First published 1983
Norman sits in his childhood bedroom, brilliant mind fractured by addiction. At 41, the former infant prodigy and successful barrister has fallen from grace. His closely-knit Jewish family in London's East End watches helplessly as their golden child succumbs to drugs. Norman's parents once saw him as their greatest achievement. Now paranoia grips him. Hallucinations torment him daily. He remains confined to the same room where he once studied with such promise. His legal career lies in ruins. The family that celebrated his early genius now struggles to understand his descent. Norman battles demons both real and imagined while his loved ones grapple with their own guilt and disappointment. This Booker Prize winner from 1970 explores how addiction destroys not just the user but everyone who cares for them. The story reveals the devastating gap between potential and reality, between the child who seemed destined for greatness and the man who cannot leave his room.
Genres: literary-fiction, addiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: East End, London
Period: 1970
224 pages · Hardcover · Hamish Hamilton Ltd
Content warnings: addiction, mental-illness