What Dreams May Come

De: Richard Matheson

Narrado por: Robertson Dean

What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death.

But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and the divided soul mates will do anything to reach each other across the boundaries between life and death. When tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.

©1978 Richard Matheson (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"One of the most important writers of the 20th century." (Ray Bradbury)
"Matheson is one of the great names in American terror fiction." ( Philadelphia Inquirer)

Wonderful

This is a very good book. It was a little slow at times but the overall story is fantastic. But I do have to say even though I thoroughly enjoyed this book this is one of the few cases where the movie is better. The movie is one of my all time favorites even though im not usually a huge fan of dramatic love stories there is just something special about this story. So no matter which medium you prefer this is classic story of love, loss, and redemption that transcends life and death.

Great movie, better book!

Where does What Dreams May Come rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks number one! Although a novel, I believe the authors research regarding the afterlife was sound, bringing much more to my understanding than I had from any other source, including NDE reports.

What did you like best about this story?

I can't say what I liked best, it was all so good.

What about Robertson Dean’s performance did you like?

Great, does a wonderful job.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, of course.

Any additional comments?

See the movie first, then listen to this audio book. This book is far better than the movie which is also great. The story line is different in the book than the movie, but that does not make it any less an awesome book, better in many ways.

I only wish there was more

What a beautiful story. As a fan of the film version, I felt compelled to listen to this tale in the greater detail of which it was originally created. I thoroughly enjoyed the description of the afterlife and it’s various religious and philosophical influences. I may be naive in my belief that it is closer to the truth than many of us are willing to admit. However, I have studied a great deal of religious, philosophical and spiritual texts and it seems a reasonable description. I suppose we will all find out the truth, eventually.

Better than the movie!

This book will make you think about things beyond your everyday normal. What comes after death and how vivid the descriptions make you actually see what the characters do. Though, in the relgious sense I do have doubts, not that I do not believe there is notbing beyond this life, I just don't put into one simple category. But I do know if there was a place I would like to imagine Heaven is like, it's in this book. I could not put this book down being so enthralled with the story and thinking about what comes next, the beauty in the connections souls can have and not even begin to understand. This book is a masterpiece and if you like to be entertained and think about what you're reading, read this book!!

Interesting and touching

This book had a beautiful view of the afterlife and a touching story. It was narrated beautifully. I would listen again.

I loved the movie and now love the book

What Dreams May Come is one of my favorite movies and I recently purchased a copy. The book isn't exactly the same and, being written in the 70s, it has a couple old fashioned ideologies. It also has many parts that would be considered progressive in a few areas of the US. It's a wonderful book and does give a feeling of peace about what comes next for us all.

Not your typical novel

Part travelogue, part philosophy book, part textbook, part novel, What Dreams May Come is a little bit more than a simple adventure story. That high school English teacher who advised you to show, not tell would no doubt have a fit as Matheson rambles on for page after page with Chris asking his guide questions about the afterlife, and his guide answering them. The novel is very talky. Much of the book has a New Age/Eastern spiritual bent and it may seem airy fairy to some readers. On the other hand, other readers might find here a core text to study as they think about theology. Still a third reader might tune in and out of paying attention and just focus on the story of the protagonist and their situation. My guess is, they will love the book less than the former people, but may still find a cool fantasy story here. This book has a lot to like - just know that it will feel bloated by exposition and tangents according to traditional standards.

Superb!

Excellent read! I loved the movie so much and love this even more! So much to ponder

philosophy as literature

...or spirituality as literature, rather!

I was moved by this movie in 1998, and a quarter century later, am moved by this book!

I encounter Ayn Rand fans quite frequently, and I understand the appeal; I was once a self-centered early twenty-something who struggled with the structure of society and the individuals place in the world around us. "Self determination" and "Objectivism" are essentially means for reconciling this convergence of society and the individual. But, it's superficial, requires strawmen motives of hyperbolic 2, and even 1, dimensional characters. In simple, Rand and her philosophy - dictated as literature in Atlas and Fountainhead - are juvenile. Her work, despite having mass appeal, barely scratches the surface of the purpose of the existence of an individual... of all individuals, universally.

This book, though, dares to delve beyond the surface, and presents ancient notions through a modern universally accessible medium! Though not extensive in acknowledging each and every Creation and After-life belief system, there is a respect paid to every possible interpretation of religious or otherwise spiritual foundation!

I wish I had read this book before I read Atlas Shrugged so as not to be so vulnerable to the self-centeredness of the ideas, but at the same time, I wonder if I would've been ready to consider death - and life as a cyclical dynamic at an individual level - at age 19 vs now at age 43.

Whether the ideas in this book are "true" or not, the idea that what dreams may come, for all of us, is a unifying power vs self-determination as an isolating encouragement, lends to idea that The Individual and Society are both manifestations of our own abilities to interpret AND conflicts that we all must wrestle with. And instead of fretting over the malfeasance of Society over an Individual, one can view the triumph of an Individual within the context, or collective dream, of a Society. After all, the human experience may be better described as simply the shared awareness of existence ON THIS PLANE and in the dreams of what may be in/on other planes of existence?

Outstanding

I am new to this author even though I knew of several of his movies I never explored the books. This particular book moved me in ways others have yet to do. I have recommended it to everyone who will listen. I have tried to find similar books and non have yet to inspire and tickle my brain as this one has done. Bravo to the author and narrator !