Rating: 
Summary: Interesting view of the hereafter
Review: The book is less sappy than the movie and presents a compelling view of life after death: the body dies, the soul continues on, and, at some point, the soul chooses a new life to live. The DVD has an alternate ending which is taken directly from the book. The visuals of Hell in the film are dark and filled with despair. And yes, it may alleviate one's fear of death.
Rating:
Summary: So Good I Couldn't Wait for the Movie!
Review: I saw the movie on its opening day and I cried. It tore the book to shreads. The book was so easy to read and painted in my mind, scenes that cannot be produced in our 3 dimentional world. The relationship between the dead and the living, the ties that bind, things that we can only wonder about are explored in this story. I felt better about my mother's death, and death in general after reading this.
Rating: 
Summary: Richly imaginative vision of afterlife
Review: I confess...I read the book after seeing the movie. While they follow the same basic plot, how that plot is developed is quite different. The movie focuses on the protagonist's relationship with his wife and children. The afterlife is the setting for that story to unfold. The book spends a lot more time and effort describing Matheson's vision of the afterlife with the relationship with the wife being the gimick used to develop that vision. The relationship with the children isn't even addressed seriously. After having seen the movie, I was disappointed with the book.The book was written over two decades ago and the screenplay for the movie (at least the final version) is relatively recent. The movie is a more developed and engaging version of the story--as a story per se. However, the charm of the book is in the rich imagination of the vision presented and the fact that it was written before near death experiences and psychic medium books and tv shows became popular.
Rating:
Summary: Engagingly written (as always), but false
Review: Read this book with a grain of salt. The Heaven that Matheson describes is not at all accurate. You will not enter into the real Heaven by just being a good person or for doing good things. You can only enter into Heaven through Jesus Christ, the I AM, the Doorway.
Rating:
Summary: A Moving Novel
Review: This is going to sound cheap, but this novel actually succeeds in taking away the fear of death somewhat. Matheson manages to paint a picture of what he pictures heaven looking like, and it truly is a wonderful place. Also, Matheson is well known for his horror and science fiction novels, but don't let this stop you from getting this book. Personally, I have enjoyed many of Matheson's novels, but this is nothing like his others. Matheson manages to bring you into the novel slowly, so you do not have to take it all at once, and then, once you are settled in, he brings in the conflict. I can honestly say that there was not a dull part in this book. If you are looking for something interesting, yet out of the ordinary, then I urge you to read this novel. Matt Costaris
Rating:
Summary: What Dreams May Come
Review: This book is probably the closest thing to a description of heaven. By combining ideas from sources around the world, Richard Matheson has created the best book I have ever read. The imagry used in this novel doesn't completely describe to you what is going on, but just enough to leave some to your imagination. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes an imagination-propelled love story...
Rating: 
Summary: Great story, better than the movie
Review: but the ending got bogged down in too much technical detail, I thought. Up until then, it was a very entertaining and interesting read. The story is very heartfelt and I sensed that most of it came from Matheson's relation with his own wife. It doesnt have the grandeur of the movie but it far surpasses the movie in terms of emotion. I enjoyed it more.
Rating:
Summary: I'm glad I read it...
Review: I originally had no intention of reading this book, since I heard that the movie was awful. But a friend of mine practically forced the book on me, and was I glad that I read it! What Dreams May Come is a combination of a love story between two soul mates and a peek at life after death. I say a "peek" since the author had supposedly done an immense amount of research on this topic prior to writing the book. I found this book to be enjoyable on two levels. First the plot - the fantastic love story of soul mates that wanted nothing but to be together. Second the philosophy presented in the book - the combination of heaven/hell concept and the re-incarnation concept. This book was also immensely comforting for me - I had not been raised with any religion, and have always been terrified of death (or not having any faith to guide me). Although this was a fictional book, it left me with a sense of peace. It made me believe - perhaps there is life after death, whether in the form of souls in heaven or in the form of another human being. I find myself revisiting the book frequently - I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: Forget the movie. It stank. Read this. If you read nothing else all year read this. I own it and re-read it every so often. This is truly a classic.
Rating:
Summary: Best book of all time?
Review: What Dreams May Come is one of my favorite movies, and i could only imagine how marvelous the book would be after reading all these eulogistic reviews. Sorry, but i can't see how the book is more interesting. If i would have wanted to know about near-death experiences and after-life theories, i would have read books on the subject. Here, the author is trying to educate the reader too much, affecting the story negatively. Strangely, the movie is nearly as much informative and insightful, but doesn't feel like preaching to me. The book also has a slightly different story, wich is weaker than the flick, in my view. So, no, you will not necessairly find the book more moving than the movie.
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