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Alice Sebold: The Lovely Bones *spoilers*

I enjoyed it while I was reading it but it left no lasting impression I'm afraid.

Am I just cold and heartless?!
 
No, you're not heartless. Each to their own, as ever, but it wasn't a good book. It was dull. One of the few books I've truly not liked.

I wish I could explain why, but, alas, I can't. To put some perspective on the matter, hearing people recommend The Lovely Bones is to me, on a par with people recommending The Da Vinci Code, to Stewart. See where I'm going with that?
 
Lovely Bones is lovely indeed

:cool: Lovely Bones is one of those books that sucks you in. There are times when you know the inevitable, but you have to continue reading to make sure that what you think will happen, will actually happen. And then you are saddened that it does. LB goes onto my favorite book list for its unique story-telling style (through the POV of a dead girl). The only thing about the novel I wished were different: that the climax of the story didn't revolve around her having sex through her sister's body (no pun intended with the climax reference), and that it actually revolved around the outcome of the evil man that off'd her in the first place.
 
I didn't mind that part because I thought it was really representative of one of the books central themes of healing and life continuing after she was gone. The only problem I had with it is the fate of the evil guy. I would have preferred something a little more poetic or dramatic :)
 
Warning, may contain spoilers.

I loved the book when I read it earlier this year. I hadn't heard many reviews of it and more or less picked it up blindly from a charity shop shelf.

When I read it I felt like her death trapped her on the verge of her adolescence. Her sister became a mirror of herself and went through everything that they both knew should have been happening to Susie first. Quite a few people mentioned that the sex scene with Susie in Ruth's body with Ray seemed out of place, but I feel it made Susie able to pass the line from child to adult.

Well I hope thats what it was... Since I'm thinking of writing about this for my personal study in Higher English this term... :eek: If anyone wants to correct me go ahead! :D
 
I read The Lovely Bones a few months ago, and I absolutely adored it. I thought the whole idea surrounding the story was brilliant, and the writing, IMO, was fantastic. Very sad, and yet very uplifting.

Wabbit said:
With the novel you are right inside her head and screaming out for her to RUN.
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I felt /exactly/ the same way. Now that I think about it, it was no different than a person yelling at the rugby players on TV to "go!GO!". I hate those people.. they /can't/ hear you! :mad: ;)

I also agree with the comment about the ending. I didn't buy the ending - it was a bit too strange for me, but each to their own, I guess. I did, however, like the idea of her sister living the life that Susie was "meant" to lead. I couldn't help getting misty-eyed when I thought about how Susie should have been doing those things too. :eek:

RaVeN said:
Peter Jackson of LOTR fame will be directing this movie.
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I heard this the other day, and I can't wait! Peter Jackosn is /only/ the best director alive ;)

MonkeyCatcher
 
It's been a while since I read Lovely Bones but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was beautifully written. The language was simple which, to me, fitted in with the book being about a young girl. I was initially weary of reading about someone so young who was brutally murdered and felt like crunching my eyes up when it came to reading the dark deed - a bit like you do when something horrible is on the TV. But Sebold managed to get across the horror, fear and bewilderment experienced by Susie without going into gory detail. Definitely a book I'd recommend reading and one I shall keep on my bookshelves.
 
i loved this book! i found it almost hard to read because my heart felt so heavy for her and her family, but i just could not put it down.....such a good book..
 
I loved this book intensely. I wish that I had read it before Lucky though, as Lucky had SUCH a profound impact on me, I kept thinking back to it while reading TLB. It was beautiful and I disagree, the sex scenes were integral to the story and to Susie's being able to grow up and move on.
Anyone who hasn't yet read Lucky, do so, it's just a beautifully written.
 
I really enjoyed the book also. She is an excellent writer, and I believe this is her first fiction...? I agree the ending was a bit far-fetched, but that's why it's fiction....lol. But it was still kinda nice :)
 
I read this book a while ago, and thought it was really good. I loved the whole way it was told from the main character sitting in heaven watching her family and friends come to terms with her death.

I also read Lucky, which, again was a great book too. It took a lot of guts for Alice Sebold to tell her story, and more so to go on and create a fictional story along the same lines which didn't echo a lot of anger towards rapists.

Recommend everyone read it!
 
I enjoyed this novel too. It had several interesting passages that moved you. After I finished reading it, I purchased Alice Sebold's autobiography Lucky. Wow it really breaks your heart to read how a rape victim deals with something like that.
 
Has anyone heard anything about Alice Sebold releasing a new book? I really hope she's planning on a third book. I've googled it, and can't find anything online. Oh well, I just ordered Lucky and Lovely Bones from the library. Rereading these ones will just have to doo!
 
Prairie_Girl said:
Has anyone heard anything about Alice Sebold releasing a new book? I really hope she's planning on a third book. I've googled it, and can't find anything online. Oh well, I just ordered Lucky and Lovely Bones from the library. Rereading these ones will just have to doo!
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i haven't heard anything. i'd love it if she did, she's an awesome writer. Lovely Bones was a great concept
 
i read it when i was 13 or 14. i actually started re-reading it yesterday but i think i'm gonna wait to continue it for a while. i really liked it even tho sometimes the transition between the years was sudden and understated. i recall being confused sometimes
 
I just finished this book, it took me two days because I didn't want to rush through it. It made me cry at points, which is very rare, and I thought it was beautiful in spite of the sadness. I think the message of the book is heaven is what you make of it, just like life.
 
I read the book earlier this year and I really loved it. It was written so beautifully and was a wonderfully uplifting book (I think I wrote all this on another thread that is lurking out there, so I'll just keep this one short).

Has anyone heard anything about the movie adaptation of the book? All I know is that Peter Jackson is directing. I'm very excited about this - I would love to see how they interpret the story, I just hope that they don't ruin it by casting Dakota Fanning. I'm so sick of her - she's in every movie! :rolleyes:
 
I've been wanting to read this book for some time now too - but heard it was very depressing and not that great. I think i might pick it up now though..
 
I read this book a couple years ago and I was deeply moved by it! I cried lots while reading it, partly because of the grief of the family, but also because it helped me to better empathize with my friends' family, who had recently lost a son to suicide. I saw how people deal with a local death, and how it affects everything around it.

By the way, I am also a guy, so now you can say that the book is powerful enough to make a grown man cry!!
 
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