I was recently listening to the book (thanks to Audible!) Me before you by Jojo Moyes. The book released a few years back. But I got the book after I watched the movie. The plot revolves around two main characters, Lou Clarke and Will Traynor. There are other pivotal characters in the story, Lou’s sister Trina, Will’s parents Mr. & Mrs. Traynor and Lou’s parents. However, I am not writing a book review here, it’s just how I felt about the book.

As with the movie so was this book, it left you with a sense of awe. It is about a quadriplegic man Will, his carer Lou. Every time I listened it gave me a strange sense of comfort. I read it every day while I am chores that didn’t allow me to sit and read (as I am also reading on Kindle Lord of the Rings-1).  I felt elated every time I was reading the book, thinking about Will and Lou and their friendship. I could mentally travel to that small little town in the UK, where Will and Lou lived. I could imagine the castle. Will always makes it a point to tell Lou that what potential she has and how she can make a difference in her life. These conversations will be sarcastic in nature, mostly by Will. Lou always had a dream of doing something in fashion.  However, due to her family’s financial condition, she became the sole bread earner. And let me tell you that doesn’t make her sad, gloomy woman. As a matter of fact, she’s chirpy, chatty, wears colorful dresses.  Will, on the other hand, in his former life was an adventure seeker. He did everything that Lou wouldn’t even think of doing. And thus encouraged in a way that she started to think about it. The story moved so smoothly entangling you, engaging you and become the spectator of the entire thing happening right in front you. You become involved in the story, you laugh at the humor, you cry in those moments, especially when Will tells Lou about Dignitas. That moment she sobs and runs away from him and avoids him for the rest of the flight. You will feel so connected, you can feel the anger of Lou, desperation in Will’s voice. You start reeling in your mind, if something happens to your loved one, how loneliness will grip you, how the world around will become dark around you.It makes me think how we sometimes need that one person who motivates us, knows our true potential and pushes us to see until we see that potential ourselves.

It is a kind of book that lingers around in your head. Something like the movie “While you were sleeping”. It was just an average movie of the early 90s, but it had that lingering effect making you think that sometimes there are good coincidences happens to tell you “Be Happy, Life is nice!”. I know I certainly sound like a die-hard romantic, but I am not. In fact, ‘Me Before You’, was my first romantic book, I have ever read. Somehow in this world of fast life, we forget to understand the importance of relationships. We all forget that we come here with a definitive time. We just assume that it’s never-ending. It is a mirage. We just think we have a long time, but in reality, we don’t know if we will get up tomorrow morning.

Will eventually dies. But he leaves his will to Lou so that she can do what she always wanted to do. She goes to Paris where Will wanted to go. She gets a letter a from Will, that last letter for her while she’s having her breakfast in Paris. The same place Will wished to have breakfast. In the letter, Will mentions Lou, that he might not be there with her but that should not be stopping her from living her life. The life she had always wished, he has given her start with the money but that will not stay a lifetime so she needs to work her plan. And that he will always love her.

That letter is somewhere stuck in my head. That part keeps playing in my head over and over again. That feeling of love, that warmth of the letter. Maybe that’s why readers and fans kept asking Jojo Moyes to write the sequel. The sequel is After You. Isn’t that the entire reason for reading a book, getting lost in the pages, imagine yourself being there. Yes, I somewhere still lost, and I like it here. 🙂

Love,

 

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