Heaven’s Above is a debut novel for the author Michael Anderson. One look at the author’s picture and many Indian movie buffs will be filled with a sense of déjà vu!
This because Michael Anderson has been part of the Bollywood side-kicks for a very brief period of time.
Book Review of Michael Anderson’s Heaven’s Above
A glimpse of the book cover of Heaven’s Above
The book cover of Heaven’s Above has been designed creatively, keeping in mind the place and the city around which the story revolves. If not observed keenly, one might miss out on the black crow hovering above on the book cover. A crow that plays a major part in the book Heaven’s Above.
The underlying theme of the book
This book can be termed a compendium of happenings in a Mumbai apartment by the name ‘Heaven’s Above’ and its mysterious link with a crow.
It is interesting how many of the lives in the apartment is changed for good by the crow. How and Why? Well, this forms the crux of the story.
A peek into the storyline of Heaven’s Above
The writer has dedicated each chapter to each of the flat numbers wherein the story is set. Every story brings with a slice of Mumbai through the vivid descriptions of places, buildings, the housing societies, and the people.
It sort of brings out the loneliness, amusement, changing equations among people, and complexities of living in a vibrant city like Mumbai. This gives the book a hint of a travelogue that is worth reading.
The language used by the author in Heaven’s Above is simple, interspersed with Mumbai lingo.
My take On Heaven’s Above – A black enigma
Firstly, I would have loved the book if only it had less number of chapters.
After the 4th and 5th chapter in the book, the narrative tone becomes monotonous and very much predictable.
At this point, I lost interest. I sort of just browsed through the pages after these chapters as the story was going nowhere!
Secondly, some of the descriptions given by Michael Anderson in Heaven’s Above were a little cheesy. Also, every chapter ended with the crow being the matchmaker, the problem solver, or the agency for a sea change in the characters.
This becomes more or less predictable while one flicks through the rest of the chapters.
As a reader, I wondered why the occupants always end up keeping the door or window open until the crow enters? Is it due to a lack of prudence on the part of the characters or the need to introduce the crow somehow?
Parting words on Heaven’s Above
In conclusion, I’d like to emphasize that by Chapter 5, I wished the ending of the book Heaven’s Above was as exciting as some of the stories in the book. Hope you get a drift of the book by these words of mine.
So, go for this book if you want to get a slice of Mumbai life or looking for a lighter read (read time pass)
I give the book ‘Heavens Above’ a rating of 2.5 / 5!
More information about the book
Title: Heaven’s Above
Author: Michael Anderson
Publishers: Jaico Publishing House
Total Pages: 279
You may want to read my other book reviews here: Book List
I always respect honest book reviews. Your review tells me that what could have been a promising book did not live up to the promise.
Well that’s a pity isn’t it! It has such an interesting premise and the cover just adds to that appeal! I might grab this at the library nevertheless. But not going to buy it after this review.