We Are Not the Same Anymore

by Chris Somerville

We are Not the Same Anymore is a collection of short fiction about people trying to connect with each other and the difficulties of finding intimacy. In these stories, Chris Somerville plays out the small catastrophes of everyday life, cutting his characters adrift in the uneasiness that ensues.

A man turns up at his daughter's birthday party with a goldfish in an ice-cream container. On the way to collect firewood, a woman and her teenaged neighbour crash in a snowstorm. An unwilling son helps his sister and father put up posters for a missing dog named Michael.

Familiar and endearing, Somerville's characters are consumed with their own neuroses, and through their eyes, the landscape of the domestic becomes surreal and dully terrifying. Suffused with a dark humour, their struggles for intimacy are recreated on the page with a deft and affectionate touch.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Michael Livingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad and funny short stories, about people feeling powerless, making bad decisions or letting inertia lead them into bad situations. These are characters coping (poorly) with loss and failure. Somerville creates small moments that feel symbolic of whole lives - Hinterland, about a father and son's difficult relationship struck particularly close to the bone for me. Somerville has a particular gift for capturing the humour in disappointment and sadness - I'm really looking forward to whatever he does next.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not being a huge fan of the short story genre, I wasn't sure how I'd go with this book but overall I did enjoy it. Most of the stories were clever, well written and entertaining. Some even had me on the edge of my seat. Quite a lot was going on in such a short amount of writing. I did feel a little let down with some of the stories as I felt they ended abruptly and left me a little confused or without closure. Perhaps that is why I normally avoid short stories.

[Rumaizah Bakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this debut collection at the Brisbane Writers Festival 2013, and pondered for a long time before getting a copy. The author's effortless style took some getting use to, but after the second story, I became intrigued with his disconnected characters in the midst of their mundane chores. A rare dark collection that slowly built strength as it reached the end, and climaxed with the last story. There was no weak link in this book, every story quietly contributed to the entire experience. It made me curious about the author's other works of fiction but I could not find anything else.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't been doing much reading. Been sick with ennui and other things...

This book is okay, or maybe good. It's quietly funny, not laugh-out-loud humorous.

It's kind of like real life. Except why would someone read a book about commonplace life? If I want to experience an episode of neurosis I don't have to read a book. All I have to do is think for a few moments.

But it mildly entertained me. It was written well. Three stars.

[Sarah Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I wish there had been more stories! Some people have commented that his stories seem to be observational studies of the mundane. I found that I could empathise with the characters and got a real sense of what they were feeling even though the author does not go into this aspect much. He is writing about everyday events but the stories add interest to the mundane.

[Alexandra Daw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big short story reader but I liked this book. One of the stories even made me gasp out loud. That's pretty neat to be able to do that. So yes, I'm with the critics, Chris Somerville is a good writer and I'll be looking out for more of his stuff.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of the strange, surreal, and the downright funny. A book celebrating the routine of contemporary life in all its oddness. I really enjoyed 'Sleeping with the light on.'

[Viv_oc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine your favourite dessert arriving at your table...it looks so beautiful and your mouth waters in anticipation of how good it's going to taste. You take your spoon and scoop up a mouthful and as it comes closer, your taste buds are dancing in anticipation and then...your spoon is rudely knocked out of your hand and the plate of dessert is smashed to the floor by this same rude interruption...feel that disappointment coursing through you...now you know how every single story in this book made me feel.

5 stars for getting me every single time (even as I tried to mentally brace myself for the endings) and one star for leaving me hanging.

Definitely not a fan of the short story genre!

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

relatable content

[Annoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most boring book i've ever read - literally a collection of short stories about boring people doing boring things with boring little details about them. There is no plot or anything, just little random scenarios about nobodies.

[John Bartlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collections of short stories are always a mixed bag and this collection was no different. They did however make me think about what makes a short story. Some of these pieces read like mere observations of people,'doing things' or reflecting which I found a bit soul-less. Surely stories are more than just observing what people do.
Others however left an impression, made me reflect long after the story was finished.
I think in a short story I want to be aware of what lies beneath, what's out of sight and some of these stories achieve this.
I guess everyone has an idea of what a short story should be.
This collection is certainly worth reading.

[4ZZZ Book Club]

Chris joined The Book Club to chat about short fiction, semi-autobiographical writing, influences and comic books. Originally broadcast on 11/04/2013, the podcast is available at zedbookclub.com

Chris Somerville is a Brisbane author who’s just released his first short story collection We Are Not the Same Anymore. They’re subtle, affecting stories that draw upon everyday life and bring surprising undercurrents and tensions to the surface, and once read they’ll be difficult to forget.

[Nene Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed these snapshots of ordinary people in their everyday lives. So much is unsaid but it's right there if we look. I felt as if I might know some of these characters, in a that-bloke-down-the-road kind of way. A great read.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frustrating (not in a bad way) tales of self-sabotage. People start off in a reasonably bad situation and make it worse by doing nothing (when doing something would be simple) or doing something utterly dumb. Like life,really. Plus,a couple of bits of nice Saundersism.

[Kaiyisah Fitri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe this book is not my type because I can't seem to understand most of it. My lack of knowledge might be the reason for this but this book is draggy for me. It feels like reading strings of words and unable to look past them.

[David McLean]

A curious range of short stories

[Jennifer Mills]

http://overland.org.au/blogs/poetry-f...