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 enlarge | Author: Meredith Norton
Publisher: Viking Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $3.95
You Save: $21.00 (84%)
New (54) Used (27) from $3.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 39676
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.9
ISBN: 0670019283
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.196994490092
EAN: 9780670019281
ASIN: 0670019283
Publication Date: June 12, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! NEW Book! May have remainder mark. Most orders ship within 1 BUSINESS DAY with ORDER CONFIRMATION.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Now You've Done It, Meredith---We Want More! August 6, 2008
What an amazing book from a first-time author! From the very first page, I was completely hooked. Meredith Norton gives us a view of her battle with breast cancer that is witty and humorous, yet candid and unflinching (this is probably not a book I'd give to someone who has just been diagnosed--although I'd highly suggest it for those who have been in treatment for a while and know what to expect, and I'd definately suggest it for everyone else!)
The book is filled with entertaining details and digressions about Norton's childhood antics, as well as her life with her French husband, Thibault. I laughed out loud as she describes her experiences as an American with a limited French vocabulary struggling to raise a son in Paris. (Her conclusion: if you have the vocabulary of a French six year-old, you are treated like a six year-old.) She describes meeting with a French nursery school administrator, who tells her what she must do in order to assure that her son, Lucas, gets enrolled:
"If you really, truly want little Loo-KAH to learn with our school," she said, "you must call me every day and remind me who you are. Say, 'This is the black American with the garish, orange jacket. My son is still interested.'"
She ponders the fact that her diagnosis--the worst, most important news of her life--was given to her (and her reaction was witnessed by) two doctors who were complete strangers.
"Bad news should be delivered privately. You should sit in a soundproof room with a mirror and a box of tissues. When you're ready, a piece of paper slips through the door. You turn it over and read: 'Sterile' or 'Nobody likes you' or 'Herpes Simplex II.' When you are ready, you emerge and fall into the embraces (maybe reluctant, depending on your diagnosis) of strangers."
Norton's cancer battle isn't a shining superhuman Lance Armstrong tale of courageous strength. Her tale doesn't give cancer patients a figure on a pedestal that they can strive to live up to; she shows that despite the struggles and the odds, it is possible just to live. She is an everyday woman and mother (with a wonderfully skewed sense of humor) who is doing the best she can. She actually describes her frustration at reading one of Armstrong's books:
"Every day of my chemo that I ate a Krispy Kreme doughnut or took a nap instead of doing yoga I cursed Lance Armstrong and his toned abs, tiny butt, and three kinds of cancer. [...] Give me some fat slob on welfare who never graduated from junior high and can't ride around the block without choking on his cigarette, and yet manages to pull himself together, go macrobiotic, and beat cancer, and I will show you one inspired Meredith Norton."
Norton has said that it was her battle with cancer (and the constant insistence of family members) that pushed her into finally writing a book. It is unfortunate that such a horrific experience was the catalyst for this book, but fortunate that her talent has been revealed. Norton possesses an insanely hilarious wit and amazing way with words. I truly hope she writes more!
Well-written, funny, and touching July 30, 2008
Not only was this book an enjoyable, smooth read, but it was hilarious. Norton has a way of bringing together seemingly disparate stories/experiences without ever sounding trite; in fact, many times her conclusions are powerful. Her vulnerability through a harrowing experience makes her easy to relate to and sympathetic, and she never asks for or tolerates pity.
It's an engaging story, whether you're a survivor, a patient, a loved one of either, or someone who simply likes to read good books!!
 High expectations for 'Lopsided' - meager satisfaction July 28, 2008
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
I picked up Meredith Norton's 'Lopsided' expecting more humor, more quick wit and a more enlightening world view on the whole 'zen' of cancer.
What I got was a disjointed read, written in a jerky, schizoid style that was much more about the inanities of Ms.Norton's life and family quirks than it was about her illness and recovery. A better choice for those interested in the genre is Gerilyn Lucas' 'Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy', which will make you laugh and cry and laugh more.
Bring It On! July 25, 2008
Lopsided is not about cancer or medicine. It's not politically correct or sugar coated. It's about the reactions of one amazing woman to a major speed bump of life. And it's not a downer. Without this kick a brilliant first-time author might never have written, and isn't that short hair cute! My only complaint is I finished two hours into a twelve hour flight. What comes next? When?
A Celebration of Life July 24, 2008
I loved this book. I haven't read many cancer memoirs, but this one is certainly a breath of fresh air. Hilarious, joyful, touching, and occasionally irreverent: anyone can read it. You'll be entertained and you'll also come away with an understanding of what it might be like to have breast cancer.
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