What Dreams May Come

by Richard Matheson

Book Overview

Richard Matheson's What Dreams May Come, a powerful tale of life--and love--after death was the basis for the Oscar-winning film starring Robin Williams. The New York Times bestseller A LOVE THAT... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812570944
• ISBN13: 9780812570946
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 278 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

Delivered to wrong address

Book was delivered to my old address. I am trying to obtain it. I am finding it hard to get in touch with you folks. I am assuming I will like the book if I can figure out how to get it.

MUCH better than the movie

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.

So much better than the film it's scary

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 eve

A Truely Astonishing masterpiece

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.

It was just so beautiful

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.

A book to help you cope.

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.