Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

October 2, 2026 / October 2, 2026 by Nancy C. Hanger | Leave a comment

I thought long and hard about how to review this book other than saying it’s one of the most thoughtful, gorgeous books I’ve ever read. I remember being young, perhaps 12-13 years old, and reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull for the first time and being blown away. It was like that experience again; the only word for it is transcendence.

Here, Death is the main character, almost but not quite first person narrative, changing chapter to chapter. In fact, the last chapter is perfectly suited to what it is: third person, viewed passively and yet experiencing the transcendence of the movement and action of the chapter’s creatures without comment or criticism: it just is.

Death has neighbors, friends, people he interacts with in some neighborhood in some city or town, anywhere at all, in any country, in any place. The others are young, old, in between … really the whole world in the microcosm of the All that Death must experience and be part of.

And he is a part of it: he brings a shut-in dinner. He talks to a child about what he reads. He talks to neighbors and the local bodega owner. He’s part of the world. And no one recognizes him for who he is — he’s just “another guy.”

Until the end. For the person, that is. Death will come to them with a pie, or a book, or a piece of news — a friend they already know and let into their apartment or store. And then come the words: “Oh THAT’S who you are!” but said quietly, sometimes with joy, sometimes with surprise but tempered always with relief. Finally.

The book is written in scenes of interaction, none tying together except that they have Death in their lives all along, only to know who he is in the end. And then there’s the final chapter, which is Death witnessing, well … I won’t give it away. It’s the Transcendence I spoke of at the beginning of this review; a transcendence that marvels even Death’s perceptions of the world.

Highly recommended, ages YA (very wise YAs) and up. I would also, given my background as a Hospice counselor, to give this book to someone not right away, but a good time would be perhaps the first year anniversary after someone’s death. Someone that was close to them.

It’s not religious, perhaps a bit Zen, but not based on any teachings or religions. And it’s worth re-reading. I say that rarely. The highly-rated National Public Radio review was absolutely on the nose: this is indeed a must read book.