Mitch Albom’s second novel tells the bittersweet tale of a man named Eddie, a maintenance person for an amusement park where he spent his whole life doing seemingly mundane things. Eddie feels that his repetitive days and routines were the “be all and end all” of his existence, and therefore saw himself and his life as a waste. When one of the amusement park rides threatens to kill a little girl, Eddie dived and saved her–sacrificing his life in the process. He then wakes up in heaven to find that his life and death on Earth is not really the end–in fact, it was only the beginning.
The first sentence of The Five People You Meet in Heaven grabs you by the neck, breathes into you and leaves you gasping and holding on until the novel’s very last word. It shows how nothing in life is an accident, how souls are interconnected, how lives–even those of strangers–intersect with yours. It takes you to a world where no one else quite imagined–a heaven that has many steps, a world where you get to “make sense of your yesterdays”–and what more of a heaven could you get than the opportunity to have peace, to understand why you lived the way you did, make amends, and learn to forgive?
Gripping, touching, and eloquent, the novel has gained plenty of praises and good reviews and has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide and is now the most successful hardcover first novel ever (via Albom.com).
“A powerful book” -Time Magazine
“Transcendent” -Atlanta Constitution
“A book with the genuine power to stir and comfort its readers” -The New York Times
On a more personal note: Simply put, I cried like a baby while reading the book. And thanks to Ronan, my secret Santa, who gave me the copy.
On an even more personal note: My heaven has changed. Now, it would be in a field in this old familiar place, where I used to spend my evenings with a certain dimpled boy, lying on the grass, talking about tomorrows, and waiting for stars to die.
@Joni: yup, me too. hehehe. I’ve read For One More Day na din
@Riz: Thanks gerpren! Grabe, ngayon ko lang nakita tong mga bagong comments. How loser is that. Hahaha.
RE: Marketing ba? I learned from the best kaya (You, Kuya Gabs) Yown.
Nice review camz. If i haven’t read and bought the book already, I would have grabbed myself a copy after reading this post. Hehe. Marketing na marketing ang dating!
Dabest.
P.S. And let me just add how mushiieee these lines are, girlfriend.
“My heaven has changed. Now, it would be in a field in this old familiar place, where I used to spend my evenings with a certain dimpled boy, lying on the grass, talking about tomorrows, and waiting for stars to die.”
Yon eh. Gawa kayo ng book ni Karlo. Ung mga ganyang hirit, pang best seller. Hehe.
I enjoyed this book more than I did Tuesdays with Morrie.
[...] From camz [...]
@KJOSE
Of course you are. And I am as well. (wink, wink)
Methinks that’s a great idea
I LOVE YOU TOO!
a certain dimpled boy? that’s cute–which means, i am as well. heehee.
I LOVE YOU.
P.S. maybe i could do my own review of rhythm’s nov 2007 issue. whatchathink? heehee.