The Sweet Hereafter

Recently I read the book 'The Sweet Hereafter' by the American author Russell Banks. I was already recommended reading the book back in November 2007, when standing in a little second hand store in West Village with my then boyfriend to read the book, which he claimed was one of the best books he had read. So I listened and bought the book for the mere price of  $2, and went home, placed it in my bookshelf and thought to myself I would read it in my Christmas break, however, I never did. So this autumn I finally took the book out again of my bookshelf, when I had to pick a new book to read, and I am so very glad I did. I just wish I had done that a little earlier, but I guess there is a time for everything. 

The book is a journey into the minds of a few people from a little village upstate New York, where a terrible school bus accidents has taken place in the mist of winter wonder land. Banks describes the incident and the post-effects of the lost lives of peoples kids - and the out-of-town lawyer, who travels up there for a lawsuit - in such a heartbreaking way, at least I think so, that you instantly get absorbed into the book, and while reading it I would often get this feeling of sadness. After reading the last page I thought he could (if this had been in Hollywood) have written a sequel. There were so many thoughts going through my mind, things I would have loved to read more about - the outcome of the people lives, and yet, this is often the case when you get introduced into characters and their thoughts, in a way he touched me with his book to be visually active, and somewhat created my own idea of the people, for them to "live on" although the book is finished.

Anyway, now I am just looking forward to one last resuscitation of the book, as I just ordered the movie from the library, which we only have a VHS copy of here in public library in Copenhagen. It is an old film (1997) and we don't have the most updated film library here... what can I say...

Well, I am looking forward to the film version of 'The Sweet Hereafter' (directed by the fabulous Atom Egoyan, who never seem to disappoint) to see if it is as well put together as the written work that have left me wondering if these people might be real due to Banks profound way of writing.