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Normal People Don't Live Like This
by
Dylan Landis (Goodreads Author)
At the center of this startling fiction debut is Leah Levinson, a teen at sea in the anonymous ordeals of a middle-class upbringing on the Upper West Side in the 1970s. In ten installments, written from varying perspectives, we witness her uneasy relationships with faster, looser peers—girls she is drawn to but also alienated by.
No one, though, alienates Leah more than her...more
No one, though, alienates Leah more than her...more
Hardcover, 181 pages
Published
2009
by Persea Books
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I'm depressed, this book is depressing. Whether those two things are interacting is questionable, but it makes the state interaction work quite well. It also perhaps makes me more susceptible to empathy for the character and association. sliding from normal people don't live like this to normal people don't feel like this to I'm not normal to suddenly no one is normal. I make no promises that the book will slide that way for everyone. In fact for all my friends out there who tell me how they hat...more
The perfect backdrop for slitting your wrists especially if you're reading it while listening to Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album. Warning: hide all knives and scissors before settling in with this book.
Gave it 3 stars because while the writing was a 5, my enjoyment of the book was a 2; I realize technically that comes out to a 3.5, however half stars are not yet an option on goodreads. Did I mention that this book is unrelentingly depressing? When I read the first page I was anticipating an experi...more
Gave it 3 stars because while the writing was a 5, my enjoyment of the book was a 2; I realize technically that comes out to a 3.5, however half stars are not yet an option on goodreads. Did I mention that this book is unrelentingly depressing? When I read the first page I was anticipating an experi...more
Holy friggin' crap. I knew this book was going to be good after I heard Landis read an excerpt in NYC. Happily, she delivers. And delivers. And delivers.
A novel in stories, Normal People Don't Live Like This is painfully arresting, filled with characters who practically hum with heartache and longing, and are driven to various acts of rebellion and rage that make you wince and wonder, what next? Landis has perfected the art of the opening, with beginnings like this from "Jazz":
"It is not true t...more
A novel in stories, Normal People Don't Live Like This is painfully arresting, filled with characters who practically hum with heartache and longing, and are driven to various acts of rebellion and rage that make you wince and wonder, what next? Landis has perfected the art of the opening, with beginnings like this from "Jazz":
"It is not true t...more
So what DO normal people live like? Dylan Landis captures one such person - Leah Levinson, a spirited and obsessive teenager growing up in 1970s New York City - in full detail, at pivotal points in her evolution from insecure teen to an increasingly adventurous but still risk-adverse college-age student.
In ten beautifully-written portraits - which, like Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge, can each be read as a standalone story or chronological snapshots - Ms. Landis reveals truths about Leah, h...more
In ten beautifully-written portraits - which, like Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge, can each be read as a standalone story or chronological snapshots - Ms. Landis reveals truths about Leah, h...more
This book was good, there was no doubt about it. It just wasn't all that enjoyable or meaningful to me.
'Normal People Don't Live Like This' was basically about Leah Levinson, a teenager growing up in Manhattan in the seventies. The book is broken up into what could essentially be ten short stories. Some of which are written from the lead character's point of view and some aren't, but all collect to create a somewhat full story.
I did enjoy reading this, but I find that writing the review, a litt...more
'Normal People Don't Live Like This' was basically about Leah Levinson, a teenager growing up in Manhattan in the seventies. The book is broken up into what could essentially be ten short stories. Some of which are written from the lead character's point of view and some aren't, but all collect to create a somewhat full story.
I did enjoy reading this, but I find that writing the review, a litt...more
I read this book because it was recommended as similar to Jeanette Wall’s books. NOT SO. I found very little appealing in this book; however, I diligently and painstakingly read it to the end in order to discover what happens to the main character. Spoiler----Not sure what the heck the book is referring to in the end, and I am the literary reader my friends come to for explanations when they "don't get it." Possibly, some books are meant to confuse as life itself is confusing. I have enjoyed man...more
I feel bad not liking this book since I had it on my Amazon wishlist since last Christmas and my son's girlfriend was sweet enough to buy it for me. It gets FANTASTIC reviews on Amazon and while reading some of the reviews I know why it ended up on my wishlist because it gets recommended to people who liked The Glass Castle and other similar books. It is a very dark book. Kids with scary issues that never get resolved...It is a collection of short stories about the tragic life of teenagers livin...more
This book is beautiful and agonizing. Dylan Landis writes from the poetic heart of female adolescence, and it matters not a whit that no teenager (that I can imagine) would have the technical virtuosity to articulate the fear, the longing, the anxious insecurities, the love, and the loathing that her protagonist Leah Levinson does in such breathtaking prose. For me, this book is about emotional truth.
Leah has friends. One of them is Angeline. This is what Landis writes:
Angeline Yost keeps a swit...more
Leah has friends. One of them is Angeline. This is what Landis writes:
Angeline Yost keeps a swit...more
This book is gorgeously written and contains little gems of insight or description on every page. This book is marketed as a novel in stories, and the characters in the different parts overlap. It is a testament to the strength of this book that it left me wanting to know more about all these characters.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
I enjoyed this book; once I got started, I devoured it in a few days. It was a bit of an uncomfortable read, though: I liked and identified with Leah, the main character, but in addition to the awkwardness that I had at 13, she also has some OCD. Plus some more regular awkwardness. It was the kind of story that leaves me feeling embarrassed as if I was the one who did all these awkward things myself--not a comfortable feeling, but a sign of good writing.
One thing I found strange, though: the boo...more
One thing I found strange, though: the boo...more
I enjoyed these linked stories very much; intelligent but emotionally stunted women and teenage girls are definitely my favorite type of characters. I particularly loved the first and last stories in the book. Read the whole thing in about 3 hours.
The first story of this collection is breathtaking. Can't wait to read the rest.
Unless she gets hit on the head and loses every ounce of writing ability, the next book will be five stars for sure. So fucking talented, this woman. Listen to this:
She loves jazz flute, the way it rises hotly through the leaves of trees, then curls and rubs along the roots. Jazz flute lives about two stories off the ground. It is a reedy ache in a place she cannot name.
Jazz is just about the only genre of music I don't like, but I may or may not have spent the rest of the evening listening to j...more
She loves jazz flute, the way it rises hotly through the leaves of trees, then curls and rubs along the roots. Jazz flute lives about two stories off the ground. It is a reedy ache in a place she cannot name.
Jazz is just about the only genre of music I don't like, but I may or may not have spent the rest of the evening listening to j...more
A strange, strange tale. Another one where I loved the title and idea of the book (I've got to stop picking books this way) but where everything else fell flat. A friend gave me this one and I wanted to like it but I just never felt it for Leah, never could bring myself to like her. Also, a warning to the squeamish and delicate: there is one chapter in there that I wish I had never read - very disturbing stuff. Overall, just another novel with unlikeable characters and very little plot.
Sep 17, 2012
Erica
added it
This book sat on my shelf for a year because of the cover. I remembered that I got it from a co-worker and was interested because I had read great reviews, but I kept seeing the cover and thinking it was about broken-down people and that it was depressing. It's about teenage girls (mostly) on the upper west side in the 70s. And it was good. Also it's connected stories and not a novel. It was just not in any way what I thought it was going to be.
These interconnected stories are gorgeous and heartbreaking, and showcase a writer masterfully in control of tone, voice and character. In the sense that there are different POVs, and sometimes minor characters become the focus of some of the stories, the book loosely reminds me of Jennifer Egan's Goon Squad. A true "writer's writer," I felt like I learned something about craft, but also about compassion, from Landis's writing.
This is a collection of beautiful and hopelessly depressing related short stories. Some of the pieces are stronger than others, and sometimes I wasn't sure why the story launched the reader into a certain timeframe.
That said, I was in awe of the prose. Dylan Landis has a masterful command of language, and her word choice and usage were absolutely stunning. It was worth reading just to roll around in the poetry of her words.
That said, I was in awe of the prose. Dylan Landis has a masterful command of language, and her word choice and usage were absolutely stunning. It was worth reading just to roll around in the poetry of her words.
Mar 21, 2011
Ethel Margaret
added it
See my full review at StyleSubstanceSoul:
Using pen stroke instead of brush stroke, Landis’ understated storytelling is like a painting. Character traits and experiences—and preferred cigarette brands—are conveyed by illustration rather than explanation. It is a style that turns the banal poetic, and the hair-raising mundane. In the process, Landis is afforded the space to be candid and detached. She neither reveres nor pities her characters and their sordid affairs. Outlaw behavior may be scanda...more
Using pen stroke instead of brush stroke, Landis’ understated storytelling is like a painting. Character traits and experiences—and preferred cigarette brands—are conveyed by illustration rather than explanation. It is a style that turns the banal poetic, and the hair-raising mundane. In the process, Landis is afforded the space to be candid and detached. She neither reveres nor pities her characters and their sordid affairs. Outlaw behavior may be scanda...more
Brilliant collection of linked short stories mostly following Leah Levinson and her family/friends. The details about the characters are exquisite, and the fullness of each character is refreshing. They just pop off the page. You feel as though you are with them in each moment, experiencing everything along with them. I look forward to reading more of her work.
Dylan Landis is talented, smart, and savvy. Her writing is brilliant. Readers have to keep up because she expects you to in this story of Leah Levinson. This book will challenge you to hang on to the "ride" for dear life and keep up with what is going on in the story. Wonderfully written! It is one of my new top favorites of all time.
Collection of inter-linked short stories. Good short fiction writers always amaze me with the depths they are able to go in a condensed number of pages and this was no exception. Beautifully written and some really interesting and complex parts. Some chapters were sort of gnarly, though, so not for the weak of heart. Overall I really enjoyed this.
Well, this book was confusing. I thought I liked it, but then I didn't. I read the whole thing, which says something. But I found the storyline to be choppy, and characters that had a major role just disappeared later in the book. I also didn't get the mother...I think the author was trying to hard to make her eccentric.
I chose this book because the author was compared to Janet Fitch and Elizabeth Strout...not even close. I can't even say with certainty who the main character was or what message she was trying to portray. After finishing the book I can see the potential behind her idea, but it was poorly executed and not to my liking at all.
Stunning, difficult and worth reading:
Style is definitely unique. Dylan read clearly and with perfect dramatic emphasis at the Virginia Book Festival. Story line is thin, but it fits the voice. Teenagers and family dysfunction in a refreshingly honest--no blunt--take. I'd read her next book, hope it's soon.
Style is definitely unique. Dylan read clearly and with perfect dramatic emphasis at the Virginia Book Festival. Story line is thin, but it fits the voice. Teenagers and family dysfunction in a refreshingly honest--no blunt--take. I'd read her next book, hope it's soon.
Jul 30, 2011
Nancy
added it
Not bad, not good, just meh. The style of writing is one that I'm not that fond of, and the time sequence can be a bit hard to follow. There are huge jumps forward in the book. The story wasn't bad, though. Normal people may not live like that, but real people do.
I confess I picked this up because of the title and the cover. However, I didn't find this to be anything special. The synopsis blurb on the back cover didn't provide any clues as to what the story's about, and I just found it difficult to identify the character Leah. I finished the book, yet I feel I know nothing about her.
Jan 28, 2011
Jenna
added it
This has everything I look for in a book: stunning, lyrical writing and flawless character development. The tension between the main character, Leah, and her friends, her acquaintances and particularly between Leah and her mother is thick and riveting.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Not what I expected. The title struck me as funny, satirical or something. It was more like House on Mango Street for yuppies.
I can't get enough mother-daughter drama and coming-of-age stories--this is chock-full of both. And not just the daughters come of age. Helen captivated me. I'd love to read a novel built around her post-husband journey.
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Dylan Landis is the author of the novel-in-stories Normal People Don't Live Like This (Persea Books, September 2009). She has published fiction in Bomb, Tin House, Best American Nonrequired Reading and elsewhere. A former journalist covering medicine and interior design, she won the Poets & Writers California Voices Award and was a finalist for the Grace Paley Prize in Short Fiction. She lives...more
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Nov 24, 2009 10:44am