Rating: 
Summary: A flawed and imperfect human being
Review: The state of Vermont. Non-traditional medicine. A tragic death. Moral and legal ambiguities. A deeply engrossing story. Great characterization.Sound familiar? Yes. This is familiar territory for Chris Bohjalian, author of the best-selling "Midwives". And again, he does a great job. I love the way he structures his books. The reader generally knows what is going to happen, but just doesn't know exactly how. And that is what the fascination is. That is what kept me reading, following the protagonist's thoughts and actions and totally getting into his skin. The story is told in the first person by Leland Fowler, an 35-year old attorney in the Vermont State prosecutor's office. Just two years before, his wife died in a tragic car accident, leaving him to raise his young daughter, now aged 4. He's grieved for his wife for a long time, and his life lacks much pleasure. When he develops a sore throat and cold that just doesn't go away he visits the local homeopath, Carissa Lake. There is an immediate attraction. His cold gets cured and a romance develops. However, when one of Carissa's clients falls into a coma, there are legal and moral issues that come into play. The situation becomes more and more complex as Leland makes some ethnical choices that force him into a trap of his own making. The title, "The Law of Similars" refers to a basic tenet of homeopathy whereby the patient is treated with an extremely diluted dose of something that has caused his problem, forcing the body to cure itself. For example, a person with poison ivy might take a weakened solution of an herb that is similar to poison ivy. It is all fascinating reading -- the homeopathy, the legalities, and the ethical questions. But most of all, it is the characterization of Leland Fowler that is most outstanding. Basically, he is a flawed and imperfect human being who sometimes makes poor choices. This is something that we all can relate to. The other characters are never quite as fully developed, but it doesn't matter. This is Leland Fowler's story all the way. The success of "Midwives" makes this book a rough act to follow, and at first I was disappointed because the author used the same landscape. It is also only 320 pages long and I missed the length and complexities that a few more characters might have brought. But I just couldn't stop reading. I recommend this book even though it misses getting my highest rating. There is no doubt in my mind though, that I will be on the lookout for Mr. Bohjalian's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: DECENT READ BUT DISAPPOINTING IN LIGHT OF MIDWIVES
Review: I thought the book was a decent read but fell short of the type of character and plot development exhibited in Midwives. Good research on the subject of homeopathy but the story line was pretty flat. Unfortunately, the ending was pretty weak. It could have been a very good book given the subject matter however, it did not appear as if the author took the time to delve into the characters. They were pretty much superficial.
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
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
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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!
Rating:
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?
Rating:
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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