This is a quirkly, light comedy about a man who floats away in an unexpectedly untethered balloon castle, who believes he had died and gone to heaven when he lands on an isolated farm called "Paradise". And about his wife, who vows to find him even as she becomes unbalanced and begins receiving messages from aliens. Throw in a large supporting cast of circus performers, animal trainers, psychics et al and you have this charming little story.

It's a fast-paced story and I sometimes forgot how all the supporting characters related to each other, but it does come together at the end.

Well worth it if you want a light read. ( )

If you have had the pleasure of reading other works from Helen Smith, such as Alison Wonderland, then you will love reading Being Light. Since I enjoyed Ms. Smith's writing style in Alison Wonderland, I was excited to begin reading Being Light to see if it had the same quirkiness that I had grown fond of in Alison Wonderland. Helen Smith's Being Light does not disappoint! We start off by meeting Roy, who is abruptly carried away in a bouncy toy in strong winds. When it crashes, Roy believes his first thought and that is that he is dead and has woken up in heaven, as he finds himself in an angel's embrace. We follow his wife Sheila throughout the story who is dedicated to finding her lost husband even though her sanity may have been impacted a bit in the process. Being Light does involve other characters as well and even though their stories may make them seem unrelated at certain times, in the end it all comes together and we realize just how small the world really is. If you want a quick and easy read that is full of comedic quirkiness, then I suggest you give Being Light a read. I'm looking forward to reading more of Helen Smith's works! ( )

In a style distinctly her own, Smith tells her story through scenes, shifting between several points of views before tying the incidents together neatly by connecting the seemingly isolated dots. In this case, upwards of eight characters are involved in a story that centers not only on a missing man, but also upon animal rights, environmentalism, the definition of emotions, and attempted communication with aliens. As with Alison Wonderland, she maintains that tongue-in-cheek tone that lends dry humor to the nonsensical musings and actions of the players in this existentialist-style performance.

With the initial take-off of the man in the inflatable house, the basis for the title seemed quite clear. In the end, however, it turns out that "being light" means much more than flying away in a child's playground; rather, it involves the struggle to let go faced by each of the characters in their various situations. The depth of the application is a stronger means of drawing together these seemingly unconnected people than the physical links of blood or employment or sex. In short, this philosophical bent allows this complex comedy to work, though I was still tempted at times to start diagramming the cast in order to remember who each member was.

In spite of its status as a sequel, Being Light does not draw too heavily from its predecessor, focusing instead on the story at hand. The small references did make me smile, but on the whole, I enjoyed the fact that the novel was self-contained, as it allowed for a rich literary experience without having to go back over all that happened in a previous work. The climax, or finale, rather, left me feeling much as I did after a recent viewing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail: amused, bemused, and a trifle curious because of its open-ended nature.

Overall, Smith shows a comfortable command of language, adjusting the pacing of her paragraphs with ease. The verbiage is complex without being overbearing, the dialogue witty despite a propensity towards absurdity. There were a handful of instances where a semicolon would have been more appropriate than the comma that was actually used, however, and there were several lines where it was difficult to tell what exactly the speaker was getting at. Then again, perhaps this is more of a testament to my own inattention or inability to follow the thoughts of people who are quite a ways off from the beaten path.

This book may be inappropriate for those who prefer a steady stream of action from a single point of view. There, I said it. For those who enjoy stretching their minds a bit further and piecing complex story arcs together, however, Being Light promises a pleasurable romp through the darkly humorous dealings of Smith's creations. ( )

Sorry but this one wasn't my cup of tea. It was just too "modern" for my taste. I like a good comedy, but this one was just too screwball for me. ( )

After reading Alison Wonderland, I too moved pretty quickly into this book. While the characters have some of the same crazy quirks and witty humor, there is a dark side to this Being Light that wasn't there in Alison.

I really enjoy the writing style, as it feels like real life. There seems to be a certain amount of chaos, but even in the disarray, our lives are all connected. Nobody stands apart from everyone else. Our existences are filled with cause and effect. I felt she did a great job of striking that point home, at least with me.

Thanks for the read and I look forward to more! ( )