Death Need Not Be Fatal

Malachi McCourt, the last living member of the McCourt family made famous by brother Frank's ANGELA'S ASHES, discusses his feelings about death, the "civil right" of every human being. The title and the outrageous cover perfectly portray the tone of the book, humorous, serious and semi-serious, offering many amusing anecdotes and one-liners.

Despite the rather weighty subject matter, I felt like I was able to speed through this book like it was a lighthearted and cheerful read.

I am not like Malachy McCourt, I do fear death. It sometimes becomes a bit of an obsession for me and it can even be terrifying. But in 'Death Need Not Be Fatal' McCourt succeeds in making even me feel a little more cheery about the least cheery of subjects. I mean, you could have this as a light holiday read, yet it's about dying. It somehow feels like I could read this on the beach relaxing and raise the odd smile and laugh, but, it's about dying! How unusual. I suppose that is what creates the book's charm.

This is a quick, quirky, witty and decent read.

(based on ARC)

Death Need Not Be Fatal by Malachy McCourt with Brian McDonald is a memoir of sorts. It pulls from events in his life both tragic and humorous - sometimes both at the same time.

From the synopsis: "It seems the only two things he hasn't done are stick his head into a lion's mouth and die. Since he is allergic to cats, he decided to write about the great hereafter..."

As expected, much of the book focuses on deaths and how they have affected him. The last part of the book is something of a contemplation of his own death. He says, "Any day on this side of the grass is a good day." And he talks about reading the "Irish Sporting Pages" - otherwise known as the obituaries.

I hadn't read any of his previous books or his brother Frank's books. So I wasn't at all familiar with the subject matter he draws on most - their lives. You don't need to have any familiarity with it though to enjoy the book and his stories.

"I'll try to keep the lies to a minimum, but I never let truth get in the way of a good story, and a lie is just a dream that might come true." location 101 on my Kindle

So after a while, I wondered how much might be exaggeration. I decided to take most of it at face value.

Overall, it's a good and interesting book. It has a conversational tone. It's like he's sitting there telling you these stories from his life. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Death Need Not Be Fatal was published May 16, 2017 by Center Street.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. My review is my own opinion and freely given.

Malachy McCourt’s farewell to a life lived, if not always well, but fully, is like attending the wake of an old friend. With humor and regret, about evenly mixed, he tells the story of the deaths of his brothers and sisters, of his parents, and of friends he has known. While his body is wearing out, his mind and memory are sharp, and he celebrates the joys of the moment in the moment. An inspiring way to live, and to die.