The Law of Love

Rating:
Summary: A little loco?
Review: "The Law of Love" was translated from Spanish (the author Laura Esquivel lives in Mexico). My confusion over many parts of the book led me to wonder whether something was lost in the translation. But I can hardly imagine this crazy story making sense in ANY language.

Set in the future, its premise is that people undergo many reincarnations and must continually come into contact with the same people until they resolve any problems with their relationships. Esquivel invents countless innovations and concepts -- virtual TV, body switching, regression to previous lives through music, thought-reading computers, computers that interfere with thought-reading computers...

Often while reading I had the feeling that Esquivel wrote herself into a corner, then created a goofy new invention or outrageous plot twist in order to extricate herself. Piled on top of a wildly spinning plot is a new-age philosophy concerning the law of love -- something about radiating peace, a pyramid, and crystals.

Perhaps this book's secret is not to take anything it says seriously, but rather to sit back and enjoy the wild ride.

Rating:
Summary: A near-future Mexican multi-media action-romance novel ...
Review: ... about karmic justice and divine love. Complete with angels and demons. There. Did I get your attenion? :)

"The Law of Love" is an incredibly ambitious project by the author of "Like Water for Chocolate," and is almost worth it for the light it sheds on her previous work. I've heard people write off Laura Esquivel as an author of "chick books" -- the marketing assumption being that if you add recipes, more women will read them.

I felt the theme of kitchen witchery was a little too strong in "Chocolate" to ignore ... but "Law" gives a much clearer picture. Esquivel seems to be fascinated by the idea of memory recall through sensory stimulation. In "Chocolate," the stimulation was food. In "Law," it's music.

Included with the hardback was a CD of Mexican music. I didn't much like it, but it is indeed meant to be played at certain times in the book where memories will be crucial. Also, during points in the book where a character undergoes a past-life recall, the pages switch to unnarrated, very dreamily painted comics -- the regression is only mulled over in words as sort of an afterthought.

Again, incredibly ambitious. Unfortunately, considering the scope, I didn't find it terribly well done. Which is too bad, because I really wanted to *love* this book. At best, I just like it.

The characters go from being intelligent people who are jerked around by circumstance to lovable, zany characters fumbling around with forces some of them might barely comprehend. The ending is a very Monte Hall, "let's show 'em what's behind Door Number Three!" affair. I question whether it could have gone any other way, but I feel that the fact that I was distanced enough from the book to be paying more attention to the style of the ending than caring if the story had progressed is rather telling of the book's style.

I could picture the director of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" making "Law" into a movie (most likely starring Antonio Bandaras as either the main love interest or the guardian angel) -- that's how weird the story became.

And yet, this book gave me a lot to think about. I feel that if Esquivel can't consistently deliver stories the calibur of "Like Water for Chocolate," it's at least fascinating to watch her take risks with novels like "The Law of Love." Did she take on too much? Possibly. But I don't feel that it was a wasted effort. I just feel that it could have been a better story.

Rating:
Summary: Time-tripping, genre-slipping, media-dipping, page-flipping!
Review: If you care to leave the 20th century behind for a "time," and romp through the wonders of the twenty-THIRD century, then pick up a copy of Laura Esquivel's book The Law of Love. There you will find Ms. Esquivel's visions of such a future life, which include: Televirtuals (tv's on which you don't just WATCH the news, but are IN the middle of portrayed events--right within your own room!), aerophones (transporting devices and simultaneous home-security mechanisms), photomental cameras ( the ultimate in lie-detector machines), brain-implanted micro-chips (the supreme method for CIRCUMVENTING those mind-cameras!), soul transplants (the utmost in disguises when you need them: NEW BODIES!), and auraphotos (pictures which reveal not only the photographed person's aura, but also traces of anyone else who has come in contact with that person.) You will also encounter astroanalysis, conversations with Guardian Angels, and musical inducements of past incarnations.

This is a story of twin souls, of circles of inter-relationships over centuries, of metaphysical concepts, and of spiritual directives. You may recognize many of the familiar "insights" of The Celestine Prophecy, even if expressed in slightly different terms-- "Everything that happens in this world happens for a reason, and not just randomly." "Whatever you resist, persists." "Every internal change has repercussions in the external world." "Energy that remains static weakens; and energy that flows grows stronger." But such ideas are presented in THIS novel with much more humor and complexity, more depth and delight, more poetry and panache! This could be called "New Age fiction," but it is good literature at the same time!

And not only is it fine writing, but it includes the additional multi-media touches of music and art! The book is published with an accompanying compact disc, and contains directions on the appropriate pages to play the narratively-corresponding pieces of music. Color illustrations are inserted at plot-relevant places as well. Here is a story packaged to IMMERSE you in the imaginative experience-- kind of 23rd century in itself! (AH, but "the future is now!")

In character, style, movement, and multi-media presentation, this is a book not-to-be-missed! Its appeal crosses many genres: science fiction, fantasy, romance, magical realism, "New Age," mystery, even history-- so it's hard to imagine who would not find SOMEthing to enjoy in this tale. (Unless it's the person who likes his or her reading to fall into CLEARLY-DEFINED categories!)

Oh, and don't let your lack of a CD player keep you away from this book: the music is not ESSENTIAL to the understanding or enjoyment of the story. It enhances the experience, but you won't be lost without it. Time-tripping, at least (if not past-life regressing) has been occurring in literature WITHOUT aural stimulation for years!

If you enjoyed Esquivel's previous novel, Like Water for Chocolate, you will probably appreciate this novel as well. Though the stories are very different, the author's literary skill and style are just as exquisitely apparent. So, beam yourself into this book; into the future; into literature, art, and music all in one package; and time-trip, genre-slip, media-dip, page-flip...

Rating:
Summary: Talented author takes big risks with inventive format.
Review: It isn't so easy to understand Love. Usually people think they find it through a partner. But the love we experience while making love with another is only a pale reflection of what is truly Love. One's partner is only the intermediary through whom we receive Divine Love. Through the kiss, the embrace, the soul receives all the peace necessary to align itself and make the connection with Divine Love. But be warned: that does not mean that our partner possesses that Love, nor is he or she the only one who can bestow it. Nor is it true that if that person leaves, he will take Love with him, leaving us unprotected. Divine Love is infinite. It is everywhere and entirely within reach at every moment. It is foolish of Azucena to limit it to the small space of Rodrigo's arms. If she only realized that all she has to do is learn to open her consciousness to energy on other planes to receive the Love she needs in full store. If she only realized that at this very moment she is surrounded by Love, that it is circulating about her, despite the fact no one is kissing or caressing or embracing her. If she only realized that she is a beloved daughter of the Universe, she would no longer feel lost. -Laura Esquivel

This is a very creative multimedia book, complete with a CD, in which the reader is directed to explore richly illustrated passages by Migualanxo Prado of Spain, while listening musical selections on the CD. Arias correspond to the illustrations, and Mexican folk music entertains during some of the intermissions. The plot criss-crosses backwards and forwards through time, involving a set of characters whose interactions thread the work together. The experience of discovering the threads while experiencing the illustrations and listening to the beautiful arias is an otherworldly experience in itself. Be sure to listen to the CD and give the illustrations more than a passing glance -- that's part of the pleasure of this book.

After this author's first novel, just seeing her name as the author of another is enough to raise one's expectations very, very high. This book is diminished in comparison to her first (Like Water For Chocolate). However, this is not to say that this second novel is bad -- far from it. It just does not reach the heights of greatness as does the first work.

Esquivel takes risks, and speaks about eternal subjects for discovery such as love, lust for power, materialism, revenge, violence, hatred. All of these subjects, which I never tire of exploring, are woven into a work with a fresh new perspective, and the experience of this new format adds to the enjoyment of this lovely work. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: The CD with the book is fabulous
Review: Never mind the book, which is pretty good. The CD includes original music by Liliana Felipe and is an absolute joy. Lyrics in Spanish, and you can find them on the web if you need to know the English, but you won't care. The trick now is to locate other CDs by Liliana. She's hard to find in the US.

Rating:
Summary: LAW OF LOVE
Review: Sayers Peden may know Spanish but her knowledge of Mexican Spanish is lacking. I was appalled when I read the original Spanish and saw how much more funny the book is. Plus, she does not do justice to the slang and the musical lyric translations, which there is a lot of. I recommend the book for its philosophy but take into consideration that the original is full of Mexican slang.

Rating:
Summary: Law of Love: Spiritual Journey
Review: The Law of Love is a tremendously original and intriguing read. The multimedia form of the novel, which includes past life illustration sequences that are accompanied by trancendental opera classics and catchy, comical transition music, provides a unique experience and alternate perception of the way a story is told. The tale itself follows the heroine on her journey for a soul mate and explores the interactions of human spirits thoughout time and our karmic influences upon one another. The extra cd component and the illustrations allow time to meditate upon the story and one's own experience which consequently enables one to integrate oneself into the story to some degree. A novel approach to novel writing and spiritual questioning.

Rating:
Summary: LAW OF LOVE
Review: THIS BOOK TAKES YOU ON AN ADVENTURE RIDE FROM FUTURE TO PAST AND IN BETWEEN. IT IS ALMOST A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. SHE DOESN'T FOCUS AS MUCH ON THE CHARACTERS, BUT ON THE JOURNEY ITSELF. IF YOU ARE CLOSED MINDED AS FAR AS TAKING RELIGION FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW, I DO NOT SUGGEST THIS BOOK. IF YOU LIKE TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW ON REINCARNATION AND RELIGION, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. THE TRANSLATION IS LACKING BUT THE PHILOSOPHY IS INTACT. IT PORTRAYS A LOST LESSON, THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF ARE ACTIONS, AND THUS REAP THE CONSEQUENCE OF THEM.

Rating:
Summary: To Touch Stars, Man's Reach Must Exceed His Grasp
Review: This novel is brilliant in what it attempts to do more than in what it accomplishes. Reading the customer reviews reminds me of a favorite quote from The Urantia Book, "Many intelligent and well-meaning men ... maintain that modern civilization could not have been built upon the teachings of Jesus -- and they are partially right. But all such doubters forget that a much better civilization could have been built upon his teachings, and sometime will be." Esquivel's novel never mentions Jesus, but is filled with angels and spirits who both inhabit and influence the earthly plane. We get so used to considering news headlines with murder and war as reality, that we cannot imagine a world based on "The Law of Love," and so this book seems too fantastic.

To be kind, we English-speakers must realize this is a translated work. I would expect that the choppy writing comes from language change from the original Spanish. The science fiction devices which can print out mental pictures like photographs from plants as well as from past lives intrigued me. This is a great sci-fi detective novel, complicated by past lives, virtual reality television, walls that can speak, and body hopping. You have to give Esquivel A+ for creative imagination.

The use of the pictures was most revolutionary. I looked at them before I read the book and was not overly impressed just as art. But the amazing thing is that when you read the novel, the pictures are not illustrations of things previously described, but pictures of past-life experiences that give you clues and actually further the plot. Remember "a picture is worth a 1,000 words"! We experience the dream-sequence images along with the characters as you read. This was a new and amazing experience for me! The music CD completed the multi-sensory experience. Esquivel is pushing the borders of what it means to read a novel.

All in all, this is a great book for what it attempts to do. Don't attempt it if your mind is TOO SMALL!

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: This novel truly captures the humorous situations in our mundane day to day existence. (ie. Acuzena's impatience and irritation while waiting in line) Laura Esquivel is one of the greatest writers to originate from Mexico.