Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones

[Kell]

Author: Alice Sebold
ISBN # 0330485385
Publisher: Picador
1st Published: 2002

On her way home from school on a snowy December day, 14-year-old Susie Salmon is lured into a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold's debut novel, unfolds from heaven, where "life is a perpetual yesterday" and where Susie narrates and keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case.

The front cover of The Time Traveler’s Wife reads “This is the next The Lovely Bones,” but if I’d read this one first, I never would have read the other & would then have missed out on a fantastic read. To be frank, I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I got incredibly angry at the stupidity of a 14-year-old girl who would allow herself to be drawn into such an obviously dangerous position. Even being set in the 70’s, it was the decade that The Yorkshire Ripper on the rampage in Britain, it’s hard to believe that over in America people didn’t take notice of what could happen.

Yes, I know that’s not terribly PC of me, but it’s how I felt reading it. I think perhaps I would have been able to get on better with the storyline if she’d been dragged, kicking & screaming into that underground room. Nobody deserves to get raped & murdered, but I couldn’t help but feel that she’d brought a lot of it on herself & that meant I was now feeling guilty too.

The other thing that I really thought was just a tad twee was the whole heaven thing. I just couldn’t get into the flow of the heavens as they were described. Now, I’m not saying I don’t think there’s anything after death; I’m not even saying I don’t think we all get our own personalized afterlife; I’m saying I just couldn’t get on board with the way this was written.

And then there’s the fact that, as the reader, you know exactly who the murderer is. The ghost of Susie, telling her story, knows exactly who her murderer is. Even her family knows exactly who her murderer is. The whole book is spent wondering when, if ever, the guilty man will be charged.

I found this book deeply disappointing from start to finish & I’ll admit to being relieved to finish it. In my opinion, there’s not really anything lovely about The Lovely Bones. I found nothing to recommend it.

Sorry, but I won’t be reading anything else Ms Sebold writes.

[Loricat]

************CONTAINS SPOILERS*******************

So........I'm getting the feeling you really didn't like this book! :dunno:

Heh Heh

The heaven part didn't bug me so much for a number of reasons, and particularly because I knew it was Susie's version of heaven and not meant to represent Heaven (if there is such a place) itself.

BUT, what I hated about it was the way Susie returned to earth to possess Ruth's body toward the end. And the only reason she does this is to have sex???? I dunno, but that seemed stupid to me, considering Mr. Harvey was still out there (as I recall -- it's been a while since I read this book). And I also hated that she *could* take over her friend's body. I didn't get why the book took this sudden new seeming direction.

The whole ending just seemed to not fit with the rest of the book.

What I did like about it was Sebold's writing style. It was simple and basic, and I thought it was pretty. So that kind of made up for everything else I didn't like.

[Kell]

Yup - the posession bit kind of irked me even more, but by that point, I think I was just waiting it out till the end. I was mostly bored while reading it, with occasional fits of anger at one character or another (mostly Susie, but also her mother at some points).

[Freewheeling Andy]

Well, this reinforces my prejudices - people I know who enjoy the books I enjoy said much the same about The Lovely Bones (and even people who enjoyed it told me not to read it because it was just make me very angry). I shall leave it alone.

I also agree that the "Next Lovely Bones" trail on the front of Time Traveller's Wife almost put me off buying the thing. It's not the first time that a recommendation has almost put me off a book that turned out to be good.

[Maureen]

agree that the "Next Lovely Bones" trail on the front of Time Traveller's Wife almost put me off buying the thing

It was the other way round with me...I thought - I should get that book (L.B) after I read T.T.W. Then I remembered Kell saying what a absolutely irritating read it was....Am glad that I did not try to read it....feel bad when I get a book which I do not like as I cannot seem to just put it away unfinished.....

Why did they put that reference on T.T.W...it was such a wonderful book - I really really enjoyed it. :?

[Loricat]

Ive heard Lucky is a lot better than The Lovely Bones. I didn't hate Sebold enough to avoid her other books, so I'll probably check out Lucky at some point.

If it is better, it may be because she wrote about her own rape as a young woman. It's just such a sobering topic that I've avoided it -- but I'll get to it eventually.

[Inanna]

LOL I was just umming and arring about getting this book, but I think I'll leave it now :mrgreen:

Sounds like one I won't enjoy :roll:

LOL after being recommended it by a few of my friends I have changed my mind and am now going to try it :D

[sparkymarky]

some posters on readit,swapit defended this book when i criticised it-glad to see you guys r of same opinion as me-highly disapointing though potential was there.agree totally with all of you not impressive novel at all

[Tash]

I stand alone then because personally I liked it.

The uniqueness of writing through the eyes of the dead I found enjoyable. Watching through her eyes, the way her family coped with her death, I found touching. I agree, there are parts that are far fetched but in general I thought it was a pleasant read.

As we've said before though, if we all liked the same things, life would be boring.

[Kell]

Actually, Tash, going from what 've heard elsewhere, you're in the majority. Most of the people I spoke to have liked it - the ones that don't like it are in the minority it seems - LOL. ;)

[sparkymarky]

what is it about this book that people like this much-even if i had liked it still wasn't that great a read i thought-who knows...... :banghead:

[Inanna]

Its simple, everyone has different tastes, just because you thought it lousy doesn't make it a lousy book. :wink:

[sparkymarky]

i agree as i have said in my other forum don't think it was terrible-just not my sort of thing-surprised is all its so popular.make your own mind up i always say....

[Inanna]

Exactly, I was put off this like I said by reading negative reviews, but decided I want to try it purely because I like the look of it.

Whether or not I'll like it remains to be seen :wink:

[sparkymarky]

negative reviews actually encourage me cos i think feck u lot lets see what I think of it-i'm the onbe whos choosing to read it,never be lead by reviews....well sometimes let them guide you but dont be lead by them-experimentation is what seperates us from the animals,well that and opposable thumbs lol

[Maureen]

Sparky, it is so difficult to read what you are saying!!!

[madcow]

I just picked this book up in a charity shop for 50p so i'm going to give it a go sometime in the not to distant future! I'll let you know how it goes.
PS Hubby has just barred me from going in charity shops for a month 'cos i went in to browse and came out with another 3 books (he he) roll on November...lol

[Lilywhite]

I started this one last night and I am finding it quite readable at the minute. I do like the whole looking down on her family thing and the getting used to her 'heaven'. Am enjoying it so far.

[madcow]

I second your comments Kat.
It is quite a readable book.

[KW]

Great review, Kell. I've wondered about this book --- because it got so much "buzz" -- which everyone besides people making decisions in NY knows is highly over rated...this is a REAL buzz right here. Thanks for it.

[Lilywhite]

I really really enjoyed this book. I'm not so great at reviewing thigs as I find it hard to put my thoughts down in words (coherant ones anyway;) ) but one thing I got from this book is the innocence it is written with. I do think it's difficult for many adults to capture that 13 y/o, just setting out on the path to adulthood innocence that this book has excelled at capturing. There's no overt emotional scenes about her death as she has 'moved on' and so does not mourn her death the way her family did, also, I found it very touching the underlying story of her not being able to grow up. She spent her time watching her mother be the woman she will never grow up to be and her little sister experience everything she was robbed of. I, therefore, didn't find the ending that surprising as she no longer needed to avenge her death, she understood the inner workings of it and so she did the one thing she ever wanted to do, which was 'grow up' and experience being an adult.

A wonderful story even with the nasty subject matter.

[~V~]

i'm with the OP about this pile of poop

never have i been so disappointed by a book. it started well, but then wandered in and out of the realms if ridiculousness. i read it ages ago so can't remember the details very clearly, but having read the OP, i found myself nodding along with the whole post

nice cover though :D

had i 'known' TTW was supposed to be the 'next lovely bones' i'd have missed out on the best book i've read in recent years which has placed itself right in my top three

[Michelle]

Both this book and Labyrinth seem to have divided people.. they either enjoy it or hate it. Would be boring if we were all the same though. :)

[madcow]

I have to say that i am enjoying Lovely Bones, and i also enjoyed Labyrinth when i read it earlier this year. As you quite rightly said Michelle it would be boring if we all liked the same sort of things!

[~V~]

Both this book and Labyrinth seem to have divided people.. they either enjoy it or hate it. Would be boring if we were all the same though. :)

i didn't mind labyrinth. but it's one of those books that hasn't left a great impression one way or another

[Purple Poppy]

I read LB a good while back, so can't remember specifics, but I too was disappointed and couldn't understand why Susie took over her friends body for sex. It was so disjointed. We hadn't been aware of this being a strong desire throughout the book, although she was curious about the things she was missing.
The book had potential but it didn't happen for me. The ending was too vague and the connection with the ice, crystal (or was it glass?)very tenuous...help me out here someone. I can't remember what it was, but I remember thinking it was quite clever and she missed a trick because she didn't emphasise it enough.
'Lucky' was better but depressing not because of the content, (which is depressing and frightening in itself) but because of Alice .. I couldn't make sense of her somehow. I personally don't like Alice Sebold's writing style and struggled to follow it, having to re-read many sentences.
I doubt that I would read anything else by her.

Susanna :006:

[princessponti]

Just scanned these posts as not to spoil the book for me, but it seems like there are mixed reviews. I have this on my bedside table and am to commence reading it tonight or tomorrow, having finished my current read this morning! I can't wait to read it! My mum has been pestering me for years to pick it up, so I can finally see what all the fuss is about!! Yay!

[madcow]

I don't care what anyone else says i really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to read despite how she died. There were some poignant parts like how her family coped with her death.

[princessponti]

I read the first chapter on the way home from work, I have to say that I really didn't like it. I think this is because of the subject matter more than the writing style or anything else (to be honest I didn't notice anything other than the subject matter) - does it get nicer? I don't want to read the reviews, but I also don't want to keep reading the book, I'm a delicate flower and the first chapter was way to heavy a topic for me.. any reassurances to help me continue?

[Lilywhite]

it's only mentioned in passing after the event... you only have to read through the details once. I hope that helps.

[princessponti]

I've given up! I read another chapter last night and I just can't read it. I figure what's the point in struggling to read something that makes me feel quesy, I'm just too delicate! Thinking about it, I don't read articles in the paper that are about similar things as they play on my mind, so I don't know why I even felt I could read it! I've just driven the book over to my aunties to give to her, it's no longer in my house and I feel better! Saying that, I really enjoyed her description of heaven and would have liked to have learned more about that! ..thanks for the post Kat..

[Marilou]

Alice Sebold is a real psychological genius when it comes to the dissection of the state of mind and relationships of a whole family and neighbourghood after the traumatic murder of a young teenager. The fact that she wrote it from the point of view of the dead girl was quite fresh and new at the time and it opened a new style of writing perspective. I found the book really good and I recommended it to all my friends.

[Gyre]

I have read 'The Lovely Bones' and 'Lucky', and I have to say I preferred Lucky. The Lovely Bones had all the traits of a good story but it was hard to see them when I was personally quite annoyed with Susie, I felt bad about what had happened to her, but at the same time, I could not helping thinking why?, why go with a man you are not sure of.

Lucky is the stronger of the two books for me, its well written.

[Maureen]

I guess this is the sort of book people really enjoy, or really hate!

[Kell]

It's another one of those that really gets people talking, for sure. Whether you like it or not, there's always going to be something to provoke you and get a reaction. Books like this are great for discussion because you get so many different viewpoints and sometimes get to see things from an angle you perhaps didn't get yourself when you read it, but looking back can see it once it's pointed out to you.

[Purple Poppy]

Gyre said,
Lucky is the stronger of the two books for me, its well written.

I would agree with that :)

[slywaka1]

The Lovely Bones was a good idea, but I couldn't really get involved with the story or characters, I loved Lucky though, I've read it 4 times and keep lending it to people, it's one of my favourites. Really well written and inspirational

Anna

[Ronny]

I just finished, the Lovely Bones, and I did enjoy it. I came close to loving it but there was a chapter towards the end with Ray, Ruth & Susie that threw the book off a bit for me, it didn't ruin it but it almost did.

I think that I preferred Lucky as well. I would definitely read more by her, does anyone know of any future books by her?

[lovesreading06]

She hasn't released any more books.

[Sofia]

The Lovely Bones is set to become a movie as well.

[piccolina]

Princessponti,
I don't blame you for giving up. I powered through, as it was given to me as a gift... and I felt it only polite to finish so to discuss with it's giver.

Reading the story of a young girl's violent sexual murder, told by the young girl could not have been more disturbing for me. Once I got through the first 2/3rds, and the details of the murder were not referenced, it started to get a little better.

I did find Sebolds writing however to be choppy. Did anyone else find Lovely Bones to end abruptly? I felt cheated from many lose ends tied up quickly in haste.

It's as though I read her first draft. Unfortunately, I am not interested in reading the final.

[Spooncat]

I thought this book was great - it has to be in my all time top 10 books! :readingtwo:

[FishAndChips]

It sounds really interesting. I'd like to give it a try.

[~V~]

We could do with a vote on these contentious books to see what the overall opinion is :mrgreen:

[chicken]

My SIL lent me this book and I didn't much like it. She loved it !