Reviews

At first I didn't really like this book. I struggled to connect to the characters. But I kept going on to see what was funny about Norman Foreman. And then the book started to grow on me. It became more like an adventure as they set on a journey to find Norman's father, and also to get a spot on a comedy show. They end up meeting so many interesting creatures on their way to the festival. And seeing pretty interesting things. By the middle of the book I found myself rooting for Norman and hoping he could get a happy (or funny) ending. I like how the book is told in both Norman and his mother's perspective, with some chapters told by him, and some others by his mother. That gives a different perspective - the 12 year old still trying to figure out his life type of perspective, and the 32 year old responsible adult trying to figure out her son's life type of perspective. In the end, they both have their insecurities, and the journey to find Norman's father helps settle a lot of doubts for both of them. It's a funny book, but also very emotional.

lauren_and_books's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

3.75

nicjohnston's review against another edition

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5.0

The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman could also have been called The Absolute Joy That Is Norman Foreman. It is a VERY special, unusual, bonkers and utterly heartwarming book.

Norman and his best friend Jax are 12 with a 5 year plan that will take them to the Edinburgh Fringe. There they will conquer comedy and live the dream of their old school comedy idols such Morecambe and Wise and Dave Allen. When Jax dies Norman decided to rewrite the plan - get to Edinburgh to honour Jax and find his dad along the way. Aided and abetted by his mum Sadie and her 84 year old colleague Leonard, they set off to fulfil Norman’s plan.

This is a book with a big heart. It is genuinely moving and funny. The characters shine from the page and the story zips along. The ending is superb!

I listened to the audio, read by Katherine Parkinson and it was pitch perfect.

Utterly recommended.

chipie's review

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4.0

a lightish read, but nice enough. Agree that some of the physical descriptions weren't necessary and unnecessarily cruel .
3.5 rounded up

rlhreads's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this read - although it was sad it was honestly such a poignant beautiful read about relationships in all kinds - whether it be friendship,parenthood, marriage.

A really lovely read

christinebeswick's review

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4.0

A sweet, feel good story about family, love and friendship

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

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4.0

A really touching Mother-son story that gave me About a boy and Dear Frankie vibes! 12 year old Norman's best friend Jax has just died and in an attempt to cheer him up a bit, his mom Sadie offers to help him get to the Edinburgh Fringe festival (a goal he had planned to do as a stand-up comic duo with Jax when the two were 15). Somehow this journey also turns into a quest to discover who Norman's father is (it turns out there are four possible candidates). Leonard, Sadie's tech-savvy octogenarian friend, also helps plan and organize the trip and honestly was my favorite character in the book! I love how there is a growing number of amazing senior characters in books these days like Ove and Eudora Honeysett. A great road-trip comedy featuring memorable characters, each dealing with their own personal hurdles (Norman suffers from debilitating psoriasis and I thought this was dealt with extremely well in the story!). Definitely recommend for anyone who likes a heartwarming underdog story.

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