The Law of Similars

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Summary: Review of The Law of Similars by Chris Bohjalian
Review: The Law of Similars by Chris Bohjalian was one of the best books I have ever read. It is about a lawyer who has a four year old daughter and whose wife passed away a few years before. When he gets a bad cold that won't go away, he decides to go to the health food store to get some Echinacea. There, he meets a woman who recommends a homeopath that she thinks could help him. The homeopath, whose name was Carissa Lake, also got another patient that week. The other patient was a man named Richard Emmons, who didn't want to take all of the drugs that he had to for his asthma. Carissa prescribed a drug called Rhus tox, which was made of poison ivy. Richard decides that his other asthmatic drugs are acting as an antidote for it, and stops taking them. This eventually puts him into a coma, and his wife, Jennifer, tries to hold a law suit against Carissa. The lawyer, Leland Rhodes, who has fallen in love with Carissa, tries to help her with the case, and breaks certain laws to do this. I loved this book because it was a believable drama that was very relevant. Not only was the plot believable, but the characters in it were as lifelike as anyone that I know. The chain of events in the book keep you in suspense, and it is hard to put the book down sometimes. Chris Bohjalian also wrote other books, such as Midwives, which are very similar to this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys law or anyone who is interested in homeopathic remedies. Also, I would recommend this book to anyone who is eleven or older.

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Summary: Excellent great understanding of homeopathic remedies
Review: I stayed up all night to finish this book, great understanding of characters and of nature medicine and the commuity lack of understanding

Well done

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Summary: Starts off well, but overall weak.
Review: 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.

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Summary: Engaging story but weak ending
Review: Very interesting premise that had me turning pages. I thought I had figured out the ending but was disappointed by what I thought was a weaking ending to a captivating story.

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Summary: Good but not as good as Midwives
Review: This novel presents an interesting view of homeopathy and conveys a lot of information without being overly didactic or condescending. The protagonist's character is compelling, but the homeopath's character is evasive and she doesn't show as much affection for him as he shows for her. Also, the ending is unsatisfying.

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Summary: An amazing look at holistic medicine.
Review: As the wife of a holistic physician, I was immediately drawn to Bohjalian's newest book, The Law of Similars. Bohjalian approaches this somewhat controversial subject in an informative and enlighting manner. The theory of like curing like is a "scary" approach to medicine, and Bohjalian teaches the reader the concept in a very captivating way.

This is a novel which captivates and educates the reader. There is so much information to absorb, that one will stay up many nights engrossed in the healing process of the hero. One will also question any previous medical advice they have received and possibly even question its effectiveness.

The Law of Similars is a highly recommended novel in the age of HMO and dictated medical care. It will enlighten the reader, and hopefully drive him to take charge of his own medical well being!

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Summary: The ending fizzled out....
Review: Enjoyed the first two thirds of the book,but for me the conclusion crumbled....I kept "waiting" for some exciting explanation of what the arsenic was actually doing to him, or to discover some other overwhelming evidence against or admission of guilt by Clarissa...or something! I read this sort of book purely for fun, as I did Midwives, yet I would have liked to learn a bit more about homeopathy. Midwives had such a fantastic ending that left me breathless that I couldn't help but be disappointed by the tidy (i.e. boring) ending this time. Also, I'm not a prude but I did not care for the sex scene...it seemed jarring, but maybe that was the point?

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Summary: I'll buy 'em all!
Review: After the thrill of MIDWIVES I was a little nervous about trying Bohjalian's new book. Far from a sophomore slump, THE LAW OF SIMILARS takes off with a page-turning plot line and characters so genuine and idiosyncratic that -- I know this sounds schmaltzy -- they make me feel I've learned something about people. Based on SIMILARS, I'm going back for some earlier Bohjalian titles. The man is on to something.

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Summary: This book is better than "Midwives".
Review: I am a little disconcerted about the similarities between "Midwives" and "The Law of Similars". Both deal with women in Vermont who practice non-traditional medicine and make mistakes that get them in hot water. The reasons that "Similars" is better is that 1) It has more humor. 2) It has a touching love story. 3) It depicts the love between a father and his young child poignantly. However, the case of the misguided homeopath is somewhat contrived and unrealistic. Nor do I believe that Fowler would have played fast and loose with the law the way he did. Bohjalian seems to be hung up on moral ambiguities in life. I have no problem with that per se, but he should stick a little closer to reality. However, in its favor, "The Law of Similars" is an engrossing and a fast read, with snappy dialogue and sharply delineated characters. It is a step up from "Midwives," which was far too dark and depressing.

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Summary: something different...
Review: I read this book in one day on vacation. I couldn't put it down, I didn't want to put it down. I liked Midwives. I loved Law of Similars. I didn't feel it was anything like Midwives. I liked the characters, epecially the tenderness between Leland and his daughter. As far as the other reviewer's opinion on the sex scene, while it was different, it was refreshing to read a sex scene that wasn't so predictable and boring. My grandmother liked it so much she told me to read it and I'm passing it along to my friends.