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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A flawed and imperfect human being,
By
This review is from: The Law of Similars (Paperback)
The state of Vermont. Non-traditional medicine. A tragic death. Moral and legal ambiguities. A deeply engrossing story. Great characterization.Sound familiar? Yes. This is familiar territory for Chris Bohjalian, author of the best-selling "Midwives". And again, he does a great job. I love the way he structures his books. The reader generally knows what is going to happen, but just doesn't know exactly how. And that is what the fascination is. That is what kept me reading, following the protagonist's thoughts and actions and totally getting into his skin. The story is told in the first person by Leland Fowler, an 35-year old attorney in the Vermont State prosecutor's office. Just two years before, his wife died in a tragic car accident, leaving him to raise his young daughter, now aged 4. He's grieved for his wife for a long time, and his life lacks much pleasure. When he develops a sore throat and cold that just doesn't go away he visits the local homeopath, Carissa Lake. There is an immediate attraction. His cold gets cured and a romance develops. However, when one of Carissa's clients falls into a coma, there are legal and moral issues that come into play. The situation becomes more and more complex as Leland makes some ethnical choices that force him into a trap of his own making. The title, "The Law of Similars" refers to a basic tenet of homeopathy whereby the patient is treated with an extremely diluted dose of something that has caused his problem, forcing the body to cure itself. For example, a person with poison ivy might take a weakened solution of an herb that is similar to poison ivy. It is all fascinating reading -- the homeopathy, the legalities, and the ethical questions. But most of all, it is the characterization of Leland Fowler that is most outstanding. Basically, he is a flawed and imperfect human being who sometimes makes poor choices. This is something that we all can relate to. The other characters are never quite as fully developed, but it doesn't matter. This is Leland Fowler's story all the way. The success of "Midwives" makes this book a rough act to follow, and at first I was disappointed because the author used the same landscape. It is also only 320 pages long and I missed the length and complexities that a few more characters might have brought. But I just couldn't stop reading. I recommend this book even though it misses getting my highest rating. There is no doubt in my mind though, that I will be on the lookout for Mr. Bohjalian's next book.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Starts off well, but overall weak.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Law of Similars: A Novel (Hardcover)
Did not read Midwives. This was my first Chris Bohjalian book. I was looking forward to it because I had read good things about Midwives, I live in Vermont and I know some homeopathy. I found the protagonist very likable in the beginning, although subtly suffering from a not-so-well-hidden "poor me" complex. But that was still understandable after all the poor man had been through... Things deteriorated for me when he started salivated at every skirt, young or old, that twitched in front of him. The foot fetish thing was not anything I could relate to in a positive way either. And, to top things off, the plot crumbled altogether with unbelievable issues, even more unbelievable denouements of same issues, pilfered homeopathic remedies that can be purchased for a few dollars in any health food store, unrealistic reactions to "overdoses" of arsenicum (please!...), an unreachable, unlikable, underdescribed, overall unhashed-out character of a homeopath/girlfriend. The main character lapsing back into his veiled "poor me" role at the unsatisfactory ending. On a more positive note, I found the basic writing style to be very good. Nice structure, well-turned phrases.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
DECENT READ BUT DISAPPOINTING IN LIGHT OF MIDWIVES,
By
This review is from: The Law of Similars: A Novel (Hardcover)
I thought the book was a decent read but fell short of the type of character and plot development exhibited in Midwives. Good research on the subject of homeopathy but the story line was pretty flat. Unfortunately, the ending was pretty weak. It could have been a very good book given the subject matter however, it did not appear as if the author took the time to delve into the characters. They were pretty much superficial.
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