Lopsided: A Memoir

By Meredith Norton

Book Overview

By the age of thirty -four , Meredith Norton had been a hymnal editor, art restorer, game-show producer, and a public school teacher. She'd even lived in a tree house and shepherded goats in Minorca. But none of these unusual experiences prepared her for the most dramatic turn her life would take: the diagnosis of an aggressive form of breast cancer. In this brilliantly funny and irreverent memoir, Norton approaches the disease with a refreshing combination of humor and tenacity, railing against victimhood and self-pity and refusing to become a stereotype. Told with a razor-sharp wit akin to David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs, Lopsided is most definitely not a typical cancer memoir; it's the bitingly funny debut of a natural-born social observer.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143115634
• ISBN13: 9780143115632
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Amazing Grace When Facing A Death Sentence

Meredith Norton's memoir is unexpectedly funny about a very serious subject. I found myself reading the novel,not wanting to put it down, eager to find out how she brings the story to an end. The comparison to Sedaris is appropriate as Meredith maintains the humor throughout yet pauses at times to allow us to understand the severity of cancer she faced. Memoirs are supposed to be self-reflections of personal experience, not self-help books that offer advice to others who may be suffering from the same disease; I disagree with the reviewer who suggests caution. Meredith brings us into her world and experiences, so we understand her confusion, frustration, anger, and humor. A great read from a woman who has a wonderful spirit and drive to survive against all odds. And she can write.

Not the typical memoir of a cancer survivor

This book is a blast of fresh air for anyone who has battled cancer directly or by the side of a loved one. It is written almost completely without self-pity: frank, intensely aware, perhaps afraid inside -- but brash and full of life outside. I'm not sure how much direct application it will have for most people -- the author seems to have lived a pretty unique life -- but it certainly gives one an unexpected, helpful, and ultimately very wise perspective on life with this awful disease.

Cancer, with jokes

Move over Lance Armstrong - I predict this funny and bittersweet book about cancer will become the new go-to gift book for newly diagnosed cancer patients. This book is refreshingly BS-free, offering a clear-eyed, witty, and brutally honest portrait of lives touched by cancer. What a life too: Norton has piles of ridiculous personal stories that spice up the tale, such as her stories about her hardboiled mom and Cosby-style dad, plus enough crazy friends to fill up a football stadium. Norton's deft avoidance of saccharine-sweet cheese keeps this book true, clearing room for her humorous meditations to strike.

Priceless. Funny as hell. Fascinating. WOW.

I picked up this book even though I had never heard of it because a) I'm interested in memoir and b) my sister-in-law is battling cancer. I never expected to be this enthralled. I simply could not put it down. Several times I found myself sneaking away from work just to read another page or two. I was riveted. You can't help but fall in love with Meredith, this quirky character who doesn't take herself seriously and seems like just the kind of person I'd love (or be) in real life. Her battles are real but her wit is what moved me. I laughed out loud several times. I know, how is cancer funny? But you just have to read it for yourself. Really. You have to! Don't miss this great read!

Wicked funny

If you're looking for easy consolations and wishful thinking, don't look here. Meredith Norton pulls no punches and tells simple but hard truths: as her dad puts it, "No one gets out of here alive." But this isn't a depressing book; it's a story of (temporary) survival, and it's wickedly funny. Norton has a great eye for the ridiculous and outrageous in others and in herself. Recommended to anyone who may die.