Ugly

by Constance Briscoe

Constance's mother systematically abused her daughter throughout her childhood. Regularly beaten and starved, she tried to get herself taken into care without success and even drank bleach. When she was 13, her mother left her to fend for herself but Constance found the courage to survive and this is her story.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, True Story, Abuse, Biography Memoir

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2006

About the author

Constance Briscoe (born 18 May 1957) is a former barrister, and formerly one of the first black female recorders in England and Wales. In May 2014, she was jailed for three counts of doing an act tending to pervert the course of justice in R v Huhne and Pryce.

Reviews

[Madiha Riaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read some of the reviews of this book and found out how some people are criticizing about the 'writing', 'grammar' or 'repetitiveness.

This book is an account of a child's memories of how she was abused, humiliated and rejected. This is a powerful book. The very beauty of biographies is that they are somebody's own version of what happened to them and how they lived it or fought it. There's no third person commenting on it or describing it from an emotionally detached point of view. This is written by the same person, and she had to go through all those painful memories again to put the book together.

At some points in the story, i found her account to be very flat, unemotional and blank. But those were the moments that affected me the most. How she must have felt about writing her history of bed-wetting in her present position as a judge? How much courage it would have taken? What a strong and powerful lady.

So, the grammar is wrong and sentences are not composed right. So what? You don't like the cover of the book? So what? You think its too repetitive? May be. But may be its because this book acted as a therapy, as a catharsis for her.

I really like this book for it shows how strong an abused child can be. The power to fight back, the courage to dream and make it happen, hard work, resilience, and above all, an aim to survive, to exist, to live - is all so very beautifully and powerfully portrayed in this book.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I expected more, this is a fairly good read, mainly because of who she is, a former barrister, and was one of the first Black female recorders in the UK, and then jailed in 2014.

An interesting book.

Three stars.

[Sportyrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

A courageous memoir on Briscoes childhood. Her mother, the abuser, did awful things to her.

The structure reads as though reflecting. As the abuse was frequent and repetitive, so was every mention of it. Just because it happened all the time, didn’t make it any less painful or hurtful for her. It was uncomfortable to read. She wasn’t overdoing anything, nor leaving things out. She focused mostly on her own experience, apart from some mentions of who witnessed certain things.

I tend to bounce stories like this with psychology. I generally need to have an answer for “why” certain things happen. What mental condition is present? What motivates them? Why do people do (or not do) what they do? One particular question really got to me, “why did she even have children?”

The court case was added to the book in a later edition. The case itself caught be my surprise. I won’t spoil it.

Unfortunately, upon reading the reviews, I discovered that the author become a barrister and was debarred following a controversy. Does that mean that her story was less true?

A late Long Books Challenge completion.

[Emily Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful memoir about survival in a life saturated with physical and emotional abuse. Claire's problems seemed to start with her mother's inability to deal with her bed wetting, although the underlying issue truly lies with her mom's mental issues. Claire becomes a punching bag for her mom's problems, which eventually spiral out of control, leaving her abandoned at age 14. The writer overcame astounding odds, working 3 jobs to support herself while going to high school, and eventually becoming the first black woman judge in UK. This is a heart-twisting yet inspirational book that I think everyone should read!!! Cant wait to read the sequel, Beyond Ugly!

[Ta Sch · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the book, I was not sure whether I liked it or not. I read some of the reviews and that helped me to make up my own mind. Let me try to show you.

I agree with the people who said the book was repetetive. But with every book I read during the last weeks, I had this same thought: Gosh, that could be shortened...is it due to our society in which we don't take our time anymore to focus and observe things in detail, that we want books, novels to turn into short stories? Of course, it was repetative, for she wrote down a whole decade of her life, where she made the same experiences over and over again: the abuse, the trauma, health issues, people who don't want to see the truth. The repetition was her life and the literal device deepens that impression.

I read reviewers complaining about the details in descriptions of dresses, and lack in detail of the violence....ehm, sorry? The violence was clear and if you need details you might be a bit sardistic...that on the other hand, she describes things in detail that she dreams of, or is proud of or happy with is in my opinion a wonderful way of showing how she tries to forget the beatings and focus on the things that keep her strong.
That some parts are inconsistent and a bit confusing is true, but since it is based on her experiences and memory, it is obvious why we don't get to know everything. I would also have liked to learn more about the siblings, but it is written from her perspective, so I accept that.

What I cannot respect are people writing comments on how ungrateful she was and that her mother simply was too stressed and didn't know what to do? Do people who write those things hit their children themselves? Telling your child that it should not breathe and that it is ugly has nothing to do with 'Not knowing what to do'. Abandoning the child at the Age of 14, without electricity and demanding Rent, is nothing a child should be grateful for.

My criticism is not on the book itself. I simply wonder why C so rarely asked for help. One could say, she was intimidated by her mother and the failure of her first attempt to get help. I still think she should have tried harder.
Why no one else reacted and helped her, and how she could be employed under age, will remain a mystery of mankind.

I was fascinated by how she managed her life and became what she is now.
Though, i don't think I'll read the sequel. What I will do is google her to see if I can find some further details on events and her family.

[Watermelon Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugly is a story about a girl suffering through abuse.

I’m not sure what to make of this. I think it’s kind of unfair to write a review on somebody’s actual life, because I have no say in the events.

But I gave this book two stars because I didn’t know the purpose. What was the point of writing this book? Unfortunately, none of us can save Briscoe from her childhood trauma. What’s more, the end wasn’t really an end: it was just a cliff-hanger to another series of problems.

I guess the helplessness of Claire kind of grabbed my heart. After a while, it got repetitive. Although that’s probably what happened in real life, I think it’d be better if the suffering was cut short and leaded to the healing instead.

Overall, I found the incidents traumatic. I think that’s the only reason this story was written: so we could be thankful for our lives in comparison to Claire’s.

[Jeannie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I almost finished it...I ended up skipping and skimming through most of it towards the end. Poorly written, poor grammar throughout, like a child wrote it instead of an adult (and she's now a judge?). She was more descriptive about dresses, church scenes, cleaning, than she was about the abuse she suffered. Also if you are writing using words and terminology that people in other parts of the world aren't exposed to; a section detailing what they stood for would of been nice. Most of the time I had to guess what she meant. I got bored with this story pretty quickly, it was repetitive, I read the same abuse over and over, her narrative was awful!
As for her being abused as a child, that I don't doubt and my heart aches for a child abused as she was STILL this book could HAVE been much better written.
My final conclusion? A waste of precious reading time!

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was about 11 when I read this, and I was shcoked at how graphic it was. It is a book that makes you upset and quite angry about the things that the young girl had to go through in her own house, and it's horrible to think that a child could feel that amount of fear in her own home. It is also a very influential book, as you can see that she has now done well for herself, despite her childhood. It is a very touching and emotional book. A must-read!!

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are so many holes in this tale I am horrified that the author is a barrister and Judge. She wouldn't know the truth if it jumped up and poked her in the eye.

The mother was struggling with a house full of children and an errant husband who didn't maintain them, yet the author fails to admonish him and his violence, reserving her hatred for the mother who remained and retaliated. Heaven help any domestic violence victims that enter her courtroom.

And 'Ugly'? She criticises the looks of almost everyone that enters her life.

I had to stop every few pages in this book as it was making my blood boil, and I needed to check back to ensure my imagination wasn't getting the better of me there were so many contradictions. Should be reclassified as fiction, and bad fiction at that.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn't as good as other books in this genre that I have read, it did get a little repetitive at times and I did not read it as fast as I could have if there had been more incentive to keep reading. Nonetheless, I am astounded at all that Constance Briscoe managed to achieve with such a poor start in life and very little guidance and support. To have been working 3 jobs AND still at school at 15 years old, when most teenagers today can't even be bothered with a paper-round, it makes me smile to know all her hard work was not in vain and she has become a barrister as she always wished to be.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay okay, you had a cr*p childhood, I get it. I found out she has written a follow up book that goes through her college years. That's the book that I Think would be more interesting - how she dealt with 'normal' life after having such an abnormal childhood.

I also didn't like how the entire book sounds like it was written by an 8-year-old.

[Renee Daoud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book bought out all emotions in me, anger, sadness and doubtful. Could a mother be this abusive to her own child. I certainly make sure I let my own child know how much i love him
It got repetitive a few times but I can’t wait to read the second part of this story
Such a sad story of a little girl

[Peesha Pishaposh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on true account of Constance Briscoe, I'm so emotionally-exhausted once finished reading it.

I just couldn't believe that she (Constance) suffered to that extent and all of that happened because of her mother.

What I learned form this book is, being an unwanted is something painful one can bear. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be good enough. And, how true that if children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty (with or without an apparent reason). But, determination is key to success.

-- however, I still couldn't fathom and comprehend why her mother did that to her. It just not right.

There is one of my favorite quote about mother:
"Her love is like an island in life's ocean, vast and wide, a peaceful, quite shelter from the wind, the rain, the tide. This bound on the north by hope, by patience on the west, by tender counsel on the south, and on the east by rest. Above, it like a beacon light, shine faith and truth and prayer and through the changing scenes of life, I find a heaven there.." - ANON

Don't you think so?

[Gabriela Broilo Bortoluzzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feia é um livro intenso, chocante e, também, perturbador. Conta história de uma menina que nunca foi amada pela mãe, sempre foi duramente criticada e cruelmente maltratada, de diversas formas. Contudo, o livro contém muitos detalhes, como cada peça de roupa que tal pessoa vestia ou cada sobremesa dos dias de escola. Nesse sentido, me parece um pouco de ficção. Acredito que existam coisas que não são realmente verdadeiras, como esses detalhes, apenas para dar emoção ao livro. Quanto às partes que julguei serem verdadeiras, acredito que Constance, também chamada de Clare, foi uma vencedora. Não entendo seu sangue frio perante tudo que lhe acontecia, talvez pensava que seria melhor não ter nenhuma reação explosiva, pois sabia que chegaria onde desejasse. A raiva que senti ao ler as partes onde a mãe lhe maltratava se esvaiu quando li que ela conseguiu, enfim, ter sua própria vida, livre do ódio materno e da indiferença de seu pai e irmãos que nunca fizeram nada para ajudá-la nessa árdua vida que teve.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm almost torn on this book as to its reality. This is a harsh, brutal tale of severe neglect and hardship endured by a child who essentially raises herself from a young age. Abandoned by her mother, Constance spends the majority of her formative years making a living just to support herself as she has no one else to do it for her.
When I say I'm torn, parts of this book seem unbearable for a child to endure and triumph over, but that may be me and my inability to grasp someone's desire for survival. Ultimately Constance does survive and I can only bow humbly that she does so and bear the shame that those around her should have felt in their complete negligence of her care as a child.
Please read my full review here - http://thebookbuglist.blogspot.com/20...
I definitely recommend this book; as a reminder of the horrible beings that us humans can be and also of what ultimately, we should be. Carers and defenders of our children.

[Fatmah Abdullatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugly is based on a true story.
This book is about a girl which has been mistreated and emotionally destroyed by her mother. She was always the one to blame between her siblings. Constance was called "Ugly" by her mother several times and has always felt very unwanted in the family, so she looked for Social services to take good care of her. Throughout the book, the writer describes how the child has suffered and was abused by her mother.

I really liked the writers description as it included full details of the scenery and the atmosphere. Not only that, but i also received different emotions while reading different chapters.

I really enjoy reading books that the writers managed delivering the right feelings to me, and Ugly was one of them. I also recommend this book for readers who are interested in stories that are based on real life.

[Reemash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked that book. It tought me that no matter what, there is only one person who can stop you from fulfulling your dream, and that person is YOU.

[Iqra M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a similar premise as Push or Precious written by Sapphire but it is a biography/memoir so everything that was written is based in real life.

While I do sympathise with Constance Briscoe, this book was poorly written. I got bored after reaching a few chapters.
Furthermore, it was dragging and repetitive so I had to skip a few pages in order to finish the book.
I feel guilty about writing this review because it's based on the real accounts of the author, for God's sake.

I'm terribly sorry but this book failed to move and provoke me. I am proud that she managed to get out of the abuse in the end though. An adequate read nonetheless.

[Dolceluna ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Credo che non ci sia nulla di peggio al mondo che non sentirsi amati dalla propria madre. La mamma è il nostro primo legame col mondo, la nostra culla, la nostra protezione. Dovrebbe essere la prima ad amarci, sempre e comunque, incondizionatamente. Purtroppo per qualcuno non va così. Claire Briscoe (che poi si chiama Costance Briscoe, ma la madre le nasconde il suo vero nome per chissà quale motivo), sperimenta sulla propria pelle il rifiuto e l’odio della madre e in questo libro racconta gli abusi fisici e psicologici, le ingiurie, le torture cui la madre la sottopone durante tutta l’infanzia e l’adolescenza: una madre secondo la quale lei, Claire, non avrebbe dovuto nascere, una madre per la quale lei, Claire, è uno scarafaggio, una bruttura, un aborto e che glielo ripete quotidianamente, con un disprezzo che nella vita si riserva solo alle cose abominevoli.
Più proseguivo nella lettura, più non sapevo se provare più incredulità, compassione o rabbia per ciò che la protagonista, indifesa ma non stupida, è stata costretta a vivere. E lo stile con cui lo racconta è lucido e presente, il che rende tutto un macabro diario di violenze, di ogni tipo. Sullo sfondo delle sorelle egoiste e “leccapiedi”, un padre assente, un patrigno altrettanto cattivo, delle insegnanti un po’ cieche e un’insegnante particolare che aiuterà Claire ma che poi, come nella fiabe più tremende, sarà vittima di un incidente e non potrà più occuparsene.
Poi, gli anni passano e pian piano arriva il riscatto. Perché Claire, in realtà, è molto, molto forte. E il suo è il classico esempio di come la voglia di rivalsa emerga soprattutto quando si tocca il fondo.
Al di là del mio giudizio sul romanzo, ci sono troppi “perché” che mi sono frullati per la testa. Innanzitutto, perché questa cattiveria, continua e gratuita della madre verso Claire, rispetto alle altre sorelle, rimaste “salve” da questo flagello? Perché solo nei confronti di Claire? Perché per lei è sempre “brutta” e inutile e le altre sorelle no? E’ strano e secondo me rimanda a motivazioni che nel libro non vengono sollevate, ma che si possono facilmente intuire. Secondo, è possibile che, a parte quell’unica insegnante (poi vittima di incidente) nessun altro adulto presente nel libro, dal padre ai professori passando per i vicini di casa, la compagna del padre, il dottore, gli assistenti sociali ecc..si renda conto della situazione che vive Claire? A nessuno, nel vedere una ragazzina con traumi al seno e che crolla continuamente dal sonno a scuola, viene da farsi due domande? Terzo…alcuni personaggi, come il “piccolo” e coraggioso Ben, scompaiono dalle pagine e vi ricompaiono dopo anni e anni, e sono sempre stati lì, come se nulla fosse….Perchè? Infine, è proprio vero tutto ciò che Claire Briscoe ci racconta, oppure su alcuni avvenimenti, veri, si è calcata un po’ la mano? Credo che non lo sapremo mai veramente. Prendiamo dunque il libro per ciò che è: una terribile testimonianza e un epilogo di forza e di riscatto.

[Alexis Chateau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brought me to anger and near tears; and then spurred a discussion in the hair salon I was reading in, about how much some mothers and fathers were unfit for parenting.

I noticed a lot of people commenting on the author’s grammar, which makes me curious about their reading skills and knowledge of foreign cultures. The author very clearly states from the beginning of the book that she is of Caribbean ancestry, and that so is her stepfather, Eastman. For the people who miraculously do not know this, proper English, ESPECIALLY BACK THEN, was only spoken among the well-learned Caribbean people. Right now, in Jamaica, only about 1% of the population makes it to University. This is 2014, so I’ll leave you to figure out how much LESS made it to university back then. Caribbean people speak Creole English outside of school and work, and that is the kind of English the characters spoke in the book. I did notice a few typos in the narrative, but that’s more the editor’s fault than the writer. To me, it did not detract from the story.

Even so, I didn’t think the author’s writing skills was anything to “write home about”, as she puts it. It was average. Nothing spectacular. The story was really what made the book. Her story is one worth telling. I think a lot of authors struggle to come up with something that people will want to read. This is one story that needed no embellishments.

My liking for the story will be biased, because I faced a similar situation growing up, though it was more my father than my mother, who was the tyrant. Ironically enough, my father is also Jamaican. Makes you wonder…

I commend the author’s bravery for putting her story out there, and for being honest about her personal demons. That is not something I think I could do. In any case, she survived, and so did I.

This story is truly one of survival and triumphing over one’s volatile beginnings, and I wish more people would do that, rather than use those harsh starting points to justify becoming a statistic.

I’ve recently begun the sequel “Beyond Ugly”.

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to say straight off that I don't particularly like these types of books. They all come across as being identical to me. Not just in subject matter- abused children fighting against their aggressors and so on- but also the book covers. A sad child on a typically white background, with a one-name title (UGLY, ABUSED, LONELY) or a dramatic lengthier title (A CHILD CALLED IT, DADDY'S LITTLE EARNER), typically in a gold or handwritten font. If you're lucky, it will be both. But often, if I read these books, I can sympathise with the person telling the story. It's a terrible situation, and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone. No child should be abused.

I couldn't do this with Briscoe's story. Don't get me wrong- it's sad she went through it, but as I read it, it got increasingly difficult to relate to her. The way she wrote was hard to follow. Not in terms of narrative, but just the way she constructed her sentences, her lack of contractions, and so forth. Furthermore, she mentions at the very beginning of the novel that a) she tried to commit suicide by drinking bleach, b) she tried to put herself in a student home, and c) she got along with a few of her half-siblings. During the course of the novel, none of these three points are raised again. It is only to the end of her story that she actually mentions Eastman's children at all, and even then it is as a larger group.

I couldn't relate at all, and I found her style to be rather preachy. I've seen a few videos of her and this still came forth. I just didn't like it at all.

[Mariam · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK!!
I don't like books that talk about child-abuse!!
Boredom was the only reason that made me read it..

So anyway, I truly hated the mother: she is so abusive, unfair and injustice, and was totally exaggerating with her actions beating up her daughter and lowering down her self-esteem!! (I believe that there is so much to say about her, I wouldn't bother myself type it)

And I put a blame on the father.. I mean, where was he!?
Didn't he have children to look after?! Why didn't he ask for custody from the beginning?!
He has, umm.. How many houses?? And he didn't bother himself help his children in any sort of way!! ><
and when he had the chance to help his daughter, he refused!!

And for her sisters, I hate them all..

As for HER!! Clearie Clear Constance Briscoe!!
Stupid she, she didn't stand up for herself until when?? Until she FINALLY left for university..
Even if it was her mother, at least she could've tried something!!
Anything!!
Err!!
She never kept anything to herself, and stupid she, she always told her mother everything..
I mean, did she think that at some point her mother would listen to her?? Or care about her?? Sorry, but if I were in her place I wouldn't trust my mother anymore!!
الحمد لله على نعمة الإسلام

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many faults in this book that I could not ignore. I do believe the story is truthful and although I found it hard sympathising at the beginning of the story, by the end of it I really liked Clare's personality.

The first few chapters were the worse for me. Most characters were described on their appearances, and not usually in a complimenting way, which I found odd considering that most of Clare's abuse was verbal slandering about her appearances. I would have thought she would be more considerate to people when it came to their looks.

A few people have mentioned in their reviews that it sounded like a child had written it. I didn't think about this until I finished, but yes it did have that element. But I actually liked it. It was the child who had experienced this, and I believe that it feels more true when it is written so.

One thing that bugged me all through the book was the way Clare's mother spoke broken English in the first few chapters, then she would be talking fluently, then further along in the book her English was broken again. Then it went back to fluent. Weird.

Clare has a strong spirit. Although she was constantly told she was ugly and not wanted, she held onto her dreams and strived to make them come true.

[Miho · Rating 1 out of 5]

At the beginning I thought this book could be very interesting but as soon as I came to the middle of it I became very annoyed. Nothing new really seemed to happen.
Of course, the mother of Constance, as described in the book, is a very awful person and she really made me angry.
It didn't really bother me that the book is written as if a child had written it because that actually gave the book a certain anomaly, but still I often wished Constance to write more thoughts of hers. Deep thoughts and feelings, not only ''I want to leave this house and never come back again'' or something similar. The book is written very unpersonal and unemotional in my opinion. I can imagine that it is hard to write such memories down, but if somebody already decides to write a book about it, one should at least try to go a bit deeper. The book really bored me a lot, the people made me angry, I felt very bad the whole time while reading this book.
Nevertheless, I realized one more time how beautiful my childhood was and how happy I can be. This book made me think a lot even if it left a rather negative impression on me. Still I don't regret reading it but I would not recommend it.

[Imas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cukup lama waktu utk buku ini...penyakit akhir tahun..sibuk urusan pekerjaan, mau cuti ngga bisa, tertunda-tunda lah buku ini. Mengherankan dan tak bisa percaya seorang ibu melakukan penyiksaan terhadap anaknya sendiri.walaupun bukan cerita yg pertama soal ini. Tapi tetap saja membuat shock saat membaca kekerasan yg dilakukan. Mungkin pepatah "Bahkan Harimau pun tidak akan melukai anaknya sendiri" pantas diragukan jika sang ibu adalah manusia, harimau mungkin tidak. Tapi yg terpenting menurut aku adalah kegigihan dan perjuangan Constance meraih cita-cita, kemauan dan kerja keras untuk mewujudkannya. Dan tak kalah penting, negara berperan untuk mewujudkannya. Alangkah senangnya jika di Indonesia seorang anak yg ingin kuliah hanya perlu nilai bagus dan kesempatan beasiswa selalu tersedia secara terbuka..

[Rhianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because I thought it would be like Mao's Last Dancer or The Kite Runner- true stories. However Ugly compared to those books is a disappointment. Sure the beginning bit was emotional but then I found myself bored as her mother continued to abuse her and she did nothing about it. How many times had Clare hit Eastman and compare that to the times she hit her mother. It was not very well written either and I felt the story had no purpose. Why did she even wriet the stroy? Did she want sympathy beacuse I learnt nothing from it.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book a quick read and found it very interesting. What struck me was how strong she was and how she took it all in her stride. I think because it was written from a child’s perspective made it even sadder.

[Precious · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the opening scenes, where Briscoe's mother berates her for being 'ugly' is powerful and moving.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this so long ago I really need to give it a re-read. It was a powerful moving story which made me appreciate my life and my parents.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the type of book I usually read but I’m so glad I did. An absolutely astonishing study of an awful upbringing, full of unbelievable sadness but ultimately full of hope.