The Normals: A Novel

He is one of my new favorite writers..love his style..so brilliant at articulating both his internal and external worlds in so entertaining and perceptive a fashion. His descriptions and metaphors demonstrate his uncanny awareness and ability to express what so many of us cannot. I don't even care about the subject matter; that's how much I enjoy reading his writing and can't wait for his next endeavour. I'm always so happy to discover the rare writer who is such a treat to read because he's unpredictable, witty, and relentlessly intelligent. It's disappointing to see how many don't appreciate this book in these reviews...perhaps it indicates a preference for the more commercial/typical novelists who are all so similar and lack Mr Gilbert's talent.

I picked up this book in my local book store because the cover caught my eye. What a lucky find. I loved this book. The main character Billy Shine is a cross between Holden Caufield and Mc Murphy. The book is both funny and sad in it's exploration of the conflicting emotions that tug on young Billy. A great read, highly reccommend it.

What caught me about the novel was its ability to keep me on edge. Not from a plot generated position or in terms of character, but the author kept me on edge as to whether or not he was going to fail. At first, in introducing the story, my fear was that the author did not know what tone he wanted to take. Humorous? Humanist/absurdist? And this seemingly indecisive approach had me cringing for the moment these separate sympathies would collapse into all out nonsense. However and surprisingly, that moment never came. As the novel progressed, I was pleased to see that the author never flagged from his initial tonal indecisiveness; ambiguity in style reflected the oddness of the characters and their story's particular brand of humanism. More, by shifting between humour and whatever it is similar to cynical seriousness, the reader finds that paying attention to the narrative has turned into a game of sorts. Is this a funny part? Or should I feel guilty for smiling? How inappropriate is it, really, to laugh at the mentally deranged, the promiscuous, the assisted suicide? The novel was not without problems, of course. Aside from the protagonist, personal, stylistic details are sperad too thinly over the remaining characters. We know as much about the bus driver as we do the nurse as we do the guard as we do the roomate as we... You get the point. I think the novel would have been best served by developing a strong counterpoint to the main character. While a person may argue that everything in the novel is a counter to the confused Billy Schine, in not taking form as a character, per se, the counterpoint lacks punch to the point of being missed entirely. This narrative unevenness does detract from the overall strength of the novel. All the single aspects of the novel, however, combine to form a rather dense and enjoyable read.

I bought this book, as did others, based only on the premise, having never read the author. I have since added him to my short list of "must read" authors. I have already bought Remote Feed, and will watch for his next novel with anticipation. The writing is superb. I am definitely a fan of a well-turned metaphor, and Gilbert turns them beautifully. He comes close to entering the same class as the first on my list: Tom Robbins. It is amazing how much interest I had in a novel where very little happens. The writing created a life through the thoughts of the main character, and kept me laughing (often sadly) at each sentence. This is a must-read novel, and the excellence of the writing is a reminder why I could never be an author.

A gem of a book. Billy Schine has volunteered to be a "normal" for two weeks at a drug research facility, mainly to escape from the loose and frayed ends of his young life. While there he listens to veterans speak about their past researches and the effects of drugs they've experienced both 3rd- and 1st-hand. These stories become part of the bragadaccio found in former high school athletic glories, sexual escapades, war stories, fishing tales and are so horrific they can't possibly be untrue. This is just a part of what Gilbert weaves into his story, with brittle prose, slashing humor and fathoms-deep insight. Yes, it does call into question those awful blurby things of isolation, meaning of life, leaving some kind of stamp on the world. But Gilbert goes so far beyond the facile-qualities that are usually found. Each issue, of ethics, connection, family, is played out on so many tiers, with a master's prose and a sage's insight. It bogs down a bit at the end, but that does not detract from the overall pleasures to be gained from this book.