"The Five People you Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom
We have all wondered at some point as to what happens beyond the realms of death… what happens to us once the body ceases to live. There are countless different theories, yet no indisputable facts which can give you an answer beyond all doubt.
In his book titled The Five People you Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom depicts a very interesting concept of the afterlife through the life of an old and grizzled war veteran, Eddie.
Living a lonely life filled with regret, Eddie does nothing with his days but fixing rides at the seaside amusement park. When his 83rd birthday comes around, fates takes a strange turn as he loses his life in a tragic accident, attempting to save a girl from a falling cart. Once he died, he wakes up in heaven. However, there are no gardens or angels singing; heaven is far from what it is thought to be (although it isn’t too bad).
As it happens, heaven is actually a place where you meet five people which explain to you your life on Earth. These five people could be anyone, as long as they have changed your path in one way or another.
As each person takes their turn to speak to Eddie, he realizes the kind of life he has been truly living, and how his actions impacted the people around him. His story keeps on unfolding until his tragic finale on Earth where he tried to save a little girl, his last act of desperate redemption.
However, he doesn’t know whether it was a great success or an utter failure; the answer to that question changes Eddie’s perception of the world… changes his life (or is it his afterlife?).
The way I saw the story, apart from trying to communicate his idea (not necessarily belief) of what happens after death, Mitch was also trying to teach us the value of our lives on Earth… regardless of what comes after.
Through a strange and very original story he is trying to reach out to us, pleading for us to lead our lives with meaning; after all, this world is the only one we know, so we should just try to make the best of it and not linger on regrets. All in all, I’d definitely recommend this book to anybody.
In his book titled The Five People you Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom depicts a very interesting concept of the afterlife through the life of an old and grizzled war veteran, Eddie.
Living a lonely life filled with regret, Eddie does nothing with his days but fixing rides at the seaside amusement park. When his 83rd birthday comes around, fates takes a strange turn as he loses his life in a tragic accident, attempting to save a girl from a falling cart. Once he died, he wakes up in heaven. However, there are no gardens or angels singing; heaven is far from what it is thought to be (although it isn’t too bad).
As it happens, heaven is actually a place where you meet five people which explain to you your life on Earth. These five people could be anyone, as long as they have changed your path in one way or another.
However, he doesn’t know whether it was a great success or an utter failure; the answer to that question changes Eddie’s perception of the world… changes his life (or is it his afterlife?).
The way I saw the story, apart from trying to communicate his idea (not necessarily belief) of what happens after death, Mitch was also trying to teach us the value of our lives on Earth… regardless of what comes after.
Through a strange and very original story he is trying to reach out to us, pleading for us to lead our lives with meaning; after all, this world is the only one we know, so we should just try to make the best of it and not linger on regrets. All in all, I’d definitely recommend this book to anybody.
 | Mitchell David "Mitch" AlbomPersonal site Most know Mitch Albom through his most famous books, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Tuesdays with Morrie, but the man born all the way back in 1958 has had a long and diverse career as a journalist, screenwriter, broadcaster, musician, dramatist, and radio show host. |
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