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Normal Rules Don't Apply

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Normal Rules Don't Apply

By: Kate Atkinson
Narrated by: Paterson Joseph
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The first story collection from Kate Atkinson in twenty years, Normal Rules Don't Apply is a dazzling array of eleven interconnected tales from the bestselling author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life

In this first full collection since Not the End of the World, we meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a man whose luck changes when a horse speaks to him.

With clockwork intricacy, inventiveness and sharp social observation, Kate Atkinson conjures a feast for the imagination, a constantly changing multiverse in which nothing is quite as it seems.

‘What really binds these stories is their underlying theme, which has perhaps always been Atkinson’s true subject: the nature of storytelling itself’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Life in all of its surreal, tragic and comic glory is perfectly captured within these pages’ Red

‘Sublime’ Good Housekeeping


©2023 Kate Atkinson (P)2023 Penguin Audio Anthologies & Short Stories Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magic Magical Realism Short Stories Witty Funny Mind-bending Thought-Provoking

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All stars
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I am a huge fan of KA ever since ‘ Behind the Scenes at the Museum’ . I love her style- always original and flowing- and her intelligent observation and wonderful wit. The stories are engaging and sometimes bizarre but always well crafted and pacy. The narrator is quite superb and really does capture the author’s wry asides.

Different!

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Such a beautiful set of linked stories. Gorgeous writing as you'd expect from this author. an utter delight

i inhaled this

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Someone else has written a wonderful review that I feel I could just copy! But here goes..

This is delicious-a potpourri of wit, clever observation, wonderful threading of themes, through a series of short stories and sort of ending up at the beginning, leaving you feeling that you need to re-read to really appreciate how everything sticks together. It’s actually a relief to have something quite so short, and I think I may just re-listen all over again straight away.

Excellently read - characters brought to life

Perfection from Kate Atkinson 👏🏻👏🏻

Fabulous

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My favourite author has written another fantastic book. I’m not usually a fan of short stories but there is a satisfying connectedness to these.
Narrator is very good, bringing the characters to life

Superb

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Each story is beautifully written, clever, funny and intriguing. I enjoyed the links between the stories and it was superbly read by Paterson Joseph.
I would highly recommend.

Superb.

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