I Woke Up This Morning (FRUGALITY: Book 3

Frugality #3

by Stuart Ayris

The final book in the FRUGALITY TRILOGY.

So just how do you get over finding someone hanging in the shower? Some people have counselling. Others perhaps never get over it at all.

Me? Well I drank myself into dreamworld for fifteen years and wrote a trilogy of novels.

I have discovered the truth about Simon Anthony. The search for that truth took me from Tollesbury to Bath, from Stratford-Upon-Avon to Liverpool.

And I'd like to share that truth with you.

I am all sorts of things.

Well I was when I woke up this morning...

Genres: Philosophy, Fiction

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2013

About the author

I was born in the Summer of 1969 in Dagenham, just on the border of East London. School was largely unproductive so his early adult years were spent putting up stalls at Romford Market, working in a record shop, gardening and road sweeping.

After resigning from an insurance company to play in a band, I found myself unemployed for two years in the early nineties. In 1997, I qualified as a psychiatric nurse.

I am the author of the following novels:

Tollesbury Time Forever (2012)
The Bird That Nobody Sees (2012)
I Woke Up This Morning (2013)
The Buddhas of Borneo (2013)
The Magical Tragical Life of Edward Jarvis Huggins (2014)
Elysian Wonderland (2015)
Merzougaville, Baby (2015)
Albion Calling (2016)
Bolivian Rhapsody (2018)
This Awful Small Mercy of Miss Miriam Mallone (2022)
The Truth About Trees (Exp 2024/5)
Catalonia Tryptico Blues (Work in progress)

In terms of writing, my heroes are Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck, James Joyce Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits.


Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss anything about my novels or if I can be of any help at all!

Reviews

[Mago (Mark) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author Stuart Ayris does not exist.
I know this much is true.
If he is real I will have to go all the way to Tollesbury from Liverpool and buy him a pint or three.
The final part of The FRUGALITY Trilogy is such a let down!
That's it! It's ended! There is no more!
I'll have to go back to reading ordinary books now.
Even if you don't exist Stuart: I forgive you.

[Darren Sant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am sat here trying to write a book review. Normally these are simple short reviews with me saying in my own way what I liked about the book, how it made me feel and gently giving such critique I feel is honest and correct.

I Woke Up This Morning has left me puzzled. As the author knows I am a huge fan of his work. When I started to read this book and by the time I was a third of the way in I was convinced of one thing: It was an exercise in pure self-indulgence and that he has let himself down.

I sit here having literally just finished and I realise how wrong I was about that. I think some of the points Stuart is trying to make a little too subtle for a fat, baldy, boorish, ignoramus such as myself. I’ll try to convey what I thought as succinctly as I can.

Stuart tells a tale of alienation. A tale of fear and how is it wrong sometimes to indulge ourselves in our woes. We should strive to be a better person by whichever means is best for us. I can’t say how much autobiography is in the novel but you get the distinct impression that the character “Stuart Ayris” has a few regrets. Separating fact from fiction for someone who doesn’t know the author closely is like trying to paint using morning mist so I’m not going to attempt it.

With his usual breathtaking brilliance Ayris lays down the positives and leaves his jewels of wisdom for the discerning reader to uncover. When you come across these little treasures you feel better about yourself and better about your day. Stuart’s work is unique in style and structure but my god does it speak to my soul at times. A work of cloudy, confusing genius, yet genius it is.

[B J Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep 5-star reviews for books that I find truly exceptional. I’m giving this one 5 and, if I could, I’d give it 10.
The writing style has developed through the trilogy into an extraordinary, free-flowing pouring forth of prose that is frequently poetic. At times I was reminded of Under Milk Wood and Ulysses, but comparisons can’t do it justice. It is unique – not so much a book, more a volcanic eruption of words, ideas and fears with the author as the central character.
What makes it so powerful is not just the content, but the fact that it is based on reality. The appalling event that is central to the story actually happened.
Through the three books the author has given us hints: little baited hooks to capture us and draw us on. At last we get to that crucial event that explains what lies behind. It is so vividly described that merely reading it is a gut-wrenching, soul-twisting experience.
Of course, this is faction and we don’t know which parts of the rest of the trilogy are based on reality, but it is more than enough to know the truth of that key event. I hope that the experience of writing the books has been sufficiently cathartic to allow the author to come to terms with his past and live with peace of mind.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was interesting finish the series. I really enjoyed reading it, there were some really beautiful and intelligent phrases. There were many places in the book that I could identify with but not nearly as much so as the first two books. My main issue is how the FRUGALITY saying comes into the whole thing. It touched some many other people who read it and tried to apply it to their lives but it seemed as though the author just couldn't get it for the most part, at least not for a large part of it. He did seem to see beauty in everything and he did spread love, at least through the book. But if he was able to live by the simple rules that he had written he wouldn't have felt the need to drink literally all the time. His drinking was an extreme but realistic example of self medicating, which by the end of the book we understand why. I guess part of the problem for me too though is that I still have so many questions, many of which I can't mention here as they discuss too much of the end of the book. All that said, I do still think it was beautiful and heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time, as I've come to expect from Stuart Ayris.

[David Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing a book like this is very difficult because I feel compelled to create my own dictionary and I’m not sure anyone else would understand it.

That isn’t a problem for the author since the words he’s created are actually far better than the ones currently used.

I thought this was brilliant. I thought the whole series was superb. It was creative, thought provoking, very funny, rock and roll and above all, powerful.
Well done, I’m sorry it’s all over.

[Tracy Hibbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still asking myself (and my sister) is this real. this book kind of continues on from book 1 and I still don't know the answer. this book made me smile,laugh and cry. it's an amazing story whether it's real or not and an epic conclusion to the trilogy. a must read!!

[Debbie McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Just WOW! This is SOME book. I don't know how to review it without spoiling it, but what I will say is this: I agree with other reviewers who suggest this could be read stand-alone, but really it does need FRUGALITY 1 (Tollesbury Time Forever) and 2 (The Bird That Nobody Sees) to be read first, due to the clever, clever narrative and the inter-weaving of the characters / stories across the three books.

This is fine work. Stuart Ayris should be a best-seller. His style is unique, his writing is poignant and personal. And beautiful. The last 20% of this book would have had me on my knees, had I not been lying down already, as it was the middle of the night when I decided to read 'a few pages' to try and distract from toothache. That was at the 80% mark; needless to say, I forgot about my toothache.

I don't generally laugh and cry at books. I rarely insist on making members of my family stand still so I can read sections to them. I broke all my own rules with this one.

If you take nothing else from reading Stuart's FRUGALITY series, then take FRUGALITY itself. It is a mantra we could all benefit from, and as a reader and an author, I found this series liberating.

Incredible stuff. Not sure what else to say, other than if it is not already apparent, I wholeheartedly recommend this book / series to everyone. It's just awesome.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book in the Frugality series asks the question "What is real and what is not real?" It's a good question! Rod, the midget from Book 2, and his group of friends, decide to try to find Simon Anthony, the subject of Tollesbury Time Forever. Stuart Ayris, the author of the book, is also seeking him, accompanied by his long-suffering wife. A number of little facts from earlier books fall into place as the story unfolds. It's a strange and compelling journey we take, following a man whose life was changed so many years ago by another man's decision that he'd had enough.

There's a lot of humour in this book but a sad poignancy too. It is certainly multi-dimensional. You will no doubt have read the first two books in the Frugality Trilogy if you are considering embarking upon this one. You will know what to expect from Stu's writing and you won't be disappointed. What I love about his work is the playful use of language. Anyone can invent a word - it often happens in the fantasy genre - but Stuart uses and twists existing words to draw a little more meaning from them. This is creativity and I love it!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd already read the first two books in the FRUGALITY trilogy and was looking forward to reading this final part. I wasn't disappointed: this is another fantastic novel from author Stuart Ayris. It's beautifully written with an imaginative and creative use of language. It has a clever structure and brings in characters from the previous two novels to bring the trilogy to its conclusion. The author takes the bold step of writing himself into the novel and although at first I thought this seemed somewhat self indulgent it worked really well in the end. I found it overwhelmingly sad in places but overall it is an optimistic albeit challenging piece of writing. You could read it as a stand-alone novel but I think it would be better to read the other two books first and finish with this one. An excellent novel which will be well worth reading again in the future.

[Aunty Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third part of the wonderful FRUGALITY trilogy. You really do need to read the preceding two books before this one, but my word, its a powerful end!
Its a strange book in lots of ways, almost 'stream of consciousness' stuff at times, but so beautifully written that I found myself re-reading passages because it's so poetic. The story packs a hard punch at times, and I couldn't help but wonder how much was autobiographic.... some of it was so powerful and heart-wrenching at times.
Nevertheless, I found the book life-affirming and optimistic. Terrible things happen to good people, but in the end, all you need is love and FRUGALITY!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, the third book in the Frugality series is what we've been waiting for. The stories of Simon Anthony and Rod Langford come together beautifully as we question what is and isn't real along with the characters. You definitely need to read the first two books before starting this one, and be prepared for a book that's a lot more than just a story. The FRUGALITY message shines through again in this final installments, and yet again, by the end I found myself in tears. Not the easiest or most comfortable read, but more than worth it.

[Linda Branham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first book in the series. I had harder time getting into book 2, but when I did, I loved it too. Book 3 did not hold me like 1 and 2 - except it did end well :)
You really have to read these books closely - but when you do, they are amazing. There are great insights hidden and laced throughout. The reader will just be reading along - and then - POW - something jumps out and hits you in the gut
Great series

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Stuarts books, and the 3rd in the FRUGALITY series has proven no different. I adore the authors style, way with words and depth of characters. I am not going to ramble on about the contents of the book ... I am just going to say READ IT.... you will love love love it!

Looking forward to Stuarts next book... hope it won't be too long a wait :))

[Liam Sweeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuart Ayris's FRUGALITY Series is a three-book set that begins with Tollesbury Time Forever. It is a story of the life and adventures of Simon Anthony, a schizophrenic that travels two-hundred years into the past in Tollesbury, Essex, to meet and engage with characters that are the embodiment of his real-life inner demons. I must admit that I've not read the The Bird that No One Sees, the second book, but for the purposes of this review, I don't need to. Woke Up This Morning stands on its own, with just what little bit of aid I gave you above.

In Woke Up This Morning, Stuart Ayris has become the subject himself, taking on the first-person perspective. It's tough to say whether this is a fictional story or a pseudo-memoir. But, though that question may linger as you read it, it doesn't impact the reading experience.

Stuart Ayris (in the book) is an unemployed man in a failing marriage, with a drinking problem and a looming mental breakdown. He is beset upon a quest to find Simon Anthony, who had disappeared from Tollesbury. Stuart is met by his wife early on, who takes him on a road trip through England, perhaps to get him off his delusional quest, in part to save their marriage. But things go downhill, and Stuart's madness reaches it's peak.

Stuart Ayris (the writer) is one of the few exceptions I have about not reviewing a book if I have to put it down. This book, like his other book, is a challenge to read. You don't take this into the bathroom to occupy your number two time. It's heavy; you'll probably have to nurse this book, like you'd nurse an ale because you're broke, but you just don't want to leave the ambiance of the pub.

When you do pick it back up (and you will; I did, many times) you will go to the page you left off on and you're right back in the story; Ayris has the ability to cement the pulse and the pace into your brain. You'll never forget what you've already read.

His style has a bouncing mix of sing-song musings upon the day-to-days, poetic treatment of grandiose abstracts, intensive visualizations and insanity, interspersed to imbue Stuart with the full measure of his environment and his condition.

I will recommend that you buy all three of the FRUGALITY series books, and read them in order (I'm getting book two, I swear!) Whether you like Ayris's style or not, you'll appreciate the voice he brings to the world of indie novelists.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in Stuart Ayris' FRUGALITY trilogy, following on from Tollesbury Time Forever and The Bird That Nobody Sees. Of the three books it is the most personal to read, as the author has put himself right at the heart of the story as the main protagonist - Stuart, the author of Tollesbury Time Forever, at crisis point, seemingly determined to drink himself into oblivion as the distinction between reality and fiction becomes increasingly blurred to him.

We also meet the lads from The Setting Sun again and this is where the story does get bizarre - in a nutshell, we are in the third book of a trilogy, where the characters from the second book have all read the first book and now, after a chance meeting with the author in the pub, want to find the main character from the first book, as does the author. And that is why you do need to have read the first two books first, or book three will just not make the blindest bit of sense.

The writing is pure Stuart Ayris, a mix of pathos, humour, philosophy, poetry and rock and roll. It is very much a "journey" both as a literal road trip and into the mind of a man on the edge. The writing has a beauty and a rhythm of its own, and if a word does not fit the tempo of a sentence, then the author just makes up his own word that will fit!

A highly recommended read that is beautifully written.

[Steve Gillway · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfactory rounding up of the trilogy. If Stuart wanted to put you off drinking then this should do it, especially the road trip.