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Five Minutes in Heaven
A wise and funny novel about the kind of love that extends beyond boundaries—within this world and into the next
Raised in the Tennessee hills in the 1950s by a widower father, Jude grows into a young woman who finds her soul mate in her new neighbor Molly. But when age and social convention intervene, she must find a new person to entrust with her heart. Venturing north to pursue all that ’60s New York has to offer, Jude finds comfort in her childhood pal Sandy, a man now in the midst of his own metamorphosis. Will she give her love to Sandy, or will the attractive and mysterious poet Anna be her true match? With an endearing heroine and a keen understanding of the human condition, Alther’s smart and captivating tale considers how changing views on what it means to love—and be loved—can alter lives. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lisa Alther, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.
Raised in the Tennessee hills in the 1950s by a widower father, Jude grows into a young woman who finds her soul mate in her new neighbor Molly. But when age and social convention intervene, she must find a new person to entrust with her heart. Venturing north to pursue all that ’60s New York has to offer, Jude finds comfort in her childhood pal Sandy, a man now in the midst of his own metamorphosis. Will she give her love to Sandy, or will the attractive and mysterious poet Anna be her true match? With an endearing heroine and a keen understanding of the human condition, Alther’s smart and captivating tale considers how changing views on what it means to love—and be loved—can alter lives. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lisa Alther, including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
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184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 7, 2008
A while ago I mentioned here that I like stories about obsessive love. I'm not sure what it says about me that I do, but anyhow, this is one such story. It's obsessive, it's haunting and it's compelling, and gets four stars just for that. Once upon a time I'd have given it five, but no, it's not quite that good.
Five Minutes in Heaven is about Jude, a tomboyish girl growing up in 1950s Tennessee. Very early on in life, Jude meets her soulmate in the form of her childhood friend Molly. The two girls have an intense friendship which might grow into something more, except that Molly first decides that having this kind of relationship is Wrong and then dies, leaving Jude devastated and alone. The story then fast-forwards ten years, following Jude through her twenties and thirties in New York and Paris. She's still trying to find the kind of union she had with Molly (first with a man, then with a woman), but unfortunately, every time she finds a soulmate, her beloved dies. Usually in a pretty gruesome fashion.
As you can tell from the above, Five Minutes in Heaven is not a very cheerful book. Nor is it very mainstream, what with all the main characters being either gay or bisexual and some of them being fairly morbid. It is, however, a beautiful exploration of 'graveyard love', of living in the past and yearning for what could have been, and of the confusing territory between friendship and love. Alther has a great eye for the telling detail. Her evocation of a troubled teenage friendship in 1950s Tennessee is beautiful, and her observations on the differences between Southerners and Northerners, Americans, Brits and French people are spot on, albeit cliched. The book itself has elements of all these cultures. It's a bit unsubtle at times (Alther is prone to telling rather than showing), but eminently readable, and as I said, quite intense and compelling. Definitely recommended for those who like their love stories a little on the obsessive side.
Five Minutes in Heaven is about Jude, a tomboyish girl growing up in 1950s Tennessee. Very early on in life, Jude meets her soulmate in the form of her childhood friend Molly. The two girls have an intense friendship which might grow into something more, except that Molly first decides that having this kind of relationship is Wrong and then dies, leaving Jude devastated and alone. The story then fast-forwards ten years, following Jude through her twenties and thirties in New York and Paris. She's still trying to find the kind of union she had with Molly (first with a man, then with a woman), but unfortunately, every time she finds a soulmate, her beloved dies. Usually in a pretty gruesome fashion.
As you can tell from the above, Five Minutes in Heaven is not a very cheerful book. Nor is it very mainstream, what with all the main characters being either gay or bisexual and some of them being fairly morbid. It is, however, a beautiful exploration of 'graveyard love', of living in the past and yearning for what could have been, and of the confusing territory between friendship and love. Alther has a great eye for the telling detail. Her evocation of a troubled teenage friendship in 1950s Tennessee is beautiful, and her observations on the differences between Southerners and Northerners, Americans, Brits and French people are spot on, albeit cliched. The book itself has elements of all these cultures. It's a bit unsubtle at times (Alther is prone to telling rather than showing), but eminently readable, and as I said, quite intense and compelling. Definitely recommended for those who like their love stories a little on the obsessive side.
February 8, 2015
What a ride! Not exactly rollercoaster, but not merry-go-round either. From the beginning, I like the main character, Jude. She is one who doesn't belong in the world, but finds her way, anyway. She is flawed and confused, with good reasons. I wanted to root for her to win each of her obstacles.
From Tennessee to New York to France and back, Jude struggles with her demons, longing for love to return to her as pure as she put it out. Rarely does it find her. Mostly because of her own insecurities and lack of role-models, love floats out as a fantasy. Never to be achieved.
I picked this version of the book up from Amazon, Kindle Unlimited (which is in fact limited, as you can only have ten 'checked out' at a time). I kind of wished I had the Audible version or the Whispersync to go along, but I managed okay without.
My biggest complaint is the French. Not the people. Just the use of the language with no definitions available to the reader. If you only took Latin, Spanish and German in your language classes, French isn't a language you even have books for. At least that's how it is in my house. So I had to ignore the language and hoped to get the gist. I hate when authors do that to the reader. It stinks of a superiority to the reader. It wasn't necessary. If you are conveying a story to the reader. and most of the book is in English, why not continue in that language in the last third of the book?
And the ending? Wish I had been given a grown up, matured, version of Jude when she comes home at last! The last part ended in the same way, that the other two sections had ended. Wondering what next. Still, it was worth the read.
From Tennessee to New York to France and back, Jude struggles with her demons, longing for love to return to her as pure as she put it out. Rarely does it find her. Mostly because of her own insecurities and lack of role-models, love floats out as a fantasy. Never to be achieved.
I picked this version of the book up from Amazon, Kindle Unlimited (which is in fact limited, as you can only have ten 'checked out' at a time). I kind of wished I had the Audible version or the Whispersync to go along, but I managed okay without.
My biggest complaint is the French. Not the people. Just the use of the language with no definitions available to the reader. If you only took Latin, Spanish and German in your language classes, French isn't a language you even have books for. At least that's how it is in my house. So I had to ignore the language and hoped to get the gist. I hate when authors do that to the reader. It stinks of a superiority to the reader. It wasn't necessary. If you are conveying a story to the reader. and most of the book is in English, why not continue in that language in the last third of the book?
And the ending? Wish I had been given a grown up, matured, version of Jude when she comes home at last! The last part ended in the same way, that the other two sections had ended. Wondering what next. Still, it was worth the read.
January 27, 2009
had read too much Alther all at once at this point
October 9, 2025
A really interesting read, totally different from the story I expected. I was quite frustrated with the main character, but I enjoyed the story, although there were some really, really sad bits.
August 2, 2022
The endinfg left me cold, but I kept reading because the beginning was so compelling
April 4, 2018
Jude is on a mission to love. An intense novel about obsessive love and the trials of a young lady that was born in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, going to New York and then ending up in Paris. The story is told from the perspective of angst in the 1950's into the 1970's. The book was released in 1995, well before it's time.
April 4, 2022
I recall reading Kinflicks a very long time ago, and it left me cold. This novel is much better, but one has to be prepared for a journey inside a very confused soul. I could not always understand the main character's (Jude's) motiviations but her story was fascinating from the "old South" to New York City to Paris, she pursues her dream of "graveyard love." It was actually refreshing to read a lesbian novel where characters had serious personality defects, and yet remained "lovable."
December 15, 2018
Intriguing tale of the developing erotica of a gender confused child as she grows into adulthood. The contrast between casual sex and graveyard love was interesting but too clearly defined into black and white.
September 27, 2020
Third? Or fourth? Rereading. Holds up’
August 27, 2021
Wasn’t the best. Long and drawn out, just needed to finish it and get it over and done with.
October 15, 2022
Lang historie, mange døde, spændende samtaler
July 9, 2023
The fire part with Molly had me absolutely weeping but did not care one jot about Anna.. An excellent start and disappointing end
Want to read
July 28, 20253 t12
April 12, 2023
this book put me through all five stages of grief
July 31, 2013
"Fem minutter i himlen" på dansk. Bogen handler først og fremmest om livets gang, om sorg, tab, venskab og "gravstedskærlighed". Bogen er delt op i fire dele, repræsenterende fire forhold, som har betydet noget helt særligt for Jude.
Især synes jeg at den første del, som omhandler Judes barndom er langtrukken, ligesom sidste del forbliver frustrerende og uforløst. Men når det er sagt, må jeg alligevel også konstatere, at bogen er svær at ligge fra sig. Alther skriver fængende og man får i den grad sympati for Jude og Molly, og Jude og Sandy, og Jude og Anna; man bliver suget ind i Judes følelsesliv, kommer til at holde med hende og ønsker bare at hun finder den kærlighed og omsorg, som hun hungrer efter, fra det øjeblik hun som lille pige mister sin mor. Netop tab og især tabt kærlighed er bogens omdrejningspunkt, men selvom tabet hver gang er hjerteskærende, mister Jude aldrig modet og håbet helt. Imponerende når man ser på alt den modgang og død hun er igennem. For det er en trist bog, og når man først når til sidste afsnit, har man som læser efterhånden mistet alt tro på kærligheden... ret deprimerende! Alligevel er der noget livsbekræftende i, at Jude aldrig giver op, men kæmper og lever videre .. mindre naiv, mere forslået og mere beskeden i sine forventninger til livet... lige indtil hun bliver forelsket igen:)
Især synes jeg at den første del, som omhandler Judes barndom er langtrukken, ligesom sidste del forbliver frustrerende og uforløst. Men når det er sagt, må jeg alligevel også konstatere, at bogen er svær at ligge fra sig. Alther skriver fængende og man får i den grad sympati for Jude og Molly, og Jude og Sandy, og Jude og Anna; man bliver suget ind i Judes følelsesliv, kommer til at holde med hende og ønsker bare at hun finder den kærlighed og omsorg, som hun hungrer efter, fra det øjeblik hun som lille pige mister sin mor. Netop tab og især tabt kærlighed er bogens omdrejningspunkt, men selvom tabet hver gang er hjerteskærende, mister Jude aldrig modet og håbet helt. Imponerende når man ser på alt den modgang og død hun er igennem. For det er en trist bog, og når man først når til sidste afsnit, har man som læser efterhånden mistet alt tro på kærligheden... ret deprimerende! Alligevel er der noget livsbekræftende i, at Jude aldrig giver op, men kæmper og lever videre .. mindre naiv, mere forslået og mere beskeden i sine forventninger til livet... lige indtil hun bliver forelsket igen:)
February 8, 2017
Absolutely love this novel.
December 7, 2007
This was okay...a little drawn out but endearing none the less.
"If people bore her, she ignores them. When they intrigue her, she provokes them. Like a cat toying with a mouse." Hmmmmmm.
"...Our job is to protect and provide for other creatures. That's the minimum requirement for being human. It's what the word love means. Many people behave like rabid dogs, but that's no reason to join them." If only the current administration has as much sense.
"If people bore her, she ignores them. When they intrigue her, she provokes them. Like a cat toying with a mouse." Hmmmmmm.
"...Our job is to protect and provide for other creatures. That's the minimum requirement for being human. It's what the word love means. Many people behave like rabid dogs, but that's no reason to join them." If only the current administration has as much sense.
March 27, 2015
I have to give the book a little grace for it's limited understanding of sexual orientation being as it's from the 90's. It's a nicely engrossing tale of a woman and her series of will-advised relationships with men and women (though she's not bisexual, she says because she's never "been in love with a man and a woman at the same time" - ARGH!)
July 10, 2012
I little disappointed. Didn't really know what to expect, but I liked the title. It had nothing to do with heaven, and I'm surprised I decided to read the entire book. Don't know that I would recommend it. Had some controversial subject matter.
January 31, 2008
Best book about a lesbian I ever ever read. Well, besides Well of Lonliness. But, unfortunately, just about as sad.
August 24, 2010
Five Minutes In Heaven by Lisa Alther (1995)
Want to read
July 2, 2011A rescued book, from the "Kantoorpaleis" Moem had to move out of. The books needed new homes, new readers and this one ended up with me. :-)
Read
August 5, 2011First queer book I ever read and I picked it up randomly... impacted my life immensely and I read it over and over again, after not being able to put it down the first time around.
November 29, 2011
I loved Kinflicks so much, many years ago. This started well but dragged on too long. I just didn't care about any of the French bit. Disappointing.
April 25, 2012
Nice. :-)
November 14, 2015
Alther writes beautifully.
February 8, 2016
Entertaining
July 25, 2016
It was good. Not amazing, but kept me reading the whole way through.
Read
December 4, 2008Five Minutes in Heaven by Lisa Alther (1996)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews