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Book Review
“five people you meet in heaven” by Mitch Albom
I was originally drawn to this book after having read Mitch Albom’s first novel, Tuesdays with Morrie. This was biographical, about his relationship with his old university professor who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease but felt like fiction when reading it. So I was curious to see how his second book fared next to his first and would it be as compelling. I was not disappointed. I was, however, surprised at the style of writing, which was very easy to digest. Then there is the content; the title gives away the location of the setting. It is a simple story about the death and life of Eddie the maintenance man. After dying in a freak accident on his 83rd birthday, Eddie finds himself in heaven where he encounters five people whose lives, to greater or lesser degree, he influences at various times throughout his own.
It was his personal journey, just for Eddie, but it gave me an insight into a potentially different Heaven from the more traditional or religious one that most of us have grown up with. Five individuals were given to every new person that arrived in Heaven. When Eddie met these people, he learned one lesson from each and, in turn, discovered the meaning and purpose in his life.
The first paragraph of the first chapter really spoke to me. It set up the structure of how the story would read. The author told us that this story would start with Eddie’s demise; an ending was to be seen as a new beginning, a poignant thought that could resonate with many people. It showed us a non-traditional view of Heaven. It explores the possibility that everyone’s Heaven is unique to them. Eddie’s Heaven was the old amusement park, Ruby Pier, a place that featured heavily through his entire life.
The five people that Eddie meets are The Blue Man, or Joseph Corvelzchik, a "freak" in Ruby Pier's old freak show. He began life in the carnival after taking too much silver nitrate for medicinal reasons, which turned him blue. The Captain, his commanding officer during World War 2, actually saved his life by shooting him in the leg. Ruby the old woman and the namesake of Ruby Pier, was once a beautiful waitress who fell in love with a wealthy businessman. Marguerite was his wife and although the marriage wasn’t perfect, she was the love of his life. Finally there is Tala, the young Filipino girl. Eddie never actually meets Tala, but was in the vicinity when she was killed. What I found interesting was how completely different all of these people were. There were random chance crossings of five paths, some of which intersected for mere moments. I felt that the author developed all the characters just the right amount so that I, as the reader, was able to empathise with their situations. Each of these five characters now played the part of Eddie’s guide, leading him through the different stages of Heaven.
I felt a sense of relief at the end of the book that Eddie was able to resolve his personal regrets or mysteries and to then be able to pass through all the levels of Heaven. I am now left wondering who will be my five people and what will be my own particular Heaven.
The Blue Man taught Eddie that "there are no random acts; we are all connected."
“five people you meet in heaven” by Mitch Albom
I was originally drawn to this book after having read Mitch Albom’s first novel, Tuesdays with Morrie. This was biographical, about his relationship with his old university professor who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease but felt like fiction when reading it. So I was curious to see how his second book fared next to his first and would it be as compelling. I was not disappointed. I was, however, surprised at the style of writing, which was very easy to digest. Then there is the content; the title gives away the location of the setting. It is a simple story about the death and life of Eddie the maintenance man. After dying in a freak accident on his 83rd birthday, Eddie finds himself in heaven where he encounters five people whose lives, to greater or lesser degree, he influences at various times throughout his own.
It was his personal journey, just for Eddie, but it gave me an insight into a potentially different Heaven from the more traditional or religious one that most of us have grown up with. Five individuals were given to every new person that arrived in Heaven. When Eddie met these people, he learned one lesson from each and, in turn, discovered the meaning and purpose in his life.
The first paragraph of the first chapter really spoke to me. It set up the structure of how the story would read. The author told us that this story would start with Eddie’s demise; an ending was to be seen as a new beginning, a poignant thought that could resonate with many people. It showed us a non-traditional view of Heaven. It explores the possibility that everyone’s Heaven is unique to them. Eddie’s Heaven was the old amusement park, Ruby Pier, a place that featured heavily through his entire life.
The five people that Eddie meets are The Blue Man, or Joseph Corvelzchik, a "freak" in Ruby Pier's old freak show. He began life in the carnival after taking too much silver nitrate for medicinal reasons, which turned him blue. The Captain, his commanding officer during World War 2, actually saved his life by shooting him in the leg. Ruby the old woman and the namesake of Ruby Pier, was once a beautiful waitress who fell in love with a wealthy businessman. Marguerite was his wife and although the marriage wasn’t perfect, she was the love of his life. Finally there is Tala, the young Filipino girl. Eddie never actually meets Tala, but was in the vicinity when she was killed. What I found interesting was how completely different all of these people were. There were random chance crossings of five paths, some of which intersected for mere moments. I felt that the author developed all the characters just the right amount so that I, as the reader, was able to empathise with their situations. Each of these five characters now played the part of Eddie’s guide, leading him through the different stages of Heaven.
I felt a sense of relief at the end of the book that Eddie was able to resolve his personal regrets or mysteries and to then be able to pass through all the levels of Heaven. I am now left wondering who will be my five people and what will be my own particular Heaven.
The Blue Man taught Eddie that "there are no random acts; we are all connected."
Great review; novel sounds fascinating. I shall certainly pick up this book next time I'm in Engalnd.
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