by Mitch Albom
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Product Description
Part melodrama and part parable, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven weaves together three stories, all told about the same man: 83-year-old Eddie, the head maintenance person at Ruby Point Amusement Park. As the novel opens, readers are told that Eddie, unsuspecting, is only minutes away from death as he goes about his typical business at the park. Albom then traces Eddie's world through his tragic final moments, his funeral, and the ensuing days as friends clean out his apartment and adjust to life without him. In alternating sections, Albom flashes back to Eddie's birthdays, telling his life story as a kind of progress report over candles and cake each year. And in the third and last thread of the novel, Albom follows Eddie into heaven where the maintenance man sequentially encounters five pivotal figures from his life (a la A Christmas Carol). Each person has been waiting for him in heaven, and, as Albom reveals, each life (and death) was woven into Eddie's own in ways he never suspected. Each soul has a story to tell, a secret to reveal, and a lesson to share. Through them Eddie understands the meaning of his own life even as his arrival brings closure to theirs. Albom takes a big risk with the novel; such a story can easily veer into the saccharine and preachy, and this one does in moments. But, for the most part, Albom's telling remains poignant and is occasionally profound. Even with its flaws, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a small, pure, and simple book that will find good company on a shelf next to It's A Wonderful Life. --Patrick O'Kelley
Amazon.com
Part melodrama and part parable, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven weaves together three stories, all told about the same man: 83-year-old Eddie, the head maintenance person at Ruby Point Amusement Park. As the novel opens, readers are told that Eddie, unsuspecting, is only minutes away from death as he goes about his typical business at the park. Albom then traces Eddie's world through his tragic final moments, his funeral, and the ensuing days as friends clean out his apartment and adjust to life without him. In alternating sections, Albom flashes back to Eddie's birthdays, telling his life story as a kind of progress report over candles and cake each year. And in the third and last thread of the novel, Albom follows Eddie into heaven where the maintenance man sequentially encounters five pivotal figures from his life (a la A Christmas Carol). Each person has been waiting for him in heaven, and, as Albom reveals, each life (and death) was woven into Eddie's own in ways he never suspected. Each soul has a story to tell, a secret to reveal, and a lesson to share. Through them Eddie understands the meaning of his own life even as his arrival brings closure to theirs. Albom takes a big risk with the novel; such a story can easily veer into the saccharine and preachy, and this one does in moments. But, for the most part, Albom's telling remains poignant and is occasionally profound. Even with its flaws, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a small, pure, and simple book that will find good company on a shelf next to It's A Wonderful Life. --Patrick O'Kelley
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 What a wonderful fantasy..., 2008-07-02
Mitch Albom is a remarkable writer. I have enjoyed all of his works whether in the weekend "Parade" Magazine, his books or numerous other works. He is fantastic...humanistic, deep, thoughtful, even philosophical, yet down-to-earth.
Regardless of the tone, he is guaranteed to touch your heart, your spirit and your soul with his writing. Here he doesn't disappoint his fans, and he makes new fans as well.
What a wonderful, heartfelt *fantasy*. But is it a fantasy? The reader quickly believes that this fantasy is a reality for all of us. What a completely wonderful tribute to our elderly: a group that has become *second class* in our society, a group that has a unique and important stories to tell us about our past, our lives, our future. Why are we the only nation in the world that doesn't always respect our elders? Besides other important topics, this book really shows us how important history is: our family, our upbringing, our heritage, our background, our uniquely individual journey through life.
The story surrounds a wonderful man named Eddie. A man who has had a very full life and is about to die at the ripe old age of 83. Although Eddie thinks his life is *mediocre*, he quickly learns that, at his death, he isn't the schmuck he always thought he was. He learns that he has contributed greatly to humanity.
I don't want to ruin the story-line by divulging the plot and entire story, but I can say that I hope that Albom's philosophy about what happens when we leave this earth is true. Even if it is only 50% true, I would be happy. If you believe at all in angels, you'll be happily beside yourself while reading this book.
I laughed and I cried along with the author. When I finished the book I was changed. Life is short. Life is precious. Love is eternal. Life and family is all that matters while we are on this earth. Don't sweat the small stuff. Bask and revel in your every day life. Seize the moment and the day. Be kind, be honest, be good.
Highly recommended. A+
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Great Shape, 2008-06-22
I would recommend this seller to anyone. The book was in great shape and came very fast.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Don't waste your time, 2008-06-22
I was shocked when I saw so many positive reviews for this book. The book reads like a sickly sweet cloying 1950's B movie. It is so loaded with over-the-top sentimentality that one has to put the book down every so often to keep from getting nauseous.
Cloying is a good word to describe this trash. Albom pulls out all the stops in his no-holds-barred attempt to make the reader feel.... what.... sick? Maybe I'm just not sentimental enough. I needed to take a shower after reading this book.
Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if the author didn't try so hard. Every page contains a desperate attempt to emulate Alan Alda's sentimental world view (If you liked what Alda did to "Mash" you'll love this book). Seriously, though, it's impossible to let go and get lost in the story and characters because 1) the book is so poorly written and 2) the story and characters are sooooo fake.
The characters are all one-dimensional stick figures. You've seen them and their lines many times before in every "heartwarming" holiday-made-for-TV movie. Soap opera characters seem complex by comparison. This book is "It's a Wonderful Life" on crack.
I think that when Mr. Albom gets to heaven, there will be some people waiting to talk to him..... all the people who got duped into wasting their time reading this book!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
GREAT WRITING, 2008-06-20
Mitch is a great writer who is well versed and well researched. He touches upon real feelings we all have. I wish he wrote more books.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Don't Believe The Hype!, 2008-06-17
I was disappointed in this book. It got such rave reviews, I thought it
was going to blow my mind. To me, it was just "ok." I would not recommend it to a friend, and I wouldn't read it again.
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