He

What does one look at when the end is staring you in the eye? Stan Laurel misses his comedy partner and friend, Oliver “Babe” Hardy. Laurel still communicates with his friend’s spirit as he reflects on the past and contemplates the dissipating present. The failures of Laurel’s father compelled Laurel to strike out on his own in the theater. Laurel made his inroads into the entertainment world while working beside Charlie Chaplin. His star would rise when he was partnered with southern actor Oliver Hardy. Their partnership under the omniscient tutelage of Hal Roach would yield a multi-decade showcase of short and full-length films. Laurel and Hardy’s work was loved, but their genius was overshadowed by contemporaries like Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. Laurel and Hardy’s personal lives were encumbered by stormy marriages, abuse, indiscretions, and tragic circumstances. Their work would be jeopardized by the tabloid’s intrusion into their private lives. They would continue working, but the damage would take its toll on both men.

John Connolly’s He is a brilliant view of a comic’s life. It is a biographical look at Laurel and Hardy, warts and all, with liberties taken. The first chapter seizes the reader by the end of the first page and never lets go. A new type of story told by a masterful mystery writer. “A” all the way.