Something to Live For:

By; Richard Roeper Page number: 324

Originally published: 2019

"old little elements of a forgotten life" (pg. 56)

Thoughts:

In 2022, there were 67.1 million deaths worldwide, meaning two people died every second of every day. Although this measurement shows us the frequency of deaths in the world, it doesn’t awaken a deep sense of loss, as death here is described by simple digits, leaving no room for the stories of the deceased to be told. Thus, it is not uncommon to be indifferent to the news of distant deaths caused by a natural disaster or a car crash, as one is aloof to the entities of the dead individuals.

You can’t mourn a loss, if you are unaware of the once-living soul, never saw the space it took, or observed the patterns on which he/she had built their existence. Human loss becomes painful once you connect with the dead on a personal level and feel sympathy for their being. Seeing the deceased person’s unique way of living, that only they could do the way they did, makes one understand the irreplaceability of each individual. Indeed every death is painful because every person, with their unparalleled view of the world, is precious.

Perhaps death is the most insistent notice that prompts the true value of a living soul. It is a reminder of the beauty in the act of living, of the constant shifting of an individual with time and experiences.

Summary:

Something to Live For explains the story of Andrew, a 42- year old man who works at the Death Department of the council. Andrew’s job is to find the dead person’s next of kin, if there is one, by making small inquiries in their apartments. With time, there is more and more need for his position because there are increasingly more people dying alone. Andrew is appointed to cases in which the person has not been noticed to be dead by anyone, as they lived a solitary lifestyle. Andrew is certain, considering he has no family, that he too will live through the same fate as these unfortunate people. His death undiscovered until the rent is overdue or the electric bills are unpaid.

During his work hours, Andrew goes to the deceased’s apartment to find clues from someone close enough to the dead person who he can tell about the death. Andrew sees the apartments that people lived in before their passing, almost always either too tidy or completely unorganized. He sees the dead person through the objects they left behind. The past belongings of a deceased person, perhaps a collection of cards, a set of earrings, a half-written notebook, or a worn-out jacket, remind Andrew of the empty hole that once was taken by their owner.

One of the main events in the story is Andrew’s white lie that turns into a make-believe reality he portrays to his boss and colleagues. In the interview for his job, Andrew talks about having a wife and two children and living in a townhouse, which is not the truth. What he thought to be a harmless lie he said in the interview becomes almost a piece of his identity as he continues it. His yearning to be close to people, to have a living soul in his house to welcome him, to laugh and cry together with someone causes him to progress the lie into something that he enjoys resuming. He desires a family, and his lie becomes the only tie that bonds him to that reality.

The story takes a shift when Peggy enters Andrew’s life. She begins in the same job position as Andrew, and they spend a lot of time together on the cases. Peggy is different from most people in the eyes of Andrew, she is not afraid of intimacy, and there is a willingness to be more than acquaintances with him. Without even intending to, Peggy breaks the shell that Andrew had prisoned himself in and allows him to taste the sense of warmth, affection, and togetherness of having someone by you. Although Andrew had sensed these emotions before Peggy, he had almost forgotten that they are how life becomes blissful. By the end of the book, the reader will notice how differently Andrew begins to see everything around him. The cloud of loneliness that blurred out his vision fades away, leaving him to find beauty in everything around him. Knowing that he is cared for and looked after causes Andrew to find meaning in his life once again. In the end, we all long for such connections that make life gratifying, and feel the deep hollow in their absence.

personal rating of the book: 8/10