Michael Mohammed Ahmad's powerful fourth novel Bugger has been released, presenting readers with one of the most challenging yet essential literary works of the year. The book follows a single devastating day in the life of 10-year-old Hamoodi, a character whose story will linger with readers long after they turn the final page.
A Difficult Yet Essential Reading Experience
Many readers may find themselves, like this reviewer, needing to pause after beginning Bugger. The novel's subject matter - childhood trauma and family violence - makes for profoundly difficult reading. Yet this difficulty stems not from any literary failing, but rather from Ahmad's remarkable ability to create such visceral emotional resonance through his writing.
This represents Ahmad's fourth published work, following acclaimed novels including The Tribe and its sequel The Lebs, which was shortlisted for Australia's prestigious Miles Franklin Award. While his previous works expanded outward into broader social worlds, Bugger takes the opposite approach, spiralling inward toward a single catastrophic moment in a child's life.
The World of Hamoodi: A Child Seeking Safety
At the heart of the novel stands Hamoodi, a kind, curious 10-year-old boy desperately trying to find safety and belonging in a world that consistently denies him both. Ahmad creates a character of remarkable depth - a child who understands his own difference even when he lacks the language to articulate it.
When school bullies target him, Hamoodi possesses an intuitive understanding that their laughter and whispers concern him personally, though he cannot yet verbalise this realisation. His parents, immigrants struggling in their new country, have taught him to assimilate completely - to never mention his homeland or speak his mother tongue, always claiming "Here" as his origin when questioned.
Family Dynamics and Failing Protections
The novel explores what happens when danger emerges not from the unwelcoming external world, but from within the family structure itself. Hamoodi's father, a journalist who represents stability and a model of masculinity, disappears abruptly from the narrative, leaving his mother emotionally shattered and unable to function.
In this vacuum of adult protection, Hamoodi finds himself compelled to "become manhood" prematurely, tucking his sleeping mother into bed and assuming responsibilities far beyond his years. This terrible inheritance raises the central question of the novel: who will keep Hamoodi and his baby sister Annabel safe?
The Complex Character of Alooshi
Enter Hamoodi's older cousin Alooshi, who initially appears as a protective figure, physically rescuing Hamoodi from school bullies. Alooshi represents a complex duality - capable of surprising gentleness when playing with his younger cousins, yet equally capable of shocking violence toward animals and other children.
Hamoodi struggles to reconcile these contradictory aspects of his cousin's personality, wondering how someone can shift so dramatically between tenderness and brutality. Ahmad demonstrates remarkable skill in creating sympathy for characters even as they commit terrible acts, reminding readers that everyone remains human despite their actions.
Language as Theme and Weapon
From its opening pages, Bugger engages deeply with questions of language - who possesses the right words, who lacks them, and what consequences emerge from these linguistic gaps. Alooshi's struggle with new vocabulary manifests as fractured, poetic repetitions on the page, creating a distinctive rhythm throughout the narrative.
When Alooshi uses the word "bugger" - common enough in Australian vernacular to appear in primetime television advertisements - he faces immediate punishment, highlighting how language operates differently across social contexts. Ahmad uses these linguistic explorations to represent the silencing that often accompanies childhood abuse, making his insistence on giving voice to trauma a profoundly political act.
Unanswered Questions and Narrative Choices
Some readers may find certain aspects of the narrative frustratingly unresolved. Questions about Hamoodi's disappeared father, his uncle, and Alooshi's background experiences remain largely unaddressed. While this may represent a deliberate meditation on the uncertainty that follows traumatic events, it leaves the wider narrative feeling somewhat incomplete.
The novel raises important questions about fiction's responsibilities - whether stories should offer hope or resolution, or whether bearing witness to trauma represents purpose enough. Ahmad addresses this directly in his concluding "un-acknowledgement," questioning the ethics of asking readers to share such burdens while simultaneously insisting that language must create space for the unspeakable.
A Lasting Literary Achievement
Bugger represents a significant achievement in contemporary Australian literature. Ahmad's unflinching honesty, combined with his masterful control of language and character development, creates a work that demands attention despite - or perhaps because of - its difficult subject matter.
For Hamoodi, there are no easy resolutions, only the devastating realisation that he "will never sleep again ... in a world where there are no men; a world where there are only boys and beasts." Ahmad's novel forces readers to confront this reality alongside his protagonist, creating a shared experience of witness that transforms reading from passive consumption to active engagement with trauma's lasting consequences.
Bugger by Michael Mohammed Ahmad is available now through Hachette Australia.
