The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Rating:
Summary: You'll Be Moved
Review: Strange to say what makes certain books and stories work. It's a strange combination of pacing, ideas, characters. THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN is a book that shouldn't work. At first, the story may sound sentimental, but ultimately, by some magic, it works. It's the story of a 'nobody' who has an opportunity to reflect on his 'pointless' life only to discover it wasn't so meaningless, after all. It truly carries a powerful theme. Mortality and the afterlife, regret and fear -- love and acceptance. This little book packs a whallop. I recommend it. Also recommended: [e-mail] by Tom Grimes, THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional
Review: Only a master storyteller, could weave such an intriguing story. Well written and deeply thought-provoking...Mitch Albom not only draws the reader in, but in his subtle manner, also succeeds in raising one's level of 'conscious,' as this story challenges the casual reader to think deeply and profoundly...
about this journey, we call 'life.'

A wonderful book that deserves its rightful place on everyone's 'Must Read' List.

Rating:
Summary: THIS IS REALLY BAD
Review: And I bet given the title, this guy made a lot of money...
What a gimmick...

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book was very good. I started reading it as a time passer, and highly enjoyed it. This book made me think. Maybe some won't like it, but it truly lifts your sprits! The only problem was that at some parts it was hard to follow, but you will be able to pick it back up. I highly recommend this book. It was very awesome!!!

Rating:
Summary: Great Short Story
Review: I'd like to say that this book is beautifully crafted and stays in sync with a dual story model. While telling the story of the main character in heaven, Mitch also convey's a story of historical points in his charecter always switching, but so gracefully that you simply accept the scene change. Unlike other books where one story could live without the other, both of these forks are a ying to yang of the other, and because of this accentuate the often overlooked small details of out hero's life -- creating a thoroughly believable character.

Rating:
Summary: wondrous!!!
Review: Octogenarian Eddie works on maintenance for a boardwalk theme park called Ruby Piers. On his birthday, he dies while trying to save a little girl.

Once in heaven, he meets people from throughout his life -- people he never even knew he knew -- who explain his life to him. Turns out everyone meets 5 people in heaven, and everyone is one of 5 people to someone else.

Interspersed in the book are tales of Eddie's birthdays past and his relationships with his father, mother, brother and wife.

This is just so wonderful, no matter what your faith.

Rating:
Summary: Barely remarkable
Review: What a wonderful premise ( imagine whom we might be able to meet once departed) and catchy title. It created Much expectation for this reader. However, this book dissapointed me. I expected to feel inspiration and encouragment for living after reading this book. I did not, my reaction was -yeah.., well..so what!

We meet 5 people from his life (loosly), one is even unknown to him! Their messages to Eddie seem pointless and I wonder if they actually meant more to the messengers than to our main character . The first messenger actually tells Eddie that Eddie (at age 7 or there about) was the cause of this man's death!

I would have preferred Eddie to have had a near death encounter and then go on to live an enlightened , inspired life. Instead the message I sensed was-** some people die ,our lives go on, it might be you next time, it might not, life Suc*s, but oh, your life does matter*-

I found the whole book anti-climactic after the title. Seems to me this was really a mediocre short story, about a man that thought his life was mediocre and sadly, heaven seemed mediocre for him too.

Rating:
Summary: Not My Idea of Heaven
Review: The old of trap of high expectations doomed this book. As a follow up to "Tuesdays with Morrie", this was a big let down. The idea of 5 people in heaven waiting for each of us is somewhat interesting, but disapppointing in the telling. I anticipated something more as I began each person's part but never achieved the wonderful I expected.

Rating:
Summary: Cliched and unimaginative
Review: A friend gave me this book as a gift and several people recommended I read it seeing that they thought it was the best book they have ever read. I guess it does have some appeal if you are looking for a fuzzy feel-good read on a rainy Sunday afternoon, but if you are looking for depth, do look elsewhere. The organization of the story, going back and forth between the main protagonist's experiences in "heaven" and episodic flashbacks to his life before death would make for an interesting read, had the "lessons" that are - apparently - to be learnt in heaven not already been trodden out by other new-agey novels of questionable value or daytime shows on Lifetime. Derivative and tedious.

Rating:
Summary: Worst Book I've Ever Read
Review: I always finish what I start. With that said, I TRIED to make myself finish this book but it was so poorly written that I refused to torchure myself further.