Toy Fights cover art

Toy Fights

A Boyhood

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About this listen

Don Paterson was born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1963 and spent his boyhood living on a working-class council housing estate. Toy Fights is the remarkable story of his first twenty years.

This is not just a book about music and family, but also about 'schizophrenia, hell, money, narcissists, debt and the working class, anger, swearing, drugs, books, football, love, origami, the peculiar insanity of Dundee, sugar, religious mania, the sexual excesses of the Scottish club band scene and, more generally, the lengths we go to not to be bored.

A truly remarkable feat of storytelling - as funny as it is dark - this is a memoir that sits alongside Lorna Sage's Bad Blood, Clive James' Unreliable Memoirs, Deborah Orr's Motherwell and Douglas Stuart's Shuggie Bain.

©2023 Don Paterson (P)2023 Faber Audio Funny Sports
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This is Paterson’s nickname for the Sunday Post, at a time when the couthy family newspaper was an enormous bestseller, based in his home city of Dundee. The Post was, and is, owned by the powerful DC Thomson publishing dynasty, for which Paterson’s father worked; later Don was a DC Thomson trainee sub-editor on the Commando comic, a job he loathed, though he provides a highly detailed and very funny account of its personnel (and shameless recycling of old war-time storylines). This is Paterson’s story of growing up on a scheme in Dundee until the age of 20. In an environment seemingly full of quiet despair, and not much money, religion and music kept him sane - well, almost. He writes movingly about his battle with schizophrenia. We hear about his early encounters with poetry - he sat down with a book and taught himself the basic principles of the craft - but there’s not a lot about Paterson the poet to be found here. There’s more about his love of guitar. Playing live restored some mental stability. This isn’t a misery memoir, though at times perhaps veers towards it - it’s too funny to qualify as one. The footnotes contain some of the best material. A highlight is Paterson’s description of the Scottish culinary delicacy tablet - less a sweet, he says, than an ‘alchemical procedure’. Maybe there’s a bit too much about obscure guitarists - and you can bet that Paterson doesn’t have much time, if any, for your mainstream musical tastes and favourite songs. There’s some polemic or at least political rumination - but mostly it’s funny and well-argued. This is a wonderful memoir - a portrait of the poet as a young man. Give it a listen now!

Kailyard Pravda

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This listen had me laughing out loud whilst walking my dogs. It reminded me of the child-like logic friends and I applied to events and experiences we had and that I had long forgotten. A delightful read.

A reminder of wonderful childhood memories

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Great story, well told. Don is an engaging writer who has a lyrical flair. His recounting of stories from his childhood is in part hilarious and sad at the same time. He recalls his mental breakdown in dark, desperate detail, but the tone of the book is always uplifting and positive; this is accentuated by Don reading the book himself without a shred of self-pity.

I didn't enjoy all the chapters on music as much as the rest but there is much to enjoy.

Thoughtful and engaging

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I love his poetry and his amazing book The Poem, but there's something about Don Paterson that's hard to like. He's a poetic genius, but has no grace about being that genius. Not that he's aloof - just gritty and difficult to feel empathy for. And so I felt all these things when I began listening to the book. But once started, I didn't want it to end. There is an abundance of beauty, wit, and almost breathtaking fun in the footnotes alone. The book itself is perfectly written, with a poet's ear for language and a musician's dexterity. Much of the subject matter is dark - but there was much in there that brought back dark episodes in my own life, and the book made me feel satisfied about accessing my own feelings. Nice book, well read, of course...

Against my will - I enjoyed this

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I love this book. I have listened once then went back to hear one chapter again ( about Narcs) and had to start from the beginning again. Its just beautiful. Find out for yourselves. It stays with you and helps and is full of light. I will love this book forever. Thank you for writing it.

Most favourite Audio Book

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