If you ever wondered what happens to those with an abusive childhood when they enter adulthood, then Affliction is the book to read because it has all the answers that you might ever need in this connection. The cinematic version of the book also does complete justice to the dark and negative
             themes that are highlighted by Russell Banks. These themes have been very effectively transformed on the screen and the credit for this goes to Paul
             Schrader. The book deals with the life of a complete failure Wade Whitehouse, who is almost forgotten by his family like a very painful memory. His brother is the narrator who chooses to speak about Wade in a
             distant cold manner thus avoiding a direct connection with a man who was major source of embarrassment for his family and friends. The narrator says in the opening passage: "It is almost as if he never existed, or as if he were a member of some other family or from some other place and we barely knew him and never had occasion to speak of him. So that by telling his story like this, as his brother, I am separating myself from the family and from all those who ever loved him."
             Wade was a failure because he suffered a terribly abusive childhood where his father would constantly abuse him emotionally, verbally and physically. This had such a profound impact on his life that all his adult relationships suffered. His entire life disintegrated because of his
             emotionally painful relationship with an abusive father who does nothing
             but hurl obscenities at his son and treat him like dirt. Being a sensitive
             soul, Wade has been so negatively affected by his father's behavior that
             his entire life becomes a mess. "For many years, I regarded Wade as a
             gloomy, alcoholic and stupidly belligerent man, like our father, but now he
             had gotten into his forties without killing himself or anyone else, and I
             expected that he would, like our father, get into his fifties, sixties and
             maybe sevent...