Normal rules don't apply is an apt title for this collection of short stories by Kate Atkinson. The book contains a collection of eleven loosely connected short stories introducing the reader to a variety of characters and situations. The stories combine elements of mystery, fantasy, folklore, humour, drama and much more.
The scene is set in the first story - The Void - where for five minutes each day the world is reset. This theme is continued in a story later in the book - Gene-sis. One character who appears in a number of stories is Franklin who spends much of his time questioning decisions with 'what if?' which is also the title of the final story which ties some of the threads occurring in other stories together. There are lots of dogs and horses and cats - some may even talk. One story occurs in a parallel world while another brings back the spirit of someone who has recently died. There is also a fairy-tale queen who does not keep a promise made to a witch - the effects of this also appear briefly in another story.
This is a fun collection of stories to read due to the variety of styles and topics combined with the realisation that a person or location or event from another story has been incorporated into the new story. The stories, in many cases, also encourage us to think about how we live our lives and how our lives are affecting our world.
Review:
Normal rules don't apply by Kate Atkinson - a mixed bag of stories Guardian 30 August 2023
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