Royersford's Connection to "The Lovely Bones"

One of my most prized possessions is a first edition, signed copy of Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones.” Sebold signed it for me at the Barnes & Noble in Bryn Mawr. Sadly, this is no longer there. Back when the book was first published in 2002, the hype in the book business before it was published was astounding, and I could not wait to read it. Of course, I did not read my signed copy. That is still sitting in mint condition on my bookshelf.

Sebold grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, graduating from Great Valley High School in Malvern in 1980. Much of “The Lovely Bones” is set around here, specifically in Norristown, where the Salmon family lives.

“My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” These are the first lines of “The Lovely Bones” which I believe caused so much of the publicity surrounding it. Nothing like this was really ever written before. How can Sebold have a narrator who is dead? This is precisely what made the novel so new, fresh and interesting.

For those who have not read “The Lovely Bones” nothing is given away by saying that the book is about a murder. Susie is walking home frome school when she meets Mr. Harvey, who wants to show her something he has built. She never comes home. Susie narrates the hunt for her killer from her Heaven. Sebold creates a different Heaven for each deceased person Susie meets.

“The Lovely Bones” is breathtaking in its beauty and is like nothing I have ever read before. Sebold has had violence in her past, and certainly used her experiences to create Susie Salmon. The book was so successful after publishing primarily through word-of-mouth and was on the bestseller list of the New York Times for over a year.

Director Peter Jackson purchased the rights, and began filming a movie adaptation in 2007. Starring Saoirse Ronan as Susie, it also featured Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci. Staying true to the book, Jackson did his filming in the Philadelphia suburbs, specifically in Malvern and Royersford. The school that Susie attends in the film is based on General Wayne Middle School (now General Wayne Elementary) in Malvern, which Sebold attended. 

In November 2007, Main Street in Royersford was blocked off between 3rd and 4th Avenues, very close to , so filming could take place. There are quite a few pictures and You Tube videos online of cast members filming, specifically Mark Wahlberg. Dreamworks Production Company got a taste of the wonderful food in our area, with carting out pizzas to the crew late at night, and in Limerick feeding them as well.

Production problems held up the movie release date until January of 2010. It was universally panned, with Roger Ebert calling it “deplorable.” After rereading the book nine years later, and then watching the movie I had never seen, I wouldn’t go that far. However, do not think the movie and book have much to do with each other. While Jackson obviously used Sebold’s masterpiece as inspiration, he twisted much of it for entertainment value. Sebold fans were not happy.