Plot or Premise

Subtitled a tale of two brothers, Royd and Mike Tolkien are the great-grandsons of J.R.R. Tolkien. That is the least interesting part of their story. The book combines an interspersed tale of Mike’s last few years of life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease or Motor Neurone Disease / MND) and Royd’s first couple of years after his death, fulfilling a bucket list that Mike created for Royd to do when Mike was gone.

What I Liked

I have no idea what I was thinking when I first started to read this just over a year ago. I heard about it in a roundabout way in a blog, and it sounded cool and funny. So, about 16 months ago, at Christmas, I downloaded it and started to read. The first story is one of the best. As Royd walks up to the podium to give the eulogy for Mike, he falls flat on his face. A big faceplant with lots of noise and kerfuffle. Except it’s a prat fall. Nobody else knew it was the first item on Mike’s bucket list — that Royd would fall as he went to deliver the eulogy and give everyone a last big smile for Mike’s funeral. And when it happened, it wiped me out. Funny, sure. Moving, absolutely. And it set a precedent for a lot of the stories. I couldn’t keep going. For whatever reason, the raw grief was too much. I set the book aside, and promised myself I would go back to it.

And then something weird happened. My brother died. And while you would think that would STOP me from ever reading the rest, it gave me a window into the story. Wondering if I would have the nerve to do the things that Mike put on Royd’s list, even things where Royd was terrified. Would I have completed a list my brother made me? I doubt it.

The pratfall? Sure. Bungee jumping or skydiving? Not a chance. A lot of the travel? Absolutely. For the rest, it would be hit and miss. Busking, singing in a musical, etc. Mike’s goal was to break Royd out of a bubble, to overcome potential shyness or risk of embarrassment, to thrust him into a limelight. The story alternates between Mike’s decline and Royd’s desire to film all of it as a documentary, with the end for Mike obvious but unknown for Royd.

What I Didn’t Like

Many of the “stunts” are a little too well-choreographed or exuberant for me. For example, when Royd goes on a plane, he has to dress like Gandalf, the whole company is involved, etc. Simpler would have seemed more impactful to me, and less about the show. And I think that is my biggest complaint in places. There are some huge moments that pass by with very little comment on the psychology and impact on Royd; he survives them, he participates in them, but there seems little reflection. Others, by contrast are small with huge reflections. And the reflection is what matters. The end for Royd is really quite disappointing. He saves a big moment for the end, and at the last minute, it doesn’t really happen. More like a postponement to do a sequel of the last act. I felt a little cheated, to be honest, and the reason for a drop in rating from 5 to 4 stars. I liked the journey, but was let down by the destination.

The Bottom Line

Starts with a thud, finishes with a whisper