Interesting book. Ambrose Zephyr (who has a fascination with alphabets and exotic locales) and his wife Zappora Ashkenazi receive some disturbing news. His time is up.

The book explores what a couple might do or feel under such circumstances. Very impressionistic.

Fly far little book!

Sent off to a winner of the 2015 Canadian Sweepstakes! Enjoy.

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Thanks, quietorchid.

Ambrose Zephyr has just discovered he has only a short time to live. He and his wife, Zappora Ashkenazi (Zipper), seize the time they have left together & embark on a fast-paced journey as Ambrose tries to work his way through an alphabet of physical locations & memories. As Ambrose deteriorates during their travels, Zipper finally convinces him to go home where they begin to work on their farewells.

There is quite a lot packed into this short tale; although told in snippets, it really does give a complete picture. It is touching and tender without being mawkish or sentimental, & had a surprisingly big impact. I was astonished to find I had tears in my eyes at the end of this poignant tale. I think it was 'J' that particularly moved me, the lovely scene with Mr Umtata the tailor, followed by the shared memory of 'V'. All those shared memories - I feel the tears just behind my eyes as I contemplate it now. This is uncharacteristic - I think the spareness of the prose has had a greater affect.

Off to see lauraloo29 because she would like to read it.

Thank you! Received today.

This didn't take long to read. Sad, melancholy.

Sending as a RABCK. Enjoy!

Arrived safely. Many thanks for sharing I look forward to reading it.

'The End of The Alphabet' is a tender, intimate story of an ordinary life defined by an extraordinary love but is truth little more than a short story, (this copy only has 123 pages, wide margins and double spacing). Despite or perhaps because of its brevity Richardson’s prose has an honesty almost poetic in nature. This book is a very touching exploration of the nature of love, loss, and life which only took me about two hours to read. A simply beautiful piece of writing.