The Five People You Meet in Heaven

I love this book. I think about it often since I finished it about a month ago. I’m not religious but if I could choose what heaven was going to be like I would want this. It’s a beautiful story. This was my second book by the author and I can wait to read more!

Just coming off a recent read of "A Forgotten Man" by J. Pepper Bryars - which touched me deeply - and left me grieving for the 'middle class' in America - at the hands of an out-of-control Government Leviathan - in a very sad sort of way.I found this wonderful story, this simple, touching and inventive view by Mitch Albom - an author - with a vivid imagination - of a fictional heaven - where ones life, their purpose and their interconnection with the world and their fellow human beings is explained to them - through a series of story telling by those (selected by someone else - unexplained - God Maybe) who (known or unknown) were affected by one's life or that affected the main character's life throughout his or her life experiences quite refreshing. Where decisions, actions and/or inaction in various ways along their path made a big difference in that persons adventure, successes and failures. It was like medication for the previous books negative implications. In fact it was restorative, invigorating and solemnly calming for my inner soul.FIVE People You Meet in Heaven touches you at a level that causes one to think "Hmm, so that could have been me on this or that day." Or "wow who would the 5 individuals be in my life?".And about Mid Book you begin pondering, contemplating, questioning yourself and remembering people, events, dates, important occasions, career choices/changes, survival situations and narrow escapes and the like - wondering - whom your list would include. Was it this guy or that guy or this family member or that - or was it that coworker and on and on to infinity about the countless people you have brushed up against in your life.It is delightfully fun to try to go back and come up with a worthy list of names that would make you the person you are today, or find that special event which put you in the situations you were in or are in now, or the position or career you are holding now and on and on. And as this only happens when you die - you being wondering also "How That Might Now Happen To You! And for what reason or purpose?". As I said it is delightfully fun to ponder all these and just 'go with it'. And the negateers and naysayers or those condemning souls who simply trashed this and every book like it have to be those anti-religious bigots or upset by 'everything morally based' or the 'hate the concept of heaven' list or the 'only government is my God' list or some other such nonsense. They have a sort of ingrained Neanderthal-like anti-intellectual problem of negtiavism in the wrong enviornment syndrome sort of thing. This is not a political book or a social engeneering book, it is fiction, fun and challenging your imagination stuff. It is sad that they simply cannot enjoy a fun thought provoking book when they see one. Sad, just sad.This book is pure and simply fun, thought provoking and challenging throughout - I was halfway through the book when asked - what it was about. In attempting to explain it up to that point and only having read about the first three entities and encounters - I found it was easier thought about - than explained and trying to tie it all together without reading it all - made it difficult. I explained my deductions one way. But by the time I finished reading this exceptional book/story and read the last page.I realized I had been snookered by the brilliance of the authors tapestry weaving. And I was caught completely off guard and found the truth at the end was something completely different than what I imagined at the middle of my reading. Which caused me to instantly review mentally the entire story over again - to find where my error was made - at guessing the outcome incorrectly. I found it - and I wonder if others will as well. I loved it.I applaud the author for giving me a great read, an easy read and a spellbinding read and a mental puzzle to ponder that made me keep the book close by - to pick it up whenever I could. Surprisingly I began on a Saturday about noon on a road trip and finished it at my Granddaughters Birthday Party the very next day - so I could pass it on to a friend of the family - who had expressed an interest in it when he saw it on the table next to me.If you look to condemn - I am sure someone can - but I found it intriguing, fascinating and meaningful at a number of levels. Of course the most significant contemplation I had while enjoying this literary ride - was in real life if this were true - there could actually be a dozen or two dozen or scores of people or even more - in every person's life - who significantly affected in some way each of our lives similarly to the characters in this meaningful work.Something think about - no doubt. My congrats to Mr. Albom.JPL

I've never read a book this fast-paced in my life. It was definitely worthy of reading but I Don't know why I was expecting something bigger at the end.

I wonder… who would be the five people I’d meet in heaven. The people that were in the silent parts of my lives that I didn’t recognize on my own but allowed me to become the woman I am today. I recognize that this is just a novel, but you can see the workings of God’s prosperity and goodness through every word. Once the short read is done, you ask yourself your own philosophical questions like who has come into my life and who has shaped me without me knowing. You step outside of yourself. I shouldn’t be surprised by Albom, as he only writes transforming novels. But this books makes you look at yourself and review your own life’s

Apparently a rift exists where Albom's 'Five People You Meet in Heaven' is concerned, as people appear to gravitate towards either the a) disliking the simplicity of the work or b) enjoying the beauty of the sentimentality behind the work. This of course leads to the plethora of either 1-star and 5-star reviews, respective to the camp you're siding on.Clearly, I'm siding on the side of the beauty of the sentimentality. There were a few times near the middle where I barred the flood-gates, and there were a few times at the end where I couldn't hold them back. While not all of Albom's aphorisms are good ones (I don't yearn my father's attention)there are enough beautifully vague quips to attempt a philosophy.I personally, am not a believer in most things associated to God / Spirituality / Religion, Heaven being amongst them. So, if I give 5-stars to an 'after school special' it's because of the beauty of the story.Eddie works at Ruby Pier, it's the last day of his life. He doesn't know he will be killed by a malfunctioned amusement park ride. He also doesn't know if he will be able to save the little girl in the rides plummet-path.SPOILERS:Eddies Five People:1. The Blue Man - He worked with Eddie's father at Ruby Pier, the Blue Man was part of the 'freakshow' attractions. One day he borrowed a car to 'practice his driving' and in so doing nearly hit Eddie as he chased a baseball across the street. The Blue Man suffers a heart-attack and dies alone in the streets after the miss.The Blue Man represents something of Saint Peter. Welcoming the guest, telling a brief fable about life and what is important 'This is the greatest gift God can give you: to understand what happened in your life.' (335).The Lesson: "... there are no random acts. That we are all connected. That you can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breese from the wind.' (437).Interspersed with Birthdays (upon which usually something bad happens - his dad goes into hospital and dies a short time later one year; his wife Margaurite is in a car accident on her way to get Eddie from the track in another & this ruins their plans for adoption) to break the action between persons and to offer snippets of Eddies life back on earth, the story clips along alternating the earthly life past and Eddies transcendance through his 5 people.2. The Captain - Here we learn about Eddies time as a war vet in Vietnam. He was shot by one of his own men after being held captive by a break-away sect of Vietcong. Eddie was shot because he would leave the area without being forced; he thought he saw something in the fire his squad had set to burn down the village. The Captain, it's made known, is shortly after killed by a landmine while doing recon.Lesson: 'Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else.' (882)3. Ruby - She whom the amusement park is named after. She is the keeper of the souls of those who have lost their lives or been intimately involved with the park since it's emergence. She harbors Eddies father. He must go, make peace with his father for the years of neglect and abuse. Eddie pretty much blames his father for the wreck that has become his life. But he learns that his father died in very noble fashion, attempting to save a man's life. A man whom may not have deserved it at that given point in time.Lesson: 'Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside.' (1356).4. Marguerite - Eddies wife. The only woman he ever loved. Sadly she put up with a lot of his bad behaviors and emotional distance. But he loved her and he wasn't ever painted as a vile man, but a distant, distracted and torn man. Marguerite spends alot of time with Eddie, she is young when he sees her but she is 47 when she is taken from Eddie.Lesson: 'Lost love is still love, Eddie. It takes a different from, that's all.' (1669).5. Tala - Returning to the second person Eddie meets in Heaven, The Captain, Eddie is confronted by the shape he sees in the fire that got him shot by a friend. It's a young girl, badly burned, told to 'hide' in a most inopportune location. Eddie 'made me fire.' but Eddie's salvation lies in the work he did, keeping children safe. Tala brought Eddie to heaven to keep him safe.Lesson: "'Supposed to be there," she said. 'Where? At Ruby Pier?'" She nodded (1831).We're all right where we're supposed to be.

Book 1 was an interesting read and had a few errors throughout. The overall was well done and was a different kind of read for when a person dies. I would think some of the people he meets would be more important, but over a lifetime it seems some are more or less impacted by the death than others. It was well written and I enjoyed the overall book.

Very thought provoking, emotional and I learned a lot

This is the first book I read by this author. I really enjoy his books. I can usually read in a couple of days. They are interesting and heartwarming stories. I just finished The Stranger In The Lifeboat also. I have read 4 of his books and will be looking for more.