Frace,+Anastasia

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= The Five People You Meet in Heaven = by Mitch Albom Published in 2003 Publisher: Hyperion Press Author: Mitch Albom //The// //Five People You Meet in Heaven// was a New York Time Bestseller for 95 consecutive weeks. Mitch Albom is an accomplished writer who is also involved with the theater, movies, and many charity organizations. Other works include:
 * Tuesdays With Morrie (1997)
 * For One More Day (2006)
 * Have A Little Faith (2009)
 * Bo (1989)
 * Fab Five (1993)
 * Live Albom (I, II, III, and IV) (1988-1996)

Summary: //The Five People You Meet in Heaven// is centered on a man named Eddie, whose 83rd birthday is the start of the setting. Eddie is head of maintenance at Ruby Pier, where he has basically lived since his birth. Eddie, a World War II veteran, has led a very difficult and trying life, which has left him nearly incapable of happiness. From suffering the childhood of a boy whose father is a violent alcoholic to losing the only woman he ever loved to a long and painful illness, Eddie has seen and felt it all. On this particular day, Eddie's final act on earth is attempting to save a young girl from tragic death. After he is killed, Eddie discovers that Heaven is not what he believed it to be. To understand the purpose of his life on earth, Eddie meets five people who have come before him and who have been impacted by him. These people each provide a separate lesson that he had never learned in life.

This book was pure enjoyment. I loved the plot and the meaning behind this touching story. Mitch Albom is truly a gifted writer who speaks to his audience through his skillful use of imagery, detail, dialogue, and themes. By making the reader feel she/he is right alongside Eddie, Albom really gets his point across. Also, he effectively proves that all things happen for a reason, and that love is endless.
 * Destiny Review **

Setting: The book begins at Ruby Pier where Eddie dies. In Heaven, the setting switches from person to person and goes from old Ruby Pier to the Philippines during World War II. Each setting is crucial to the character that Eddie meets and also to the lesson that Eddie is supposed to learn. Albom's purpose in each setting is to set the mood of the lesson and provide an exciting reason for each lesson to be based upon.

Analysis of Themes: There are four major themes in this book. The most predominant is the theory that everything happens for a reason; there are no random acts in life. This is proven time and time again by each person he encounters in Heaven. This theme is Albom’s main idea that he wants to get across to the readers due to its impressive significance in our lives. The second theme is the belief that lives must be sacrificed to save others. His Captain during World War II is the example for this theme because of his sacrifice to save the other men. Through this theme, Mr. Albom teaches his audience of the importance of courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good. Learning forgiveness and letting anger go is also a major theme and lesson that Eddie learns. His poor relationship with his father is eventually forgiven by Eddie when he backtracks through his father’s life. This important theme is represented in the book because of human tendency to hold grudges. Albom wants to show people that only pain can come from grudges and anger. Finally, the second most important theme and the most sentimental lesson that Eddie is taught, is the power of love. His wife is one of the five people he meets in Heaven. He loved her dearly and by the end of his time with her, she teaches him that love is continuous, even after death. This amazing premise is truly relevant to everyone, because everyone longs for love. It also brings hope to those who have lost a loved one, for it shows that while the person may be gone, the love that was felt is not lost.

Style Analysis: The title is an eye-catcher that entices the reader to find out who exactly the five people you meet in heaven are. Although it is a misnomer (the five people in the book are not the five people the reader specifically will meet in heaven), the title definitely intrigues a potential audience. Albom jumps right into the novel by starting out with the situation that sets the ball rolling, which is the setting of Eddie’s death. This sets the action to a decently fast pace through to the end of the book and keeps it constantly engaging. The use of many flashbacks is what makes this book easier to understand. Without a background of the people Eddie meets, the novel would have no depth and it wouldn't make a lot of sense. Mitch Albom uses a large amount of detail and structure to keep the plot flowing and engaging the reader to the point where he or she feels like he or she is in the book alongside Eddie and his five people. This is why the book is such a good read. It is very difficult to become bored while reading this masterfully detailed novel.

Reviews: 

"I am a blind student. I receive books from the blind each month. One of the books they sent me last February was "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" by Mitch Albom. I'm really glad they sent it to me, because the book touched my heart in ways that I needed at that time. I hope that I will be able to explain it clearly so that you can see just how wonderful the story truly is... This book is a very touching book that will surely bring tears to your eyes. It will touch the hearts of any who read it." - Johnsonblue

"The Five People You Meet in Heaven, just like Mitch Albom’s bestselling predecessor, Tuesdays with Morrie, does tug at one’s emotional heartstrings. The problem here, however, is that the individual stories work too hard to elicit these intense emotions. Quite often the feelings seem forced -- so much so that the reader may feel manipulated into reaching this end result. Those readers who enjoyed his earlier work will likely enjoy this book to the extent that it, too, aims to tell a simple story with a far-reaching message. Others, however, will be disappointed, since this story is a failed attempt to emulate the tone and genuine emotion created by his previous bestseller.” - Lori West

“THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN is a beautiful story. Eddie is human and likable for his foibles, fears and faults. The writing is often lyrical and fable-like. And though the book is fiction, behind it lays Albom's lifelong love of his uncle, which lends a tenderness and intimacy to the tale on par with TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. You'll want to share this with your friends, family, acquaintances, and even those nameless people you pass on the street who may have played a larger role in your life than you ever could have imagined.” - Roberta O’Hara

Works Cited:

Albom, Mitch. “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”. Hyperion Press, 2003. Print.

Johnsonblue. “The Five People You Meet in Heaven. //Rev. of The Five People You Meet in Heaven.//  < [] >

O'Hara, Roberta. "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". Rev. of //The Five People You// //Meet in Heaven// by Mitch Albom. >. Web.

West, Lori. “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”. Rev. of //The Five People You// //Meet in Heaven// by Mitch Albom. < [] >. 2004. Web.