𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙
Annotations and author notes to 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.
Can be read alongside the novel as a companion work, but not recommended for those who simply want to read in peace. For complet...
Quote This is another quote from the "Bollo" episode of The Mighty Boosh, said to Howard/Julian in an attempt to comfort him when he reaches Limbo by Phil the Reaper, played by Noel.
Song Julian thinks of the 1966 Rolling Stones' song, "19th Nervous Breakdown" when he learns his most recent life was his nineteenth. I'd like to say I had the clever idea of making the number nineteen because of the song, but the number came first, then the song reference.
Mary as a Healer Mary, with some distaste, tells Julian that the Head Healer has decreed that even though he is still feeling fatigued and unwell, it would be best for him to lead "a normal Afterlife" in order to recover. Is there anyone with a chronic untreatable health condition who hasn't been given the glib, useless advice to "just go out and lead a normal life" at some point?
The World of the Waystation
The Setting The Houses of Healing are in a rural area with woods and fields. I live in a country town surrounded by farms and bushland, with doves cooing from the back yard, so this peaceful setting seemed very familiar to me. I gave The Waystation the same mild, sunny, pleasant climate as my home.
Clothes Julian arrives at the Waystation in the clothes he was wearing on the night Phil transported him to the Afterlife. There is a tradition of depicting souls wearing the clothes they died/were buried in, and it saves the awkwardness of everyone being nude until they are given clothes.
Julian is given new clothes which fit him perfectly. In real life, his height, build, and posture do seem to make the clothes he wears not look exactly right, so this was my chance to give him a great wardrobe. Julian is actually a bit of a naturist in real life, and I think he would have been completely happy to wander about the Waystation stark naked for the whole story!
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Shepherd's Wood I combined the London suburbs of Shepherd's Bush and St John's Wood into something that seemed both rural and vaguely religious. I found out later there is a wood of this name in Yorkshire.
The Wayfarer's Arms I sent Julian to a country inn because he seems like he would enjoy this. He was very keen on the idea of writing stage shows for The Mighty Boosh in a country cottage with Noel, which I don't think ever happened, although fanfiction has run with the idea pretty often.
I had a lot of fun reading travel articles in posh magazines with titles like, "The Most Enchanting Country Inns in the Cotswolds", to get ideas for The Wayfarer's Arms. I found out later there is a pub called The Wayfarer's Arms in Devon. Apparently I can't invent anything original.
Food The delicious food provided at the Waystation comes straight from the film Defending Your Life, where you can eat as much as you like and it all tastes wonderful. There is precedent for the dead eating – there is food in Hades in Greek mythology, and they do nothing but feast and drink in Valhalla.
