| Title | : | Notebook |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | Published March 1, 2021 |
Notebook Reviews
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Sometimes the most mundane of objects can be the most precious. Tom Cox found this out one day when his rucksack was stolen in a pub in Bristol. It was one of several that were left alongside the dancefloor and was probably the scruffiest and grubbiest of all of them there. Inside were £46 his debit card, a novel, car keys, phone and charger and a black Moleskine notebook. He had a fraught 24 hours sorting things out, getting back home for the spare car keys and having to rely on the generosity of friends.
The memory of the things that were taken have long since faded, but the thing that he misses the most, even now, was the notebook. In there were his most random and intimate thoughts about anything and everything that he considered worthy of committing to paper. Not only has he got a gap in all the notebooks that he has ever had, it felt like amnesia that he could never recover.
A solid cooking rule to follow is to remember that when recipes say ‘add two cloves of garlic’, it’s always a misprint and what they actually mean is six.
Whilst there wasn’t notes for a specific book in its pages, there were notes that might appear in some form or other in something that he was yet to write. He would often discover these musings as he flicked back and forwards through his notebooks and be able to expand on them for the book he was currently writing. A lot of the stuff he scribbles down though is not really for publication, but some of it is and this is what appears in these pages.
‘Weird’ very rarely means ‘weird’. A lot of the time it’s just a word that boring people use to describe people with an imagination.
Having a glimpse inside someone’s mind can be a thing of terror! Thankfully in the case of Tom Cox, the musings repeated in here are as random as they are wide-ranging. There is gentle humour and profound insight into that particular day’s observation. One moment you are reading about what he is going to do with the 3000 courgettes that he has bought back from his parents home, the next about haircuts. There are snippets on books, words, spiders, mugs, cats, February and maps. There is of course his dad in the note, as loud as ever, and his mum had created the art that prefaces the beginning of each chapter.
Drunk people rarely make good romantic choices. The problem is where the drinking takes place. Bookshops, that’s where people should drink.
Like Cox, I have a thing for notebooks too. I do have nine others that I have bought and not yet used. I am currently using a Star Wars Moleskine. Along with notebooks, I do have a thing for decent pens and pencils and I normally use a uni-ball eye micro and have a drawer full of Staedtler pencils. I must admit that I am a big fan of Tom Cox too, in particular his books on natural history and landscape that take a very different perspective on writing about the outdoors compared to other authors. This book is very different from those, but in lots of ways, it is the same. His unconventional way of looking at life is evident through those snippets they have selected for inclusion in here and it is a joy to read. -
Yet another charming piece of work by this criminally underappreciated author. Tom Cox is one of the most talented writers of the 2000s, and I stubbornly refuse to entertain any arguments to the contrary.
I’ll leave you with this brilliant excerpt:
“Short-term memory and long-term memory are so different in their motives. Short-term memory latches onto one negative in a sea of positive and torments you with it. Long-term memory is a snob, a perfectionist, turning so-so summers into an intoxicating psychedelic montage. Even when you properly learn this, and try to account for it, it’s still a snob.” -
Tom Cox’s writing doesn’t sit easily in one category.
He writes about the mundane and the odd with thoughtful, amused interest. It is enjoyable to experience the thoughts of a writer who notices idiosyncrasies and writes eloquently about them.
If you like nature, observational human interest, ghosts and animals, to name a few themes, you will find plenty to like in ‘Notebook’. A lovely read. -
Anyone else have a massive yearning to BE Tom Cox?
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Notebook is a glimpse into the fractal mindset of author Tom Cox. It is a non linear collection of out of the box thoughts and observations. Always intriguing, frequently delightful, and completely self indulgent, Tom Cox's affinity for the natural world takes the reader for a creative excursion inside and outside the world around him. Some examples:
"A huge spider just crawled up my sleeve. I was amazed to find it
was Carl, my guest bedroom spider, who is usually very
emotionally distant."
"Modern cars get panicky about running out of petrol far too quickly.
I miss the old tough-love attitude to petrol from cars: ‘Oops. All
gone. So what are you planning to do now?’ "
"The best way to find a church in Norwich is generally to walk seven
or eight yards from the church you’re already standing next to."
"Dogs are often lovely but I don’t trust their opinions. If a cat
recommended me an album it had bought, I’d totally check it out.
If a dog did the same, I’d promise to listen to the album, out of
politeness, but with no intention of actually doing so."
And in the immortal words of the great Kurt Vonnegut, and so it goes.
Warning: If you're offended by profanity, if you think Harry Potter is the work of the devil, or if you think Donald trump is the savior of the world, this book is not for you.
I've been reading and following Tom Cox since his fabulous cat inspired book "Under the Paw" (2008) and I find it commendable that he writes for the sheer pleasure of it, and is supported by those of us who want to see him keep at it. Consider joining in! -
I have read this book and I feel that I will dip into it again in the future. It was great to be in Tom's company for the duration of the book and sad to have to part ways when it was finished. I feel different people will like different things in it, that is its charm: that it is full of variety. There are bits that made me laugh out loud, parts that made me sad, sections that were thought-provoking, as well as some things I couldn't relate to or agree with. That is what hanging out with someone is like. A pleasure. Great for escaping from the confinement of Covid times.
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Short and enjoyable. I've tried a number of times to start diaries and have always forgotten about them and/or cringed at re-reading them.
The excerpts in Notebook are sometimes serious and thoughtful and other times random, funny or full of the general day-to-day (or a blend of them all).
Some entries were similar to the kind of random thoughts my brain comes up with which made me smile, and it made me want to have another go at starting a diary again. -
Just finished the excellent NOTEBOOK by Tom Cox — a collection of witty, fascinating, reflective, and poignant bits from various notebooks. Bon mots, one might say.
After reading this, I really feel that I should improve my notebook game. I only write handwritten notes on holiday, or if I go on a course. I often write in the Notes app on my phone. -
Came across this book completely by chance and loved it. Such a laugh, I particularly loved the story about the scarecrow but they were all so silly and fun. This book also has the best illustrations throughout, all drawn by the author’s mum and dad.
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A lovely peaceful read, with things to laugh at, things to remember from years ago, and beautiful gentle descriptions of people and places. Full of anecdotes, some barely two sentences long, but all worth reading.
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The first Tom Cox book I have read. Picked it up by chance at the library but have since bought others. An absolute delight to read. Funny, whimsical and thoughtful.
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On top form here, Tom Cox is at the height of his whimsy, organising random thoughts by vague theme, rather than chronological or any other logical format.
It reads like a wonderful train of thought, leaping from idea to idea like a distracted cat.
In a good way.
Punctuated with art from his parents it feels like you're part of a club, a little bit of somebody else's life glimpsed in a fuzzy way. -
Perfect bedtime lecture. I kinda wish Cox would publish nothing else but rural musings such as these, as I am a selfish reader.
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Very enjoyable and funny, easily digestible
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Brilliant! Full review to follow.
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Not only has the plot been lost, but there never was one in the first place. Readers must accept this premise in order to fully appreciate Notebook by Tom Cox. If you find the following quotation as funny as I do, you are on Cox’s whimsical, rambling wavelength.
‘Overheard train chat between two hard-looking youths:
Youth One: ‘I got déjà vu, man. I saw this dog and felt like I’d seen it before.’
Youth Two: ‘That’s not déjà vu. You just saw a dog twice.’
The story behind Notebook starts with a minor crime: the theft of Tom Cox's rucksack from a Bristol pub in 2018. In that rucksack was a journal containing ten months worth of notes….This incident made Tom appreciate how much notebook-keeping means to him….Here, Tom has assembled his favourite stories, fragments, moments and ideas from those notebooks….The result is a book redolent of the real stuff of life, shot through with Cox’s trademark warmth and wit.
Notebook was created because Cox realised how much he values his jottings and wishes to share them. Longer pieces have titles like ‘The Trouble With Sheds’ and ‘Trout Without Emotion’, and shorter notes are loosely grouped under nominal headings. The author spends a lot of time wandering around rural areas of the UK, often accompanied by a girlfriend. I found the lack of continuity in this girlfriend’s name bewildering, until I remembered that Cox extracted the extracts from twelve years’ worth of notebooks, with a fine disregard for chronological order.
In his more philosophical moments, Cox writes perceptively about how challenging and confusing modern life can be. Also, in addition to its plethora of absurd humour, there are many gems of useful information in Notebook. For example, before reading Notebook I thought I knew Norwich well, but Cox writes about nooks and corners which I look forward to exploring.
It is endearing that some of the most entertaining sections of Notebook celebrate Cox’s correspondence with his parents. In particular, he gleefully records his father’s eccentricities, which are often relayed in text format and without any explanation. This is done with great affection. The two men seem to share the same sense of humour and take delight in teasing each other. I loved the description of Cox’s father’s reaction to seeing his own diving skills recorded on video.
I recommend Notebook for dipping into, when in search of distraction and a good laugh. -
Do you have those authors that you go back to time and time again? The ones who you don’t have to think twice about buying their latest offering. Of course you do. I myself have a handful and Tom Cox is one of those. He is a writer who is true to his craft and rather good at it too. His writing is humorous and he has this wonderful knack of capturing the extraordinary within the ordinary. I’ve enjoyed his previous work greatly (although have to admit I haven’t yet read The Good, the Bad and the Furry) and so I didn’t hesitate to sign up to support this, his latest offering, Notebook.
They say that every cloud has a silver lining and this book came about from a petty thief stealing Tom’s rucksack from a pub back in 2018. The notebook inside was far more valuable than the car keys, cash and mobile phone also within. He felt it’s loss, but from that loss came this rather wonderful, enchanting and funny collection of anecdotes that he has taken from his surviving notebooks. It is an insight into the writer and shows us just how passionate he is of his writing, nature, the countryside, and well, life in general. It’s such a wonderful book to dip into when life is getting on your nerves. Perfect to pick up and read from cover to cover or simply let the book fall open at any page and see what delights he has to share with us there.
As ever he talks wonderfully and hilariously about animals (a run in with a cow named Geoff being one of my favourites), inserts short but punchy outbursts from his dad, along with some slightly calmer yet still surreal insights from his mum…and so much more. Tom has a rather unique way of looking at life and captures it on the page beautifully. I believe he is wonderfully eccentric, and I am so pleased that he follows his heart and publishes his work the way he wants to – the world is so much better for it. It’s a stunning little book, a pure delight to hold in the hand, beautifully designed with wonderful illustrations running through it. A lovely book to own. A lovely book to keep…and one I thoroughly recommend. -
This is my first Tom Cox book but I've been following him on various social media sites for a long time and I had a feeling I would enjoy Notebook because I enjoy his musings on so many things from nature to flared trousers and everything in between. I wasn't wrong. Notebook is an absolute pleasure from start to finish. It has a really calming feel to it and it flows perfectly despite it consisting of seemingly random snippets placed together (although they are curated into chapters of similar material).
It's a thin volume so it didn't take very long to read, but it's chock-full of delightful anecdotes, all taken from notebooks filled by Cox. You could read it slowly, taking it one or two notes at a time, or you could read it in a couple of greedy gulps as I did. I loved the author's writing style, with a fabulous and eclectic selection of intelligent thoughts and observations, and humorous vignettes. He writes beautifully and with care about his surroundings, the landscape and the animals in and around it, and then swiftly side-steps into an exchange with his father which, without fail, always made me laugh.
To further enthral the reader, the book contains striking illustrations from both of his parents for the first time which makes this into quite the family affair. Notebook is a gorgeous little read. If I could write as eloquently as Tom Cox then I'd be scribbling away all the time but alas the best I can manage is a shopping list. Thankfully, there are collections like this that provide thoughtful and poetic food for the mind. Notebook ought to be available on prescription. -
The stationery addict in me knew this book would speak to me!! And it did! And often in a different way to what I imagined!
What is it about a notebook that gets us so excited?! A stationery shop or website always puts a smile on my face, and even if I have a drawer full of unused notebooks - like I do! - then I still need to add another one or two to the collection for future scribblings! The terror that strikes me though when I'm just about to start writing in a new notebook..... I'll mess it up!!
And in this book, Tom Cox looks back at his most random notes that he's jotted down in previous notebooks! And it's the total haphazard feel to it all that I loved the most! The way things pop in your mind and you have to note them down, and then you look back at them at a later date and wonder just why that thought had meant so much at the time! The observations are so witty and humorous - notes on the state of the world, day to day events, even Carl the spider gets a mention and add to the mix the hilarious comments from his parents - it just makes for a wonderful light hearted read that distracts you from the world!
One of the most memorable scribblings I remembered from this book was;
Can't. Stop. Buying. Books. I. Will. Almost. Certainly. Never. Get. Time. To. Read. Please. Send. Help.
I'm sure I have probably written the same in one of my old notebooks!!! And it's this relatability that made this book so special for me! Brilliantly put together! -
The story begins with the authors rucksack and notebook being stolen. This experience prompts a collection of his favourite stories, observations and memories from some of his previous notebooks.
Many of the observations, random thoughts and memories of growing up are so relatable. I found myself chuckling throughout the book. Notebook has plenty of interesting facts from the areas the author grew up and where he now lives. My partner grew up not far from Norwich so we both enjoyed reading the references in and around Suffolk and Norfolk.
Throughout the book the author shares news and comments noted from his parents. These were quite amusing and often quite bonkers. Why have I never thought to capture some of the crazy things parents say. Quite brilliant.
A refreshingly different read. Would highly recommend. -
Short and sweet, and full of snippets or musing and oblique observations!
Ostensibly these are almost throw-away lines or thoughts of the moment, put aside and gathered up over time, to be ransacked as source material for Cox's longer works.
I'm glad they got an airing here, in their own right, fresh still with the inspiration that drive Cox to scribble them down for the first time!
I did laugh in several places (I almost never laugh when reading, strange fact, but I did here). And once or twice felt that shock of recognition when someone puts something into words and you recognise that it mirrors your own thoughts.
A very short book, but it packs a lot in.
Oh, and the illustrations definitely add to the reading experience! -
Like a refreshing flask of water filled up from my favourite mountain spring in Krkonoše... (Oh man, this pandemic has been rough for us big city dwellers.)
Notebook is a quick read full of laughs, truths ("Ah. Another bit of me that hurts. Oh well.") and musings. Oh! and the lovely illustrations by the parents Cox!
It's familiar in the best possible way. (That is, if you are a follower of Tom's blog; if you're completely unfamiliar with any part of his work I guess this book is gonna be downright exotic for you.)
I'm glad Notebook exists, that I could help make it happen in a teeny tiny way and that I picked it up just as the nature is waking up from a long, deep slumber. -
This is what it says on the tin. Cox has collated and edited lots of loosely tied together threads from various notebooks he has kept over the years. Gems that are not big enough or ready to be turned into books but which it would be a shame to use. It's a way of dipping in and out of his thought processes, sharing his passions, interests and outlook and just generally inhabiting his world. I pledged for this book with Unbound, as I have with all Cox's work there and as I will continue to do for as long as he picks up a pen. His work gives me great and gentle joy and the world is a better place with him, his mum and dad and his cats in it.
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I loved this book. It made me think, it made me laugh and it took me out of myself into the wonderfully expressed world of Tom Cox.
I feel like I have been drinking with Surreal Steve, walked around Norwich in the early morning with Tom and admired his Dad's diving into the swimming pool. It's warm hearted and even when the diary entries are less cheerful they are still good to read.
As a resident of the South West who also lived in Norwich for a year I found this book particularly appealing, because I recognised the places I have been fond of too, but Tom's view of the world is his own and I recommend this to everyone. -
[3.5 stars]
another lovely little book from Tom Cox, consisting of fragments from his notebooks over the years (one entry consists of a single word: “Wasps.”) i’d read about 40% of this book before, in fragments, on his Twitter (which is excellent) and in long form posts on his website (which is even excellenter), but tbh i have so much built up goodwill for Cox’s writing that i couldn’t fail to enjoy this book. if you pick this up and haven’t read Ring the Hill or 21st Century Yokel, then fix that immediately. -
From the first sentence I was hooked. Reading Notebook was like having a conversation with a good friend, the sort of warm and witty friend who instantly makes you feel relaxed and comfortable and you can just chat with, sometimes about nothing in particular, rambling from one thought to another, sharing and laughing about all the things that have happened since you last met and reminiscing about the past. Tom draws you in to his wonderful life and makes you feel like you are there with him. The only downside is that I now feel like Tom’s stalker! A real tonic, highly recommended!
