Wednesday - September 27, 2006
The Lovely Bones
*** a dead teenager watches - from her
own limited version of heaven - the hell that unfolds in the wake of her
murder
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
(2002)
Beginning with the name "Susie Salmon" the main character failed to become real for me. Her depth of understanding of the private thoughts and relationships of her friends and family seemed to spring straight from the author, definitely NOT from a budding adolescent.
And yet, the character's own feelings seemed somehow underdeveloped or at least ambiguous. Did her lack of self-absorption and deep empathy for others come post-humously, as a kind of heavenly gift? Speaking of heaven, Susie's heaven was drawn disappointingly minimalist, Harold's purple crayonish.
Yet the story as seen through Susie's heavenly eyes commanded my attention - once sucked in, I didn't want to put it down. It was a fully developed story of earthly origins, very organic and beautiful in its truthfulness.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book once I got over my great expectations of a real life (albeit dead) complex main character and my desire for fantastical details of her heaven, I'm sure it won't stick with me for long.
Moo-shoo fiction, mm, mm good. Next.
Beginning with the name "Susie Salmon" the main character failed to become real for me. Her depth of understanding of the private thoughts and relationships of her friends and family seemed to spring straight from the author, definitely NOT from a budding adolescent.
And yet, the character's own feelings seemed somehow underdeveloped or at least ambiguous. Did her lack of self-absorption and deep empathy for others come post-humously, as a kind of heavenly gift? Speaking of heaven, Susie's heaven was drawn disappointingly minimalist, Harold's purple crayonish.
Yet the story as seen through Susie's heavenly eyes commanded my attention - once sucked in, I didn't want to put it down. It was a fully developed story of earthly origins, very organic and beautiful in its truthfulness.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book once I got over my great expectations of a real life (albeit dead) complex main character and my desire for fantastical details of her heaven, I'm sure it won't stick with me for long.
Moo-shoo fiction, mm, mm good. Next.
