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Plain and Normal
Lloyd Norris is slouching towards middle age. Recently out of the closet, he knows it's time to devote himself to finding the love & companionship that have long eluded him. But his search is complicated & the result is a dizzyingly funny book about the awesome power of our need for connection.
291 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
1 person is currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
James Wilcox
37 books30 followersJames Wilcox (b. 1949 in Hammond, Louisiana) is an American novelist and a professor at LSU in Baton Rouge.
Wilcox is the author of eight comic novels set in, or featuring characters from, the fictional town of Tula Springs, Louisiana. Wilcox's first book Modern Baptists (1983) remains his best known work. His other novels are North Gladiola (1985), Miss Undine's Living Room (1987), Sort of Rich (1989), Polite Sex (1991), Guest of a Sinner (1993), Plain and Normal (1998), Heavenly Days (2003), and Hunk City (2007). Wilcox is also the author of three short stories that were published in The New Yorker between 1981 and 1986, three of only four short stories that the author has published. He has written book reviews for The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times, and two pieces for ELLE. He was the subject of an article by James B. Stewart in The New Yorker's 1994 summer fiction issue; entitled "Moby Dick in Manhattan", it detailed his struggle to survive as a writer devoted purely to literary fiction.
Wilcox, a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1986, has held the Robert Penn Warren Professorship at Louisiana State University since September 2004. He is also the director of the university's creative writing program.
Wilcox is the author of eight comic novels set in, or featuring characters from, the fictional town of Tula Springs, Louisiana. Wilcox's first book Modern Baptists (1983) remains his best known work. His other novels are North Gladiola (1985), Miss Undine's Living Room (1987), Sort of Rich (1989), Polite Sex (1991), Guest of a Sinner (1993), Plain and Normal (1998), Heavenly Days (2003), and Hunk City (2007). Wilcox is also the author of three short stories that were published in The New Yorker between 1981 and 1986, three of only four short stories that the author has published. He has written book reviews for The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times, and two pieces for ELLE. He was the subject of an article by James B. Stewart in The New Yorker's 1994 summer fiction issue; entitled "Moby Dick in Manhattan", it detailed his struggle to survive as a writer devoted purely to literary fiction.
Wilcox, a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1986, has held the Robert Penn Warren Professorship at Louisiana State University since September 2004. He is also the director of the university's creative writing program.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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July 4, 2021i can understand the 1-star reviews here. i mean, they're categorically wrong, but i can understand them. even moreso than e.g. miss undine this is squarely in the wilcoxian mode of sweet & funny but uncompromisingly complex, so, not a beach read but nor is it gonna satisfy the set who read only 900pp+ works titled stuff like the imponderabilities. but if you're the kind of weirdo who can vibe w/ a gaddis-dense comedy of manners, if you can accept a fight over a meatball sub & a suicide attempt using vitamin c tablets in a novel asking big q's about happiness & sexuality & relationships, pick this up. sheesh starting to feel like goodreads diogenes popping out of my barrel to ask randos if they've read james wilcox yet. thx for stopping by
April 11, 2020
Lloyd Norris considers himself an unassuming guy who just wants to get on with his life and not attract undue attention nor trouble. He likes his job, he’s supportive of friends and family, he attends Mass daily and he tries to contribute to society’s greater good by volunteering to visit elderly shut-ins. Oh, and he’s gay and wants to find a significant other who will love and adore him in return having never experienced the comfort of male arms around him before thanks to his Roman Catholic conscience and the prior constraint of getting married to save the reputation of his knocked-up long-time childhood friend Pearl-Ann. The trouble with Lloyd of course is that life seems to throw unexpected curve balls his way all the time – placing him in unenviable situations and complicated relational messes.
Through a series of comic conversational mix-ups and absurd turn of events reminiscent of Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde and Ealing Studio comedies – Lloyd finds himself miraculously promoted over his wunderkind immediate boss, back living with his P-Flag waving ex-wife Pearl-Ann (but on the spare bed) as she struggles with her current lover abandonment issues, rejected by his elderly shut-ins for reasons unknown to him, threatened by a jealous muscle-head when he tries to help a young work colleague get back on her feet, set-up on disastrous dates by well-meaning friends as well as friends of friends. If Lloyd thinks his life’s getting out-of-control – it is, given the formidable Mrs Kundaa (his secretary) is manipulating events big-time behind his back.
James Wilcox gives many characters (straight and gay), multiple side-plots and converging storyline arcs, this quirky tale grew on me gradually; akin to books such as The Lives of Circus Animals (C Bram), Leap Year (P Cameron) and Stephen McCauley novels. I’ve become quite fond of Lloyd as a gay fall-guy – the foil to the wacky, larger-than-life people who surround and needlessly complicate his life / existence. As the wryly comic story unfolds, no-one seems to turn to be who he believes them to be at face-value – poor Lloyd complains:
'Why can’t people see I’m just the most bland person on earth? That’s all I want. Is it asking too much? From now on, I guarantee I’m not going to have anything but normal friends, plain, honest, bland people. No more of this nonsense where everyone turns out to be royalty or legally underage or rich heterosexual meter readers.’
If I had to complain – I guess Wilcox could have abandoned the secondary storyline involving the elderly shut-ins and their folk … I found myself skipping those passages to find out what bizarre event would befall hapless Lloyd Norris next. I was also mildly frustrated having to scramble back to review several passages when trying to clarify the identity of the ‘lover-boy’ who just may end up fulfilling Lloyd’s hearts’ desire near the end of the tale. All said, Wilcox write quirky, amusing, endearing fully-fleshed characters well, and I think I might try his more lauded title Modern Baptists.
Through a series of comic conversational mix-ups and absurd turn of events reminiscent of Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde and Ealing Studio comedies – Lloyd finds himself miraculously promoted over his wunderkind immediate boss, back living with his P-Flag waving ex-wife Pearl-Ann (but on the spare bed) as she struggles with her current lover abandonment issues, rejected by his elderly shut-ins for reasons unknown to him, threatened by a jealous muscle-head when he tries to help a young work colleague get back on her feet, set-up on disastrous dates by well-meaning friends as well as friends of friends. If Lloyd thinks his life’s getting out-of-control – it is, given the formidable Mrs Kundaa (his secretary) is manipulating events big-time behind his back.
James Wilcox gives many characters (straight and gay), multiple side-plots and converging storyline arcs, this quirky tale grew on me gradually; akin to books such as The Lives of Circus Animals (C Bram), Leap Year (P Cameron) and Stephen McCauley novels. I’ve become quite fond of Lloyd as a gay fall-guy – the foil to the wacky, larger-than-life people who surround and needlessly complicate his life / existence. As the wryly comic story unfolds, no-one seems to turn to be who he believes them to be at face-value – poor Lloyd complains:
'Why can’t people see I’m just the most bland person on earth? That’s all I want. Is it asking too much? From now on, I guarantee I’m not going to have anything but normal friends, plain, honest, bland people. No more of this nonsense where everyone turns out to be royalty or legally underage or rich heterosexual meter readers.’
If I had to complain – I guess Wilcox could have abandoned the secondary storyline involving the elderly shut-ins and their folk … I found myself skipping those passages to find out what bizarre event would befall hapless Lloyd Norris next. I was also mildly frustrated having to scramble back to review several passages when trying to clarify the identity of the ‘lover-boy’ who just may end up fulfilling Lloyd’s hearts’ desire near the end of the tale. All said, Wilcox write quirky, amusing, endearing fully-fleshed characters well, and I think I might try his more lauded title Modern Baptists.
October 22, 2015
As one would expect from a writer like Wilcox the comic genius is just as evident in this work as in his others. However I found the plot just too involved and there were far too many characters. I felt as though he had a lot of people he wanted to include in the book and found a place for them even if they don't really fit in. I didn't laugh as much as I did with Southern Baptists though and on a personal level would have preferred a tighter plot. This one is everywhere. Still worth a read though.
Update: 21/10/15. Re-read this book. Still agree with my previous review. The ending is far too abrupt and I don't know how it got through the editorial process in the form it is. It's as though someone decided 'that'll do!' and left it at that. It seems there is a chapter or two missing. The thread of the two men sharing the flat seems so pointless - like Wilcox had two characters he needed a plot for but couldn't find one so they waltzed into this story. They add nothing to the book and mess up the narrative although Mr Pollock is very funny. Their story is about 15% of the book but if you cut it out it would make no difference.
There are far too many characters in the novel as well and you can easily lose track - and I can read blockbusters without much effort. The reader isn't reminded often enough who these characters are. Cut a few who just enter and leave anyway and the plot could have been better. It is still a very funny book and Wilcox has a very sharp eye for detail and odd characters but the book in its present form should be reviewed.
Update: 21/10/15. Re-read this book. Still agree with my previous review. The ending is far too abrupt and I don't know how it got through the editorial process in the form it is. It's as though someone decided 'that'll do!' and left it at that. It seems there is a chapter or two missing. The thread of the two men sharing the flat seems so pointless - like Wilcox had two characters he needed a plot for but couldn't find one so they waltzed into this story. They add nothing to the book and mess up the narrative although Mr Pollock is very funny. Their story is about 15% of the book but if you cut it out it would make no difference.
There are far too many characters in the novel as well and you can easily lose track - and I can read blockbusters without much effort. The reader isn't reminded often enough who these characters are. Cut a few who just enter and leave anyway and the plot could have been better. It is still a very funny book and Wilcox has a very sharp eye for detail and odd characters but the book in its present form should be reviewed.
October 16, 2024
BOOORRRING
some of it was funny though
And I had a cool copy (forward edition) with edits and such, so that was cool
Other than 6 times I laughed out loud…I didn’t care a single bit about any of this
Womp womp
some of it was funny though
And I had a cool copy (forward edition) with edits and such, so that was cool
Other than 6 times I laughed out loud…I didn’t care a single bit about any of this
Womp womp
March 4, 2022
Loads of people seem to love this - I found it vastly over-rated - maybe it is an American thing - humour doesn't always travel.
May 16, 2010
Ok, I don't read as much as a lot of people on this site. But, I have read a lot in my lifetime. This must have been some kind of genre I never read before -- that's all I can think of for an excuse to TOTALLY NOT UNDERSTAND A BIT OF THIS. My life's rule is that I have to finish a book once started -- no matter what. Ouch.
June 3, 2010
Super, laugh-out-loud funny. Interesting characters in uncomfortable situations. I love the way James Wilcox can sustain tension between characters for loooooong periods of time. Not as great as "Modern Baptists" but still worth the effort.
January 20, 2011
I can’t believe I picked up this book before and I didn’t like it then or understand it. Middle age man divorces his wife and comes out of the closet and takes care this old man...I still don’t get it and I can’t get over the fact that I just found out it was a comedy. Go figure!
October 3, 2008
strugging to get through this book...don't want to put it down because surely it gets better
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews