the lovely bones

i've seen this book in all sorts of best-selling lists
also in prominent display in bookshops for many years now
author alice sebold has a new book on offer now that is getting the treatment
joining a public library provides the opportunity to take risks on a few more books
and so despite continually raising a feeling of scepticism from the cover notes
i decided it was time to form my own proper opinion on this best-seller title
the opening chapter describes the horrific rape and murder of susie salmon
at the hands of a loner neighbour who turns out to be a serial killer
she is from a normal family living in a normal town attending a normal school
the not so normal twist to the book is that susie tells her story from heaven
she lives in the lives of her family, friends and classmates
as they all attempt to come to grips with the suddenness of her death
the author then successfully spins off many different story lines
tracing the decline in her parents marriage and health
her younger siblings have growing up and puberty issues as usual
and various other boy-girl relationships are developed and followed
there's also a sympathetic police officer who is intimitely involved with the family
all in the shadow of the crime that has taken place in their world
the murderer evades capture and the body is never found so that adds fragility to all their lives
the on-going life of the murderer is another thread in the book
providing a background to his motives and the way his life is also affected
so quite cleverly the author explains each persons character and personality
then allows the reader equal attention to and time with each of them
including susie sitting up in heaven with her deceased relatives and pets
on occasions she comes down to earth in spirit form to add another dimension
the book spans almost a decade from the murder (early 70's) to the conclusion
i must admit by the end of it i was flipping forward checking the number of pages remaining
a sure sign that my interest in the story had waned and i was wanting a wrap-up
unfortunately this came just all too neatly for my liking in the happily ever after ending
in fact i kind of felt betrayed by the author when the ending unfolded
she had put some work into some of the characters that indicated that would not be possible
but even they seemed content to return to the normality of their lives
my last hope was that the murder would be solved in an interesting way
but no chance as the baddie got despatched by nature in a closing chapter
this was only hinted at but presumably at the hand of susie up above
there is no challenge at all to the concept of an intervening heaven
and therefore probably an appealing factor with the religious right
that could explain why the book has sold in such huge numbers
i hope the film has more grit, substance and controversy
with peter jackson directing there's some hope for that
starring mark wahlberg and saoirse ronan as susie
last seen as briony in atonement
due for release in 2009