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Descriptions of Heaven
A linguist, a lake monster, and the looming shadow of death—news of an unknown creature in the New Bedford Lake coincides with news that Natalia’s cancer has returned.
On the shores of the lake in a strange house with many secret doors, Robert and his family must face the fact that Natalia is dying, and there is no hope this time. But they continue on; their son plays by the lakeside, Natalia paints, Robert writes, and all the while the air is thick with dust from a worldwide drought that threatens to come down and coat their little corner of green.
A lament for what is already lost and what is yet to be lost, Descriptions of Heaven leaves only one question to be asked: What’s next?
On the shores of the lake in a strange house with many secret doors, Robert and his family must face the fact that Natalia is dying, and there is no hope this time. But they continue on; their son plays by the lakeside, Natalia paints, Robert writes, and all the while the air is thick with dust from a worldwide drought that threatens to come down and coat their little corner of green.
A lament for what is already lost and what is yet to be lost, Descriptions of Heaven leaves only one question to be asked: What’s next?
140 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2016
10 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
Randal Eldon Greene
4 books53 followersRandal Eldon Greene is the author of Descriptions of Heaven (Harvard Square Editions), a poetic allegory of climate change revolving around a linguist and the monster spotted in the waters of the professor’s lakeside home. Greene’s collection Blabber, Chat, Shouting Match: 50 Dialogue-Only Fictions (corona\samizdat) takes the traditional genre of literary dialogue and interrogates the form through a fictional lens in our era of hyper-communication and viral misinformation. Find Greene on Instagram @randaleldongreene. Links to all of his publications, interviews, and live podcast readings can be found on AuthorGreene.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 8, 2017
A short and precise book it was but the impact it creates is powerful.
A linguist, a lake monster, and the looming shadow of death.
Descriptions of Heaven summarizes with this one line but there is more to it when you look closer.
Robert, the protagonist works as a linguist and is a man of his words.
His wife Natalia is dying with Cancer and there is no way to prevent it. Only acceptance can be a solution and a path. They have a lovely son.
There is a rumor going on about an unknown and harmful creature in the lake.
For me, it was a novella full of grief and sadness in each pages. But the enthusiasm to see how this strong family deals with the tragedies life throws at them, acted as my motivation to go on reading it.
All this time they had one motto in their mind :
Although it is a really short book and the pages will turn themselves. Still, I would say it demands your attention in a very different level. You would want to finish it real quick but it would not let you do it until you yourself get on the shoes of Robert and his family, until you feel how they are coping up with their lives.
It was the best part of Description of Heaven.
As the story unfolds itself before your eyes, you see and stop to ponder "Is this what life means to be?"
Soaked with seeing the determination this family had to continue with their live, whatever may come, moved my soul.
I wanted to sympathies with the characters but they didn't need it. All that mattered to them was to be together and enjoy the time they were left with.
It is a moving and compelling story. I can understand how much of will power and courage it would have taken to the author for penning it down.
The theme and language is gripping. Try to come out of this book without feeling a bit of pain.
Beautifully written.
Verdict : A novella that will move you.
November 21, 2016
Take risks was my motto for October. Try new things. That is how Descriptions of Heaven appeared on my reading list for the month. Now if you know a little, you know I scare easily and I steer clear of sad stories. How come am I reviewing a novella such as Randal Eldon Greene’s then?
But then again, what does love care for a fish in open water when there is one in the net?
Yes, I could tell you this is a sad story and that you must be in the right mood to read it. But it would be too easy a description. Because for all the sadness oozing off the pages, life comes in waves, every emotion washing over you as you turn pages. Sadness, of course. You can’t read about a mother plagued with cancer without your heart tightening in your chest. Curiosity. Does a monster really inhabits the lake the family lives by? Lightness, for the sound their boy laughing, discovering, playing. And the sense of routine that no life escapes, whether you have a limit date or not.
I dived into the story of Robert, Natalia and their son with trepidation, I was determined not to get too involved to avoid spending an hour crying after I finished it. But this quiet novella took me by surprised, and it was only when I closed the book that I realized I was involved all along, I was living with them, I was sharing their doubts and their questions.
What is rage worth when it is life that one is raging against?
It started with Robert’s fascination for words. You see, he is a linguist, and as a language learner, I spend hours of my life scrutinizing English words, dissecting suffixes and discovering meanings. I possess an endless curiosity for letters forming concepts and notions of everything around us. We have words for everything. Almost. If we don’t, we create them. Even for concepts as mysterious as Heaven. I know the word, you know the word. We are familiar with the concept. But what is behind it? What is hiding under those 6 letters? How do you grasp the meaning of something you have never seen, never experienced? There is no answer. The author did not get a special authorization from a God or the President to share this secret with you or me. But he explores it, tries to put other words to create a concrete answer for his son, for his dying wife, for himself. Because death is too scary to be left a mystery, and we all look for answers. Robert’s way is to find the words. Or try to.
I thought the intricate sentences, images, and metaphors used in this novella would have the same effect the writing in classics does: distract, then bore me. But here the writing fits the story. It’s beautiful, lyrical, without being pretentious, and each chosen word draws you closer to the events and characters, envelops you with its curves and melodies. It is the story of a man in search of answers.
I abandoned the books of my childhood, and I read the classics where the heroes do die, where sometimes there are no heroes.
Curiously, Robert is the linguist, but it is Natalia, his wife, who masters the words, according to him.
Natalia is a mystery. A loving mother, a caring wife, a sick woman. But there is so much more to her. I don’t care for art. Paintings don’t talk to me, but to know that Natalia is an artist, and that it influences everything she does, and how she sees things, helped me understand her a little more. Randal Greene masterfully created a character who fights in silence, who faces life with her heart and her feelings out in the open. I loved meeting her, and her last journey seen through her husband’s eyes was beautiful to witness.
A normal family. A mom, a dad, a son. A house that looks more than a maze. A lake. Seasons. Leaves. You won’t find action in this novella, you will find life served by a beautiful writing. Its beginning and its ending. And it is okay, because rather than focusing on the horror of it, you will be caught with the smell of yummy food, a mystery, a love story. As my friend Annie says, sometimes a quiet story is all you need.
October 12, 2016
...I don’t know how many of you watch Doctor Who, but there’s a quote in one of the episodes which came to my mind while I was reading Descriptions of Heaven: “what’s the point in them being happy now if they’re going to be sad later? The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later”. Robert and Natalia love their son. Obviously, they are surrounded by friends and relatives, but no one is above their child. There are a few heartbreaking scenes where we see the couple together and there are those which show how much parents love their children. Personal beliefs should never overshadow a child’s happiness. There’s always plenty of time to be sad, but happiness must be cherished, for it can be taken away from us before we truly realize what is happening. ...
The review can be found on eLitere: http://elitere.ro/descriptions-of-hea...
The review can be found on eLitere: http://elitere.ro/descriptions-of-hea...
September 25, 2016
BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, QUIETLY SUSPENSEFUL
Randal Eldon Greene’s Descriptions of Heaven is a presentation of significant philosophical depth and elegant literary writing. The following is an example of Greene’s well crafted prose that deftly joins three aspects of the novel’s complex plot line:
“But it must be remembered that the lake there was dead, and the girl, for all her beauty, was a mess of nature’s inharmonious imperfections, and the sky itself was inundated with the dust of cadaverous soils.”
The lyrical quality of Greene’s narrative is a characteristic that runs throughout the novel, as when the reader is provided details of the relationship and contrast between the narrator and his tragic Natalia:
“I felt like an ancient tome with my grizzled beard and my thin, peppery hair when next to her, a slender book of modern poetry.”
And later…
“… and I kissed her and kissed her, and we made our love known to the night where above us the stars guttered like candles in the winds of that celestial black.”
Beautiful.
Descriptions of Heaven is an admirable sort of quietly suspenseful literary novel; its prose flows without awkwardness, and heartrending gothic secrets are revealed in due course as the philosophical narrative unfolds.
This is a good book to read on a cool, gray (perhaps rainstormy) day — perfect for its November release date. It would be an excellent choice for a literary-minded book club or a college literature class tasked with analyzing the works of emerging novelists. The quality of writing inspires me — as a writer myself — to take great care with my words and phrasing.
(It interested and intrigued me that Reality was portrayed as male… rather than female. My wife would disagree with that choice of gender…)
I close this review with a final quote from Descriptions of Heaven that speaks to the exquisite wording and psychological depth of this important work:
“This is what the day gives — a chance to judge rightly the occurrences of the night; the day gives heat to that. The day gives fire to the soul, for the soul sees better in the morning, and my soul was heated, and my soul saw clearly, and my soul was enraged.”
This review was written by Kevin Polman, author of The Extra Key.
Randal Eldon Greene’s Descriptions of Heaven is a presentation of significant philosophical depth and elegant literary writing. The following is an example of Greene’s well crafted prose that deftly joins three aspects of the novel’s complex plot line:
“But it must be remembered that the lake there was dead, and the girl, for all her beauty, was a mess of nature’s inharmonious imperfections, and the sky itself was inundated with the dust of cadaverous soils.”
The lyrical quality of Greene’s narrative is a characteristic that runs throughout the novel, as when the reader is provided details of the relationship and contrast between the narrator and his tragic Natalia:
“I felt like an ancient tome with my grizzled beard and my thin, peppery hair when next to her, a slender book of modern poetry.”
And later…
“… and I kissed her and kissed her, and we made our love known to the night where above us the stars guttered like candles in the winds of that celestial black.”
Beautiful.
Descriptions of Heaven is an admirable sort of quietly suspenseful literary novel; its prose flows without awkwardness, and heartrending gothic secrets are revealed in due course as the philosophical narrative unfolds.
This is a good book to read on a cool, gray (perhaps rainstormy) day — perfect for its November release date. It would be an excellent choice for a literary-minded book club or a college literature class tasked with analyzing the works of emerging novelists. The quality of writing inspires me — as a writer myself — to take great care with my words and phrasing.
(It interested and intrigued me that Reality was portrayed as male… rather than female. My wife would disagree with that choice of gender…)
I close this review with a final quote from Descriptions of Heaven that speaks to the exquisite wording and psychological depth of this important work:
“This is what the day gives — a chance to judge rightly the occurrences of the night; the day gives heat to that. The day gives fire to the soul, for the soul sees better in the morning, and my soul was heated, and my soul saw clearly, and my soul was enraged.”
This review was written by Kevin Polman, author of The Extra Key.
December 23, 2025
Assigning Stars to a Book Can be Hard…
I want to give multiple ratings to this book, but I can only give one.
First, I want to give 5 stars for the ambition. This book is trying to tackle our meaning existing in this life, and in what way death affects the living, and how it is relevant to the living. It knows better than to try and answer those questions—good God, no! But it does present questions and scenarios that help us individually find which questions we want to hold on to, and which ones we wish to shed the labor of carrying.
I want to give 4 stars to the competency of the narrative. In-depth introspection sustained through a piece of fiction can be difficult, and in this case, was a massive challenge, and this author navigated it without trepidation or lack of skill. The compulsion to continue reading was strong, if for no other reason than for why we are unable to shake certain thoughts in our head.
I want to give 3.5 stars to the story’s symbolic motifs. Although I feel they needed a bit more structure for support, and a bit more design for aesthetic purposes, I do feel they were astute and helped to add to the overall theme and emotion of the novel. First, the monster in the lake, which was such a nice metaphor for the unknown—that which we can want to know more about, that we WISH existed as we want to believe—but which could be something totally different, or not exist at all. It exists in the mysterious depths of our unknown. And then there’s the house itself, and its mad creator. For me, this represented the existence we live in, created by something beyond our comprehension, that doesn’t always make sense, and that has layers to it we haven’t even explored, even though we live in it. Sheer brilliance. However, I feel there was a missed opportunity to keep this house and its creator more involved in the story.
I want to give the narrative voice 3 stars. I appreciate how well the voice tried to convey the forced emotional detachment to the situation. It’s obvious it wasn’t working for the narrator and he was actually overwhelmed by the coming loss he would face. And I do understand that, as a linguist at a college, his vocabulary is extensive (and even archaic), but unfortunately, it did get overwhelming much of the time. I’m torn by this, because it clearly shaped the character very well—and I’ll even argue it helped to keep the reader as disoriented to the narrator’s meaning as the narrator was to the tragedy he was facing and the life he couldn’t parse—but I think less would have helped to keep the read less laborious and to instead highlight some of the true genius of the author’s insights and command of prose.
I want to give this a strong and forceful 3.5 out of 5 stars, but I will favor the ambition and the stylistic skill of the writer and lean toward generosity with 4 stars, and I look forward to reading more from him.
I want to give multiple ratings to this book, but I can only give one.
First, I want to give 5 stars for the ambition. This book is trying to tackle our meaning existing in this life, and in what way death affects the living, and how it is relevant to the living. It knows better than to try and answer those questions—good God, no! But it does present questions and scenarios that help us individually find which questions we want to hold on to, and which ones we wish to shed the labor of carrying.
I want to give 4 stars to the competency of the narrative. In-depth introspection sustained through a piece of fiction can be difficult, and in this case, was a massive challenge, and this author navigated it without trepidation or lack of skill. The compulsion to continue reading was strong, if for no other reason than for why we are unable to shake certain thoughts in our head.
I want to give 3.5 stars to the story’s symbolic motifs. Although I feel they needed a bit more structure for support, and a bit more design for aesthetic purposes, I do feel they were astute and helped to add to the overall theme and emotion of the novel. First, the monster in the lake, which was such a nice metaphor for the unknown—that which we can want to know more about, that we WISH existed as we want to believe—but which could be something totally different, or not exist at all. It exists in the mysterious depths of our unknown. And then there’s the house itself, and its mad creator. For me, this represented the existence we live in, created by something beyond our comprehension, that doesn’t always make sense, and that has layers to it we haven’t even explored, even though we live in it. Sheer brilliance. However, I feel there was a missed opportunity to keep this house and its creator more involved in the story.
I want to give the narrative voice 3 stars. I appreciate how well the voice tried to convey the forced emotional detachment to the situation. It’s obvious it wasn’t working for the narrator and he was actually overwhelmed by the coming loss he would face. And I do understand that, as a linguist at a college, his vocabulary is extensive (and even archaic), but unfortunately, it did get overwhelming much of the time. I’m torn by this, because it clearly shaped the character very well—and I’ll even argue it helped to keep the reader as disoriented to the narrator’s meaning as the narrator was to the tragedy he was facing and the life he couldn’t parse—but I think less would have helped to keep the read less laborious and to instead highlight some of the true genius of the author’s insights and command of prose.
I want to give this a strong and forceful 3.5 out of 5 stars, but I will favor the ambition and the stylistic skill of the writer and lean toward generosity with 4 stars, and I look forward to reading more from him.
October 19, 2016
I was given an advanced reader's copy of Descriptions of Heaven by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Descriptions of Heaven is a beautifully written novella featuring Robert and Natalia, a young couple living with their son in their lake house. As Natalia's cancer returns and her death seems inevitable, Robert struggles to explain her death to his young son, Jesse, while simultaneously coping with the loss of his lover.
First and foremost, this novella has gorgeous prose. The author has an obvious love of language and it shows through vivid descriptions and a wide use of vocabulary. I can see some readers being put off because it can come across as "purple prose" at times. There were a few moments where I wished the author took a single step back, as it felt a tad overkill. Despite that, the superfluous prose was not boring or took away from the story. Rather, the story itself was about the love of language, as Robert is a writer and a linguist, so the quiet introspection about life spaced throughout feels fitting. Aside from feeling it was a tad much at times, I loved the author's prose and his style in general. Greene makes poetry of his prose and commands the page. For that reason alone, it was a joy to read.
The story itself is very wistful and speculative. The main character spends a lot of time pondering life and death, as can be expected, and makes lots of observations about the world. The story's strength definitely lies in its quieter moments, and there are plenty of them. Unfortunately, the story lacks a bit of the side of action. Even in scenes where there is more action, such as when Natalia discovers an intruder in the home, the action is glossed over and minimized to focus instead on the characters reflecting and discussing the scene afterwards. I felt that these are missed opportunities. If the author had put a bit more focus on the action and tension in those scenes, fully embracing what is happening, then the quieter scenes to follow would have had more punch as well.
Descriptions of Heaven is a soft, beautiful narrative that left me wistful and lingering on the last lines. It didn't feel incomplete as a story, but I was still left rereading the last few paragraphs, as if I was searching for something. The best way to describe the feeling this novella left me with would be the emptiness and incompleteness when a loved one is lost. Though I wasn't heart broken by Natalia's death, I found myself searching for the meaning in her death just as Robert did. But there isn't much meaning in death, especially untimely death, which I believe Greene captured perfectly.
All in all, 3/5 stars. A lovely novella exploring life and death through the love of language.
Descriptions of Heaven is a beautifully written novella featuring Robert and Natalia, a young couple living with their son in their lake house. As Natalia's cancer returns and her death seems inevitable, Robert struggles to explain her death to his young son, Jesse, while simultaneously coping with the loss of his lover.
First and foremost, this novella has gorgeous prose. The author has an obvious love of language and it shows through vivid descriptions and a wide use of vocabulary. I can see some readers being put off because it can come across as "purple prose" at times. There were a few moments where I wished the author took a single step back, as it felt a tad overkill. Despite that, the superfluous prose was not boring or took away from the story. Rather, the story itself was about the love of language, as Robert is a writer and a linguist, so the quiet introspection about life spaced throughout feels fitting. Aside from feeling it was a tad much at times, I loved the author's prose and his style in general. Greene makes poetry of his prose and commands the page. For that reason alone, it was a joy to read.
The story itself is very wistful and speculative. The main character spends a lot of time pondering life and death, as can be expected, and makes lots of observations about the world. The story's strength definitely lies in its quieter moments, and there are plenty of them. Unfortunately, the story lacks a bit of the side of action. Even in scenes where there is more action, such as when Natalia discovers an intruder in the home, the action is glossed over and minimized to focus instead on the characters reflecting and discussing the scene afterwards. I felt that these are missed opportunities. If the author had put a bit more focus on the action and tension in those scenes, fully embracing what is happening, then the quieter scenes to follow would have had more punch as well.
Descriptions of Heaven is a soft, beautiful narrative that left me wistful and lingering on the last lines. It didn't feel incomplete as a story, but I was still left rereading the last few paragraphs, as if I was searching for something. The best way to describe the feeling this novella left me with would be the emptiness and incompleteness when a loved one is lost. Though I wasn't heart broken by Natalia's death, I found myself searching for the meaning in her death just as Robert did. But there isn't much meaning in death, especially untimely death, which I believe Greene captured perfectly.
All in all, 3/5 stars. A lovely novella exploring life and death through the love of language.
March 27, 2018
In general, this was hard for me to read. Greene's prose is obviously stunning, but the lexicographic diction resulted in a heavy, almost pretentious swamp of text to wade through. I know that's a heavy statement, but it's just an opinion as it wasn't to my taste. I also did not particularly enjoy the slow speed of the plot, but otherwise it was complex and well-constructed. And on the other hand, I also appreciated the portrayal of everyday life throughout the book. Greene got as much out of this setting as possible, intriguing the reader with suspense while never going beyond the bounds of typical suburban life.
September 25, 2025
Descriptions of Heaven is a beautifully written book about life and death, a somewhat philosophical and very human look at what it's like to live with death knocking on the door. I was particularly struck by the scene of Natalia attempting to paint her own gravesite but not really being able to get it right and Robert saying that she couldn't get it right because she wasn't in the picture. This is a moving, although sometimes verbally over-embellished story (but the protagonist is a professor of linguistics so it's somewhat fitting) about life and death. (Bring a dictionary before reading!) Well worth the read.
November 22, 2016
3.5 Stars. I was sent an advanced reading copy of this book by the author for review.
When a monster is found in the New Bedford Lake it gives a brief reprieve from the fact that Robert's wife Natalia is dying. She has cancer, there is no cure and Robert contemplates how to explain it to their son Jesse while also contemplating life and death itself.
'Descriptions of Heaven' is an interesting but difficult book to read. Apart from the language used in the book its subject matter is one that could provoke deep thoughts and emotions in those reading it. The story is told from Robert's point of view and written in the first person perspective. As weeks and months go by the family come to terms with the inevitable death of Natalia and thoughts of what lays beyond.
At the start of this novella is a brief side story about the discovery of a monster in the New Bedford Lake which makes for a fun and interesting beginning but the main story is quite a simple one of what a family goes through when someone has incurable cancer. The main character, Robert, is a linguistics professor and because this book is told in the first person, most of the text is written with a language which may turn off a lot of readers. There are a lot of eloquent words used and although I don't mind such language (it's often found in Classics) I did feel as if some of this was over the top and it made getting into reading this difficult.
Despite the flowery prose and the seemingly mundane everyday things the family go through there are a lot of deep passages and thoughts which I enjoyed. Simple situations were given deeper meaning when contemplating life and death and the way some things were described such as creaky stairs were done in such a way that it really evoked vivid images in my mind and made me think about things in a new way. For all the eloquent words used though, I felt that some of the conversation tags were lazy. 'He said' and 'she said' were used too often in general, and considering Robert's broad use of the English language I would have liked some better indications of who spoke and when.
There is nothing offensive in this book but it does deal with incurable cancer and inevitable death. The ending of the book is a satisfying one but there are no surprises in this story. The book ponders on life and death a lot and doesn't have a lot of action scenes or anything like that. While it was hard for me to get into reading this, once I did, I enjoyed it. What's surprised me is how such a short novella has left lasting thoughts. Greene's use of words has evoked such vivid images and thoughts that I find I'm contemplating life and death myself. An interesting and thought-provoking read.
When a monster is found in the New Bedford Lake it gives a brief reprieve from the fact that Robert's wife Natalia is dying. She has cancer, there is no cure and Robert contemplates how to explain it to their son Jesse while also contemplating life and death itself.
'Descriptions of Heaven' is an interesting but difficult book to read. Apart from the language used in the book its subject matter is one that could provoke deep thoughts and emotions in those reading it. The story is told from Robert's point of view and written in the first person perspective. As weeks and months go by the family come to terms with the inevitable death of Natalia and thoughts of what lays beyond.
At the start of this novella is a brief side story about the discovery of a monster in the New Bedford Lake which makes for a fun and interesting beginning but the main story is quite a simple one of what a family goes through when someone has incurable cancer. The main character, Robert, is a linguistics professor and because this book is told in the first person, most of the text is written with a language which may turn off a lot of readers. There are a lot of eloquent words used and although I don't mind such language (it's often found in Classics) I did feel as if some of this was over the top and it made getting into reading this difficult.
Despite the flowery prose and the seemingly mundane everyday things the family go through there are a lot of deep passages and thoughts which I enjoyed. Simple situations were given deeper meaning when contemplating life and death and the way some things were described such as creaky stairs were done in such a way that it really evoked vivid images in my mind and made me think about things in a new way. For all the eloquent words used though, I felt that some of the conversation tags were lazy. 'He said' and 'she said' were used too often in general, and considering Robert's broad use of the English language I would have liked some better indications of who spoke and when.
There is nothing offensive in this book but it does deal with incurable cancer and inevitable death. The ending of the book is a satisfying one but there are no surprises in this story. The book ponders on life and death a lot and doesn't have a lot of action scenes or anything like that. While it was hard for me to get into reading this, once I did, I enjoyed it. What's surprised me is how such a short novella has left lasting thoughts. Greene's use of words has evoked such vivid images and thoughts that I find I'm contemplating life and death myself. An interesting and thought-provoking read.
February 23, 2017
Short but bitter-sweet. Descriptions of Heaven is a novella length work which mainly tackles the issues of dealing with impending death in a small family. The narrator's wife is dying and he struggles to come to terms with the universal issue of death and loss whilst trying to explain the almost unexplainable to his young son. It's a deeply though provoking work, with some beautiful, if sometimes slightly elongated prose. Whilst the style might not be for everyone, the quality of the description cannot be denied. I've read other work by the author (the short story Things that Fall) and overall found the descriptiveness of his prose to be captivating.
January 2, 2017
The book commences with a brief exposition about a monster that is supposedly found in a nearby lake to Robert, the main character. He is a professor of linguistics and he relates the book throughout, which I felt was a problem. While one could occasionally enjoy some of the articulation and eloquence that frequently flowed from the professor’s lips I thought it was overdone. It is expected and enjoyed when you read a nineteenth century classic but within a short contemporary tale about incurable cancer? – then I have my doubts. Many of the sentences were far too long and often overburdened with too much description, verging on verbosity.
Robert’s wife, Natalia, is the one dying and, while he struggles to explain events and the concept of Heaven to their son, Jesse, he has to cope with his own grief about his loss and lack of understanding of “Why?”. The whole topic is bound to cause strong reactions in the heart of any compassionate reader and overall I found the quality of Greene’s writing did much to convey an atmosphere of despair and grief, with very little hope or joy for the future. For me the main problem with such an excess of flowery prose was that it continually distracted from the essence of the story – love, life, loss and the inevitability of death. It made me suspect that the point of the book was to display a love of language and to demonstrate the author’s skill through its narrative style; the latter of which I have no doubt. Unfortunately, this reader found many of the long descriptions tedious and irritating which clouded out the inevitable emotions that would, and should, emerge from such a plotline.
Robert’s wife, Natalia, is the one dying and, while he struggles to explain events and the concept of Heaven to their son, Jesse, he has to cope with his own grief about his loss and lack of understanding of “Why?”. The whole topic is bound to cause strong reactions in the heart of any compassionate reader and overall I found the quality of Greene’s writing did much to convey an atmosphere of despair and grief, with very little hope or joy for the future. For me the main problem with such an excess of flowery prose was that it continually distracted from the essence of the story – love, life, loss and the inevitability of death. It made me suspect that the point of the book was to display a love of language and to demonstrate the author’s skill through its narrative style; the latter of which I have no doubt. Unfortunately, this reader found many of the long descriptions tedious and irritating which clouded out the inevitable emotions that would, and should, emerge from such a plotline.
November 22, 2016
(I received a copy from the authors in exchange for an honest review.)
Descriptions of Heaven is about questioning what is and what could be. After learning of the tragic news that Natalia’s cancer came back, Robert and his family start to ponder on life and death. They try to go on and live life as normal as they can but it progressively gets difficult with the inevitable looming in. What lies after death?
This work of art is incredibly poetic from beginning to end. Randal Eldon Greene paints his words with every array of colors imaginable. It’s simply beautiful and breathtaking. It’s really hard to put into words how I feel because though this is a very sad novella, it really makes you think and wonder what comes next. I liked that, for a family that doesn’t necessarily believe in religion per se, the unfortunate news of Natalia’s cancer spreading makes Robert and their son start to wonder where she will go after her passing. They held on to the hope that there can be more out there in the unknown, the mystery of it all. The lake monster mentioned was such a perfect metaphor too. Like Heaven, you hear so much about it and you're hopeful in its existence. The lake monster, Billy, is very similar as people are standing nearby in the hopes that they will get a glimpse of such a mystery.
I really enjoyed this novella and I highly recommend it. It’s so well-written and wonderful. It’s the perfect little book to read right before bed.
I give it a 4 out of 5 rating.
Descriptions of Heaven is about questioning what is and what could be. After learning of the tragic news that Natalia’s cancer came back, Robert and his family start to ponder on life and death. They try to go on and live life as normal as they can but it progressively gets difficult with the inevitable looming in. What lies after death?
This work of art is incredibly poetic from beginning to end. Randal Eldon Greene paints his words with every array of colors imaginable. It’s simply beautiful and breathtaking. It’s really hard to put into words how I feel because though this is a very sad novella, it really makes you think and wonder what comes next. I liked that, for a family that doesn’t necessarily believe in religion per se, the unfortunate news of Natalia’s cancer spreading makes Robert and their son start to wonder where she will go after her passing. They held on to the hope that there can be more out there in the unknown, the mystery of it all. The lake monster mentioned was such a perfect metaphor too. Like Heaven, you hear so much about it and you're hopeful in its existence. The lake monster, Billy, is very similar as people are standing nearby in the hopes that they will get a glimpse of such a mystery.
I really enjoyed this novella and I highly recommend it. It’s so well-written and wonderful. It’s the perfect little book to read right before bed.
I give it a 4 out of 5 rating.
November 28, 2016
I got to say, the cover had me thinking one thing, but the back cover gave me something different. So I felt a little confused going into this book. Inside a discovered a short story about a family struggling together. Death is imminent, but too early in some cases.
Robert, our main character, is living with the doom that looms nearer. Natalia, his wife is riddled with cancer , and just received a terminal diagnosis. With their son, they simply try to enjoy what time they have left. There are a lot of deep conversations, and harsh but true words.
All in all, I liked it. I felt that some sentences seemed to run on and on. However it was a more optimistic approach to facing the death of a loved one. I felt as though I was reading a memoir, instead of a my normal fictional tale. So it was a little slow reading for me. I would more likely recomend this to a more mature reader, than someone my age. I do want to say thank you to the author and publishing company. I was given an ARC to read and will be sharing this book with my writers group. It has some awesome technique in it that I would love to share with others!
Robert, our main character, is living with the doom that looms nearer. Natalia, his wife is riddled with cancer , and just received a terminal diagnosis. With their son, they simply try to enjoy what time they have left. There are a lot of deep conversations, and harsh but true words.
All in all, I liked it. I felt that some sentences seemed to run on and on. However it was a more optimistic approach to facing the death of a loved one. I felt as though I was reading a memoir, instead of a my normal fictional tale. So it was a little slow reading for me. I would more likely recomend this to a more mature reader, than someone my age. I do want to say thank you to the author and publishing company. I was given an ARC to read and will be sharing this book with my writers group. It has some awesome technique in it that I would love to share with others!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 17, 2016Descriptions of Heaven by Randal Eldon Greene is the story of a small family dealing with an impending grief. Death looms large in this novella, where the protagonist, Robert, must say goodbye to his wife, Natalia, whose body is riddled with cancer. Several poignant scenes stay in the mind long after the words pass, including when the couple takes their young son to their annual pumpkin patch visit and Robert encounters an old friend. A cerebral read, Greene's ethereal prose matches the heady topic, and his characterization is impressive, especially considering the truncated format. I knew the ending before I began, but in this case that isn't a complaint. In fact, had Greene done otherwise, I would have felt cheated as a reader. When reading Descriptions of Heaven, make sure to have your dictionary nearby because you'll definitely need it. Greene's offering is a strong contribution to the literary fiction genre and portends a promising career for this young author.
September 10, 2016
This book surprised me, hence the 4 stars. It stuck with me after I read it for a bit, popping up in my head during unexpected times and causing me to mentally review it again. It's not a bad story. A little dry at first and the humor isn't actually that humorous, but about halfway through the story everything seems to take on deeper meaning and the stakes are raised. Plain and simple, this is a sad story. No tears rolled out of my eyes, but I definitely felt a little depressed for a while after reading it. Also, the main character is a college prof. so his vocabulary is a little on the high-brow side. You've been warned.
December 28, 2016
The premise and dialogue of this story are exceptional, but the execution of the prose makes it difficult to get through. There are many run-on sentences that drone on and on when a much simpler description would suffice. There is also an excess of bloated words that seem more about challenging the average person's vocabulary than telling a coherent story. This is a nice try from the author, but I feel making changes to the prose would tremendously improve this novella's readability.
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