Me Before You

This is the first chick-lit that I'm writing a review of. My sister recommended me to read it. I'm not against anyone how likes chick-lit but it's just my own dis-interest. Everyone has their own interest or book genre they are inclined to. For me, chick-lit is not one of them coz the storyline is usually the same:

(1) boy meets girl / damsel in distress,

(2) hates each other, 

(3) falls in love, and

(4) happily ever after.

Despite the pink cover that screamed 'Chic Lit!', I gave it a try coz my sister told me it received more than 500 reviews and almost 5 star rating. By the time I'm writing this review, it has received 4,436 ratings and 969 reviews at a reader's circle website. With all the hype, it must be worth reading.

It certainly was.

To me, this is not a romance novel. Not at all. How can you call it a romance story when the 'hero' of this story, Will, is a quadriplegic man (paralysed, almost total lost of use of limb and torso) who cannot eat, urinate, etc. without his carer's help. Even more tragic, this is a man who once had it all - power, money, etc. The only thing that he has left is his brilliant brain and his ability to speak. And also an abundance of money, though I would not want to be in his place even for all the money in the world. There's no hope for him to get any better. Not a Hollywood version where he would suddenly get up and walk. His condition could never improve but could only get worse.

The 'heroin' of this story, Lou, is one of his carer. Through this book, i understood how it was possible to love a 'vegetable'. How love can truly be more about the engagement of mind and hearts, loving the person's soul, and about how when you truly love someone, you want him to be alive no matter how much of a burden other people think he is. I was so absorbed in the book that I laughed and cried with it. 

I cannot write much without giving away the ending. The title of the book, 'Me Before You' was a give-away that death is lurking somewhere. Reading the first few chapters, I knew where this was heading but I was hoping, even up to the very last pages, that it would somehow change and a miracle would happen. I finished reading it last Sunday and the depressing feeling still lingers.

It's 482 pages and priced RM43. Don't read it if you are a depressed and suicidal person. 

(Side-track 1: My Uncle, a lecturer at UMT, told me a story, zaman sahabat Rasulullah, about a husband who had a very sick wife. She was not only incapable of taking care of him, she was incapable of taking care of herself. She needed him to bathe her and feed her and etc. I'm guessing that she didn't give him any child too. Anyhow, when she died, a lot of people felt that a heavy burden had been lifted from her husband's shoulders. But he said that he was the saddest person of all coz he no longer could see her, touch her and talk to her. After reading this book, I immediately remembered this story and understood better the sadness that the husband felt.

Side-track 2: I watched Tanyalah Ustaz this morning with my mom and the ustaz said the divorce rate among muslims in malaysia (for this year) is around 71 to 77 per day. Per day! The people today....our priorities in life...sigh....)