Being NormalA confident, poignant collection filtered with debauchery, melancholy and black humour, Being Normal is an examination of loneliness, rejection and the idiosyncrasies of living in and against contemporary society. Stephen Shieber brings together the glory of everyday nothingness and elevates it to great drama; where loveless marriage, teen angst, childhood misadventure, lonely Christmases and family dysfunction are the norm. Each character in this stunning debut provides a very different slant on the notion of mundane - a book for anyone who has ever found themselves on the outside, dancing to the beat of their own drum. |
Contents
Being Normal | 9 |
The Good Little Wife | 22 |
Sour Milk | 39 |
The Naming of Gods | 62 |
The Gift | 76 |
Business Trip | 101 |
A Little of What You Need | 114 |
Happy Birthday Son | 128 |
Solitary Pursuits | 149 |
Dont Try This At Home | 163 |
Common terms and phrases
Andreas Andreas's Barbara Bella Biddy blanket breath Brylcreem canapés charity shop cheek Chelsea Christmas Clairvoyance Cornetto Dad's Deborah door Edward Scissorhands Ernest eyes face feel fingers Frizell Gary Geisha Boy girl give glass Goldblatt's hair hand Happy birthday Harry hates head hear insomnia James Kate kiss kitchen Knailes laughs leave Lennon lift Lillian lips Lisa listening look lunch Madeleine marriage Maxine Merchant Midge Midge's minibus minutes mirror Mother mouth Mum's never night Noreen okay Ollie once Pamela Penrhys Pepsi pulls round scream seat shoulders shrugged sigh silence skin slip Smarties smiles someone sorry stomach stop Struwwelpeter Superboy Superman talk tears tell thank There's things Tommy tries turns vodka voice wait walk watch What's winced wine