Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member
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Penguin Books (original trade paperback publication)
 Cover of the first edition. | |
| Author | Sanyika Shakur |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Grove Atlantic Books Penguin Books (original trade paperback publication) |
Publication date | May 1993 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover Trade paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-87113-535-3 (hardcover) 9780140232257 (original trade paperback) 9780802141446 (trade paperback reprint) |
| 364.1/092 B 21 | |
| LC Class | HV6439.U7 L774 1993 |
| Followed by | T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. (2008) |
Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member is a memoir about gang life written in prison by Sanyika Shakur.
When asked how Sanyika Shakur got his gang nickname "Monster" he replied, "Well, America produced me," but he basically said that he beat a man so badly that the police said whoever did it was a monster, and the name stuck.[1] He also blamed the community he used to live in as the reason why he joined a gang. He said, "The community as a whole is sick," and continued to blame his environment for turning him into a criminal.[1]
In a book review by Counter Culture, they said, "Shakur does not blame his mother or his school for becoming a young gang banger."[2] Shakur also attributed his "understanding of life" to "Afro-centric Islam."[2] Larry Taylor wrote,"Older gangsters set the example, cultivate and train the younger boys, children." He said the reason children get into gangs is because of older gang members and that is why Shakur got involved.[3]
Major themes
Critics suggested that one of the main themes of Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member is that violence does not solve anything. Coleman Jr. stated that Monster is filled with "senseless violence" and "gang warfare."[4] These two similar elements of the book fill the memoir and result in death, injury, and jail sentences. Metcalf mentioned a few themes of the book as "self-improvement, aspiration, education, and empowerment of minorities."[5] Overall the book displays violence and power obviously throughout.
Style
Kakutani, from The New York Times, wrote, "The volume attests to Mr. Shakur's journalistic eye for observation," and has "novelistic skills as a story-teller."[6] Metcalf mentioned, "The stylistic features of Monster in terms of its narrative structure help the reader to understand the author's social, political, and cultural messages (regarding nonviolence and escaping the gang)."[5] Chill wrote, "Through Shakur's free flowing style," it is easy to read and called it "Ghetto Poetry."[7]
