13. Life After Life - Raymond Moody

As always when reading these true stories about the hard life someone has had, I take it with a pinch of salt. For example James Frey’s ‘A Million Little Pieces’ turned out to be largely falsified, so I’m always careful when reading this sort of book now – rather than get sucked in and have a huge amount of sympathy for someone who simply has an overactive imagination.

Although this is the first book of his I’ve read (I believe he has 1 or 2 others), this one is definitely readable without having read the others. It follows the end of his time in low security prisons, leaving to a hostel and finally making another life for himself. It details all his criminal exploits as he is emerging from prison, believing it is the easiest way to become self-sufficient quickly. He also takes the path of a ‘low risk’ job – that of an author. This book tells how he wrote, edited and then promoted his first book.

However the main story through this is one of love. The unconditional love of his mother, who has stood by him during the 20 years in prison and continues to look after him after he leaves prison. Then the hard, fighting yet immensely passionate love with his young girlfriend. There is a very spiritual side to this story, and he has very spiritual attractions to people, but the one with Janice is fascinating. I won’t spoil this one, but I’ll say that it’s definitely worth reading despite the anti-climax of the end. It is still an amazing piece of writing, with the kind of life that very few people have, or choose to have.