Soulmate [Paperback]

Deepak Chopra has been making inroads in the fiction field for several years, and this is his best novel to date. Its theme is definitely inspiring and New Age, a love story that brings two people together, only to separate them after the heroine dies suddenly. The first part of Soulmate is about the romance between Raj, a young doctor in New York, and Molly, an actress he meets on the subway. The second, more metaphysical part of the story, takes place after Molly's death when she apparently returns to tell Raj about the true meaning of love and death. I found the style very readable, a real page turner. But the most enjoyable part was to hear Deepak discuss the great question of how love survives death. This is a story of personal redemption that really touches the reader.

Review of "Soulmate" (a novel) by Deepak Chopra. Published by Putnam, 2001, 290 pages, ISBN: 0-399-14798-5.
I chose to review this book because I've been a fan of the mind-body-spirit leader and author Deepak Chopra. I had the pleasure of attending an event featuring him at the Unity Church in Dallas, TX. Dr. Chopra had a charismatic stage presence, and a message of healing that riveted the audience. After reading several of his non-fiction works, including "Creating Affluence" and "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" and "The Path to Love," I wanted to discover how this esteemed author handled fiction.

The main character of the book is a New York City doctor named Raj who is doing an internship in psychiatry. His days are full, yet he feels empty. Although the first paragraph states that Raj "had yet to fall in love" he is already engaged to a social worker named Maya. Call it coincidence or fate, Raj rescues a woman dressed for a wedding on the subway because she is being harassed by "a couple of punks." The opening conversation between the two characters is trite and incredulous. The narrator describes Molly as a popular Broadway lead actress who was a "frantic bridesmaid stuck in midtown traffic with a beat-up car that dies at the worst possible moment. Unable to resuscitate it, she ditches and runs." If you've ever been to New York City, you'd know that taxis are readily available. If a Broadway actress indeed owns a car (most NYC residents don't even drive) the vehicle would be a more reliable ride than the jalopy he describes. Furthermore, Molly claims "to plead with someone to give me subway fare" indicating that she did not carry money. Thus, the knight (Raj) rescues the damsel in distress (Molly) which (in my opinion) is a cliché rendered in fairy tales.

Raj has an affair with Molly, which causes him to question the meaning of love. Chopra offers bits of his ubiquitous wisdom as the love story progresses, making the entire book worthwhile. He writes: "The man who surrenders is always open, always observing. You seek detachment not so that nothing can touch you, but so that you have enough space to find out what is real." That information is an example of why I read his books. As a psych intern, Raj tells Molly, "Therapy is a way to give people better ways to be human...I really believe that." As a facilitator of group therapy and a recipient of counseling, I really believe that too. Occasionally, Chopra gives the reader good metaphors, as with this sentence in reference to a psych patient: " Her shipwrecked mind drifted before it found any port of calm." As for romance, Raj discovers that "He loved Molly and Maya equally" and he has to answer the question "Is it possible to be deeply in love with more than one person at the same time?" You have to read the book to see how the author answers that question.

I would recommend any book written by Deepak Chopra. He has filled a void in our society by teaching us about health and healing, peace and love. If a romance novel gets his message across, then there's no reason not to give "Soulmate" a try. However, my personal preference will be to keep his non-fiction work on my bookshelf.
review by Lynn C. Tolson

I truly loved this book. Its a fast read, but a great story. I havent read anything else by Deepak Chopra but this is among my top favorite books. I am an avid reader!