The main character Susie Salmon narrates, but the whole book isn't told in the first person. Up in her heaven, she observes her community and keeps tabs on her family. Alice Sebold created a gripping story of loss, through maneuvered turns in the story more than the prose itself. The tone was in the whole gloomy because Susie's death was always that big elephant in the room that while not always mentioned made its presence felt.
Story and Themes.
The novel kicks off with the death of Susie Salmon, a girl of fourteen. She belonged to a close-knit family, in a small town (from what I infer). Her untimely demise was crafted by a singularity in their neighborhood, a Mr. Harvey. He planned everything to the smallest detail, and was able to pull off his crime without leaving evidence. The rest of Susie's body was forever lost save for an elbow. It was not long though when the family, particularly Mr. Salmon and Susie's younger sister Lindsey strongly suspected Mr. Harvey of the crime and later driving him into hiding. For years, the Salmon family grieved and each in their own way. Mr. Salmon became obsessed with finding his daughter's killer and became very much occupied with her death. Mrs. Salmon tried to do away with what happened, resorting to starting an affair and then leaving town and separating herself from everyone she knew. Lindsey on the other hand tried her best to stay tough and helped her family from falling apart. The youngest of the Salmon kids, Buckley, was unaware of Susie's death for a while.
A major theme is loss and consequently how people deal with it. The Salmons were part of a small community, and everyone felt the loss of Susie in their own way. From what I observed, Susie's father was most affected of her death. I can't even imagine a father feeling the weight of the responsibility of having lost a child. Mr. Salmon often resorted to his study and experienced the loss a hundred fold on his own. Mrs. Salmon, while deeply affected, became more distant after the tragedy. She no longer felt at home in her own home, she wanted a different life and even resorted to a little affair with Detective Fenerman who was the detective on the case. A few years after the loss, she left her family and her community. The Salmons continued even without her, but now with Mrs. Salmon's mom to look after the kids. Mr. Salmon, while aware of her disappearance, did not try to find her. I think he knew that she needed that time and space to find peace and compose herself. But for himself, he continued to be in a state of grief and seemed unable to move on. When Buckley tried to use some of Susie's old clothes for his garden that Mr. Salmon snapped and had a heart attack. On the up side, this incident is what brought everything into perspective.
A major theme is loss and consequently how people deal with it. The Salmons were part of a small community, and everyone felt the loss of Susie in their own way. From what I observed, Susie's father was most affected of her death. I can't even imagine a father feeling the weight of the responsibility of having lost a child. Mr. Salmon often resorted to his study and experienced the loss a hundred fold on his own. Mrs. Salmon, while deeply affected, became more distant after the tragedy. She no longer felt at home in her own home, she wanted a different life and even resorted to a little affair with Detective Fenerman who was the detective on the case. A few years after the loss, she left her family and her community. The Salmons continued even without her, but now with Mrs. Salmon's mom to look after the kids. Mr. Salmon, while aware of her disappearance, did not try to find her. I think he knew that she needed that time and space to find peace and compose herself. But for himself, he continued to be in a state of grief and seemed unable to move on. When Buckley tried to use some of Susie's old clothes for his garden that Mr. Salmon snapped and had a heart attack. On the up side, this incident is what brought everything into perspective.
I belong to a small and close family, and I can see how a loss can have so much more weight in those circumstances. While I am a scientist, I do believe in the gut feeling that people sense. One actually pursues lines of inquiry in terms of foresight based on known knowledge, and I think it's just the same in occasions that involve maternal instincts and whatnots. Susie's family especially Mr. Salmon suspected Mr. Harvey from the beginning, and they were quite right. What's so frustrating is the lack of evidence and technology to prove it that he cannot be held responsible. Of spirits and ghosts on the other hand, I think it's pure fiction but it makes for good reading. What is important is how much stronger people become after all the grief and sadness just as Susie's family and friends have become.
Overall.
Everybody is just too fragile after a loss and it manifests in different ways. It's interesting that the author chose to tell the story mainly through Susie's eyes, she was an integral part of so many lives and the disturbing fact that her remains are nowhere to be found made all the suffering more real. That said, I think the book was quite compelling. I give it a C+.
Overall.
Everybody is just too fragile after a loss and it manifests in different ways. It's interesting that the author chose to tell the story mainly through Susie's eyes, she was an integral part of so many lives and the disturbing fact that her remains are nowhere to be found made all the suffering more real. That said, I think the book was quite compelling. I give it a C+.
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