Book Review #45 - The Time Keeper

I struggle with the kinds of books whose objective is to moralize a topic or instruct. Non-fiction sorts such as Self-help, parenting, dieting and how-tos are the obvious sources of trouble but Mitch Albom's type of fiction fits in this category too. This type of book, which promises a better life for me if I only read and agree, always seem more attractive until I am sitting down with the book open in my hands and then I am either bored or bothered.

I have thought a lot about it and have concluded that the reason for my prejudice is I don't want a book to think for me (how's that for circular logic?) I think my favorite hobby, even more beloved than reading, is thinking. I love to think. I am perfectly happy to sit in a quiet car or room and ponder. I think that's why I love fiction and literature so much is because while the author may be moralizing or instructing, I have to do my part...thinking...in order to figure it out.

Mitch Albom doesn't seem to trust me enough to let me do that. I haven't read much of his work but after finishing The Time Keeper, I felt cajoled into thinking what HE wanted me to think. Time is precious! Moments matter! Um...yeah. I sort of already thought that.

But, then I got kind of confused. Because he used a fable to make his point, I got lost at times in which was more important. Was it better to not pay attention to time? Or did paying attention to time make life more precious because time is finite? I may be thinking too hard about it.

Then, when all the preaching was said and done, I disagrees with him. I do not believe man is the inventor of keeping time. My own beliefs state that God separated the light from the darkness and called His work a day. I also disagree with the idea that that man must die in order to enjoy memories or moments as if the finite quality of earth time is a superior experience over eternity. That just does not make sense.

I'm probably over thinking it all. See, if you give it all away, then someone like me will try to ruin things by adding to or digging deeper to the already generously donated thoughts.

A nice idea of a book though.