Customer Reviews
Interesting but not compelling - By: Z. Jaff, 16 Aug 2008 
Overall I enjoyed reading this book, an easy read, nicely written. However some parts was over detailed, slow & predictable.
a bit dull - By: Muppet, 14 Aug 2008 
I wouldn't normally have bought this going by the blurb on the back, but I wasin France & was too lazy to readin French & this was one of only 4 English books I could findin Fnac to keep mein books, having read all the others that I'd brought with me - (I can't sit still without having a pile of books to occupy me & so it was a sanity purchase).
It was fine for passing the time whilst sitting on the beach, but that's all. One of my friends has a rule that she avoids anything with a Richard & Judy sticker on it - this book had such a sticker - but then so do a lot of very well written interesting newer books...
Overall recommendation - Nope. A probable future donation to a charity shop as will definitely not re-read.
Soul-searching, achingly beautiful story. - By: laineyf, 02 Aug 2008 
Well, I'd seen this on the bookshelves, read the publicity blurb, & thought it sounded just too sickly for me. However, I was interested, & decided to give it a go. I am so glad that I did, Random Acts of Heroic Love is exactly that. It is beautiful, achingly sad, & yet hopeful too. It tells the tale of Leo & Eleni, 2 young lovers who are overcome by tragedy. In the aftermath of this, one of them is left to exist alone. The struggle that is faced to come to terms with what has happened, & to somehow find the strength to carry on is so real, so immense, that my heart broke for the two of them. It's about the unfairness of life, the reality & finality of death, & how the grieving process is so shatteringly intense. It's about having to let go, when you just want to hang on, & about starting again, when all you want to do is be with your loved one. Intertwined with this story is the story of Moritz & Lotte, during the first world war, which comes to have a massive relevance to Leo & Eleni's lives. It's about the utter futility of war, & the havoc that it wreaks on the lives of everyone it touches. It's about talking to loved ones, telling them what they mean to us, & how much we love them. Don't keep secrets, they do no good. It is about so many things, but mostly, it is about LOVE, & that can't be bad, can it? If you haven't read it, I urge you to do so, it is well worth it.
We are all made of stardust - By: ElmoBerry, 01 Aug 2008 A beautiful story, really well written. Scheinmann obviously had put a lot of thought & passion into the story he was telling. It is one of those stories that stays with you after you've read it especially because of all the intricacies within it, plus the thoughtful analogies used to describe love from a scientific angle which instead of desensitising the sentiment, actually adds to it. Really enjoyable!
Poignant and sweet but not to everyone's taste - By: N. Lavender, 28 Jul 2008 Personally, I loved this book but I can see that it wouldn't necessarily appeal to everyone. The beginning is great & if you stick with it through a bitin the middle which is not so great, you won't be able to put it down. The love stories are sweet & beautifully portrayed & the subtle mystery of the quotes & facts at the start of each chapter are cleverly explained & very poignant. It's not for everyone, but a lot of people will love it.
