(no subject)
I've done a lot of reading recently, ever since that day. Yes, that day... I completed Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" within 2 days. I completed Glen Duncan's "Death of an Ordinary Man" within 3 days. And I completed Mitch Albom's "the five people you meet in Heaven" within 2 days. The first book was more of a suspense and mystery story. Nothing much about it, just feel that the plot and puzzles are perfect in every sense.
What I really love are the latter 2 books. "Death of an Ordinary Man" talks about the day when a man's soul came back to his own funeral. When he's back, he can sense the inner voice of everyone at the wake. He also saw images of past incidents and found out the feelings of those involved at that point of time. Nathan's lost his youngest daughter, but yet he didn't know what really happened when his soul floats around for an answer. Through his search for an answer to how his daughter and most importantly, how he died, he uncovered many truths and pains that he never knew. On the day of his funeral, he saw lots of things. His father's deteriorating relationship with his wife. His son's rebellion. His wife having an affair with his best friend when he was still alive. And people who saw his face at the last moment of his death. In the end, he found out that he committed suicide, naked, lying in the bathtub with his wrist slit open, blood diffusing throughout the entire tub of water. Reason being he can't take whatever is happening around him anymore. The death of his youngest daughter, the betrayal of his wife, his rebellious son and religious father... Everything just collapses around Nathan. What I remembered most vividly is the betrayal of his wife. Perhaps this part touches me most because of what happen on "that day". In this book, Nathan went home and saw his best friend, Adrian and his wife in bed. Adrian ran out of the room naked, guilty and ashamed. His wife sat on the edge of the bed, naked and smoking. No sense of guilt, remorse or shame. Instead of blasting his anger and frustration, Nathan sat beside his wife. Inside him, Nathan is an erupting volcano. But he loves his wife so much that he felt he should forgive her. But deep inside him, it hurts. It hurts so much that his wife is having an affair with his best friend. It hurts so much that he's had to saw this image. It hurts so much that he's got to deal with this betrayal coupled with the lost of his youngest daughter. It really hurts and I somehow can feel the pain when I read that part. Silence is always dangerous. But Nathan just sat beside his naked wife and inhaled her exhaled smoke. No explanation or conversation, only the sound of inhalation and exhalation. Silence is always dangerous. Throughout the day of his funeral, Nathan learnt so many things that he never knew when he was alive. He simply had no energy to bother about details and things happening around him. He simply just drifts around and let life get the better of him. Only death awakes him. How ironical...
The second book, "the five person you meet in Heaven" is powerful. Powerful in the sense that it really sets me thinking about everything around me. These two books of death have brought the word "ALIVE" to a new meaning. I really felt touched and inspired after reading. Although "Death of an Ordinary Man" is full of negativity, it somehow manages to bring out the positivity in me. "the five people you meet in Heaven" talks about the life of also a man, Eddie. When he died, he went to Heaven and met five people. The Blue Man, his war-time Captain, Ruby, Marguerite and Tala. Some of these people have never talked to Eddie, but they've had an impact on him in Heaven. Some of these people, Eddie didn't knew them at all. But Eddie and them had had an impact on each other's life and vice versa. It's really a book I'll recommend reading if you're down and out. It can really powers you up and makes you think twice about your life. No matter how insignificant you think you may be, always remember that we're part of the world. We're a part of people's lives. No matter how distant you feel, we all have an impact on one another. In the case of the Blue Man, a blue skin mutant, he's never talked to Eddie before. In this book, a situation is looked at from 2 angles. For instance, young Eddie was playing baseball with his friends when the ball accidentally rolled out to the street. Eddie went to retrieve it, nearly got hit by an advancing car, but the car swerved and missed him. Eddie was relieved that he's alive and he went back to join his friends. After baseball, Eddie and his friends went to the arcade and had an enjoyable evening. Happy ending.
The man who missed hitting Eddie continued down the road, still stunned by the incident that he nearly killed someone. He's still in a daze when he hit a parked car in front of him. His head bled and he managed to crawled himself out of the car. His chest tightened, breathing laboured and head spinning. As he collapses with an heart attack, all he remembered was people crowding around him. Sad ending.
An incident looked from two angles. Two obviously different ending. Does Eddie knows that he's indirectly caused the death of a man? Does the Blue Man knows that Eddie is having a good time at the arcarde after his near-miss? We don't always put ourselves in the centre. When things happen, give it a thought and put yourself in the shoes of others to understand the whole picture. Obviously, "she" doesn't seem to understand this point. Never mind...
Two phrases from "the five people you meet in Heaven":
"Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know"
"It might seem strange to start a story with an ending. But all endings are also the beginnings. We just don't know it at the time"
True, all endings are the beginnings of some events. No ending is a complete ending... These 2 books have given me light in days of darkness. I've grown so used to darkness that light has brought a new meaning to me. I message Elaine that I want to join CCL in volunteer work at old folks' homes and make a difference in people'slives. I want to channel my love to people who need it and make an impact. Though not much or even insignificant, I believe those old folks will really appreciate the things people do for them. Although my love went unappreciated and unwanted by someone, now I believe that there are other people out there waiting to be loved. No point in me dwelling on the past and halting myself from moving on. I want to move on, with a new lease of life sprouting from me. I want to make a difference in people'slives and perhaps be remembered and appreciated. I want to experience the meaning of being "ALIVE". I want to experience the feeling of being appreciated for the things I do for people. I want to be remembered...
What I really love are the latter 2 books. "Death of an Ordinary Man" talks about the day when a man's soul came back to his own funeral. When he's back, he can sense the inner voice of everyone at the wake. He also saw images of past incidents and found out the feelings of those involved at that point of time. Nathan's lost his youngest daughter, but yet he didn't know what really happened when his soul floats around for an answer. Through his search for an answer to how his daughter and most importantly, how he died, he uncovered many truths and pains that he never knew. On the day of his funeral, he saw lots of things. His father's deteriorating relationship with his wife. His son's rebellion. His wife having an affair with his best friend when he was still alive. And people who saw his face at the last moment of his death. In the end, he found out that he committed suicide, naked, lying in the bathtub with his wrist slit open, blood diffusing throughout the entire tub of water. Reason being he can't take whatever is happening around him anymore. The death of his youngest daughter, the betrayal of his wife, his rebellious son and religious father... Everything just collapses around Nathan. What I remembered most vividly is the betrayal of his wife. Perhaps this part touches me most because of what happen on "that day". In this book, Nathan went home and saw his best friend, Adrian and his wife in bed. Adrian ran out of the room naked, guilty and ashamed. His wife sat on the edge of the bed, naked and smoking. No sense of guilt, remorse or shame. Instead of blasting his anger and frustration, Nathan sat beside his wife. Inside him, Nathan is an erupting volcano. But he loves his wife so much that he felt he should forgive her. But deep inside him, it hurts. It hurts so much that his wife is having an affair with his best friend. It hurts so much that he's had to saw this image. It hurts so much that he's got to deal with this betrayal coupled with the lost of his youngest daughter. It really hurts and I somehow can feel the pain when I read that part. Silence is always dangerous. But Nathan just sat beside his naked wife and inhaled her exhaled smoke. No explanation or conversation, only the sound of inhalation and exhalation. Silence is always dangerous. Throughout the day of his funeral, Nathan learnt so many things that he never knew when he was alive. He simply had no energy to bother about details and things happening around him. He simply just drifts around and let life get the better of him. Only death awakes him. How ironical...
The second book, "the five person you meet in Heaven" is powerful. Powerful in the sense that it really sets me thinking about everything around me. These two books of death have brought the word "ALIVE" to a new meaning. I really felt touched and inspired after reading. Although "Death of an Ordinary Man" is full of negativity, it somehow manages to bring out the positivity in me. "the five people you meet in Heaven" talks about the life of also a man, Eddie. When he died, he went to Heaven and met five people. The Blue Man, his war-time Captain, Ruby, Marguerite and Tala. Some of these people have never talked to Eddie, but they've had an impact on him in Heaven. Some of these people, Eddie didn't knew them at all. But Eddie and them had had an impact on each other's life and vice versa. It's really a book I'll recommend reading if you're down and out. It can really powers you up and makes you think twice about your life. No matter how insignificant you think you may be, always remember that we're part of the world. We're a part of people's lives. No matter how distant you feel, we all have an impact on one another. In the case of the Blue Man, a blue skin mutant, he's never talked to Eddie before. In this book, a situation is looked at from 2 angles. For instance, young Eddie was playing baseball with his friends when the ball accidentally rolled out to the street. Eddie went to retrieve it, nearly got hit by an advancing car, but the car swerved and missed him. Eddie was relieved that he's alive and he went back to join his friends. After baseball, Eddie and his friends went to the arcade and had an enjoyable evening. Happy ending.
The man who missed hitting Eddie continued down the road, still stunned by the incident that he nearly killed someone. He's still in a daze when he hit a parked car in front of him. His head bled and he managed to crawled himself out of the car. His chest tightened, breathing laboured and head spinning. As he collapses with an heart attack, all he remembered was people crowding around him. Sad ending.
An incident looked from two angles. Two obviously different ending. Does Eddie knows that he's indirectly caused the death of a man? Does the Blue Man knows that Eddie is having a good time at the arcarde after his near-miss? We don't always put ourselves in the centre. When things happen, give it a thought and put yourself in the shoes of others to understand the whole picture. Obviously, "she" doesn't seem to understand this point. Never mind...
Two phrases from "the five people you meet in Heaven":
"Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know"
"It might seem strange to start a story with an ending. But all endings are also the beginnings. We just don't know it at the time"
True, all endings are the beginnings of some events. No ending is a complete ending... These 2 books have given me light in days of darkness. I've grown so used to darkness that light has brought a new meaning to me. I message Elaine that I want to join CCL in volunteer work at old folks' homes and make a difference in people'slives. I want to channel my love to people who need it and make an impact. Though not much or even insignificant, I believe those old folks will really appreciate the things people do for them. Although my love went unappreciated and unwanted by someone, now I believe that there are other people out there waiting to be loved. No point in me dwelling on the past and halting myself from moving on. I want to move on, with a new lease of life sprouting from me. I want to make a difference in people'slives and perhaps be remembered and appreciated. I want to experience the meaning of being "ALIVE". I want to experience the feeling of being appreciated for the things I do for people. I want to be remembered...