This is the Life
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- £5.49
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- £5.49
Publisher Description
Even when you have received a death sentence, you still have to live…
“I don’t have much advice to give anyone; I’ve learned very little in my life; but here’s a gem of wisdom. Don’t take a dying man’s kettle away. You won’t be doing him any favours. Nor yourself either.”
This is the story of Louis, who never quite fitted in, and of his younger brother who always tagged along.
Two brothers on one final journey together, wading through the stuff that is thicker than water.
Tender-hearted, at times achingly funny, This is the Life is a moving testimony to both the resilience of the human spirit and to the price of strawberries.
Reviews
‘This is a lovely touching book. The subject is a poignant one, handled with tact, insight and, most of all, with love’ Alexander McCall Smith
‘Beautifully done… A fine book on mortality and siblinghood’ Broadcaster Libby Purves
About the author
Alex Shearer was born in Wick in the north of Scotland, and now lives in Somerset. He has written for television, radio, film and the stage and is the author of many books for children, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize shortlisted The Speed of the Dark. Several of Alex’s novels have become films and TV series, all over the world; one became both a manga comic and a full length anime film in Japan. His books have been translated into many different languages.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Children’s author Alex Shearer was inspired to write this novel after his brother’s death. Lovely, funny and touching, This Is the Life is the story of the eccentric and addled Louis, who has let his eyebrows and beard grow wild in the twilight of his life. Boasting the kind of colourful writing and broad appeal that make a perfect book club pick, Shearer’s fictional tale pays homage to Louis’ singular life and death through the eyes of his brother.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This poignant and compassionate novel from British children's author Shearer (The Speed of the Dark) concerns one brother serving as the primary caregiver for another brother battling a life-threatening disease. Louis, who lives in a Brisbane suburb, is diagnosed with a brain tumor "the size of a billiard ball" and asks his younger (unnamed) brother, living with his family in the U.K., to travel to Australia and assist him. The introspective younger brother narrates their stories through nonlinear anecdotes, about their early years growing up together in a blue collar British family and about Louis's grueling present regimen of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Louis has university degrees in chemistry and engineering, but he's too restless and unfocused to hold down a good job. His nomadic lifestyle, which led him to Australia, and his broken relationships with women contribute to his frequent bouts of "black dog" depression, especially during the difficult medical treatments for his illness. The earthy humor that often peeks through provides much-needed comic relief from the downbeat sections about Louis's deteriorating health, and the brothers' dialogue stands out as authentic and spot-on. The small life rituals, such as the younger brother's hassles when trying to return Louis's broken TV under warranty, take on profound significance as the pair comes to grips with saying their final good-byes.
