This brilliant collection of short fiction explores the shifting spaces of desire, loss and longing. Inverting and queering the gothic and romantic traditions, each story represents a different take on the concept of a haunting or the haunted. Though it ranges across themes and locations – from small-town Australia to Hokkaido to rural England – Permafrost is united by the power of the narratorial voice, with its auto-fictional resonances, dark wit and swagger.
Whether recounting the confusion of a child trying to decipher their father and stepmother’s new relationship, the surrealness of an after-hours tour of Auschwitz, or a journey to wintry Japan to reconnect with a former lover, Permafrost unsettles, transports and impresses in equal measure.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
Permafrost was such a great read! I love the aspects of the different stories. I personalised loved the short story “Unspeakable”. The words of this story reached out and grabbed me and pulled me in. I didn’t want to leave the pages, I didn’t want it to end. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed Permafrost and do highly recommend it to anyone. Zhyesha, WA, 5 Stars
I have a soft spot for short stories so couldn’t wait to start Permafrost, which didn’t disappoint! The occasional references to Indigenous (Australian) issues really struck a chord, and I love seeing more “Mob” writers out there (opening the eyes of the world as well as non-Indigenous Aussies). I’m still thinking about some of the stories, and am anxious to experience more of the same. Obviously it’s not all Mob-centric, but personally I really appreciated the references (within the context of the relevant stories) and hopefully they will be teaching moments, especially for our non-Indigenous fellow Aussies. Great yarnin’ Sis! Ayesha, NSW, 5 Stars
I absolutely loved SJ Norman’s Permafrost. A collection of 7 short stories, each tale so different – plot, scenery, character. Norman’s unique storytelling gift left me immensely satisfied after each story. Collections such as these are seldom found, and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to read these. I will keep an eye out for when they do another work of fiction, hopefully of more short stories. Thank you Better Reading and UQP for this copy in return for my honest review. And…..Thank you SJ Norman for this wonderful collection of stories. Caroline, QLD, 5 Stars
A compelling collection of short stories which keep you guessing until the end, each one is as interesting as the last, and readers are left not really knowing which way a story could go. Jessica, NSW, 5 Stars
Permafrost seriously gave me a haunting. The prose has been written so cleverly and I feel a kindred spirit is haunting me as I read each of the short stories. The last story Playback was my favourite and I got a feeling this one mattered to SJ Norman in some way… but they were all written in such a way that it astonished me. I have been suffering from anxiety and stress and find that I am intrigued by the themes of the book and it does help me to process my feelings and become aware of my sensitivities. Thanks for a great and different book preview from an Australian author in SJ Norman. Preeya, QLD, 5 Stars
Permafrost is a completely unexpected pleasure. It’s a sublime collection of stories that traverse the unheimlich, which lurks in the shadowy corners of the mind. Recollection and memory are thinly sliced, and adeptly diced as calculated cold cuts of life. Reflections emerge darker than what was originally recalled. The healed wounds remembered are now rediscovered as scars… but still bleeding. The injuries at the time were delivered so cleanly you just didn’t realise how deep they were and the soft warm nostalgic imagery is brought back abruptly into cold hard focus. I found myself putting the book down between stories and doing something else. Nothing too demanding, so I could still ponder about what I’d just read. I wanted to draw out the experience and not gorge it all in one sitting. Even thinking the book could get thicker and the contents page longer whilst out of sight. Here’s to hoping there is more to come, very soon. Hard to believe it’s the author’s debut. H.R., NSW, 5 Stars
Although I am ‘new’ to the short fiction genre, these stories moved me. I felt so many things: desirous, disillusioned, haunted, unsettled, discouraged, disoriented, claustrophobic. I felt like the author was pushing me to seek something in these stories, although I wasn’t always sure what it was I was supposed to be seeking. I loved that. As with most short fiction, we are bound to feel more for certain stories and for me, in this collection, I was drawn into ‘Whitehart’. This was an eerie read, the forest, the fog, the strange ‘man’. Its observational, confronting and to be honest, perverse, but that’s what I liked. It doesn’t feel like the author was afraid to write something that was macabre. The author’s writing conveys and conjures, it evoked visceral responses from me and the fact that the writing is macabre, graphic, vivid and intense I found it hard to put the collection down once I started. I feel as though I am still ‘haunted’ by some of these stories. I’m still questioning. I’m still seeking a resolution. Exquisite. Aotea, QLD, 4 Stars
This collection of short stories is powerful with its main theme on the haunted or hauntings in various guises. The writing is clear full of imagery and quite unsettling. “Unspeakable” was about a tour of a concentration camp and it was so atmospheric that it literally spooked me enough that I was concerned about the ending. Readers will find that these stories will linger on in your psyche and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark mysteries and strange twists. Masterful writing. Rosanna, VIC, 4 Stars
An interesting read. The characters and themes of each story is relatable, interesting and at times quite moving. A must read as this book takes you on journeys that are although, familiar yet presented in quite a unique manner. Melinda, VIC, 4 Stars
Permafrost is an interesting selection of seven short stories set all around the world and involving different themes. My favourite was Secondhand about a used book store and the characters that frequent it. Unspeakable, set in present day Auschwitz was chilling and frightening. There are some dark themes to the stories and a graphically described sex act that mean Permafrost is only suitable for a mature reader. Julie, NSW, 4 Stars
Permafrost by SJ Norman is a collection of short stories revolving around a theme of searching for something allusive, something just out of reach. Is it belonging, love, finding oneself, or life purpose? Each story line has a dark undertow flowing through, supercharged with lust and a sense of sadness. Permafrost; hauntingly seven themes in seven stories, set across different countries each looking for answers. It is for the reader to decipher what are the possible outcomes of each scenario, as you will reflect on each story. A wonderfully written collection of short stories that follow a theme of loss yet chillingly raw life encounters. Well done SJ Norman. Larelle, QLD, 4 Stars
I love reading short stories. I think that sometimes the concise format of a short story packs more than the longer stories. Permafrost is a collection of 7 short stories. Each story takes the reader to a different part of the world – Australia, Japan, and even a Nazi concentration camp. The author has given such atmospheric descriptions to the surroundings and the characters. The details make you feel like you are actually at that place and watching it happen. However, I also think the themes of the stories are a bit dark and may not be for every reader. My favourite story from the collection is ‘Secondhand’. If you enjoy short stories, I would definitely recommend this one, and while you are reading it, take your time, read it slowly and savour each story! Divya, NSW, 4 Stars
If you love descriptive short stories with quirky endings then Permafrost by SJ Norman is the book for you! Rhonda, QLD, 4 Stars
Permafrost is likely to arouse strong feelings: some will immediately loathe it, while others will love it. Each story is deliberately ambiguous; there is no clear resolution. Some are so ambiguous that it’s unclear whether the narrator is male or female. I read each as female, as the voice in each seemed similar. Thus I also read them as glimpses of the one person’s life. This is why some will hate this collection – so little is concrete. Not the narrators, not events, not the endings. This will drive some readers mad. Others will find this ambiguity thought provoking. There’s a lot that can be understood in different ways. The language is spare but evocative, evoking places and characters that are sharply drawn and often memorable. I enjoyed the language and the requirement to think. However, for an entire collection, I found it a little overwhelming. I would have liked at least one story that was less ambiguous, to add some variety. I appreciated this, and can see a lot of strengths in it. For me it was more an intellectual experience than an enjoyable one, but an interesting one. Lorraine, ACT, 4 Stars
As with any collection of short stories, some resonate with you more than others. In Permafrost I found I enjoyed some stories more than others, but all of them were absorbing and many were disturbing, some I know will be with me for a while. SJ Norman’s writing effortlessly transports you to the different settings, though they vary widely, from hotel rooms to concentration camps. Even within the confines of a short story, the writing puts you completely there alongside the characters. If you read them quickly, one after another, it makes for a disorientating, but also an exhilarating journey. It’s a great trip, but expect some culture-shock. Em, NSW, 4 Stars
Made up of seven short stories Permafrost will have you thinking. I found that each story left me with so many questions. You are left to work out for yourself where each story might go and how it might end. I found this to be an interesting concept. One of the stories does have a quite graphic sex scene and some of the others have strong language that some might not be happy with so consider yourself warned. Each story is set in a very different location. You are taken from Australia, Japan, England and into one of the Nazi death camps. This is an easy book to read and a great one to carry with you if you have short time frames available to read such as lunch breaks at work or while travelling on the bus or train to work. Annamaree, QLD, 4 Stars
Intriguing stories that span the globe with Gothic and romantic themes. SJ Norman’s Permafrost takes the reader on astonishing adventures of the everyday. Haunting tales rooted in tradition and human nature often taking the reader well out of their comfort zone. Peter, NSW, 3 Stars
This is a collection of 7 short stories, each set in different environments, landscapes and circumstances, but each narrated by their own somewhat troubled character, who is searching for meaning, acceptance, belonging or their own place in the world. The writing is very abstract in style and has very vivid, at times graphic and somewhat dark imagery that immerses the reader in the story. The style of writing leaves much of the content and meaning to the reader’s interpretation. I enjoyed the short story format and in particular enjoyed Stepmother and Secondhand. Bree, NSW, 3 Stars
Permafrost is a collection of stories that explore a whole spectrum of experiences from familiar to surreal, memories of times past and anxious thoughts of the future which are sometimes unsettling but so compelling that the reader goes on a fascinating journey with the narrator. SJ Norman is a very talented writer who makes each of these stories feel so intimately personal and visceral, stirring up many emotions with each theme. Whether it’s a prepubescent girl on a trip to Canberra with her father and stepmother or an after hours tour of Auschwitz, haunted places and displaced people searching for something lost or an uncertain future, each story in this collection is unique and leaves one thinking about them all long after the final words have been read. Sarah, NSW, 3 Stars
Not a book I would usually pick up, but it was literary surprised. The stories felt alive and real each one with its own atmosphere. Some left you thinking long after finishing, making you want more but also making you conclude your own answer. Dark but with beautiful words. Andreea, ACT, 3 Stars
Unfortunately, Permafrost was not the book for me. I found it very difficult to get into and struggled to find anything relatable or likeable about the characters. I am sure some people will find this read to be compelling and the stories interesting. Emma, NSW, 2 Stars
Acknowledgment of Cultural Fund support
Better Reading acknowledges the support provided by Copyright Agency for us to promote The River Mouth.
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