I Never Saw Paris
A Novel of the Afterlife
By Harry I. Freund
Review by Angela Hutchinson
Spirit-Works.net
In the fictional story, I Never Saw Paris, five strangers are killed in the middle of Manhattan by a man passed out at the wheel. It all seems random and utterly devastating when the group begins their journey into the after life. What exactly happens to us once we “pass over”? Is this all there is? It is a historically common question that we have all pondered at one time or another. Author Harry Freund takes the reader on a journey that is both unique and entertaining. There seems to be a common curiosity that pulls us to the subject matter and with the author’s imagination… this awakening adventure is only a book away.
Irving is an unassuming, older gentleman who is simply on a shopping trip to collect blue shirts his wife had urged him to buy. In one moment he and the others will be gone. “Accompanying Irving are an attractive personal shopper in her early 50’s; a grandmother who works as a housekeeper nearby; a twenty something gay man who is an interior decorator; and the driver, a candy store owner, widower, and concentration camp survivor.” The story focuses on the afterlife and within mere seconds of beginning the novel, their lives on Earth are complete and the journey begins.
Angel Malakh greets the guests and orients them to the process of Judgment. It is a process that unites the group and divulges the most painful of secrets. Freund introduces fresh, and maybe even controversial, figures in the afterlife. The angels help to create a bond, directly or indirectly, among the characters. As they talk about pivotal moments in their lives, they are faced with themselves and how they related to significant others on Earth. They fear judgment and ultimately question it. The beauty that results is the care and loyalty that develops. Compassion grows in a place where fear could fester, creating more suffering.
I Never Saw Paris is an original story with a new perspective of what awaits us. This book will shake you, reinforce your faith, and command your attention. It is a tale that leads to many questions; and isn’t that where greatness lives? Pick up a copy and start your metaphysical adventure today. Be prepared for a bumpy ride!
“All of you humans are like sleepwalkers; you move about and most of the time you are unaware of what you are doing. There are realms of existence you cannot even dream of…It is not as chaotic, as accidental, as it all seems down there.”