BOOK REVIEW 12: FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN: MITCH ALBOM

 

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

RATINGS: 3/5

GENRE :Spiritual fiction, Afterlife

Author: Mitch Albom

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mitch Albom was born on May 23, 1958 in Passaic, New Jersey.
MITCH ALBOM is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician. Mitch is also an accomplished song writer and lyricist.

In 1995, he married Janine Sabino. That same year he re-encountered Morrie Schwartz, a former college professor who was dying of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His visits with Schwartz  leads to the book Tuesdays with Morrie. The same book  moved Mitch away from sports reporter
He began his career as an internationally recognized author.

His other notable works are:

Tuesdays With Morrie
For One More Day
Have a Little Faith
The Time Keeper
and The First Phone Call from Heaven

INTRODUCTION:

An elderly man works in an amusement park. He works as a carnival maintenance man. During his work at the age of 83 he meets with an accident and dies instantly. The story is not yet over but is just the beginning. He then finds himself in a heaven where five significant people from the journey of his life greet him one by one. Each of these five people represents a turning point in Eddie’s life. The five people he meets are strangers as well as his beloved ones. Those people wait for Eddie in heaven to reveal him some valuable secrets Eddie was never able to understand when he was alive.
The five people he meets in HEAVEN teaches Eddie one particular lesson each. The five people he meets in heaven chronologically are:

Blue Man:

The blue Man teaches him that everything happens for a reason. There are no random events in life. If you are still alive you have a strong reason to be alive.

The Captain:

  His former captain teaches him that Sacrifices are a part of life. If he had not sacrificed his leg he would have to sacrifice his life. And those sacrifices make an impact in other people's lives no Matter how big or small.

Ruby:

The importance of releasing anger and granting forgiveness. The girl on whose behalf the amusement park was named Ruby Pier. We need to forgive ourselves as well as others because you never know the whole story.

Marguerite:

His former beloved wife. Even after her death she has been waiting for Eddie in Heaven. She truly loves  Eddie. She teaches us the power of love, even after death.

Tala:

She is a stranger to Eddie. She is the same little girl whose shadow he had seen and was not able to save. She teaches him that there's always a purpose for your life. You live for a reason the same way that people die for a reason.

ANALYSIS:

Before starting the book I was instantly curious just with the title of the novel. How on Earth are we supposed to know what kind of people lives in Heaven??? So just to let me know what kind of people do we meet in Heaven after we die I read the book.

And the book was definitely engrossing because you will want to know what kind of people will Eddie meet next. It's fascinating enough to know how the secrets reveals one by one. The things and actions you  don't even know you have been doing is crazy enough to know during your afterlife.Each of the series of events changed your path forever. And to know those unknown actions and activities have made a great impact on other lives and our lives as well is out of this world.

One by one, Eddie’s five people illuminate the unseen connections of his earthly life. If he had anger and hatred towards someone he changes his perspective after meeting with the people in heaven. If he did some guilty actions he would know why he was not allowed to correct it.

This novel will definitely change everything you’ve ever thought about the afterlife. It will change the meaning of our lives here on earth.It is a tale of a life on earth. It’s a tale of life beyond it.

CRITICISM:

I didn't understand how the author is so sure how heaven looks like. Of course we have not visited heaven when we are still alive. But the way he assumes what heaven looks like is somewhat not agreeable. Just with a puff of smoke the land on heaven changes.

To be honest I didn't complete the book. It  gets way too boring at points. And its way too confusing with lots of suspense and thriller. Readers go on reading to find the suspense but is disappointed that it was no suspense at all.The point where we can reach directly is so reached after lots of distractions from the target. And those distractions are not quite necessary if you are making a valid point.

And most importantly it's not always sure that people will live in heaven in their afterlife. Of course there is some place called hell in contrast with heaven. All the people are not always good and just.

And as far as I know it is rumoured that there is no place called heaven or hell at all. It is on earth when we are still alive; we either live in hell or heaven. If we are good and just we are sure to be living in heaven. And if we are bad and evil we are damn sure to be living in hell. We live in places according to our own karma when we are still alive.

I don't find it important to know the purpose of our life after we die. After all we are not able to go back to the time and live that life again. It's just we get more and more anxiety and stress. And the guilt and regret we feel after we know the truth is inexplicable. Even if we try to find a valid reason to forgive ourselves for the guilt; it's not easily done as it's easily said. It's easily said than done.

FINALLY:

I enjoyed reading the book. It's completely fictional but the characters are real. The people are those who we meet regularly on earth in our daily lives. We get to learn a lot of lessons after we finish reading. Every chapter and each of the five people teaches not only Eddie but us five valuable lessons.
And those lessons are to be implemented on earth only 🌎 and not in heaven.

BY SANJITA NAPIT