O Brother

This is Niven’s first non-fiction book, a memoir that revolves around the memory and suicide of his brother.

As Niven succeeds in life, going from university to a touring band and onto a lucrative position in the music industry, his black sheep brother dabbles in drug dealing and petty crime, and ends up chronically broke and depressed.

There’s lots of music running through this coming-of-age tale, from punk and indie to rave, but when the party ends the hangover is harsh. It’s a poignant tale of the quiet epidemic of male suicide, and the final chapter written in his brother’s… show more.

Suicide is a grisly subject; even taboo in many cultures.

Rather than skirting around the issue, Niven tackles it in a head on collision of brotherly love. His account of drug abuse and his ‘wee’ brother’s life that slipped through everyone’s fingers is as mesmerizing as it is difficult to read. Niven’s raw honesty disarms the reader as Niven´s prose brings the deepest of human torment into stark focus.

I recommend reading this book that unearths deep truths about family, commitment, suffering, and love.