ALMOST NORMAL - CRISIS, FREEDOM, NEW BEGINNINGS
16 true autobiographical stories from my own life
Direct, honest, unexpectedly funny – and at times unsettling.
These sixteen personal stories explore crisis, freedom, turning points and new beginnings. They are about decisions that change everything, moments when laughter appears in the middle of difficulty, and situations so absurd that only real life could have created them.
Sometimes funny.
Sometimes harsh.
Sometimes absurd.
Sometimes unsettling.
These standalone stories move through childhood, boarding school, relationships, travel, work and prison. They tell of collapse, reinvention, resilience and survival – without self-pity, excuses or sentimentality.
This is a book about mistakes, second chances, strange twists of fate and the unexpected directions a life can take. It is about pressure, loss, humour, fear, courage and the quiet strength needed to begin again.
What to expect in ALMOST NORMAL
✔ 16 complete autobiographical stories
✔ crisis, freedom, turning points and real decisions
✔ tension drawn from true events
✔ dry wit and dark humour
✔ honest insight into an unusual life
✔ stories of travel, relationships, prison and fresh starts
✔ resilience, reinvention and survival
✔ moments that entertain – and stay with you
Some stories end suddenly.
Others linger long afterwards.
Some are uncomfortable.
And some are surprisingly funny.
Themes explored in this book
✔ personal growth through hardship
✔ life after crisis
✔ identity, change and resilience
✔ real consequences of risky choices
✔ unusual life experiences
✔ emotional honesty without self-pity
✔ finding humour in dark moments
✔ starting over when life goes wrong
Who this book is for
✔ readers looking for true stories with depth
✔ people who prefer real experience to invented drama
✔ anyone who enjoys dark humour and quiet tension
✔ readers interested in memoir, autobiography and personal journeys
✔ those fascinated by unusual life paths and second chances
✔ readers who know that “normal” often depends on where you stand
Who this book is not for
✖ readers expecting a neat chronological life story
✖ people looking for simple messages or easy answers
✖ anyone wanting only entertainment or only depth – but not both
✖ readers who need heroes without flaws
ALMOST NORMAL is not a conventional novel.
It is a direct look at a real life – raw, honest and unfiltered.
These stories show that tension does not need to be invented.
That humour can survive difficult times.
That failure does not have to be the end.
And that new beginnings often start where you least expect them.
If you enjoy memoirs, true personal stories, autobiographical writing, dark humour, stories of resilience, and lives that refuse to follow the usual script, ALMOST NORMAL will stay with you.
16 autobiographical stories.
Direct. Honest. Unusual.
With dry humour, dark wit and moments that stay with you.
Bernhard Christoph Lichtinger writes books drawn from lived experience, from setbacks, detours, new beginnings and encounters that never needed to be invented. His stories begin where real life leaves its mark.
If you are interested in my novels, you can find the links to the titles here.
ALMOST NORMAL – 16 SHORT STORIES
NOTHING REMAINS AS IT IS – VOLUME 2