OUTSIDE READING #5

The Lovely Bones keeps getting better and BETTER! While the story of Susie’s murder stays unsolved, I am able to understand more and more about Susie’s family and their influence on her story. One character that has been greatly defined in the novel by his views on Susie’s death is Buckley, Susie’s younger brother. Buckley is very young and doesn’t fully understand the concept of death but even though his understanding is some what blurry he still adds an interesting perspective. Buckley doesn’t even think his sister is dead, as he explains to his friend Nate, “She was gone for a while, but now she’s back” (91). In the novel Buckley’s idea of Susie’s death is explained, “Where do you think imaginary friends come from?” (91)


Also in the section I read this week a new character has been introduced; Susie’s grandma. Susie’s grandma may be in the book for only a short section but her influence on Susie’s family is huge! She comes to the Salmon’s house for Susie’s memorial service and suddenly everyone in the house feels a little bit better. Her free spirit and straight-forward manner makes the family express their true emotions instead of hiding them. This is a big leap from the few hushed discussion the family had about Susie and her death.


Finally in this week’s section of reading my favorite quote, so far, is expressed. It is about a woman that used to life in Susie’s neighborhood but died; the woman was the only person Susie knew that had died:

“My mother would sit her down in the kitchen and make tea for the two of them,
and after she calmed her she would call her son’s house to tell them where she
was. Sometimes no one was home and Mrs. Utemeyer would sit at our kitchen table
and stare into the centerpiece for hours. She would be there when we came home
from school. Sitting. She smiled at us. Often she called Lindsey ‘Natalie’ and
reach out to touch her hair…I wasn’t very surprised when I first saw Mrs. Bethel
Utemeyer in my heaven, nor was I shocked when Holly and I found her waling hand
in hand with a small blond girl she introduced as her daughter Natalie.”
(104-105)

I find this story of a Mrs. Utemeyer very beautiful, sad but beautiful.