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S Bavey
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Daydreams & Narcoleptic Nightmares: Memoirs and Poems by John Cornelius Rogers Kindle Edition

by S Bavey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
See all formats and editions
Imaginary snakes, Ouija board experiments, World War II and Nursing Home Sex Scandals
John Cornelius Rogers, a narcoleptic war veteran, experienced emotions so strong they made him collapse. You would, too, if you discovered sex scandals in nursing homes, saw snakes come out of the wall while you were eating dinner, and uncovered a murder using a makeshift ouija board. Join John in the journey through his prose and poetry, silly and sad...

15% of the profits from sales of this book will be donated to the charity Narcolepsy UK.

"An often funny, witty and sometimes poignant series of anecdotes and poems that capture the everyday life of one John Cornelius Rogers. I love reading about events that both reverberate worldwide when we read about John Rogers' training during World War Two, to the microcosm of family life." – Fantasy Book Nerd

"Daydreams and Nightmares offers a wonderful first person account of a fascinating time in history, told through wild, varied vignettes, and evocative poetry." – K. R. R. Lockhaven

"So enjoyed it including the poetry. A 5* from me." – Judith Benson

"Rogers writes in a very engaging manner, witty, thoughtful and taut. I laughed out loud in several places, very keen eye for the absurd!" – Sally Beety
Previous page
  1. Print length
    186 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    September 18, 2022
  5. File size
    2801 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

I highly recommend this wonderful collection of poignant and entertaining reflections on a life well lived and on the social history of the 20th century.
- Sally Cronin, author and poet ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Often within regular history books, everything seems far removed. However, with this memoir there is a feeling of reality rather than it happening to 'someone else' and coupled with the fact that a lot of the experiences that are described within the pages resemble the experiences that I had whilst growing up. There was so much that I recognised through my own childhood.
- Fantasybooknerd, bookblogger ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book is a fascinating dive into an extremely interesting time, told through the eyes of a man who lived a rich, and often wild life. The book is made up of these wonderful vignettes that are so varied they're somewhat hard to explain in a review. From school days to the supernatural, and war stories to nursing home sex scandals, we get to have a first person view into what life then was really like. The author was also quite an evocative poet, and his poems are yet another window into his life and the times he lived in. The pages turned easily as I was eager to see what he would get into next!
- Kyle Lockhaven, author ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sue Bavey has done it again. After the memoirs of her grandfather, 'Lucky Jack,' she has turned to the writings of her father to present yet another fascinating glimpse into the everyday - but far from ordinary - life of an ordinary man. His life was shaped by his narcolepsy and cataplexy, and by the drugs he took to control his symptoms. But his illness gave him an outlook on life that captivates, and which was expressed in his writings - which his daughter presents here as a gift both to her family and to us. There's plenty to enjoy - I like his 'Memories of Scarborough' as an air cadet, where he's advised to only go out in town in pairs. Good advice even now, I'm telling you. But from the joys of pre-war football to a tour of Austria, there's a lot more that flows from the mind of this very singular man.
- Jules Brown, memoir author: 5 stars
I enjoyed the stories in here about post-war Europe, going on in to the 60s, 70s and 80s. Some of them are amusing and surprising. The poetry at the end added an additional layer of interest.
- Simon Michael Prior, memoir author: 5 stars

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BFTFJKPR
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ josephtailor (September 18, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 18, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2801 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 186 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

About the author

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S Bavey

S Bavey

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Sue Bavey (writing as S. Bavey) is an English Mum of two, living in Massachusetts since 2003 with her husband, kids, a cat named Midnight, a bunny named Nutmeg, a leopard gecko named Ziggy Stardust and occasional frogs and salamanders.

“Lucky Jack is my grandfather, Henry John Rogers’ biography. Grandad lived with us when I was born, until we moved when I was six years old. Then he came back to live with us in my teenage years and we were very close. He was my father’s father, but my Mum diligently collected the newspaper columns he dictated to a local reporter, and kept them in scrapbooks in her attic, where they gathered dust and yellowed over time. A few years ago I found all the scrapbooks and wanted to get all of those stories into a book for my kids to read. That was the germ of an idea which – thanks to my having time during Covid lockdown – has now resulted in the life story of my grandfather, Jack Rogers being written.

My second book, Daydreams and Narcoleptic Nightmares is a collection of my late father's memoirs and poetry. I collected these and chose the ones I wanted to present and in which order. Then I transcribed them, which was quite a task as my father wrote in pen or pencil on loose sheets of paper without any page numbers. He also had difficult to read handwriting so I hope my interpretations were correct!

The other books on my profile are anthologies which contain short stories written by me (and many other writers) and memoirs from my own life, including experiences moving from England to USA and other travel stories.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueBavey

Blog: https://suelbavey.wordpress.com/2021/11/23/time-for-some-self-promotion-lucky-jack-by-s-bavey

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
10 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sabina O.
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for history buffs
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2023
If, like me, you are a history buff and love reading about WWII and life in post-war Britain written from first-hand experience, this is a perfect book for you. John’s narrative is both a historical and a personal account of turbulent times. I was particularly moved by his poetry and his personal struggles with the illness. I think it’s a fantastic tribute from his daughter, who has expertly edited his writing and poetry into a cohesive story, and a wonderful gift to his grandchildren.
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Vmp
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting life stories
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
I’ve dipped in and out of this collection of memoirs over the past couple of months, which is one of the strengths of the book. Because each chapter is a standalone account, there is no problem with continuity. In fact it is a diverse and interesting selection of stories and observations from a man who battled narcolepsy and cataplexy throughout his life. However, his condition didn't prevent him from leading a full life and I particularly liked the chapters about the second world war, his experiences in teaching and about how he dealt with his narcolepsy medication. For poetry lovers, there are some well-penned poems at the end. This collection is also very well edited by his daughter, S Bavey. Recommended for readers who like anecdotal memoirs about times gone by.
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KYLE LOCKHAVEN
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Vignettes and Evocative Poetry
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2022
This book is a fascinating dive into an extremely interesting time, told through the eyes of a man who lived a rich, and often wild life. The book is made up of these wonderful vignettes that are so varied they're somewhat hard to explain in a review. From school days to the supernatural, and war stories to nursing home sex scandals, we get to have a first person view into what life then was really like. The author was also quite an evocative poet, and his poems are yet another window into his life and the times he lived in. The pages turned easily as I was eager to see what he would get into next!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
fabulouschrissie
4.0 out of 5 stars Tales and Poems
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022
After reading Ms Bavey's previous memoir about her grandfather's life, I was fascinated to find out about her father. This is an entertaining look into his life, which was shaped by his narcolepsy and the drugs he had to take to counteract it. I enjoyed the stories of WW2 and his reactions to the aftermath, and his experiences in teaching. Interspersed with poems and short stories, this is an entertaining read.
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Simon Michael Prior
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating book - part memoir, part poetry
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2022
I enjoyed the stories in here about post-war Europe, going on in to the 60s, 70s and 80s. Some of them are amusing and surprising. The poetry at the end added an additional layer of interest.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Jules Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars The life and writings of a very singular man
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
Sue Bavey has done it again. After the memoirs of her grandfather, 'Lucky Jack,' she has turned to the writings of her father to present yet another fascinating glimpse into the everyday – but far from ordinary – life of an ordinary man. His life was shaped by his narcolepsy and cataplexy, and by the drugs he took to control his symptoms. But his illness gave him an outlook on life that captivates, and which was expressed in his writings – which his daughter presents here as a gift both to her family and to us. There's plenty to enjoy – I like his 'Memories of Scarborough' as an air cadet, where he's advised to only go out in town in pairs. Good advice even now, I'm telling you. But from the joys of pre-war football to a tour of Austria, there's a lot more that flows from the mind of this very singular man.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Georgia Rose
4.0 out of 5 stars A prose and poetry memoir
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
The growing industry of independent publishing and the opportunities now available to those who want to get their words out into the world may have some issues in certain areas with regard to quality, but it has also made it possible for families to put together precious keepsakes in the form of the memoirs of loved ones. Daydreams and Narcoleptic Nightmares is one such book.

In this case S Bavey has taken on the task of producing a collection of her late father’s memoirs, prose and poetry and covers the fact that her father, John Cornelius Rogers, suffered from narcolepsy and cataplexy as well as the side effects from the drugs taken for those conditions.

I enjoyed reading this book and liked the way John Rogers wrote, a dry sense of humour throughout. Part I covers his early years and school days along with his life through his RAF days and on into employment and married life. Holidays and hobbies are also covered plus miscellaneous items including a chapter on narcolepsy and cataplexy. Part II contains a collection of poetry. I think my favourite parts were the tales about his life as he grew up.

There are some lovely photos in this book, and it’s been put together really well so I think anyone who enjoys memoir would get a lot from reading this one.
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