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The Madness of Grief

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What to expect

Read by the Reverend Richard Coles

Whether it is pastoral care for the bereaved, discussions about the afterlife, or being called out to perform the last rites, death is part of the Reverend Richard Coles's life and work. But when his partner the Reverend David Coles died, shortly before Christmas in 2019, much about death took Coles by surprise. For one thing, David's death at the early age of forty-three was unexpected.

The man that so often assists others to examine life's moral questions now found himself in need of help. He began to look to others for guidance to steer him through his grief. The flock was leading the shepherd. Much about grief surprised him: the volume of 'sadmin' you have to do when someone dies, how much harder it is travelling for work alone, even the pain of typing a text message to your partner - then realising you are alone.

The Reverend Richard Coles's deeply personal account of life after grief will resonate, unforgettably, with anyone who has lost a loved one.

Critics Review

Beautiful, honest and massively comforting
DAWN FRENCH
Immensely moving and disarmingly witty
NIGELLA LAWSON
Will strike a chord with anyone who has grieved . . . shines with the sort of wry, self-analytical wisdom you might expect from Coles. Full of resonating reflections, ones that urge us all to be kinder, to love more strongly
INDEPENDENT
Such a moving, tough, funny, raw, honest read. The beautiful articulation of Richard's grief will be a comfort to so many
MATT HAIG
Captures brilliantly, beautifully, bravely the comedy as well as the tragedy of bereavement . . . simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking, painful and strangely comforting as it confronts the reality of what happens to us all in the end
THE TIMES
Beautifully written, moving and gut-wrenching, but also at times very funny, each smile and laugh a candle in the dark
IAN RANKIN
An astonishingly brave, bold and honest book about the tragedy - and unexpected comedy - of bereavement. Such a harrowing, hopeful and comforting book. If I could prescribe Richard Coles, I'd administer him stat to us all
Dr Rachel Clarke, author of DEAR LIFE
This is not a self-help book on how to cope with death and loss, it is an honest, raw and personal account of a man's descent into the Madness of Grief. Richard provides a frank account of the trials and tribulations he endured during the weeks between the death and the funeral of the man he loved. Funny, sad, touching and thought provoking, it reminds us that grief has no normality, no time limit and most importantly, no rules
PROFESSOR DAME SUE BLACK, author of ALL THAT REMAINS
Bold, intimate writing . . . THE MADNESS OF GRIEF is not a manual for the bereaved, but as a vivid account of how it feels when the world suddenly falls away, it performs another kind of service
THE SUNDAY TIMES
Deeply moving . . . has an immediacy that is not born of long reflection and it is all the better for it
FINANCIAL TIMES
Heartbreakingly sad and searingly honest . . . For those who find themselves bereaved, this book is sure to help
DAILY MIRROR
You don't need to be religious to find comfort in this book. Anybody who has experienced a similar complex grief will relate to many of Coles's anecdotes
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
In this memoir, Coles shares his truth, stays kind, and, when possible, brings a smile . . . By reflecting the hurts of others' losses with such beauty and integrity, he confirms that it is his open humanity that is priestly. It gives me yet another reason to admire him
CHURCH TIMES
An honest book, and a brave one
THE OLDIE
Moving and candid, this book will resonate with anyone who has lost a loved one, or has had to cope with someone they love whom they just cannot help
I NEWSPAPER
Although not a self-help book, the homilies, experience and catharsis within creates invaluable solace. It will resonate for the myriad struggling with grief wrought by the pandemic
THE QUIETUS
Beautifully written, raw and deeply personal . . . A revealing and often funny insight into love and loss
ATTITUDE
This brief, wise, frank book deals with the surreal mundanity of bereavement
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, Books of the Summer
His reading is pitch-perfect . . . creating an aural kaleidoscope. It is, at heart, a meditation on the nature of loss and one that is as strangely comforting as it is wrenching and painful
FINANCIAL TIMES, Audio Books review round up
A WORTHY heir to C. S. Lewis's 'A Grief Observed'... To be in Coles's company is always uplifting, even when he's writing about unbearable sadness and loss.
DAILY MAIL, Best Books of 2021

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
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5.0
bjbackway 02/02/2023

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