Audiobook10 hours
Me, Myself and Them
Written by Dan Mooney
Narrated by Aiden Kelly
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
A heart-wrenching, funny and fresh debut about human connection and the power of friendship
Struggling to cope with a tragic loss, Denis Murphy has, for the past seven years, learned to live differently. His friends are used to his strict routines, like ironing his socks and lighting his fireplace every Sunday (even in the summer). His forlorn mother puts up with his strange “no touching” antics, even though all she wants is a hug from her son. Really, the only problem is the four monsters he has for roommates. This ragtag bunch run his life, determined to create chaos in his orderly world.
Then Rebecca, Denis’s enigmatic ex-girlfriend from his former life, returns to town. Shocked to meet the new Denis—a broken man, unable to manage even the most basic social interactions—she becomes fixated on bringing back the funny, charismatic man she once loved. As Denis begins to emerge from his sheltered existence and rediscover the person he used to be, the monsters declare all-out war. Denis is finally forced to confront the demons that share his house, and his head.
By turns heartbreaking and heartwarming, Me, Myself and Them deftly explores mental illness with compassion and in entirely original terms. With wit and charm, Dan Mooney offers a wholly new perspective on the effects of grief and the power of human connection.
Struggling to cope with a tragic loss, Denis Murphy has, for the past seven years, learned to live differently. His friends are used to his strict routines, like ironing his socks and lighting his fireplace every Sunday (even in the summer). His forlorn mother puts up with his strange “no touching” antics, even though all she wants is a hug from her son. Really, the only problem is the four monsters he has for roommates. This ragtag bunch run his life, determined to create chaos in his orderly world.
Then Rebecca, Denis’s enigmatic ex-girlfriend from his former life, returns to town. Shocked to meet the new Denis—a broken man, unable to manage even the most basic social interactions—she becomes fixated on bringing back the funny, charismatic man she once loved. As Denis begins to emerge from his sheltered existence and rediscover the person he used to be, the monsters declare all-out war. Denis is finally forced to confront the demons that share his house, and his head.
By turns heartbreaking and heartwarming, Me, Myself and Them deftly explores mental illness with compassion and in entirely original terms. With wit and charm, Dan Mooney offers a wholly new perspective on the effects of grief and the power of human connection.
Author
Dan Mooney
Dan Mooney is a 32-year-old amateur filmmaker and air traffic controller, and a friend to many cats. He wrote his first piece of fiction for a child-operated local newspaper at age ten and has been writing ever since. He lives in Ireland. Me Myself and Them is his first novel.
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Reviews for Me, Myself and Them
Rating: 4.136363681818182 out of 5 stars
4/5
11 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It seems almost perverse to say that this book is delightful. Denis was once a normal 23-year-old fun-loving man who enjoyed evenings with his friends, a loving family, and his beautiful girlfriend Rebecca. But one night seven years ago he suffered a tragic loss, a loss that he feels responsible for, a loss that he can only endure by cutting himself off from people and feelings. His guilt leads him to believe that he has brought everyone pain so now he must cut himself off from them, assuring everyone that he is just fine. In order to maintain control, he now lives a VERY strict life of orderliness. His day is planned to the minute. “Walk into town – 40 minutes. Purchase a newspaper and select a coffee shop – 16 minutes. Spend some time with both of his friends – 120 minutes. Walk to the hospital – 50 minutes. Spend some time visiting Eddie – 20 minutes. Walk home – 90 minutes.’ He cannot bear to be touched by anyone. He is in control – except for his four roommates, “four monsters”, who create chaos in his home.But then Rebecca walk back into his life. She is shocked to see the shell of his former life he has become and becomes determined to “fix” him. As he slowly begins to reconnect with his former self and begins to face his fears, his roommates feel threatened. They want to protect him, to help him maintain the orderliness and control he had before Rebecca returned. Now it is all out war for them. They are determined that Rebecca must go. Denis’ life now spirals out of control.Daniel Mooney has written a story of grief, loss, mental health, friendship, and love. He presents Denis’ vulnerability while also delivering doses of humor. This is a sensitively written book describing Daniel’s fight to get his life back. One would expect a book on men’s mental health would be somewhat depressing, but not this book. It is funny, heartbreaking, sincere, enlightening. Thank you to the publisher and BookBrowse for the advance copy to read and review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winner of the 2016 Luke Bitmead bursary, Me, Myself and Them is the story of one man's struggle against the monsters surrounding him. Following a tragic event 7 years ago, Denis never allowed himself to work through his grief and his mental health has suffered. Rather than facing his troubles, he's withdrawn into a different "universe" where he simply exists by following a regimented routine and behaves in an obsessive, compulsive manner focusing on cleanliness and hygiene. Denis has been his own worst enemy as is manifested by his four "housemates". His two remaining friends, Ollie and Frank, are used to Dan's strange ways and accommodate him. But when Dan's ex-girlfriend, Rebecca, re-enters his life, Dan's sheltered existence is threatened as the person he used to be begins to re-emerge and he is forced into an all-out war against the monsters in his house. Which parts of Dan's personality will persist?This was a beautifully written, introspective story that was uncomfortable to read at times because of its rawness and astute insight into grief and mental health. Those parts were really well done. There were other aspects, e.g. the relationship between Denis and Rebecca, that I found hard to believe (perhaps I'm too much of a cynic). Overall though, this was as funny as it was tragic, and honestly, it was quite bizarre as well. I'll be looking out for further books by Dan Mooney. Excellent debut.