I finished Closing Time today. Not nearly as good as Catch-22, but still worth reading.
I also read the two Books of Magic compilations, and then the Neil Gaiman collection. Wow! He is one of the best writers, ever!
Here is part of a Hellblazer story that he wrote a while back, called "Hold Me."
All he wanted.
All he wanted was for someone to care about him. Someone to hold him. Someone to warm him.
Nobody would.
When we hold each other, in the darkness, it doesn't make the darkness go away. The bad things are still out there. The nightmares are still walking.
When we hold each other, we feel -- not safe, but better. "It's all right," we whisper. "I'm here. I love you." And we lie, "I'll never leave you."
For just a moment or two the darkness doesn't seem so bad. When we hold each other.