plogp
Albom is more known for his non-fiction books, including The Five People You Meet In Heaven which can be clearly seen in his style of writing. At its foundational level, the book is about Father Time - not in any allegorical manner, it is literally about the personification of the man who invented and is in charge of the concept of time.
Each part of the storyline is sectioned off with a sub-title introducing what comes within. Parts switch from the story of Father Time to two humans in search of more time in regular situations such as anxiously waiting for a date or postponing your own death. Albom channels his non-fiction writing in sections to directly address the reader about the concept of time.
The good thing about this book is that Father Time isn't some happy go-lucky god worshiper even though he does work closely with the personification of god. All he wants to do is to let time pass for him since the death of his wife, so god finally lets him interact with the humans to teach us about the true meaning of time.
However, the book plays with Paulo Coelho's, with Albom even referencing The Alchemist in the plot, style prose. and while that may have worked for Coelho the first time, the style of reformed motivational speakers reverberates through a book that could have taken a sci-fi turn for the good. While this style alone isn't really enough to categorize the book as “bad”, it helps the book fit right into the realm of suburban families trying to feel more in-touch with the way of the world and other new-age shenanigans.
Listened to it while playing Dave and wondered what marketing Bancho's would really be like
