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: 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: 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: It's been a year and I'm still talking about it!
Review: I loved this book. Unlike most of the other readers, I didn't expect the same book as Like Water For Chocolate (which I liked, but not as much as this book). I paid for a new story and that's what I got. The plot was great. Just great. It takes a lot of skill to work with what are supposed to be just 4 or five main characters but put them in a revolving wheel of time and gender and bodies. Every new twist had me stretching my mind a little bit more to follow Esquivel. I laughed out loud at some of the poems - and at the characterization of some of the less than heroic characters. Admittedly, the first chapter or so was jarring and brutal. But it was so, SO worth sticking with the story. If you want a carbon copy of Like Water For Chocolate - read it again. If you want a new, interesting, innovative, funny, inspiring book - read The Law of Love. I'm still singing its praises over a year later.
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: too much preaching, not enough story
Review: I'm not sure if the translation made it worse, but the novel failed to interest me with language or plot. I love "Like Water for Chocolate" and also enjoyed "Swift as Desire". Though her attempt to bring together the experience of words, music, and visuals was notable, Esquivel was too often rambling rather than poetic. Her characters are largely undeveloped, and except for perhaps the first chapter, we are not convinced of anyone's thoughts or actions. Furthermore, I found the demon's and guardian angel's intrusions into the story particularly bothersome. Overall, I felt this book was a waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best book I've read
Review: This book had some interesting views on reincarnation and what the future might be like, but I found the story and characters otherwise lacking. It was far too "preachy". In other words, the author seems to use the book to give her opinions on love and life that could easily have been summed up in a short essay. Instead, she uses a few watered-down characters to deliver a lot of poorly constructed points.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Translation
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: 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.
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.
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