My world was recently wrecked by Marcus Sedgwick’s Ghosts of Heaven.
It’s hard to describe this book using a few words, because it was so complex, so beautifully and interestingly done. It’s one of those books that will remain with you long after you turn the last page.
The book is divided into four stories that transpire in a spiral, one leading to another, leading to another, leading to another, leading back to the first. This concept was brilliant.
Each story had its own protagonist, its own point of view, it’s own style and tone. Sedgwick took his readers through ancient times, through witch hunts, through insane asylums and through space travel.
Here are three things I enjoyed most about it:
1. The historical elements.
(a) Witch hunts. I’ve always been fascinated by this time period in history, and Sedgwick portrayed it well.
(b) Insane asylums. How riveting is it to tell a tale of people who are locked in an insane asylum and maybe shouldn’t be there? I loved these historical elements. They brought depth and power to the book.
2. The changing tones. Like I said, each individual section of the book had its own tone. The first section was primal and sparse. The second had a Puritan feel. The third was told from the perspective of a hopeful doctor, who used larger words and less flowery language. The third was told in the future, where the language reverted back to a more simplistic feel. This technique gave each section its own individual personality, which moved a reader rapidly through it.
3. The cerebral nature of it. This was a mind-bending book. I’ve been trying to get my husband to read it, because he enjoys movies like The Matrix and Deception. This book has that kind of feel, which is why I say it will stay with you for a long time.
The book mentioned above has an affiliate link attached to it, which means I’ll get a small kick-back if you click on it and purchase. But I only recommend books I enjoy reading myself. Actually, I don’t even talk about books I didn’t enjoy. I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. (But if you’re curious whether I’ve read something and what I thought about it, don’t hesitate to ask.)
