Rating:  Summary: Enjoyed the book. Review: Enjoyed the book and loved the main caracter
Rating:  Summary: Well-written, but...come on... Review: The plot was so similar to that of Midwives that it actually diminished the impression I had of the author after reading the former book! Are all of his novels going to deal with alternative medicine and society's reaction to its practitioners?Also, I have a problem with the sex scene in this book. It's quite disgusting, and so...anatomical. It's like it was written by a surgeon or something. Come on...
Rating:  Summary: A rehashing of Midwives Review: "A person dies in the care of an alternative health care provider, and the state considers prosecuting her for the death. A loved one risks it all to doctor her personal notebooks surrounding the incident and save her from prison, while both the provider and the loved one weigh the moral and ethical aspects of what has occurred." Sound familiar? Midwives or Law of Similars? Having found Midwives so refreshingly honest, I was exceedingly disappointed in the Law of Similars. Bohjalian has written the same book twice, only it was much less interesting the second time around. The relationships in the Law of Similars were neither as believable or as sympathetic as those in Midwives. The main characters in Law of Similars were never in the grips of jeopardy as the characters in Midwives. The legal and moral responsibilities of the main characters in Law of Similars were less clear than in Midwives. While his prose is every bit as enticing this time around, the Law of Similars pales in comparison to Midwives in every other way. Perhaps I would have thought about that less while reading this new book if I hadn't already read the same story by Bohjalian last year.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent! Couldn't put it down. Review: I thought this book was even better than Midwives - I didn't know anything about homeopathic medicine before reading this book and wasn't particularly interested in it, however Bohjalian made me want to learn more about it with each page of his book. Was sorry that the book ended!
Rating:  Summary: hard to put down Review: I was caught up in this book quickly and found it hard to put down. Thankfully we had a snow day from school so I could finish it guilt free!
Rating:  Summary: A compelling read Review: I very much enjoyed The Law of Similars however I couldn't believe that the main character would suddenly decide to risk everything for this woman he barely knows especially without hearing both sides of the story. I also was amazed that he was so "dim" that he didn't realize that he was poisening himself with the arsenic he'd stolen. During the first half of the book he is depicted as an intelligent lawyer while during the second half he suddenly begins making very poor choices. It didn't make sense.
Rating:  Summary: An intense novel that informs and pleases its readers. Review: I loved Midwives. Awesome book. And while reading this book, I felt I was enjoying it more than Midwives, I have to admit that the ending seemed a little weak. Homeopathy is a subject I knew nothing about, and this book informed me and made me curious to learn more.
Rating:  Summary: Falls short of "Midwives" Review: A real fast starter, but the pace slows to a halt and the end is unsatisfying. Far more interesting than the plot is the look at homeopathic medicine of which I was totally ignorant and which I found absolutely fascinating. Not nearly as much action, excitement or drama as "Midwives." The character development of state attorney Leland is well done, though. I was disappointed as well in the lack of the courtroom scenes I had come to love from "Midwives." Could there be a sequel brewing with the way it ends?
Rating:  Summary: Quick read, but wait for the paperback! Review: I enjoyed this quick read. It is indeed a book that, once started, is difficult to put down. For me, however, the novel lost plausibilty somewhere around mid-book and never quite found it again. I do not regret reading the book - not at all - but if I had the decision to make over again, I would wait for the less pricey paperback version. For anyone who has yet to read MIDWIVES, it is a very compelling, thoughtful read.
Rating:  Summary: Bohjalian just gets better Review: Like Midwives, Law of Similars showcases a young (youngish?) writer of extraordinary depth. In some ways, this is actually a better novel. While it lacks the inarguable wallop of Midwives, especially the pivotal home birth scene, it's a more balanced story, in which human frailty and strength are explored in all their complex coexistence, and artfully metaphorized in the arsenic tablets that generate so much of the novel's momentum. And the novel's narrator is one of Bohjalian's best creations--a lawyer we like. Great depth of feeling here, rendered with maturity, poise and tremendous literary skill. What a pleasure to watch a novelist who can't seem to miss; it's like watching someone throw one three-pointer after another. (Though Bohjalian wouldn't stoop to such an awful, macho metaphor.)
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