I Hated Heaven
Best of all, they are deeply in love. But the good times come to a screeching halt when Tom is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Though Tom's faith gives him peace as he faces death's dark doorway, April, an agnostic, is distraught. So at Tom's deathbed, she surprises them both when she takes his hand, tears in her eyes, and whispers, "When you get to the other side - if there is another side - and there is a God, promise me you'll come back and tell me!
When his request to return to Earth is routinely denied, Tom must make a fateful decision: Does he have the courage to risk eveything -even his very soul - to keep his promise to April? Read more Read less.
About the Author Kenny Kemp is the author of 10 books, all dealing with the spiritual quest. Related Video Shorts 0 Upload your video. Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. Kenny Kemp's portrayal of love in marriage is not the fantasy of fairytales. It is sweet, it's real, and shows a few warts. He weaves a good yarn that makes one wonder about life after death, and more importantly, about life in the here and now , Being true to self, and the importance of loving unconditionally.
A book that keeps you guessing right up to the end! Love love love this book. I'm using it for Christmas gifts! This book was so boring. I know it was supposed to be a novel but I thought this author was suppose to be a christian author, but he doesn't have a christian view of the afterlife. I couldn't finish it. One person found this helpful. Hated Heaven is filmmaker Kenny Kemp's first novel.
While reading it I frequently thought it would make a great movie, and it probably will be made into one before too long. Although the subject matter bears a surface similarity to the Robin Williams film "What Dreams May Come," this novel presents a very different vision of the afterlife, and tells a very different story. Tom, the book's protagonist, is a devoted Christian married to April, an essentially agnostic nonbeliever.
They have a surprisingly good marriage, however, and when Tom suddenly succumbs to cancer April begs him to promise to come back and tell her if there really is an afterlife. Tom soon finds out there is an afterlife, but it's nothing like he could have imagined. Tom finds himself not in Heaven, as he had expected, but in Paradise, apparently an immense bureaucracy which people must pass through before moving on.
Much of the novel depicts Tom's experiences as he learns what Paradise is really like. Unfortunately, the more he sees, the less he likes it. Tom desperately desires to make a quick return visit to his wife to fulfill his promise to her, and hopefully turn her into a believer, but he's constantly thwarted by obstacles such as impassable committees, serpentine regulations, and request forms which run for hundreds of pages.
I Hated Heaven is a devious little book in that it should be loved by most non-religious people, because of the way it satirizes religious beliefs, and it should be loved by most religious people because of the way it affirms those beliefs. Really, the book is very pro-religion and pro-Christian, but non-religious readers will find it enjoyable as well, as it is, more than anything, very pro-people.
This book deserves a review. Not only does it provoke creative thinking about mortality, it also shows the pitfalls of trying to "plan" the afterlife too carefully. Unrealistic expectations about ourselves and authority including God can cause us to make bad decisions in life. Two things are apparent to me from the viewpoint of the book: One is that "getting to the other side" is not an end in itself; this will not automatically or magically perfect someone as demonstrated by the diligent, but somewhat anal, spirit guide Jonathan.
The other is that deity is not limited even in authority and could, in fact, be the guy you flipped off on the freeway this morning. Tom's journey shows how we are linked as families and friends, while proof is usually in the eye of the beholder. The book was just the right length to enjoy without putting my life on hold to finish it. I would have kept reading had it been longer. I read it for an LDS book club. The discussion we had on it was deeper than what I had prepared for.
I felt like the book was just a whimsical story, but I realized at the book club some people saw the deeper side. For the record, I don't agree with the character of God, at all. Some of the women had a good take on his "breaking the rules. Sep 25, Kelly rated it liked it. This book was definitely a bit different from what I thought it would be.
I thought it would have a more comedic tone or just a twist to what heaven would be like but I didn't expect such a push on religion. When I say comedic tone, I mean kind of like a rewritten version of Beauty and the Beast. I expected something like Ella Enchanted but got Wicked instead. Overall, it's not a bad read, it's a bit slow at first but the ending kind of made up for it.
I think if you detach yourself from a relig This book was definitely a bit different from what I thought it would be. Aug 18, Loraine rated it really liked it. The first time I read this book, I was really amazed. The second time, it was a little disappointing. It's well written and is a really great story. There is really just one idea the author has about the after-life that I don't agree with. That we forget everything that happened on earth. Other than that, I find this book very entertaining and thought-provoking.
I would read it again. Jan 11, Dora rated it it was amazing. I loved reading this book from the beginning to the end. Kenny's view of the after life is entertaining and enticing and gives you a glimpse of what may come after this life.
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It's a must read. It made me laugh and cry. It's very heart warming and especially to those that love the gospel this is a good read!!! Mar 26, Kris rated it it was ok. Not to be read by those with a shaky testimony.
Written by an LDS author, his take on the afterlife is a grim view but one to which I'm sure many people can relate. He questions how we can be truly happy when we are not with those we dearly love.
I Hated Heaven: A Novel of Love After Death
May 22, Shauna rated it liked it. This is a cute story about what life might be after death with an LDS perspective. It was an easy read and kept me entertained. One thing that bothered me was that I found several typo's in the book, other then that I liked it. Jun 26, Darla rated it it was ok. This was much more inspirational than I thought it would be. I thought it would be more tongue-in-cheek anti-religion, being a tale of after-life and all.
But it lampoons heaven as it's promoting it Still, an enjoyable, quick read.
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Apr 15, Kathy rated it liked it. What an interesting take on heaven and the tests we face! I met the author in Costco and enjoyed talking with him. At first I didn't like the book and considered not finishing it, but I'm so glad I stayed with it. It had a really great ending and gave me a lot to think about! Apr 13, Andrea Archuleta rated it liked it. Nice read, a little predictable, but worth the time. Apr 21, Leasa rated it it was amazing. I almost quit, but continued on, due to reading someone's comment about quitting but didn't. It really turned out to be great!
Jul 10, Nicole rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed reading this book. It has amzing descriptions and at one point makes you cry. Made me cry anyways. I have this book if anyone would like to borrow it. Sep 30, Chrislin rated it liked it. I first read this book in 7th grade when I found it in the school library and I fell in love with it.
I searched and searched for this book since then, and everywhere I looked, it was out-of-print or sold-out. Fast-forward 11 years when I received a Kindle for Christmas, this was one of the first books I purchased on it, and I was very ecstatic to find it and be able to finally read it again. There were things I picked up on a lot better reading it at 24 than 13, but it was still a wonderful rea I first read this book in 7th grade when I found it in the school library and I fell in love with it.
There were things I picked up on a lot better reading it at 24 than 13, but it was still a wonderful read. All I can say, is to read this book. Try to not be offended by Kenny's view of Heaven, we all have different ideas of Heaven. I enjoyed this place Kenny created, the twists and the turns, the unexpected ending.
The book is a page-turner, and leaves you thinking afterwards. Sometimes, love really can conquer all. Although I own a Kindle version, I'm still searching for a real hopefully hardcover version. Feb 24, Julie rated it really liked it. There is no secret what this story is about so I was a little surprised that it seemed to take a long time to get to the point with it. But once it got to the point, it was hard to put down.
I loved the struggle in heaven of the lead character, trying so hard to keep his commitment to his wife. He was easy to empathize with and I found my heart going out to him in his efforts. I've been recommending the book to everyone I know since completing it. It does not preach any specific religion in its There is no secret what this story is about so I was a little surprised that it seemed to take a long time to get to the point with it.
It does not preach any specific religion in its concepts of Heaven, but its concepts are different than the typical heaven on a cloud idea we usually get. A very sweet love story about a husband and wife and their profound love for each other. Oct 10, Tawnya rated it it was ok. I thought the story was hurried and incomplete. I felt like the character development of the story was slow. I felt like the author was really trying too hard with his descriptions, it just wasn't natural. I have a really hard time not finishing a book but this is one I really had to struggle not walking away from.