The Life Before Her Eyes
by Laura Kasischke
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Book Summary Information
Author: Laura KasischkeEdition: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2002-11-11
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Harvest Books
Book Reviews of The Life Before Her Eyes
Book Review: Beautiful and haunting....
Summary: 4 Stars
I watched the movie and really enjoyed it before reading this book. I must say, to some, this book will seem very drawn out and uneventful. To me, having understood the plot, I found this book to be very haunting and powerful. The book begins with our main character, Diana, and her best friend Maureen in a bathroom at their high school. They find that there is a Columbine-style school shooting happening within their school. From this opening sequence, we experience various pieces of Diana's life, from High School until 20 years later, which is the present. The book flashes back and forth from Diana's life with Maureen by her side to her middle aged life as a married housewife with a young child. However, as the book progresses, and more pieces of Diana's life unfold before her, we come to understand that things may not be as they seem.
The writing style of this book is very original, different than anything I have read before it. It flowed well and left me really thinking at the end. Anyone who enjoys a good, easy read would most likely enjoy this novel, although it will not be for everyone. I thought the book was very insightful, showing the powerful inner struggles of a woman who experienced some very traumatic events throughout her life, including the loss of her best friend to an insane killer. It shows the chaos of her life and inner workings of her mind quite effectively. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. Also, if you like the book, try the movie. The movie adaptation of this book is quite different than the book as it jumps back and forth from the day of the 15th anniversary of the shooting back to Diana's life throughout high school, omitting many things that happened after high school, but Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood portray Diana during the two periods of her life and their roles are very well played.
All in all, this book is a solid 4.25 stars, due to an ending that may confuse some readers. I hope my thoughts are helpful.
Summary of The Life Before Her Eyes
Diana stands before the mirror preening with her best friend, Maureen. Suddenly, a classmate enters holding a gun, and Diana sees her life dance before her eyes. In a moment the future she was just imagining--a doting wife and mother at the age of forty--is sealed by a horrific decision she is forced to make. In prose infused with the dramatically feminine sensuality of spring, we experience seventeen-year-old Diana's uncertain steps into womanhood--her awkward, heated forays into sex; her fresh, fragile construction of an identity. Together with the sights and sounds of renewal, we experience the tasks of Diana's adulthood: protecting her beloved daughter and holding onto her successful husband.An acclaimed writer and poet, Laura Kasischke has crafted a consciousness that encompasses the truth of a teenager's world and the profound transformation of that world at midlife. Resonant and deeply stirring, The Life Before Her Eyes finds piercing beauty in the midst of a nightmare from long ago that echoes like a dirge beneath each new spring.
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