February 2010: Alice Sebold: The Lovely Bones

[csigirl]

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I started reading this other than Susie was murdered. I was a little disappointed that the murderer is never caught, she says that Mr Harvey can feel the spirits of the murdered girls and I was half expecting him to either confess to relieve the guilt or commit suicide.

I was little confused at the snapshots chapter, I wasn't sure if this was meant to be a flashback or a way to move the storyline ahead.

I agree with everyone, when Susie takes over Ruth's body it was just weird. I think what made it weirder for me was that it was at the site of where her body was dumped.

I'm a huge fan of police dramas and crime mysteries, so the police work in Sebold's story seemed very amateur. I guess considering the time frame of the crime this was probably realistic, but it seemed that the detectives, especially Len, didn't want to believe Jack that it could be the crazy old man that can't remember his wife's name.

But ask yourself this, what if the Mr Harvey character was never introduced and the kill-scene wasn't in the book at all. You would still have the elbow, the hat, the blood in the field, everything to link her being missing to be being murdered and all of the unknown and open-endedness that comes with that. Susie is still narrating from heaven, the family still struggles with the day-to-day strife of moving on and all Susie has say when mentioning him is "her murderer" as she already does. Then you would have a book that is more about "life, immersed in sudden death" which I agree is ultimately what Sebold was trying to achieve here. But by adding the element of the murderer as a character that you follow (I use that word loosely as you hardly follow him at all after the murder) throughout the book, it becomes more than just about the family and friends trying to cope with the sudden loss of a teenage girl.

I think that Sebold had to add Mr Harvey as a character for the story to happen the way it did. If Mr Harvey wasn't a character, you wouldn't have Jack knowing that he was the murderer and trying to prove it, and everyone thinking he was crazy including his wife and the lead detective. This character needed to be added so that Lindsay could have that moment when she realized that her father was right, so that they could bond. Granted, Sebold could've killed off the character sooner, since you're right she doesn't really follow him except to tell us that he's killed more.

The romance between Len and Abigail wasn't believable at all, there wasn't any passion or take your breath away moments, that I'd expect to see with an affair, just more of a "he's kind of interesting" perspective from Abigail. Susie's experience in Ruth's body was more believable than her mother's affair with Len. I think this affair was just a way for Abigail to regain some confidence, to allow her to know that she was still attractive and men wanted her. I think that if Len had rejected her, she wouldn't have left, but him allowing her to seduce him allowed her to be empowered sexually. I hated the part where grandma is telling Abigail about her father's affair and it goes in one ear and out the other. You could tell reading that the grandma was a very proud person, and this showed her weakness, and Abigail doesn't even listen! I think this was the point that I really started liking the grandma's character.

All in all the book, for me, kept me interested enough to finish, but had some disappointments. I've heard that the movie is quite a bit different, so I think I'll have to watch to see for myself.

 

[Libra]

I've heard that the movie is quite a bit different, so I think I'll have to watch to see for myself.

Yes,it is different in a sense.I will not go into detail,but I got the same reaction from the book and the movie and I liked how the rape part was handled.

 

[Landslide]

WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD

I really liked this book. It’s nothing like anything I have ever read and even though it’s a really sad story, the predominant felling I had when I finished the book was a feeling of hope. Like there’s really nothing we can’t overcome if we have people who loves us and whom we love to lean on. Sure it’s complicated, of course it is, but eventually we get there.

I found the inicial part very disturbing too, and the fact that it's discribed in an emotionless way even made it more disturbing. And I agree with Libra here, I think the emotionless description of her rape and murder was a way for Susie to cope with it.

As for the characters, I think I liked them all, except Mr Harvey, of course, and Susie’s mom. My problem with Abigail is not so much that she cheated on her husband (as it has been said before, it’s common for couples who face such a tragedy to go their separate ways, and I think she wasn’t looking for love or affection, she was just trying to feel alive again) it’s that she abandoned her children when they needed her the most. She was weak and chose the easy way out. But then again she was only human and we can never know how our reaction would be in the same situation…

I agree with csigirl on Mr Harvey’s. His character was fundamental to the plot. And I think he’s even more important as a warning, that monsters don’t necessarily look like monsters. Sometimes they can look very harmless and can be right next door. And sure nowadays people are more alert to this, and I’m sure the police would imediately suspect him, but back in 1974 people were more naive, so he might not look very suspicious at first, just weird.

As for my favorite characters, I’d have to say Grandma and Hal. I really loved the selfless way in which Hal devoted himself to that mourning family and how he was always there when he was needed.

I also loved the author's take on heaven. It’s comforting to think that our loved ones are there looking out for us… Even though there seemed to be very little that Susie could do…

The scene with Buckley when his father suffers the heart attack was really heartbreaking for me especially considering how much he adored his father throughout the book.

This for me was a very expected scene and I expected it to come sooner in the storyline. When families go trough such traumatic experiences, they tend to put their lives on hold and it was only natural that someone would eventually snap.

Unlike everyone else it seems, I actually liked the part where Susie possesses Ruth’s body. I thought it was Ruth’s ultimately act of kindness and it allowed Susie the closure she needed to move on.

So, as a whole I really liked it and can’t wait to see the movie.

 

[sanyuja]

Unlike everyone else it seems, I actually liked the part where Susie possesses Ruth’s body.

I didn't have any problem with Susie possessing Ruth's body, but what she did after that. It was her one last chance to point out her murderer or to let her loved ones know that she can see them from heaven or comfort them that she is fine in heaven or something.... not making love to your teenage crush.

I thought it was Ruth’s ultimately act of kindness and it allowed Susie the closure she needed to move on.

How do you mean? What do you mean by closure to move on?

 

[Landslide]

Well, I think that Susie always felt (and she had good reason to) like she had been robbed of too many things and seing her sister grow up and the experiences she had throughout life intensified those feelings. And I got the feeling that, of all the experiences she had missed, that was the one she craved the most. In fact, soon after she was able to move on to the next stage of heaven. So that's how I figure that was closure for her.

As for not pointing out her killer, maybe she was passed the time for vengance. Maybe she decided to spend her last time on earth with good feelings and making good memories... And it's not like they didn't already know who her killer was. At that point, and not being able to see him from above, could she really tell them anything that would make a difference? She could describe the car he was in, but what guarantees did she have he hadn't already traded it?

What I meant with Ruth's ultimately act of kindness was that she made the choice to allow Susie back on earth using her body, cause we know there was a struggle between them in which Ruth fought to ascend. So it was, in my opinion, an act of kindness, to allow her to say goodbye to Ray.

 

[csigirl]

Landslide, I agree with you that it was a extraordinary act of kindness from Ruth, but I think that Susie's actions were very selfish. She spends all her time with Ray and doesn't try to communicate with her family until its too late.
I agree with Sanyuja too Susie should have used this opportunity to let her family know she was in heaven and watching them. Especially her father who was injured trying to prove who her killer was, and then his wife left him because of his obsession with Mr. Harvey.

 

[sanyuja]

Well, I think that Susie always felt (and she had good reason to) like she had been robbed of too many things and seing her sister grow up and the experiences she had throughout life intensified those feelings. And I got the feeling that, of all the experiences she had missed, that was the one she craved the most. In fact, soon after she was able to move on to the next stage of heaven. So that's how I figure that was closure for her.

Ah! I never thought of it that way. Makes sense now. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Barbara Lane]

LOVELY BONES * * * 3 stars

so many people review books and if there is child abuse they give it a 1 star
or if there is graphic murder 1 star. I thought I could handle anything any topic
but LOVELY BONES really disturbed me!!!!! but that is my fault not the authors so
I can give less than 3 stars.

After I finished this book I talked to every client who walked through my door for the next days. We talked about spirits hanging around watching us and if this had ever happened with someone they loved did a spirit hang around. I was shocked at the response 80% said they felt a loved one hanging around and watching which is embarrassing. e.g. My father died and i felt he was around for about 2 weeks
looking after me. But i was embarrassed If i went to the shower I didn't want to take my clothes off so would hang towels over the shower screen then undress and dash in.

Didn't matter what I did I felt him in the same room. Think about it you don't want someone watching everything you do. But after 2 weeks it was gone.

Well in THE LOVELY BONES she hung around for ages. Even seeing her mother be unfaithful and making love to the policeman!!!!! etc etc etc

There was nothing wrong with this story. A few people felt sick at the beginning when she was hacked to bits. (that didn't bother me) But her hanging around watching everyone. It disturbed me. I thought I could handle anything.

This has been the only book out of hundreds that I would say disturbed me.
But that is my problem so I won't punish the author for my feelings. 3 stars

Barb Down Under

 

[dj-sjos]

I agree DaoJones. Did not meet my expectations either.

 

[hyraxia]

My two cents: fairly unimaginative, over-used idea and hinged mainly on sadness. But I did 'enjoy' it overall. I read it whilst on holiday and had no dictionary to look up exactly what a sinkhole was, that threw me a bit.

 

[seangreyhanson]

Ooooh thats a very great book. love it.

 

[RozB]

Great book. Much better than the movie, but the movie wasn't bad either.

 

[books]

this was pretty powerful stuff, i loved it!