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In his first novel in five years James Wilcox returns to the wonderfully manic and humane comedy that first brought him attention in the classic MODERN BAPTISTS.
Lloyd Norris is slouching towards middle-age. Recently out of the closet, he knows it's time to devote himself to finding the love and companionship that have long eluded him. But his search is complicated by his exuberance ex-wife (whom he married in high school after she found herself pregnant by the football captain and with who he still shares a cozy home), who is having an affair with his former boss; by his secretary, a steely matron determined to take his prospects in hand; by his ex-wife's meddlesome new housemate, a gas meter reader and synchronized swimmer; by the two elderly men whom Norris attempts to help through a charity but want nothing to do with him; and by the circle of eccentric gay men who involve him in an exasperating series of romantic entanglements.
The result is a dizzying funny book about the awesome power of our need for connection.
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Review:
The paunchy, earnest 43-year-old Severinus Lloyd Norris strives for a life of stasis amidst an emergent midlife crisis brought on less by age than by the people in his life. Pearl May, his beautiful wife of over 20 years, has just divorced him and has been encouraging Lloyd to come out of the closet and, eventually, out of their shared home in Yonkers. His attempts at being a volunteer companion to the elderly for Manhattan Cares are foiled when his clients reject him for being too boring. His boss, Ms. Vigoris, can't get him to gracefully accept a promotion at the label and logo company, one that should have come years before. Even the man Lloyd desires can't make a successful pass at him.
About the Author:
Lloyd fights with all his heart to live a plain and normal life, yet with his supporting cast of characters, he doesn't stand a chance. There's an ex-lesbian Christian widowed meter reader turned synchronized swimming coach; an overbearing, incompetent secretary with distant ties to Dutch royalty--whose eccentric fiancé happens to be in love with Lloyd; a power-hungry former boss who guilts his way into Lloyd's personal life in an effort to sleep with Pearl May; not to mention the Jesuit priest eager to fix Lloyd up with his cousin. Although Plain and Normal, Wilcox's seventh novel, may not dissuade longtime fans from their preference for earlier works like Modern Baptists, this satiric romp on the pains of growing older may attract new readers to one of the late 20th century's smartest comic novelists. --Kera Bolonik
"James Wilcox is also the author of the novels Modern Baptists, North Gladiola, Miss Undine's Living Room, Polite Sex, North Gladiola, Guest of a Sinner, and, most recently, Plain and Normal. He is a graduate of Yale University and the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is currently Visiting Professor of Creative Writing at Mississippi State University."
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- PublisherFourth Estate
- Publication date1998
- ISBN 10 1857029801
- ISBN 13 9781857029802
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages288
- Rating
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Plain and Normal
Published by
Fourth Estate 05/11/1998
(1998)
ISBN 10: 1857029801
ISBN 13: 9781857029802
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Hardcover
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. . Seller Inventory # 7719-9781857029802
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Plain and Normal
Published by
Fourth Estate 05/11/1998
(1998)
ISBN 10: 1857029801
ISBN 13: 9781857029802
Used
Hardcover
Quantity: 2
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Book Description Condition: Very Good. Shipped within 24 hours from our UK warehouse. Clean, undamaged book with no damage to pages and minimal wear to the cover. Spine still tight, in very good condition. Remember if you are not happy, you are covered by our 100% money back guarantee. Seller Inventory # 6545-9781857029802
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Plain And Normal
Published by
Fourth Estate, London
(1998)
ISBN 10: 1857029801
ISBN 13: 9781857029802
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First Edition
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition; First Printing. Black cloth boards with gilt lettering to spine, red endpapers. Appears unread. ; 288 pages; Severinus Lloyd Norris just wants a life of peace and tranquility, but it just doesn't happen. Maybe it's because he's gay. Or maybe it's because nobody believes him. Seller Inventory # 23521
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Plain And Normal
Published by
Fourth Estate
(1998)
ISBN 10: 1857029801
ISBN 13: 9781857029802
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Quantity: 1
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Book Description Hardback. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st. First edition first printing hardback, 1998, with unclipped jacket. In overall very good used condition with minor signs of age, handling and storage - dust jacket rubbed to edges with small repair to spine tail (now protected); black cloth boards clean and crisp. Internally clean. Binding tight and appears little read; no annotation or inscriptions; text bright and clear throughout. Not an old library book. Seller Inventory # 201218
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