Josh's impressions on The Five People you Meet in Heaven

I just finished The Five People you Meet in Heaven.

I was pleased to see that the book mostly avoided overt religious overtones, and the core idea, that heaven means we get to have our lives explained to us, is somewhat interesting and different.

Beyond that, however, the book seemed a bit hollow to me. While reading, I got the feeling that it was trying too hard to be inspirational, and I can't help but think that the author consciously intended to write a book that Oprah Winfrey-types would gobble up, rather than something from the heart that reflects the realities of life.

I agree with Sreenath (or "freedom man", as it were) that some parts seemed cliche and designed to appeal to the lowest common denomenator. I've never read Tuesdays with Morrie, but I also got the feeling that Albom was trying to rake in more dollars from his previous success.

But with a name like "The Five People you Meet in Heaven" none of this was terribly surprising. Without thinking about it too much, I liked it. In the end it made for a nice quick read that was a pleasant diversion from the types of books that normally occupy my time.

BTW, wtf is Eddie doing waltzing with his brother at the end of "The First Lesson" (chapter 5?) ?

Cheers.