My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.
Susie Salmon lives with her parents Jack and Abigail, her sister Lindsey and brother Buckley and their pet dog Holiday. She is raped and murdered at age 14 by her neighbour Mr. Harvey. This is a time before children disappearing became frequent and significant. Susie's body is not found and the police does not suspect Mr. Harvey.
Susie watches over her family from the In-between. She watches her father become increasingly obsessed with hunting down her murderer, so much so that he neglects his family. She watches her mother Abigail run away, unable to face the reality of her absence and Jack's downward spiral. She witnesses her siblings journey from suffering to acceptance of the terrible event; her high school crush picking up the broken threads of love; and Ruth, the wierdo loner-girl who feels the dead among the living dedicate her life to what's left of Susie. The Lovely Bones is a wholesome account of how time stitches up the open wounds, the wide gaps the departed leave in the hearts of loved ones. It is also the story of letting go, of her passage into Heaven.
The narrative is slow, meandering. Like taking a leisurely, scenic stroll with a pleasant companion. It took me a long time to finish the book, nearly 3 months. I couldn't read more than 4-5 pages at a time. Also, I could only really enjoy it at certain times when my mind was relatively still, otherwise I'd grow frustrated, impatient. In the right quantity and environment though, reading was like sampling delicious wine.
This is Alice Sebold's debut novel. I'm impressed. Well fleshed-out characters, a story that is horrifying and bittersweet; the book is unique and evokes a wide spectrum of emotions.
P.S: The movie is not bad either. The narration is a bit faster than the book.
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