Last summer I was really lucky to go to a Q&A with Neil Gaiman. During the event he did two readings. The first from his recent novel The Ocean and the End of the Lane and the second from his soon to be children’s novel Fortunately, the Milk. Listening to Neil Gaiman read was a magical experience, the crowd was lulled into a comfortable silence, only to be broken by reactions to his words. The simple action of having someone read a story aloud brought back the warm feelings of childhood bedtime stories.
I knew I was going to have to read this book.
Fortunately, the Milk tells the grand adventure of a Father who gets lost on his way home from the store. But, fortunately the milk manages to survive his travels through time and space and make it back (a little bit late) for his children’s breakfast.
The joy of this story is that anything can happen. What’s going to happen next? This is childhood logic, meaning that everything and anything is a possibility. Talking dinosaurs, vampires, talking ponies? You can find them here.
If anything this is a book that is a love letter to fathers. There is a little bit of everyone’s Dad in this story. So if you’re looking for a great gift for the a kid or a kid at heart, than this is for you. But remember the true magic of this book is when it’s read aloud.
If you’re interested in audiobooks than you’ll be excited to know that Fortunately, the Milk is read by Neil Gaiman himself.
Favourite/Memorable Quotes
“Do not, whatever else you might do,” said the professor, “touch those two stones together.”
“Why not?”
“Because according to my calculations, if the same object from two different times touches itself, one of two things will happen. Either the universe will cease to exist. or three remarkable dwarves will dance through the streets with flower pots on their heads.”
“That sounds astonishingly specific,” I said.
“I know. But it is science. And it is much more probable that the Universe will end.”
“I thought it would be,” I said
– Neil Gaiman, 50-51
