Title: for one more day
Author: Mitch Albom
Just finished reading this book. Started reading it over the weekend. I had actually bought this book some time ago at Kinokuniya where they were having the 20% discount for privilege card holders during specific times of the year. But as usual, I left it sitting on the shelf and kind of forgot about it. It was hiding behind other books that I was planning to read. So, this weekend, having nothing to read, I scanned my shelf for something to read. All the rest of the books were kind of thick, so I decided to read this one since it’s thinner.
The first book by Mitch Albom that I read was actually the five people you meet in heaven. I had chanced upon it at, guess where? Kinokuniya of course. But a different one. The Japanese one in the countryside which had a limited stock of English books (like 2 shelves’ worth). However, limited the stock may be, it does have a pretty updated one, ne. So, anyway, I really enjoyed that book and I went out and got another of Albom’s books, tuesday with Morrie,from the same said Kino@countryside, which is actually his first book. Anyway, I enjoyed that book (5 people, that is), so when I saw for one more day, I didn’t hesitate to buy it.
Coming back to for one more day, it’s about being given a second chance with people you love. In this case, the second chance has been given to Charles “Chick” Benetto, a former major league baseball-player turn salesman who was so down on his luck that he tried to kill himself. His mother had died 8 years ago, one day after her birthday. Chick had earlier lied to her to go to play at an old-timers’ baseball match after being abetted by his estranged father, thus missing the chance to see her for the last time. Filled with regret, his life spiralled out of control as he gave in to despair and drink and withdrew from his own family. The final straw came when he was not invited to his own daughter’s wedding. With the intention of ending his life, he travelled to his hometown and miraculously met his mother and spent a day with her. During that time, clues that this special moment with his mom probably happened in his mind, and the real situation is that he was being rescued by paramedics after crashing his car and attempting suicide by jumping off a water tank were littered all over. These were intertwined with stories of the past, showing the kind of childhood that Chick had – a missing dad that he was trying to gain approval of, a supportive mom whom he couldn’t appreciate until it was too late. That’s even a twist, maybe not a twist, but an unexpected turn of events at the end. I shan’t give it away here though.
Basically, this book is quite similar to the five people you meet in heaven. It’s about appreciating your family and not regretting not doing enough for them (oops, double negatives – not supposed to do that). While it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling, it also felt a little contrite at times. It’s kind of a tried-and-tested formula for the author. I think. I guess for me, of the 3 books I’ve read, I still prefer the first one I read, the five people you meet in heaven.
This book (as with the others) has been made into a movie with the endorsement of Oprah whose support for Tuesdays helped it to become the best-seller it is.
The entire film is available there, actually. But having read the book already, I don’t really feel that there is really much of a need to watch the movie. But that’s just me. I prefer the printed word.
