The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Ratings202
Average rating3.7
Read this again w/ Will. Finished it alone because he (I think) lost interest. Was my fave book for so long and it was still great, but maybe more for the nostalgia than the content.
I think I expected too much after having this recommended by so many people (and loving Tuesdays with Morrie). I was disappointed.
My friends gave me the perfect book as a birthday gift. A very moving and thought-provoking story about the people we meet in life and the stories we create. A beautiful tale about the narratives we set not just in our lives but in the lives of others who we love but also others who we only have chance encounters with. Emotional towards the end. Easy read, can recommend to anyone. Such simple language, yet such compelling stories.
Rating: 3.5/5
Simple and straightforward prose doesn’t lessen the impact this book has as a contemplative read towards a man’s life in heaven, what he lived for, why he lived in the first place, and to an extent, our lives as well.
It’s a thought-provoking read with many life lessons discussed per chapter, ranging from interconnected lives between strangers, what we give and gain in sacrifice, and how we cherish the memories of those who we love before their passing. Felt lots of emotions throughout.
I do think some of the lessons feel a bit “in your face” and could’ve used more subtlety in its delivery and how I find some chapters a little lacking in the “lesson” department compared to others, but nevertheless, this is a read that will take you on a journey of acceptance, self-reflection, and self-discovery. Genuinely a book that heals, comforts, and warms the soul.
I read it for my book club. If you think everything happens for a reason, it might be a good book for you. But if you're an optimistic nihilist like me, watch Everything Everywhere All At Once instead. It's more fun anyway.
This book is amazing! Really! Eddie is hero. He saves lives, I'm so proud of him. He may thought that his life is nothing but really, he is a hero. I thought the fifth person he'll meet is the girl he saved but I was shocked when it was the kid from the nipa hut. I like that some parts are held in the Philippines because I'm from there. It made me think of the wars of the past which our country faced. This book is must-read. It thought me a lot of things. Everything I do corresponds to what might happen in the future, and sacrifice and everything.
I really didn't get into this book until the last two people Eddie met in heaven. This is such a touching book I can see why it's a best seller.
I read this book to get out of my reading slump... Let's just say it worked.
I was condescendingly expecting this book to be some kind of bland aphorisms about the meaning of life and instead I found it a TRULY UPSETTING AND GRIM VISION OF THE AFTERLIFE
https://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-124-the-five-people-you-meet-in-heaven/
SERIOUSLY I THINK THIS IS HELL AND I'M HAUNTED BY IT
Such an interesting idea of heaven, really makes you sit back and evaluate what you're doing with your life and where your priorities are. I was really impacted by it, and it's scattered with great quotes to hold onto. My personal favourite comes right away on the fourth page:
"Had he known his death was imminent, he might have gone somewhere else. Instead, he did what we all do: He went about his dull routine as if all the days in the world were still to come." (pg. 4)
A beautiful short read that legit brought tears to my eyes a few times. Sweet and full of hope in this age of anxiety and depression.