Me, Myself and Them - by Dan Mooney (Paperback)

About the Book

"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."--Amazon.

Book Synopsis

A fresh, funny and poignant story about human connection and the power of friendship.

For Denis Murphy, life is fine. He carefully avoids physical human contact and social situations, and sticks to a strict daily routine. It's his way of coping with the tragedy that changed his life seven years ago. Really, his only problem is the four monsters he has for roommates, a ragtag bunch determined to create chaos in his otherwise orderly world. Then Rebecca, Denis's enigmatic ex-girlfriend from his former life, returns to town. Shocked to meet the new Denis, she becomes fixated on bringing back the funny, charismatic man she once loved. But as she helps Denis rediscover the person he used to be, he is 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.

Review Quotes

"Me, Myself and Them is a remarkable debut by a blindingly talented new writer. Dan Mooney tackles tough questions about mental illness and our need for connection with more compassion, deft, and originality than most writers who've been in this game for far longer than he has. This is a book we'll be talking about for a while." --Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding

"Fresh and fast-paced, Dan Mooney's debut veers into darkness, but somehow never loses sight of lightness and hope. A charming novel on surviving loss and moving on with the help of our friends." --Annie Hartnett, author of Rabbit Cake

"This is a vibrant story of a deeply troubled man navigating his self-imposed exile with wry humor and flashes of insight. Mooney's debut admirably portrays mental-health issues, and fans of Sara Baume and Mark Haddon will enjoy reading about Denis' struggles and triumphs." --Booklist

"One part The Rosie Project, one part personal Heart Of Darkness, one part Stephen King -- I've never read anything quite like it...There are many novels around in recent years with characters struggling with their mental health but none that I've read are as original as this. Me, Myself And Themincredibly manages to be funny, moving and terrifying all at once.... I started thinking it was a story of the absurd but welled up by the time I got to the end. Dan Mooney has something quite unique here in a story of one man's journey through (literally) his own imprisoning demons of mental health." --Rick O'Shea