Today, we explore The Madness of Grief by Richard Coles, the vicar who recently gained attention as a participant on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.
The Madness of Grief is a candid memoir about grieving his partner, David, blending humour and poignancy to explore grief’s complexities.
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The Madness of Grief
by Richard Coles
When Reverend Richard Coles’ partner died suddenly in 2019, just before Christmas, he found himself facing grief in a way he hadn’t anticipated.
Despite years of helping others navigate life’s challenges, Richard now sought his own guidance. He was surprised by the intensity of grief — the practical tasks that felt overwhelming, the loneliness of traveling alone for work, and the painful reminders, like typing a message to his late partner.
This personal reflection on life after loss offers an honest, relatable look at the grieving process.
Featured Amazon review…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Personal, insightful, and moving
“Rev Coles is fluent, articulate, and slightly gossipy. All these skills serve him well in taking us on his journey of paralysing grief after his beloved dies unexpectedly. As the book develops Coles gradually reveals more information and more reminiscences about his spouse and their life together, both in transcendent happiness and furious fallings out. Along the way, his magpie-like interest in art, music, liturgy, faith, dogs, and above all friends, family, parishioners, vets etc illuminate the narrative of his grief with kindness and contradiction in equal measure.
For me, such unflinching honesty deserves our respect. I recommend this meditation on the madness of grief.”
Amazon customers say…
Readers find the book both heart warming and poignant, with a smooth, engaging style. The writing is clear and natural, offering insightful content that balances sorrow with humour.
Photo by Andreea Radu on Unsplash
🧠 Understand the ‘Stages’ of Grief
Many people first encounter grief through the idea of “stages,” but the model is often simplified or misunderstood.
Our Stages of Grief page looks at where the framework began, what each stage represents, and how it can support understanding – without suggesting that grief unfolds in a tidy order.
Explore the page to learn:
📘 A clear explanation of what the Five Stages are (and what they’re not)
🧭 Why grief rarely moves in a straight line
🌊 How feelings can rise and fall in waves
🧩 Other grief models that may resonate more with your experience