Wednesday, September 28, 2011

No warning. No bodies. Just gone.

How do you react when the people you love disappear without warning? How does the world react when millions have suddenly vanished into thin air? What do you do with the fact that you are still here?

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta is not a book about the rapture. The disappearances may or may not have been the rapture it doesn't really matter. It is more a book about the ways in which people deal with grief and loss and the things turned to in order to fill the empty space. It's about trying to comprehend the incomprehensible.

I enjoyed this book although I felt there was very little positive about the ways Perrotta portrayed his characters and their grief processes. Some of his characters turn to religious fanaticism but not one of them turns to true faith. Even the evangelical preacher becomes a fanatic turning on his own in his efforts to justify his being left behind. Others fill the void with rebellious acts or wander aimlessly latching onto anything that can give their life meaning. It is a long wait for one bright ray of hope.

The characters are well flushed out and I did care what happened to them. I was saddened by the choices they made. The book is fast paced and easy to read but if you are looking for a spiritual journey then this may not be the book for you.