Review: The Five People You Meet in Heaven

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Mitch Albom

Hard to Classify

Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination, but an answer. 

In heaven, five people explain your life to you. Some you knew, others may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?"

Don't ask about the purple. I felt like it.

I'm having difficulty putting my thoughts into words on this one. It just IS. It defys opinions. It's pure storytelling, with no problems or special features. It's just a story, Eddie's story. And eventually all of ours.

The plotline is original and fascinating- an idea of heaven that's very different from the various religions' views of it. It kind of gives you hope - that one day, you'll understand. It shows you the difference you made on others' lives, and them on yours. 

I liked the writing more in this book than in Tuesdays with Morrie (link to my review). I think it has to do with the quotation things he did in the above. What can I say, it really bothered me. Or maybe it's the fact that this is a work of fiction, as opposed to the former which is a memoir. Either way, The Five People You Meet in Heaven reads quickly, and touched more heartstrings for me.  It really made for a beautiful read, good for all ages. 

Rating:

Have a great back-to-school, everyone!

Love, 

Esty