GET A SNEAK PEAK AT THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS - CLICK HERE
About The Book
As someone who never liked confrontation, I had to tolerate a lot of people who seemingly couldn’t care about how they treated others. And I know I’m not the only one. I’ve met countless people that are suffering because of someone else’s refusal to look at themselves and the trauma they’re causing. The issue is that it’s sometimes hard to see what is really going on, especially when you’re the one being made to feel like you’ve got the problem.
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‘I’m Not Being Funny’ aims to make light of these people, and to provide some explanation and solace for those, like me, that have felt bullied or belittled by them, or disappointed by the way they treated you. To help people who are currently at the mercy of someone who is out of control to see the logic behind their actions and attitude. And also, to challenge you, the reader in seeing how similar, if not worse you are in comparison.
There are twelve chapters in the book. Although there’s not a named main character, you're following Magda - a single, thirty-something creative in Hackney, through different interactions and experiences. Each chapter is an individual short story, which builds the book into a range of interactions with different humans I’ve met throughout my life who really need to check their behaviour.
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There’s an equal split of male and female characters, and a range of situations and types of encounters; from parties to work, from dates to friendships. Characters range from a ‘Lean In’ style overachieving female boss who makes you feel like the worst intern, to a girl who’s thinking she’s going to get ahead in her career by prick-teasing senior males. There’s a chapter on shit Christians and one on hypocritical, over privileged white saviours. And there are some about unsuccessful dates with Essex to art school dream boys, and a few about overly opinionated and confident bully boys who are still living in their dad’s shadow.
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Then there’s a fading friendship with a girl who’s got a boyfriend now, an angry ‘feminist’ who can’t stop looking for problems in everything, and someone who seems to have lost herself totally in the social media mezzanine level of life.
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Even though the characters and situations are fictional, the book is based on absolute truth. Every chapter is an uncomfortable yet familiar reality - but through comedy and the ability to see the funny side, it becomes more bearable.
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Even though these characters are based off various people/arseholes I've encounter over time, there are parts of me in every single one. Any philosopher/ good psychotherapist will tell you that. Because what you don’t like about somebody else, you don’t like about yourself.
I hope readers understand that the book is basically a mirror, and a chance to simultaneously accept the reality of yourself and others. The truth is a hard pill to swallow sometimes - but can be easily done without realising if it’s thrown to the back of your throat whilst your head is tilted back in laughter.