I avoided finishing this for as long as I could because I didn't want it to end. It gave me so much joy - even moreso than the first book - in all the ways that Grossman reflected stories and times and adventures that have been so special to me. I imagine that similar things were special to him growing up as well, given our nerdy leanings. The journey into the unknown. The years of toil for a glimpse of the divine. The long and dark road to power. The transition from childhood to adulthood and the lessons we all learn. I wish that I could distill everything in TMK that brought me so much joy, and give it freely to anyone who didn't like it as much. I'm not sure that I have any other way to engender that understanding.

I liked the Venture Bros reference, too.