The Lovely Bones

Did You Know?

• A stage adaptation of the novel, adapted by Bryony Lavery and directed by Melly Still, premiered at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton on September 1, 2018.
• The stage adaptation toured to Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, Northern Stage, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and New Wolsey Theatre.
• Susie's best friend in heaven, Holly, is implied to be Vietnamese American and took her name from the character Holly Golightly played by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Plot

On December 6, 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon is raped and murdered by her neighbor George Harvey after he lures her into an underground hideout he built in a cornfield in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He disposes of her remains in a safe dumped in a sinkhole and throws her charm bracelet into a pond. Susie's spirit flees to a personal Heaven, passing classmate Ruth Connors, who sees her ghost. The Salmon family initially refuses to believe Susie is dead until a neighbor's dog finds her elbow. Police interview Harvey but find him not suspicious. Susie's father Jack gradually suspects Harvey, and his surviving daughter Lindsey shares this belief. Jack takes extended leave from work. Meanwhile, Ray Singh, a classmate who had a crush on Susie, develops a friendship with Ruth. Detective Len Fenerman tells the Salmons the investigation is dropped. That night, Jack sees a flashlight in the cornfield and runs out with a baseball bat, but the figures are Clarissa and Brian, who nearly beat Jack to death. While Jack recovers, his wife Abigail begins an affair with Fenerman. Lindsey sneaks into Harvey's house and finds a diagram of the den, but Harvey returns and she escapes. Harvey flees Norristown. Evidence later links him to Susie's murder and other girls' deaths. In heaven, Susie meets Harvey's other victims and sees his traumatic childhood.

Characters

Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl raped and murdered in the first chapter, narrates from Heaven. Jack Salmon, her father, works for an insurance agency in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and is consumed with guilt after her death. Abigail Salmon, Susie's mother, had frustrated dreams and leaves the family for California after Susie's death. Lindsey Salmon, Susie's younger sister by one year, helps her father investigate Harvey. Buckley Salmon, Susie's younger brother by ten years, sometimes sees Susie while she watches him. Grandma Lynn, Abigail's eccentric alcoholic mother, comes to live with the Salmons after Susie's death. George Harvey, the neighbor who murders Susie, is revealed as a serial killer of young girls. Ruth Connors, a classmate touched by Susie's spirit, becomes fascinated with Susie and writes about seeing visions of the dead. Ray Singh, a boy from India who was the first and only boy to kiss Susie, becomes Ruth's friend and is an initial suspect. Ruana Singh, Ray's mother, sometimes smokes cigarettes with Abigail Salmon. Samuel Heckler is Lindsey's boyfriend and later husband. Hal Heckler, Sam's older brother, runs a motorcycle repair shop. Len Fenerman, the police detective, has an affair with Abigail. Clarissa, Susie's best friend, is admired for her freedom. Nate is Buckley's best friend. Brian Nelson, Clarissa's boyfriend, severely beats Jack. Holly, Susie's best friend in heaven, is implied to be Vietnamese American and took her name from Holly Golightly.

Reception

Katherine Bouton in The New York Times Book Review wrote that the novel was a high-wire act for a first novelist and that Sebold maintained almost perfect balance. Ali Smith of The Guardian described it as a determined reiteration of innocence and a celebration of the American family unit. Philip Hensher of The Observer found the novel very readable but ultimately a slick, saccharine exercise in sentiment, noting that its heaven is God-free with no suggestion of judgment. Sebold stated she did not intend the book to be religious but acknowledged it contains faith and hope.

Film adaptation

Peter Jackson bought the film rights to the book, and in 2005 said he aimed to keep the story's unique feel and mood intact, adding that Susie's heaven should come across as ethereal and emotional without being hokey. The cast includes Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, Mark Wahlberg as Jack, Stanley Tucci as George Harvey, Rachel Weisz as Abigail, Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn, and Rose McIver as Lindsey Salmon. The movie debuted in just three U.S. theaters on December 11, 2009, then expanded internationally and wide on January 15, 2010. Critics were divided, but Tucci earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and both his and Ronan's performances received praise.