The Five People You Should Avoid in Heaven

So remember the book club that I'm a part of? Well, we were supposed to be reading "The Alchemist", but when the Library didn't have enough copies the book was switched to, or should I said we got stuck reading "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."

By the time I found out that the book had been switched there was only two weeks left to read the book, and because those two weeks were going to be busy I opted to get the book on tape so I could listen to it. Just a heads up, when you are endeavoring to read an already cheesy book, listening to it on tape is not the way to go because you get stuck with an overly expressive reader and ridiculous music that come on anytime things are supposed to be emotional. I have to admit that this may have effected my judgement on the book, which if you haven't guessed by now I didn't like.

When book club met at my house, of course everyone excluding Leslie and myself, loved the book. One girl even exclaimed that she cried all the way through it. I wasn't surprised, I've found over the years that my opinions usually differ from that of the prominent Provo culture. Maybe it's a "girly" thing to like books that are cheesy and emotionally manipulative? In any case the book is a National Bestseller...so people must like it.

If there really were five people that you had to meet in heaven before you can "move on" the five people in this book are ones that I would suggest you try to avoid. They are pretty dramatic and annoying.

My issues with the book are of course that it's predictable, cheesy and it has some major theme/concept flaws. The book deals with concepts such as forgiveness, acceptance and the power of love (cue that song from Back To The Future). But also there are overwhelming themes of the stupidity, laziness and settling of the main character that are not addressed as problems. There is also a theme that no matter what kind of abusive neglectful life someone has led, if there was that one time that they saved a life, then that one act redeems them from every other mistake they have made.

I could talk about other specific things that bothered me but then it would taint you if you plan on reading it and criticising it for yourself. I also have to admit that, as with most books a deplore, I did not finish this book to the last page. So maybe there is some redeeming quality that takes back all the lameness in the last few pages that I missed, but I doubt it.