Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

In my head is a list of popular authors I haven’t read yet and which I’m requiring myself to at least once. Authors whom most people have read and/or love, authors whose books have won awards, authors whose books are almost always included in bestsellers lists, top ten or so books to read lists, and other book lists of the sort. My main reason for wanting to read them is that I keep wondering what the fuss is all about, and I don’t like being left out of the loop. It’s for my education, or something like that.

Neil Gaiman is one of those authors. (Agatha Christie and Haruki Murakami already have imaginary check marks beside their names while Stephen King is one of those who haven’t received any checks yet — he will soon, I hope.) That’s why I was happy when Mina, my office mate, offered to lend me her book Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman.

I loved it. I thought it was awesome. Proof? I read it twice. I didn’t want to give the book back. I was sorry I had to.

The story revolves around, you guessed it, milk. Mum is out, and so is the family’s supply of milk. Dad had to go to the corner shop to buy some for the kids’ breakfast cereal and his tea. Later, Dad comes back home, with a tale about being in a crazy time-travel adventure and his encounter with aliens, pirates, dinosaurs, wumpires, a volcano god, and some star-adorned ponies. And it was very fortunate he had the  milk with him. It helped save the day.

Fortunately, the Milk felt like one exciting ride. It’s something you have to read in one go. And then read all over again. It also makes for a perfect bedtime story. When the dad was narrating his adventures to his kids, it felt like I was there — as weird as it may sound. It felt real. And with that, I think Neil Gaiman is truly amazing! He is my new favorite. I’m now reading Coraline.

Before I forget, I think the illustrator, Skottie Young, is as amazing. I loved looking at all the details of his drawings. They go perfectly well with the story.

Want an adventure? Then look no further than Neil Gaiman’s Fortunately, the Milk.

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young, was published in 2013.

The U.K. edition is entitled Fortunately, the Milk … (note the ellipsis) and is illustrated by Chris Riddel, also published in 2013.