Categories: uncategorized
Date: 12 January 2005 23:22:57
As per my new year's resolution, I've picked up one of the many books I've bought over the past few years that I've never quite got round to reading, to read for pleasure rather than for work or study. This month I'm reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, I'm about half way through after a couple of evenings. Interesting book - a bit sentimental for my taste, with lots of phrases you think "ooh that's profound, must remember that", but profound in a quite cloying sentimental soundbite kind of way if you know what I mean. The basic gist is the story of an old man who dies trying to save a young girl in an accident, who ends up in heaven where he finds that he has to meet 5 people from his life who explain various things of significance about why things happened as they did in his life. The premise being, as far as I can tell, that nobody is insignificant, that everybody's life is interlinked with other people's. I am quite enjoying it, despite being a bit of a literary snob about it - it's an easy read which suits me just fine for now (especially in my current drippy-nosed-feeling-sorry-for-myself-I-have-a-cold-bleurgh-sniff mood). I think it would work well for me as a beach book - I really struggle with trashy beach novels, I want something with a bit more substance, but couldn't cope with "War and Peace" or anything like that on holiday. This one would fit the bill nicely (though to be honest once I've finished it I'm not sure I'd rush to read it again for a long time). Worth a read if it ever comes your way, but it hasn't broken into my top 5 list or anything.