What Dreams May Come
by Richard Matheson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Richard MathesonEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-04-29
ISBN: 0765361183
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Tor Books
Book Reviews of What Dreams May Come
Book Review: A dramatization of a new age lecture
Summary: 2 Stars
I initially found this book interesting, because I didn't know much about New Age philosophy, and I thought a novel based on ideas new to me would be worth reading. As the book progressed, I realized that it was actually a lecture in fiction's clothing. I took Richard Matheson's author's note at the beginning of the book about "research" to be part of story, but no, he's serious.
It is such a turn off to me for a writer to place ideology of any kind before a well-crafted story, because it negatively affects the quality of the writing. There are small annoyances such as the abuse of italics for emphasis and the lazy choice to use the last phrase of a chapter as the chapter's title, but there are more fundamental issues with the elements of fiction: Chris, the protagonist, seems more like a questioning and hyper-emotional child than a thoughtful adult. I couldn't read him as more mature than a teenager--his mind clouded with extreme passions, his descriptions of his feelings and surroundings full of details but ultimately vague in their effects.
Because Chris essentially knows nothing of the after-life, much of the book is bent on explaining to Chris and the reader what it's like. His Homeric guide, Albert, answers Chris's endless flood of questions and whiny concerns. Thus, Chris and Albert's interchanges sound more like a Lifetime Channel version of a Socratic dialogue than an actual, naturally flowing discussion. The reliance on melodrama to describe a relationship with one's soul mate was particularly disturbing. To be so desperately hitched to another person disrespects the person's individuality, and unless you like wallowing in self-pity, it's not very pleasing to read.
I give the book two stars for presenting some interesting ideas. I was particularly intrigued by the suggestion that material and spiritual experiences are separated by wavelengths and frequencies. Phases of matter do rely on physical principles such as molecular vibrations. However, while extensions of scientific concepts to spiritual conclusions are fun to ponder and wonder about, science endeavors to explain only the material world, and a lecture is not a story.
Summary of What Dreams May Come
The New York Times bestseller
A LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS HEAVEN AND HELL
What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death.
But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and when tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.
Richard Matheson's powerful tale of life---and love---after death was the basis for the Oscar-winning film starring Robin Williams.
A LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS HEAVEN AND HELL
What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death.
But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and when tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.
Richard Matheson's powerful tale of life---and love---after death was the basis for the Oscar-winning film starring Robin Williams.
A classic novel of love after death, from one our greatest fantasy writers. The premise is deceptively simple: Chris Neilson has died in a car accident, but his life-force--his spirit--is still conscious of this plane of reality. And he is still too in love with his wife, Ann, to completely let go. She in turn does not want to go on living without him, as each regards the other as their soul mate. What Chris will do to get back with Ann after she dies makes for one of the most unusual love stories ever told. Even though the story can be enjoyed as pure fantasy, what makes What Dreams May Come unique is how the author spent years researching the subject of life after death. (An exhaustive bibliography is included to verify this.) And while Matheson admits that the characters are of course fictional, he also states that "With few exceptions, every other detail is derived exclusively from research." Whether, after reading this novel, one believes in life after death is of course a matter of opinion. At least you'll entertain the possibility that, even though we may not live forever, true love can be eternal. --Stanley Wiater
Matheson, Richard Books
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