Customer Reviews

What Dreams May Come: A Novel

5 star:		(145)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

This novel is the most vivid, complex, and surprisingly convincing depiction of afterlife I have ever encountered in a work of fiction. Nothing else I have seen on the subject, in literature or in film, comes close--certainly not the 1998 film. Before I read the novel, I had no idea that a story about Heaven and Hell could have such a profound effect on me.

In the metaphysics of the film and the book, dying involves shedding your physical body and entering a mental environment shaped by thoughts. Your fate in such an environment is largely self-imposed. That much of the movie intrigued me, the first time I saw it. The problem was the schmaltz. I mean real schmaltz, piled on in large mounds, in place of strong narrative.

It's hard for me to convey just how very different the novel is. Of course there are major differences in the plot. One such difference is the ending. (Even Roger Ebert, who heaped high praise on the film, was disappointed by the ending.) Another is the beginning, where the film adds Chris's children to the list of characters who die and go to Heaven. In doing this, the movie (1) makes the early scenes so depressing they become surreal (2) needlessly clutters the story with extra characters (3) introduces a silly and confusing subplot about Chris's attempts to find his children, who are in disguise.

In the book, Chris's children are adults, not youngsters, and they're minor characters who never die in the course of the story. The details of Chris's life on Earth differ so greatly between the book and the film that it's like reading about a completely different person. Even though I saw the movie first, the image of Robin Williams completely vanished from my mind as I read, because he was so unlike the character described in the book.

The entire feel of the book is different, telling a touching love story that uses real characterization, not cheap manipulation, to move the audience. And Matheson's vision of the afterlife truly comes alive on the page. The Hell scenes are actually terrifying, reminding us, as the movie does not, why Matheson is primarily famous as a horror writer.

I won't overlook the movie's gorgeous visual effects, which earned the film a well-deserved Academy Award. They just aren't put to good purpose. The movie's vision of the afterlife as like being inside giant paintings fails to evoke a sense of reality. The book, in contrast, bases its afterlife imagery (vividly brought to life by Matheson's skillful prose) much more on Earth-like scenery. This approach ironically leads to far more exotic ideas, such as architects who build things using their minds, and a library containing history books more objective than those on Earth.

One of Matheson's unique qualities as a fantasy writer has always been his almost scientific approach to the supernatural. Here, Matheson makes Heaven and Hell seem like a scientific, natural process, and one of the joys of the book is discerning all the intricate "rules" of how everything works. (That's another area where the movie falls short.) What needs to be kept in mind, however, is that Matheson doesn't do this just for entertainment purposes. In the novel's introduction, he tells his readers that the characters are the only fictional component of the novel, and that almost everything else is based on research. The book even includes a lengthy bibliography. Thus, the afterlife that Matheson describes isn't some fantasy world he concocted from his own head, but something he believes to be an accurate description of reality.

Some people may wonder, at this point, about Matheson's religious background. He was raised a Christian Scientist, but gradually developed what he calls his own religion, taking elements from many sources. One of the book's main influences, I believe, is eighteenth-century Christian mystic Emanuel Swedenborg.

From what I've seen, people react negatively to this book based on how far it departs from their personal beliefs. Christians complain about the absence of Jesus, while those who don't believe in any afterlife consider the story too nonsensical to accept. Most readers, it seems, are put off by the New Age terminology and concepts scattered throughout the book.

These reactions are puzzling, if you stop to think about it. Books about elves, fairies, dragons, and wizards remain popular even though nobody believes in any of those things. Why should people be bothered by a fiction book portraying a Heaven and Hell that conflicts with what they believe? The book is perfectly enjoyable whether or not you accept Matheson's metaphysics.

Of course, I personally do think Matheson provides insight into the subject--though I admit I'm a little wary of his acceptance of paranormal phenomena. But it amazes me how so many people refuse to even touch the book, thinking that any story with such a plot must automatically be hokey. In most cases, they'd be right. "What Dreams May Come" is a big exception. It suggests the endless possibilities in a subject that normally is dead weight for fiction. And it really makes you think.

This book touched me. Over and over again. Having already seen the movie, I alredy knew what to expect, but I was wrong. The book is soo much better and DIFFERENT than the movie which is great. The story is basically the same outline, but there is just soo much more heartfilled moments in the book u just couldnt capture on film. So much sorrow and sadness and of course happiness. Not a long read, but the amount of feelings u get out of this book just might change the way you think and live your life. It made me reflect on my life and the people in it that I love and take for granted.
Just a powerfull thought and emotional prevoking story, and Im not ashamed to say that I loved it.
totally worth the read.

I can't force you to read this book, but I can promise that it will be one of the best book investements you can make. Without forcing you to, Richard Matheson makes you evaluate your own life and existence and in my case- made me a little less scared to die. Beyond the afterlife content, its an awesome love story that literally made me sob. I now know each of us has a soulmate out there. Good luck in the search!

The movie is one of my favorites. Every time I watch it, I almost come to tears. I heard that it was based on a book. I read it and was very impressed. It brought out new aspects of the movie and expresses so many new ideas.
I love it for the sheer fact that it was beautiful. I could not help but keep reading. I recommend this book to anyone who remotely liked the movie. It was a wonderful read.

Though Matheson writes this in fiction form, he uses a great deal of research in forming his theory of the afterlife. Anyone questioning their personal beliefs about this great unknown will find solace from reading "What Dreams May Come"... you don't have to believe this is how things are, but it offers a compelling and beautiful picture of what might be.

This book was more influential than the Bible in shaping my own spiritual beliefs. What I love most about it is that any and all religions, or people of no faith at all, can enjoy and be inspired by this tale. Even if you don't view this from a spiritual perspective, and you are just looking for a good read, you will be entertained. This is so well written and easy to read that it is hard to put down.

Most importantly, please don't judge this book by the movie. Though I'm a fan of Robin Williams, the movie really doesn't come close to conveying the deep spiritual journey the protagonist, (an atheist until death), embarks upon.

This was an interesting book for me. I tend to get way too emotional, and I have some issues with the topic of death, so it took some time for me to be mentally ready for this.

It's written in an interesting manner, as if not merely fiction, but a story told to a psychic by one who had already passed on. It is told through the eyes of Chris Nielson, a man who was tragically torn from his loving wife when a car accident took his life. He finds himself dealing with the issues of afterlife. Although Summerland may seem like paradise, what kind of heaven could it be without his beloved wife, Ann, and what will Chris be willing to give up to be with her again?

The author interestingly has a bibiliography, and has studied much on the subjects of afterlife from a variety of belief systems. To me, at least, he creates a world after death that could be consistent with any number of beliefs, and he describes this world in both exquisite and horrendous detail, drawing the reader into scenes of idyllic pleasure, as well as those of a terrifying nature. It's written quite well, and allows the reader to form the images in his or her mind. (I didn't have quite the same images as the movie did - but that's all interpretation - and the movie was amazing and what inspired me to read the book.)

One thing I liked about the style was the short sections (I hesitate to call them chapters). With such a weighty subject matter, it was nice to be able to put it down between sections. While the story was engrossing, sometimes I could only read so much at a time.

Interestingly, I found I only cried at the beginning of the book - when Chris was dealing with his own death. The movie (if I recall correctly - it's been awhile) seems to have rather quickly moved on past that point, onto the more central conflict of the novel. During the movie's interpretation of that conflict, I recall crying quite a lot, yet not while reading the novel.

At any rate, it's a relatively quick read, and I think it's worthwhile too. It opens up whole new worlds of metaphysics and religion that many may not have pondered before. Please take it with an open mind though - if you already have stern, preconceived notions of what is or isn't after death, you might find this book at odds with your philosophies.

After reading this book, I started buying some of the books that were referenced in the back few pages. I found those to be very interesting and have since changed the way I feel about life, death, and life after death. This book changed my life for the better, it is a MUST read!

Richard Matheson has written an excellent treatise here of what possibly may occur in the afterlife. His descriptions put you "right there" and his explanations of how it all works are very thought-provoking. After his main character, Chris Neilsen, dies in an auto accident, he has a difficult time letting go of his physical life and moving on into the afterlife because of the love and concern he has for his wife Ann and her grief in losing him. As he begins to move on and adjust, he learns his wife has commited suicide and has, by that action, confined herself into a type of Hell. Chris feels he must help her find her way out, but is continually blocked by her inability to believe that any kind of afterlife exists. In the end, his love for her saves her. What happens after he saves her, though a little disappointing, is very much in keeping with the theme of the story. The book draws from many ideas, religious, New Age, philosophical, and meditative. It does an excellent job of blending all these. Please read with an open mind, because I doubt that any one system of beliefs would be satisfied by what Matheson sets forth here.

The movie however, gave more cohesive reasons for Ann's breakdown (the deaths of their children, which never happens in the book) and her inability to conceive of happiness in the afterlife. The relationships of Chris with his children and their presence in the afterlife help cement the reality and the continuity of it, which was also somewhat lacking in the book (animals being there is different than having loved ones there). The visual displays in the movie are fantastic, which really helped me imagine the descriptions in the book. Ron Bass did a phenomenal job writing the screenplay, making a difficult story more fluid, wrapped together more tightly. All the actors in the film excellently protrayed their characters, bringing depth of emotion and evoking tremendous sympathy.

I highly recommend reading the book if you're intersted in theories on the afterlife, and I highly recommend watching the movie for greater understanding of the book.

I originally had no intention of reading this book, since I heard that the movie was awful. But a friend of mine practically forced the book on me, and was I glad that I read it!

What Dreams May Come is a combination of a love story between two soul mates and a peek at life after death. I say a "peek" since the author had supposedly done an immense amount of research on this topic prior to writing the book.

I found this book to be enjoyable on two levels. First the plot - the fantastic love story of soul mates that wanted nothing but to be together. Second the philosophy presented in the book - the combination of heaven/hell concept and the re-incarnation concept.

This book was also immensely comforting for me - I had not been raised with any religion, and have always been terrified of death (or not having any faith to guide me). Although this was a fictional book, it left me with a sense of peace. It made me believe - perhaps there is life after death, whether in the form of souls in heaven or in the form of another human being.

I find myself revisiting the book frequently - I highly recommend it.

Sobbing...

That sums up what I did for the first quarter of the book. Somehow Richard Matheson was able to pull every one of my heart strings. But unlike the movie this wasn't his only objective. Bringing out these emotions tapped into the deep realms of what you believe afterlife is.

I think that many of the other reviewers that only gave this book 2 or 1 star may have missed the point of what matheson was getting at. He did not say that everyone, even those who didn't believe in god, got to go to heaven. As a matter of fact, heaven was only briefly mentioned in this work. It was stated that everybody makes their own existance in the afterlife. And only those who have improved themselves, and became better people move on to another, even higher realm. this resembles many of the christian teachings I know of. Now this may break the traditional mold of what the afterlife is for many religions, But in no way should this prevent anybody, from any religion, from reading this masterpiece.

This is the only thing I can say with certainty about this book. My grandmother died last week. I would never have gotten through her suffering & death without "What Dreams May Come". I was able to smile & feel at peace during the funeral. Thank you Richard Matheson. You have enriched my life, and made an optomist out of a person who never looked toward the future.