Amazon words - The novel begins swiftly. In the second sentence, Sebold's narrator, Susie Salmon, announces, "I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." Susie is taking a shortcut through a cornfield when a neighbor lures her to his hideaway. The description of the crime is chilling, but never vulgar, and Sebold maintains this delicate balance between homely and horrid as she depicts the progress of grief for Susie's family and friends. She captures the odd alliances forged and the relationships ruined: the shattered father who buries his sadness trying to gather evidence, the mother who escapes "her ruined heart, in merciful adultery." At the same time, Sebold brings to life an entire suburban community, from the mortician's son to the handsome biker dropout who quietly helps investigate Susie's murder. Much as this novel is about "the lovely bones" growing around Susie's absence, it is also full of suspense and written in lithe, resilient prose that by itself delights. Sebold's most dazzling stroke, among many bold ones, is to narrate the story from Susie's heaven (a place where wishing is having), providing the warmth of a first-person narration and the freedom of an omniscient one.
I had tried this book before but I was unable to get through it. THEN the film was released and the book was re-released as a tie-in - so I felt that there must have been something there.
Fascinating preface - the girl is raped and murdered in the first chapter and then sees how her family reacts.
I enjoyed it but did not like all of the elements of the tale - so i perused quickly over bits.
DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO READ
There are a plethora of different things which occur - the watching of her mother leave her father, the self persecution of her father, her 'different' friend who allows her to meet her love in real time, the gruesome story of her rapist and the readers subsequent own wish for retribution to this man AND the rapist is hit by a falling icicle and his head hits the floor - killed.
Amazon Reviews
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