A little while ago I was browsing through the 'spiritual' section at the book shop whose name i cannot pronounce but luckily i can write with the help of google (or by looking at the sticker at the back of the book), Kinokuniya. A book called 'the five people you meet in Heaven' caught my attention and I immediately thought it was misplaced for it should belong to the fictional section, or so I thought. You might know the author, Mitch Albom, from the bestseller 'tuesdays with Morrie'.
I started reading the book in Dubai and the very first chapter turned me off and I stopped reading as it talks about the last day of 'Eddie', the protagonist of the novel. I thought it's such a depressing book and I put it aside. Later on, when my trip to Bali was imminent, I knew that this book would be my best companion.
The story starts off with 'Eddie', an 82 year-old attendant at an amusement park called Ruby, dies while fixing the roller coaster at the site. Then the journey begins. Post his death, Eddie starts meeting the five people who influenced his life the most; some of which he never met before. While meeting these people, one after the other, we get to learn more and more about Eddie's life, mainly through his birthdays. Albom's way of alternating between Eddie's post death journey and his life on earth in a very exciting, uninterrupted sequence, makes it really easy for any movie director to just pick up the book and paste it to a screen. The novel gives the feel of watching a surreal movie but yet a very real story that touches our lives on different levels.
The book made me think of my current life, the experiences I go through, and my next 'life'. Mostly, I liked the ending of the story, which puts the whole thing into perspective: Heaven is not about the rivers of milk or honey, and valleys of strange fruits; but it's more about the moment we spend with beloved ones and we cherish the most. So, the book was in its right place at the bookstore.
I do recommend this book as a good read; especially on the beach.
Title: the five people you meet in Heaven
Author: Mitch Albom
Language: English
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