Customer Reviews

THE RETURN OF MERLIN: A NOVEL

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When Deepak Chopra publishes, readers take note. And when he writes about the
Arthurian Tales, what can one say? Intertwining his sense of mysticism, his intellectual scope, and a
fast-paced, very moving, novel in one is a bit much to hope for! But in “The Return of Merlin,”
Chopra has accomplished this feat. Not an “easy read” generally, Chopra’s magical touch with the
printed word maintains his reputation in this tale from Arthur.

In his introduction, Chopra writes that “The Return of Merlin” is about waking up the
wizard that sleeps within all of us, so that we can reclaim the field of pure knowledge and dream
anew world into reality, from the purity of our hearts.”

“Merlin” is another odyssey of life, a story of the traditional good vs. evil and the struggles
therein. It is a story that erases the confines of time. “To be alive now,” he writes, “is to be dead to
the past. To be alive now is to have life-centered, present-moment awareness...(and) you will discover the dance of the divine in every leaf, in every petal...in every rainbow...in every breath of every living being.” A momumental undertaking, to be sure.

Taking the Arthurian characters, from Merlin to Arthur to Mordred with a cast of many
others, and mixing in a complete disregard for any logical historical time frame, Chopra explores
this struggle, this “to be or not to be” of Camelot. Despite its frenzy, its whirlwind of action and
activity, “The Return of Merlin” is at once captivating, suspenseful, mesmerizing, combining
elements of spectacular hope and goodness and the depravitiy--nay, the power-- of penultimate
evil, Chopra shatters the pastoral hillsides of our psyche with this very-readable narrative.
Scholarly--yet quite readable!, the book is a page-turner. Chopra’s magic comes alive in a work
that is satisfactory and fulfilling.

This is an incredible book. I haven't been much into reading fantasy in years, although I have always been a fan of Merlin, King Arthur, and Camelot, Fantasy books failed to hold my attention for every story has been told and retold in one way or another. I have to be honest, it was Deepak Chopra's name that drew me to this book, and then seeing Merlins name on the same cover, I had to check it out. And I am so glad I did. What a truly wonderful book for fantasy lovers, and spiritual seekers alike. Don't miss out on this great read, books like this come far and few between!! This book and the characters in it will stay with you for a long, long time.

I've read this book every year since its debut ten years ago. I've just read it again and I still believe it's one of the must-reads for anyone on a spiritual/mystical path. And aren't we all? Dr. Chopra continues to teach me to find my magical self, to walk backward in time and call my ageless, timeless soul forward. I'm a big fan of all his books but this one, and the Way of the Wizard inspire me to really think beyond my normal boundaries. I've always dreamed that Merlin was my mentor. I certainly think Deepak Chopra is. Return of Merlin encourages my magical thinking and that's the best evolutationary step for me. Maybe it is for you too.
Elaine Maginn Sonne, PhD, author of Legends of the Stones

I have only shared this information with other people who I know, Love to read so I guess you qualify?This is Chopra's best book as far as I'm concerned it is his only book.I have lost count on the number of times I have read it but each time is like the first.The way he treats time,you almost believe that he has a handle on the fabric of time.The new twist, in the way he looks at the Arthurian legend is a joy.The last thing I can say is that I will read it again,again and again.

Actually, strictly he doesn't, but let's not ruin the story!!! This is a seriously intertwined book, about the return of many of the characters of the Arthurian Legends. Arthur is a present day policeman who finds an old man dead on the side of the road. He is nicknamed Merlin, for his long flowing beard, but things get interesting when Merlin does a disappearing act on the police force. It emerges that Melchior, his understudy, has also appeared in this time, and he befriends an aptly named Pen (Arthur's full name was Pendragon). Other "coincidental" characters begin to show their faces, including the reincarnation of Mordred, who originally defeated Arthur. It takes some concentration to understand the events occurring, and some knowledge of the Arthurian story helps no end!!!! The finale is so fantastic that any effort on the part of the reader is well worth it!!!!!

I found myself truly enjoying and wrapped up in this continuation and interpretation of the Arthurian legend in modern time--I found myself reading at every available minute of my day. I also enjoyed the subtle lessons hidden in the story and the characters, although I found myself forgetting to look for the lessons many times as I became involved in the story. The characters are intriguing and quite worthy of following on their journeys--particularily Sis and Tommy. I was a little sad it ended--although Deepak has left it open to another story(?). I liked every word of it, the words themselves were well chosen and painted an amazing picture.

All in all a very fun read--try it on for size yourself.

If you want to be Merlin, and you want Camelot to live again, read this book. If you are intrigued by quantum reality, read this book. If you are trying to deal with the truth about the dark side of yourself, read this book. Perception is everything. I give this book four Stars because I reserve five stars for the video "What the Bleep Do We Know?"

For those who have researched the Arthurain Legend, this tome explores another possibility. The endless existence of Merlin and those of Arthur's circle is a delightful discovery. One can feel the possibilities awakening within as each character is identified as having been part of the marvel that was Camelot. Alternate time lines are no longer just for the X-files afficianadoes. Now we believers have another strand of hope to hang on to. Read, learn and enjoy the "continuance of Arthur" and others. You will never look at the world in quite the same way. Bravo

I began by reading a friends book and loved it so much I wanted to have my own copy to add to my personal library.

As a book dealing with the aspect of multiple overlapping parallel realities, you would probably expect a headache after reading some parts of The Return of Merlin. Chopra creates an imaginative and original rendition of the the King Arthur saga, but I'm not entirely sure I would recommend this book based on that. There are a lot of characters, although not as many as in the full Arthurian saga. Add to that the fact that many of those characters have multiple characters (which is a little odd to try to explain), and most of these characters go through several different realities, and you have a story that can be very confusing at times. And I swear I've seen the ending portrayed exactly as described in at least a dozen different movies, across different genres. But, with the particular subject matter, a few cliches aren't terribly surprising. I didn't feel like I wanted to know any of the characters, and sometimes trying to know them in the context of the story was awkward. All in all, I'd say it's average or slightly above average.