One man. Two lives. No clean escape.
A wry, haunting, mental and physical descent into a fractured heart, soul, and mind.
In a unique tête‑bêche (head-to-tail: tail to head) format, The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream serves as more than just a novel; it introduces a radical reader experience: you do not simply read this book; you listen to it; you wrestle with it; you embrace it; you navigate it - physically turning the pages and then the entire volume to uncover the mirrored halves of a single, devastating truth.
One book. Two stories. One person. Two beginnings. One twist (literally, in the middle). Two endings.
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One book. Two stories. One person. Two beginnings. One twist (literally, in the middle). Two endings. 〰️
Part I: The Lost Soldier
Narrated by renowned psychiatrist Dr Elizabeth Heapy, FRCPsych, this dispassionate account tracks Stephen’s clinical descent. Born into the shadowed prestige of the British Special Forces, he faces a life that was expected but never arrives. The deaths of his father, mother, and best friend in quick succession anchor him in an unmanageable internal conflict. Burdened by grief, and despite mounting mental and physical challenges, Stephen becomes an unlikely, deeply unsettled vigilante.
The Fatman rises.
But who is Claire …
Why this book is different:
The tête‑bêche structure: A physical metaphor for a fractured heart and soul. The reader must flip the book itself to confront both sides of his life story
Fractured Consciousness: Inspired by ‘show your working out’ in maths exams: Stylistic strike-throughs expose alternative thinking and suppressed truths Stephen cannot admit to, even to himself
A Cinematic Experience: A curated pre-1996 soundtrack underscores mood and tension, borrowing the emotional language of film to deepen the end-to-end narrative
Darkly humane and emotionally resonant, with humour and irony woven throughout …
The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream examines how an ordinary life veers into extraordinary consequences.
It asks not only how to read the book, but also how to judge the man at its centre and determine where his fiction ends,
where his reality begins,
and where it ends again …
Part II: Arnie Eats an Ice Cream
Written by an Anonymous voice, the narrative pivots 180 degrees. The narrative shifts focus from the reasons behind Stephen's fall to the inevitable 'what', which represents the true purpose his life was always moving towards. Set against the volatile backdrop of 1970s–90s sectarianism, crime, and politics, Stephen’s internal history propels him toward a real-world, high-profile, historical event that altered the course of history forever.
The Fatman falls.
But who is Alyson …
The Lost Soldier / Arnie Eats an Ice Cream
Part 1 Title: The Lost Soldier
No qualifications. His prospective career in tatters; he had been immersed into military ways, but not indoctrinated in them.
He had been trained as a soldier, but was never a soldier. He had been taught how to fight, but had no one to fight.
He now had nowhere to go and even if he had, he had nobody to go with.
Had and gave love, but now all he cared for had left him. He felt alone and was alone.
“What is my purpose, where am I going?” … ah! A question that crosses many a mind …
Struggling to socialise, drinking heavily, eating unhealthy food, lacking exercise, Stephen became unfit, unkempt and clinically obese. He also had eye-watering BO.
Taking advantage of his state, one of his previous vigilante targets sought revenge and, as a result, Stephen was severely beaten.
Very attractive and nobody’s fool, Claire is spirited, kind, clever, warm and witty – a firecracker!
Although she is repulsed by his latest vagrant appearance, she still has an inexplicable attraction to him.
As a sign of affection, she calls him Steve.
Part 2 Title: Arnie Eats an Ice Cream
Steve’s character is that of a frequent loner. Emotionally isolated from others, he often wrestles with difficult moral dilemmas and concepts of his own identity, struggling with interpersonal relationships and self-perception.
‘Was I really destined to be the bringer of death and destruction?’
Along the way he met Alyson.
As a sign of affection. she calls him Cooper.
Playlist
#You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand
#The Night – Frankie Vallie and The Four Seasons
#The Man With The Child In His Eyes – Kate Bush
#I Feel Love – Donna Summer
#Does Your Mother Know – Abba
#Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
#The Way Old Friends Do – Abba
#We Had It All – Dolly Parton
#Numb – U2
#If You Don’t Want My Love – Elaine Paige
#Breathe – Midge Ure
#What Can I Do – The Corrs
#Waiting on a Friend – The Rolling Stones
#World Turning – Fleetwood Mac
#More Than This – Roxy
#Smash It Up – The Damned
#Beautiful People – Terry Hall
#Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
#Giving It All Away – Roger Daltry
Playlist
You Make Loving Fun – Fleetwood Mac
#I Honestly Love you – Olivia Newton-John
#Rise – Public Image Ltd
#Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
#Ordinary World – Duran Duran
#So Lonely – The Police
#Silver Springs – Fleetwood Mac
#Love is a Stranger – Eurythmics
#Heart and Soul – Joy Division
#Waiting (Reprise) – George Michael
#Visions in Blue – Ultravox
#Waiting for That Day – George Michael
#Atmosphere – Joy Division
… is a contemporary experimental novel.
The Mirrored Halves: The two sides of the book represent the characters split psyche. One side explores the psychiatrist's clinical perspective as she pieces together Stephens past.
“Were his thoughts, feelings, and violent acts justified?”
He pretends they were.
A haunting, psychological descent into the head of a man who has run out of excuses.
But who is Claire?
The flip side follows the anonymous narrator as they navigate:
“Who am I?”
“Where am I going?”
“What is my purpose?”
Was I really destined to be the bringer of death and destruction?
A haunting, psychological ascent into the heart of a man who has run out of excuses.
But who is Alyson?