The Lovely Bones

Good to read the comments about this book. I think the characters are very well written and credible. I was surprised to see someone 'wasn't interested in the mother'. Is this book primarily about how 'family' is a collection of individuals and that could be a strength but in this family the chance to hold together and 'come through' slips away and there before our eyes is the unravelling of the individuals and the family. Their isolation and inability to talk through their pain is their weakness and their inability to reach out to the others in pain means they remain wrapped in their won grief/world or reach out in ways that leave them vulnerable. A magnificent but painful picture of human fragility. And yet against this lack and decay of the family and individual human there is the massive spiritual strength amongst the teenagers, who reach out to each other and to the murdered child. Re Lucky I found this most painful to read and yet the skill of the writer shines through. Lots of inspiration and lots to learn from. What books have helped your writing and that you have most learned from?

Trish, I read "Lucky." I think the two books together make a very powerful statement. It's easy to see that Sebold believed she died on the day she was raped, which is why her protagonist in "Lovely Bones" is a murder victim. "Lovely Bones," to me, is part of Sebold healing from her own traumatic experience. I loved both books, though I found them both hard to read. The kind of mysticism in the end of "Lovely Bones," with the protagonists' ghost taking over the other girl's body, was somewhere between magical and overly formulated. You know, like Sebold wanted to put her spirit at rest, but couldn't figure out how without bringing her back to life for a few hours to relive her first time the right way. I kind of wish that she had ended "Lucky" with the success of the trial, though. The downward spiral at the end, with her getting into drugs and having relationship problems, is certainly the reality of having survived that kind of abuse, but it ruins one's expectation of Disaster --> Coping --> Finding the Bad Guy --> Putting the Bad Guy Away --> Happy Ending! Granted, that would have ultimately made it very trite... but oh well. All in all, wonderful books. Any subject can be made into a good read depending on the skill of the author, in my opinion. -Elaine. [%sig%]

I read this today, and did find it very compelling, I couldn't put it down in fact and have a sore back from not getting out of bed until 1pm coz I was hooked on how it was going to end (it is v. cold up here in the frozen north today so a good book, Winter duvet and a few (okay 4) Fair Trade extra spicy stem ginger cookies were a requirement, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). Ginger is v. beneficial when laying about in zero degrees reading exciting books - Stimulates the blood, saving you from having to get up and walk around. The first chapter was really uncomfortable to read, but overall I really liked how it was written. I won't be buying the rape book - though Waterstone's have it as one of their three for two offer books if you are into that sort of traumafest... got Life of Pi and Oreos until the Oscars start... ...and the dentist tomorrow... [%sig%]

Just finished The Lovely Bones and yes, I'm in the manga camp on this one. Very well written, held me throughout, but a disappointing end. Turned into Ghost...I was expecting - and would have preferred - a gore-fest! Chin up, Alice! *settles in comfy chair & unwraps latest Conn Iggulden*

I'm kinda with Tony on this. I can't beam about the writing, but this is one of those "Oprah Book Club" books that I really couldn't put down. It is the idea of letting go, I guess that makes this book a decent read. I thought some of the descriptions were well done. There was an eerie sense about the whole situation. I liked it, but can't really say why! If you want to really a really good general fiction book, though, I suggest "House of Sand and Fog." That book is really well written, and the plot is quite original.

You know who have just bought the rights to it: Peter and Fran Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame. I haven't read it yet though.

I found the first chapter really disturbing and horrible. I didn't know if I could face reading the rest of the book but I soon got hooked and loved the beautiful style of writing. I ended the book feeling much more positive which is amazing given the subject matter.

Its a brilliant book... and you are right Tony - considering its content it should be awful - but it isnt. The writing is as Gail says, quite beautiful and uplifting. It also *should* make you uncomfortable but it doesnt. I found it extremely enchanting. I gave it to my 14 year old daughter to read, and she read it in a day, beating me, and even beating you Tony.

It's clearly a good one to get teenage girls into reading!

I agree, Manga. I found it unsatifying. Her vision of heaven looks startlingly dull.

Lynn Ramsay (the very talented young film maker responsible for Ratcatcher and Morvern Callar) is busy adapting this for her next project . . .

I'll be very interested to see how the ending works on film...

Michael Casey 10 Reginald Rd Bearwood Warley B67 5AQ England Email michaelgcasey@hotmail.com Web http://msnusers.com/michaelcasey Internet Story © By Michael Casey So all I had to do was send an email , and then I’d be a writer , my book in every shop , my face smirking from cardboard cutouts of me holding my book aloft . My book had a great title , so it was bound to sell . A Nation Of Shopkeepers was a great title , if only people could remember their History , were people interested in History , and for that matter my book . It wasn’t a history book , would people think it WAS a history book , and then not buy it . It was a comedy drama , about a street of shops , interconnecting short stories , for all the family , but would people notice the levels , the strands of humour , or would they say it’s a Ma & Pa book , and miss the joke , just as one publisher called did ? I decided to keep the title , though I had a reserve title , The Butcher , The Baker and The Undertaker . Then I realised the US market would rename it The Butcher , The Baker And The Funeral Arranger . You don’t think about such things when you are writing the book , you’re just happy , on a roll , in love with your own intellect , or just surprized you actually DO have any intellect , then you discover that you are dyslexic , you really are dyslexic , thankfully not a really bad case , just dyslexic . As you proof read you see you have put BUT instead PUT , LEAD instead of READ , things like this and other strange things . Sure there are spellcheckers but or is it put , you have to check it anyway . As you read you are surprized at your own ability . You didn’t waste 4years in journalism school , but your writing is GOOD , Did I write that ? Then your chest filled with pride you get somebody else to read it , and guess what ? They think its crap . So now you have to decide , should I give up or should I carry on ? I gave up for as while , while is a unit of years in my case , my life took another path , so the writing was forgotten , it lay dormant for years , then like a phoenix it arose , or more truthfully , like a tortoise awaking from hibernation , sleep still in my eyes I slowly poked my head out , then back in , went back to sleep again , then finally with the pangs of hunger in my stomach I just had to do something . In my case it was eat , as in really eat , then I turned to my old Atari and realised it was not PC compatible , so I bought a new , or rather an old new Atari which was PC compatible . Then I spent a day copying my files so that I could read them on a PC . Then I wrote a few more pieces before I realised I’d get nowhere in England . The chances of being published were 1 in 2000 . So like a bear , I went back in my cave and slumbered . Meeting my wife Jing Jie was a turning point in my life , and not just because it was like Thunder as Jing Jie calls it , it was a turning point because I had a professional opinion on my writing , from a journalist at the very top of the tree . Her uncle is an editor in chief , so his comments were and are like gold , worth more than my first coffee and Cadbury’s chocolate , the pleasure rush I treat myself to every day , his comments really were that important to me , and I really DO like my Cadbury’s , so being better than Cadbury’s is the highest praise I can give . So I knew the quality of my writing , even if others said and say its crap . Getting a modern PC and internet connection was another turning point . Email in our house is like water and electic in any other homes . Jing Jie can “talk” to her mum in Shanghai every day . To friends all over the world as well . Birmingham IS the centre of the universe .So with hope and fear I had to transfer my files from my old Atari to the new PC . The floppy discs were old and battered , several were unreadable , finally my work , my babies were safely on the new PC . Just to be on the safe side I set up a website , so now my work was on somebody’s server in the US , thousands of miles away , safe from fire or theft . I could also put our new baby’s photos on the web site so that my Chinese family in Shanghai and Maimi and friends all over the world could see Annie and Jing Jie and me , they could even read my work too . So now all I had to do was market my work in the US , simple really , soon I’d be doing something useful with my life , making people laugh . I’d be a writing whore , I’d get paid to make others laugh , the best job in the world . So how would I set about it ? I got a list of radio stations from the internet and started sending emails galore . I’m talking in the hundreds now , to radio stations the length and breath of the US .They could publicise my site then eventually I’d get published , or my play would get produced . It was simple wasn’t it . So merrily I went about my business , sending emails galore . Years before I used to send off big heavy envelopes with my work in , with more persistance than hope in my heart .”Thank you for your pieces of paper“was the best put down . I once even met a writer and he agreed to to read my play Shoplife , then he wrote back calling me a plagerist , because it was so good . So I used his note as toilet paper , Shoplife was so good because I had 20years of experience given to me by my sister , I just improved on it , but yet I was called a Copyist , so naturally I was angry and used his note to wipe my bum . I wondered why my strike rate was so low with my emails to radio stations , then somebody casually mentioned , “You do know they will just delete anything with an attachment” . In these days of viruses or worms which I’ve discovered is the new trendy word , nobody can risk their PC , so I merrily send and they merrily delete . I’d been wasting my time , but not my money because I’d got a 24/7 package on my internet from AOL .However one radio station did read Shoplife . The DJ or is it Host , he called it hilarious and he could not stop reading it . It turned out he was an actor as well , though isn’t everybody an actor in the US ? So I thanked him , and quoted him in my future advertising .Humour is a funny thing . The things that make English people laugh are not the same as the things that make Americans’ laugh . We are constantly told by people on tv that English TV is the best in the world , the US material we see is the top 10% , the rest is rubbish . But I know I’d never get my foot in the door in England so I had to persist with my American campaign , so now I pasted in my material , no attachments . Just get them hooked , then paste in a sample then direct them to http://msnusers.com/michaelcasey Then bingo part2 of my life could begin ,I’d be the man that made America laugh , a naïve sentiment , but it was honest .Only AOL turns things into zip files and some people cann’t unzip your files , its like wanting sex but your zipper is broke and you cann’t get your trousers off . Such a strong urge , but no forfillment . I switched to MSMAIL and pasted in my stuff , things started to happen , my files weren’t being deleted or too zipped up to be read . At least I wasn’t frustrated any more . Now I had an agent interested , and a new magazine , even a theatre replied .All praise to Bill Gates , and to a Christian called Pat Verato who pointed me in the direction of a few good sites .However some of the sites that I trawled through were just , so very American . Hey , you too can be a writer , just send me 10 dollars and I’ll send you my book “How to make 10 dollars” , and he does . Then there’s magazines you can subscribe to , yes you’ve guessed it , just send another 10 dollars “Writing for Beginners” . There’s all these agents too who are so successful , persuading tap dancing bus drivers to write about Tap Dancing For Bus Drivers , the complete self help book , costs 10 dollars . The agent gets 20percent , and the bus driver pays 5000dollars to print 500 copies , then he can boast he’s a writer , not just a bus driver , and guess what if you pay 10 dollars you can learn to tap dance too . As for me , what do I think of all this ? I’d say just keep on writing , stop your selling , or attempts at selling , just write a bit . Add to your catologue of 3 poems and 2 short stories , then search for an agent . Believe you’ll never be published and then you won’t be disappointed. There is one final thing you can do though , just tell everybody to go to http://msnusers.com/michaelcasey And help find a publisher for my book , and then you’ve guessed it , just send me 10 dollars ! End

I was a bit disappointed by this book. I really, really enjoyed the beginning (if enjoyed is the right word...) and found I was relly gripped for the first half... but I thought it really went off the boil towards the end. I wasn't particularly interested in the mother, and I found uncertain parts of it (I don't want to drop any spoilers!) really unbelieveable and a bit daft. I also thought she kinda started some ideas off about heaven which she never really developed... so overall I found it fairly unsatisfying. Which is a shame as it did start so well! Did no-one else find this? mangakitten xx

Lynn Ramsay is a wonderful film maker but I fail to see how this can be transferred to the silver screen without being mawkish and sentimental - I fear it's a film to avoid.

This is a book which touches raw emotions, but has anyone read her other book? The one where she truly touches on how it feels to be raped?

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