The Life Before Her Eyes

Personally, I found this novel very entertaining and thought provoking. It was also one of the novels assigned in my Enlish Literature class last semester. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD To all that are unsure of the ending. My professor knows the author, and Kasischke even came to a couple of her lectures and spoke. Diana was actually shot in the girls room at the same time Maureen was. Diana's entire "future" never happened. Notice how her future was very close to the "perfect" life: a pet, a great husband, children, a big house in a safe community, etc. It was one big slow motion that took place between the gunshot and Diana's actual death in the girls room. The publisher of Kasischke's novel wanted a happy ending where one of the main characters survived. This forced Kasischke to be very ambiguous with the final chapter.

I was totally blown away by this book! My local book club chose The Life Before Her Eyes for our monthly selection, and I can't wait to discuss it with everyone. The writing was pure poetry, and the story captivated me from the very beginning. And the ending was one that I did not expect.The Life Before Her Eyes begins with two best friends, Diana and Maureen, as they are primping in the girls' restroom at their high school. Suddenly, one of their classmates comes in and points a loaded gun straight at them. "Which one of you should I kill?" he asks....At that point, the story takes off around 25 years into the future. Diana is a happily married artist and mother of 8-year-old Emma. She is the typical minivan-driving soccer mom. Everything is going well, but then there begins these subtle changes -- changes almost of a ghostly nature that impact Diana's life in terrifying ways. And interspersed between the paragraphs of Diana's future are excerpts from Diana's past with her friend, Maureen, before the shooting.I was completely mesmerized with this book. I felt that something was building up, some sort of surprise or twist to the story, but I could quite figure out what it would be. And by novel's end, I was so out of breath with the anticipation! Laura Kasischke has written an amazing novel. She has a great gift of storytelling that is unshakeable. I loved every minute and every word, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

I read this book after I read the review in the New York times. I won't get into the plot here as others already have. I do not read poetry, so I was surprised to enjoy this book so much. It has been my experience that most poets do not write prose well, especially novels. Ms. Kasischke is an exception to that rule. I did not like the main character of Diana at all. But I don't think that Ms. Kasischke wants you to sympathize with Diana; that's part of what makes this book so good. Diana is a totally unsympathetic, unlikeable character, but you can't wait to see what happens. The first chapter would stand alone as a great short story. Read it and you will be hooked. I've recommended this book to several people already and I recommend it to you. Read this book. Tell other people about it. You will agree with me that Laura Kasischke is an incredibly talented writer.

I read this book in 2 days. I was mezmorized by it, depressed by it, confused by it... the list could go on. The lyric tone of the book was haunting and sad. Kasischke keeps your mind uncomfortably alert, forcing you to try and make sense of the truth of the story she is telling and not telling. She tickles you with small pieces that seem not to fit and force you to question every sentence you read. I was particulary aware after reading the book of the formatting that occurred between the two voices. As the voices switch back and forth in the book I noticed that the opening sentences of Diana the 40yr old were all capped, as if shouting at you - or at the younger Diana screaming for her or us to listen. The opening sentences of Diana the girl were lower cased and italicized, as if sluggish and dreamlike and not until the end of the book do you understand. Kasischke skillfully crafts the quickening meter of the book as the voices seem to tumble over each other racing toward the end, racing to the truth. This book is a good exercise for those readers who are looking for something different, something to wake up their reading skills. I am anxious to read my next book to see how this experience challenges and changes my next.

The prose of this book was so lyrical I found myself reading some pages twice just too enjoy the language. This is a truly engaging book which makes us step back and examine our lives and the way in which we live. How our past shapes our future and how our 'present' is just that ... a gift!