The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Book Type: Paperback
There are five people you meet following death. A few you may trust with your life (pardon the pun), others you may not even recognize. But they've all had an impact on your life and all hold a reason to your living.
At least according to Mitch Albom, anyway. He sure makes it sound convincing, I must say.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven follows the death (and life recap) of war veteran and amusement park mechanic Eddie, who sacrifices himself to save a little girl from a falling park ride. The plot beginning at his death allows Albom to experiment with religiously-tinged visions and experiences in the afterlife, which he does so subtly and eloquently. The unfolding of Eddie's life through the people he meets is captivating and revealing of the character, though not giving away so much as to leave little for the imagination. The grief behind his war wounds and losses adds a sturdy underlay to his transitions between people, providing a vulnerability not originally found in the gruff, miserable old man.
Every other chapter ends in the question of whether Eddie saved the little girl from the falling ride, usually leaving it unanswered until the final chapter, during which the fifth and final person he meets reveals the truth behind one of his many war conquests and the girl's demise. If the main body of the story seems to run a little slow, the powerful punch packed into the final chapter makes it worth the trip to the end.
Albom's descriptions of the park and accounts of the times following Eddie's death are bittersweet because of their realism and are that much more influential because of it. Albom will have each and every reader, no matter what belief or religion, wishing that their afterlife is as revealing, emotional and inspiring as Eddie's was.
At least according to Mitch Albom, anyway. He sure makes it sound convincing, I must say.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven follows the death (and life recap) of war veteran and amusement park mechanic Eddie, who sacrifices himself to save a little girl from a falling park ride. The plot beginning at his death allows Albom to experiment with religiously-tinged visions and experiences in the afterlife, which he does so subtly and eloquently. The unfolding of Eddie's life through the people he meets is captivating and revealing of the character, though not giving away so much as to leave little for the imagination. The grief behind his war wounds and losses adds a sturdy underlay to his transitions between people, providing a vulnerability not originally found in the gruff, miserable old man.
Every other chapter ends in the question of whether Eddie saved the little girl from the falling ride, usually leaving it unanswered until the final chapter, during which the fifth and final person he meets reveals the truth behind one of his many war conquests and the girl's demise. If the main body of the story seems to run a little slow, the powerful punch packed into the final chapter makes it worth the trip to the end.
Albom's descriptions of the park and accounts of the times following Eddie's death are bittersweet because of their realism and are that much more influential because of it. Albom will have each and every reader, no matter what belief or religion, wishing that their afterlife is as revealing, emotional and inspiring as Eddie's was.
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