A Review of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes|| Living-not just Existing

I’ve always been a very visual reader; I don’t just see the words , rather, I see the world that the words create. Vivid descriptions and imagery – of the characters, the places, the events—these are what attract me to a book.  I appreciate proper language in a book, though the connotation of the term ‘proper’ is open to varying interpretations; it is satisfying to read a book wherein the effort put in by the author is felt and acknowledged. And though they say to never judge a book by its cover, I’ve fallen for a book’s outfit uncountable number of times—hook, line and sinker.

Me Before You, is, in a word, beautiful. It is the kind of beauty that comes with simplicity and imperfection— entirely, utterly real.  Moyes’s story of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor is not just their story; it is a story where each and every character has a tale to tell if they are under the spotlight. The sister who is a single mother, the inattentive boyfriend, the overbearing parents— there is a whole lot more to them than what meets the eye at first.

Louisa, a caretaker with no prior experience, strives to convince Will, a dissatisfied quadriplegic, to give another shot at life. However, the end results show that the tables have turned when it is Will who makes Louisa see that there is more to life than just existing; he teaches her to live.

The simplistic writing with ample doses of wit and humour makes for an easy yet memorable read. Will's dry and sarcastic drawl is quite a contrast to Louisa's upbeat chatter.

*Spoiler Alert*

The scene where Will gifts Louisa her cherished 'bumblebee tights' on her birthday, something she had mentioned in a passing remark, is a particularly heartwarming one. We get to see here that Will is actually quite fond of Louisa and that she has, by that time, grown on him. Later on, that endearment progresses into a truckload of affection when, a stunning red dress and a wedding later, Will proclaims,“Sometimes, Clark, you are pretty much the only thing that makes me want to get up in the morning.”

 The way the book ended, the expected and yet unexpected culmination was one of my favourite aspects of the book— another thing that adds to its beauty.

*End of spoiler*

Me Before You movie poster

A real tear-jerker, this heartwarming light read is a welcome respite from everyday problems that are mostly blown out of proportion. The tale is spun in such a manner that we can’t help but intimately become a part of the characters’ lives—crying when they cry, and laughing when they laugh. This book is, without a doubt, one of the most worthwhile ones I’ve read in a while, prompting me to pick up another one of Moyes’s books, Honeymoon in Paris. Well, that is another review for another day. 

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