The Brief History of the Dead: Kevin Brockmeier Explores the Afterlife

How we look at life has a lot to do with what we believe will happen when we die. It is an interesting exercise to think about what may happen, and it is instructive to learn what others expect to find. In doing so, we learn a lot about the motivations of others and gain a new perspective on our own assumptions. In his novel, The Brief History of the Dead, Kevin Brockmeier explores the themes of life, death, and afterlife. He paints a vivid picture of the city of the dead, whose inhabitants know as little about the nature of their situation and what lies ahead of them as the living do. As the story alternates between the worlds of the living and the dead, inhabitants of each are shown to depend upon one another for quite a lot. Both struggle to find meaning and to understand their situation, but when the world of the living starts to empty out due to a massive epidemic, they are each lead to some unavoidable conclusions.

From the prayers and intercessions of Catholics, to the burning of paper money in the Chinese tradition, many cultures share a belief that the fate of the dead depends, in some degree, upon the actions of the living. It is often said at funerals that the dead live on in our memories, and in Brockmeier's novel, this becomes the literal truth as the inhabitants of the afterlife depend upon the memories of the living for their very existence.

Beyond this fascinating premise, The Brief History of the Dead includes some very well developed and interesting characters and explores the vastness and power of our memories and dreams. For more about the book, visit the interactive Random House web page devoted to the book and its characters.

Images via Amazon

View From Above; Two Cities of the Dead

Breathtaking photos from Yann Arthus-Bertrand

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/earth_from_above_comes_to_nyc.html

Verdun, France

American cemetery north of Verdun, Meuse, France. Covering some 40 hectares (100 acres) at Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Verdun, the American cemetery was dedicated in 1935 by the American Battle Monuments Commission. The commission was created in 1923 at the request of General Pershing, who had taken part in the American offensive of 1918. Its aim was to undertake architectural and landscape studies in order to restructure American cemeteries and commemorative monuments in Europe. Whereas the French army chose to build permanent cemeteries where temporary cemeteries had been made during the hostilities, the American army opted to create a single cemetery. Some 25,000 American tombs scattered around Verdun were then brought together at Romagne where, after almost half the bodies were repatriated to American soil, 14,246 soldiers have lain ever since.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/earth_from_above_comes_to_nyc.html

Asyut, Egypt

Modern graves in a cemetery at Asyut, Nile valley, Egypt. The idea of eternal life, so dear to the ancient Egyptians, is conveyed through a style of funerary architecture that stands the test of time. These tombs are divided into two sections, one representing the life of the deceased and the other containing the person's remains and the objects customarily regarded as making life in the hereafter more pleasant. The world of the living coexists with that of the dead, and cemeteries are close to towns. An Egyptian city of the dead can stretch over several miles and is laid out like a town, with a rich variety of open spaces and architecture.

Photos and text from boston.com Earth From Above Visit the site and see these beautiful pictures full screen at http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/earth_from_above_comes_to_nyc.html

and

Visit the artist's Website at http://www.yannarthusbertrand.org/