All das Schöne | Every Brilliant Thing

Ice cream takes first place, followed by water fights in second place, and staying up late and watching TV in third place. The color yellow takes fourth place among all the wonderful things that make life truly worth living. Translated by Corinna Brocher Ice cream comes in at number 1, followed by water fights at number 2, staying up late and watching TV at number 3. The color yellow takes fourth place among all the wonderful things that make life worth living. The narrator began writing this list at the age of seven. On the day his mother tried to take her own life and his father was so shaken he could no longer speak to him. He hoped that all the beautiful things on the list would help his mom realize why life is beautiful. Whenever the list falls into his hands, he adds more items. When he falls in love for the first time, he writes entry 517: "Being so close to someone that you let them check if you have broccoli bits stuck between your teeth." Years later, it’s entry number 253. 263: "The feeling of calm after realizing that, even though you’re in a bind, there’s nothing you can do about it." “‘All the Lovely Things’ is a hilariously funny play about depression—and possibly one of the funniest plays ever” (The Guardian). Enchanting, heart-wrenching, and utterly unsentimental. Duncan Macmillan strikes the perfect balance between what makes life seem hopeless and what makes it so wonderful. By Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe