrative have influenced subsequent works of literature, particularly those that aim to capture the complexities of working-class life and the experience of marginalized individuals.
How Late It Was, How Late is a challenging, thought-provoking, and emotionally powerful novel that delves into themes of alienation, powerlessness, and identity. Its experimental style, along with its portrayal of a marginalized man’s struggle for meaning and control, makes it a standout work in contemporary literature.
Would you like to explore the novel’s characters, its use of dialect, or the impact of its narrative style on its themes?
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