I am very much the sort of person who reads a book before watching the movie version of the book, should one exist. So far, in all my years of being a reader and a movie watcher, there have only been two exceptions to this rule. First, I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic before I read the book and I am still glad that I did because I adored the actors in the movie and I could picture their faces as I subsequently read all of the books in the series. The second exception is Charlie St. Cloud. Again, this was a very good choice. The movie made the plot clear, which can be a little confusing at times in the book, but the book filled in all of the details that the movie glossed over. And, the movie stars Zac Efron as Charlie, so who wouldn't want to watch that movie?
Charlie St. Cloud (originally published as The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud) is a story of life, death, and love. Oh...and, the occasional ghost. While I am not sure if I really believe in ghosts, they certainly made for an interesting story. They also made me wonder about death in a new way. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am rather terrified of dying. It scares me like nothing else (even more than bridges). But Ben Sherwood presented spirits in a different light. He made them in control of when they left the physical world for good. They could see their loved ones, they could still be with them if they hadn't crossed over. It was peaceful and not scary at all. I guess I won't know if that's the way life really ends until it does and I'm not too eager for that to happen, but it's calming for me to think about life ending this way. It makes me not so scared anymore.
Charlie St. Cloud is given a second chance at life early on in this book and spends most of his life feeling guilty for living. While I can only imagine that I would feel exactly the same way, you can't help but ask yourself (as someone asked of Charlie) what would you do with your life if you were given a second chance to live it? It is an interesting idea to ponder, isn't it? Would you quit working and truly live, provided that you could afford to? Would you surround yourself with the people you love, or would you move on to live life the way you want to alone? Would you realize that love was the most important thing? Or is money and fame more important? Honestly, I am not sure what I would do. I worry too much about hurting other people and how my actions impact the life of others. It's a curse my mother placed on me as a child and it's a cross that I bear even today. I'd like to be selfish sometimes, but I have a hard time talking myself into selfish behaviors. Charlie, however, finally realized that he needed to focus on making himself happy. Until he did that, he wasn't really living and he might as well have died all those years ago.
"May he live in peace." This line comes from the end of the book and is such a fantastic reminder, in my opinion, of something that we often forget. We typically wish this of people who have died: "May he/she rest in peace." But, don't we want to live in peace, too? Don't we want to live in a way that doesn't cause us to wrestle with beliefs and ideals? I want to live in peace with the choices that I make. I don't want to second guess my life later on. But, as I quickly approach 40, I find that I may not have always lived in peace, I might not currently be living in peace, and that saddens my heart a little.
My recommendation for anyone who has not yet read Charlie St. Cloud is to first watch the movie and then read the book. The movie will not ruin the book; it will only enhance it. The love story between Charlie and Tess will stay with you, as it has with me, and it's a good story to carry around in your head and in your heart as a constant reminder of what love should be. And Sam...we can't forget Sam. To have a sibiling's love like the love of Sam...well, we should all only be so lucky.
Charlie St. Cloud is a story that lingers. I am glad that I took the time to read the book and I am going to carry the lessons learned from it with me always.
May you all live in peace,
:) Dodie
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