A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman

  

 

No spoilers. I read reviews of this before getting it and decided from the outset not to expect the brilliance of his later works. However, I found every story whimsical, engaging and enjoyable. No, it's not going to be like his later work, created when his writing muscles were at full power BUT it's all there. The silliness, the fun, the oddity of an idea you can feel could be pushed further into farce or to reveal idiosyncrasies of the character and plot.

I finished the last story and knew that I could take this down anytime and revisit, to enjoy and smile - I am not done with this collection - which is not always the case with some collections of short stories. With those you have read them, enjoyed them and you have "done" his/her collection. Not this collection - I will return for the quirkiness, the fun and the feeling of a writer stepping forward into what he would become but still showing how bafflingly funny and clever he can be; stretching his wings.

A Heart that works by Rob Delaney

You know from the outset that Henry, Rob Delaney’s young son is going to die/has died.

You know this and come to accept it because, peppered throughout, Rob states it; in every chapter, sometimes every other page. It becomes the mantra to the books journey, almost like you are watching a father repeat it over and over in an attempt to accept the unacceptable.

This memoir is a love letter to Family, loss, love and the NHS. It is also to Henry and those that supported him.

It is one of the most human accounts I have read. Rob and his Family navigate the unthinkable, making mistakes, coping and not coping and above all understanding. Then there are the emotions which he weaves with absurd observations that a great comedian and writer can bring. He shows how, sometimes, all you can do in life is laugh, cry or be angry; sometimes all in one go.

It is not an easy read in the sense that you know what it’s about from the start and this is the account of their Family’s journey. It took a long time for me to come to this book having first read the reviews and been torn between the five stars and the subject. I am so glad I did, finally, sit down and walk the path through his words.

To think that this account is brave would be an understatement bordering on delusion. It’s a celebration of a short life that touched everyone Henry and his Family came into contact with and a gift of shared moments. The book title is from a lyric by Juliana Hatfield, which also serves as an epigraph for the book: “A heart that hurts is a heart that works.”