AUGUST BOOK OF THE MONTH

REVIEWER: Ali Hull

BOOK: The Last Laugh: Reflections of a funnyman with terminal cancer
Author: Steve Legg
(SCM, 2023) 184pp, paperback, RRP£10

This book does exactly what it promises to do – it is the reflections of man who starts with something unusual on his foot and, not that much later, is told the cancer has spread and he has 5 months to live (spoiler alert – he is still with us). But this book is not just for men who are facing cancer, or indeed anyone facing cancer. It is for anyone who is facing anything that is tough and trying to find God in it. It recommends adopting an attitude, and maybe readopting it regularly, of choosing to trust God despite what is happening and not because of what is happening.

And the medical news does get grimmer and grimmer. Having been told there isn’t much they can do, the medics do try immunotherapy, warning him that it may simply give him more problems. It does: he develops diabetes. But he doesn’t grumble. He gets on with it, doing what he is told, rejoicing and enjoying whatever he can, and so do those around him. His attitude is that of St Paul, when he writes of being content whatever the circumstances. And it also points up something that many of us forget: we are all going to die, and none of us know exactly when. So living as though each day might be our last, in the sense of keeping short accounts, finding joy in whatever we can, being with those we love most – it is a way of life we should all adopt.

The book itself is not grim: it is very readable, and laced with humour. It makes vital points: one is how other people should react to those going through this kind of ordeal. Simply ask the question ‘What do you need from me?’ Sometimes people with cancer want to talk about something else. And they both came to terms with living a dual life: preparing for death while constantly remaining open to the possibility of healing. I recommend this book for all those who work with others, but read it yourself first. It carries huge credibility, because Steve has lived through all this pain and disappointment, and yet held onto his positive attitude.

Reviewer: Ali Hull
Ali Hull is Book Editor of Preach. In a former life, Steve Legg was her boss.