Normal Rules Don't Apply

Stories

By: Kate Atkinson

Narrated by: Paterson Joseph

Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

A dazzling collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life, with everything that listeners love about her novels—the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop.

Nothing is quite as it seems in this collection of eleven dazzling stories. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a man who bets on a horse that may—or may not—have spoken to him. Everything that listeners love about the novels of Kate Atkinson is here—the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop.

A startling and funny feast for the imagination, these stories conjure a multiverse of subtly connected worlds while illuminating the webs of chance and connection among us all.

©2023 Kate Atkinson (P)2023 Random House Audio

Normal Tropes Do Apply

Atkinson's antic imagination is on full display, as is her considerable ability to intertwine the lives of vividly drawn characters. The book is amusing. Unlike most of her other books, amusement seems to be the point. The pokes at human folly concerning each other and the world itself are standard with no new discoveries or connections between ideas and perceptions to be made. These are tales, not stories. There isn't a fictional form with beginning, middle, and conclusion. There's "this happens and then that happens and, oh cool, this overlaps with that" and then it stops. Despite there being too many clueless and/or passive characters, it's a very fun ride. But at the end, I'm just thinking, "So?"

Brilliant.

Possibly my favorite now of her books. I highly recommend listening to it as the reader is wonderful.

Playful jigsaw puzzle of stories

I listened to these stories one piece at a time during a life period without long stretches of time for audiobooks. At first they seemed fun but also definitely contained elements where “ normal rules don’t apply”. But Atkinson uses such wry humor to comment on quirks of life that even though parts seemed oddly nonsensical they were fun. However I should have known that Atkinson had a larger plan where by the final short story each one has fit together in a masterful fanciful jigsaw puzzle which also is outside of any of the normal rules of fiction. Love this collection and if it’s possible it made me an even greater fan of Atkinson in general!

Fun! Effervescent!!

Magic and myth and stories all woven together in a fascinating manner. I love Kate Atkinson‘s writing, and in this book it is enhanced by a wonderful narrator. 

Fun and weird with excellent narration

Made me want a second volume of tales. Modern fairy tales mixed with magical realism. Loved it!

Wonderfully written cleverly told

I really enjoy Atkinson’s writing and the way the stories interacted. I read this because I enjoyed life after life, but I think this one was even better.

Creative short stories

The book was well-written, but I had a hard time following what was going on in some of the stories. They also were kind of gloomy, so I did not particularly enjoy this listen.

Clever author

I appreciated the insight and wit of the author. The stories were too loose and often confusing. There were very clever interwoven details that shared a wink with the listener.

oh, how i missed thee!

i adore Kate Atkinson's writing style!! very entertaining! how i missed this! thank you for the new book!!! the perfect narrator!!! very enjoyable listen!

Another great Kate Atkinson book!

Incredibly written, as usual. And while it first, I wanted the same story to keep going, I really got into the spirit of the story collection. Wild and wacky. Excellent performance as well.