ALMAS GEMELAS

by Deepak Chopra

The necessity for each soul to journey through countless lifetimes, and repeat particular experiences and lessons until it lets love, truth, and bliss flow freely, is dramatized in this inspirational novel. When Rajah, a young Indian-American intern in a psychiatric ward in New York City, falls in love with the beautiful red-haired actress Molly despite his engagement to Maya, who is Indian, educated, and lovely, he believes he has found his soul mate and teacher. The unconventional communication that he and Molly share leads to Rajah put aside his cold Western medical training, and learn to heal with touch and love. Raj Rabban, un médico joven y talentoso, pensaba saberlo todo sobre el amor y la muerte, hasta que conoce a la pelirroja e impetuosa Molly en el metro de Manhattan. Lo que empieza como un deslumbramiento se convierte en algo más profundo de lo que creía posible. Aunque está comprometido con otra mujer, Molly es la llama que enciende su alma. Durante un corto tiempo viven en un paraíso reservado sólo para las auténticas almas gemelas. Intuitiva y sorprendente, Molly le enseña a ser libre, pero el destino los separa en forma trágica. Sin embargo, el viaje de Raj no ha hecho más que empezar, y su relación con Molly va a cambiar totalmente su práctica de medicina occidental a una medicina de amor y contacto.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Spirituality, Love, Romance, Contemporary

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2002

About the author

Deepak Chopra, MD serves as the Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Foundation, and Co-Founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of eighty books books with twenty-two New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than forty-three languages.

Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Chopra serves as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Assistant Clinical Professor, in the Family and Preventive Medicine Department at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.

GlobeIn acknowledges Chopra as "one of top ten most influential spiritual leaders around the world." TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."

Reviews

[Loraine · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's this fruit that I don't know the name of, a sweet grapefruit thing that my mom occasionally presented to us on a plate after dinner. I liked it, but we didn't see it all that often. The one time I tried to prepare one myself, I realized why. The rind is over a half-inch thick, and it doesn't come off cleanly. You have to fight to scrape the fruit off the rind, and then it becomes this (delicious) mess of pulp clumps. I was almost mystified by how laborious it was.

This book is like that. The story is clunky and the dialogue felt awkward. But if you can manage to get through that, there are some philosophical morsels within. Though nothing terribly groundbreaking.

I do have some issues with the story besides its ungainliness, though. It's a story of a young doctor, Raj, who has a lovely fiance, Maya. But he falls in love with another woman (Molly) and chases her with an "unbridled passion."

He ends up seeing both women at the same time, and while he feels guilty, it feels like the author attempts to legitimate this dishonesty by making polyamory a spiritual virtue. And even if it is, that is no excuse for dishonesty and subterfuge. You can be in love with more than one person at a time, but going behind someone's back is still a dick move.

The plot, too, feels a bit like ridiculous male wish-fulfillment. Both women adore him, and even the fiance he cheated on loves him so much she forgives him. Ugh. Basically, this guy is a spoiled prat who confused obsession with love, sought one at the expense of the other, and learned that he is a god along the way. Or something like that.

And the women felt like devices, whose overarching concern and purpose was his betterment, his journey. If the story was a Greco-Roman statue, it would depict Raj lying on his side, reaching towards the heavens while being suspended aloft by two women who are smiling but struggling against being crushed under his weight. Could you imagine the story coming off just as sanctimonious if it were the other way around?

I don't think Chopra didn't intend to write such a story. Obviously, the one he was going for was a souped-up allegory about the triumph of love over suffering. But the subtext, man...

[Noella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik had meer verwacht van dit boek. Er is veel filosofie verweven met dit verhaal, maar ik kon er mij niet echt in vinden.

[Books Ring Mah Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is sucking my butt. i'm halfway thru and praying it gets better -FAST.
should have listened to Jim-"what do yo wanna read that crap for?"

[Lexi Mulroy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t love the plot of this book. Felt like a cheap, deceitful way to get a message across. It wasn’t a bad message, I just feel there are better ways to spread the idea of love and soul than a protagonist that cheats and is forgiven for it.

[Joey Engseth · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was fine but also not my thing. Part 1 was way better than part 2 and it started to get a little too out there for me. Ended up crushing like 120 pages just to get it over with.

[Michelle Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't even know deepak wrote fiction. It was enjoyable to see his teachings laid out through examples. It made me look at love and spirituality in a different way. It made me think of other perspectives. It was a touching story of love and loss but with a twist that makes you see that sometimes love doesn't have to be lost.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si pudiera definir este libro seria como una montaña rusa, hay puntos muy altos sumamente interesantes de libro, frases como: " la psiquiatría es una forma de ofrecer a las personas mejores maneras de ser seres humanos"

"Se preguntó si todas las personas, incluidos los locos, no eran más que un fragmento de alma en busca de amor"

"Como todos sabemos, los pacientes esconden sus sentimientos. Con frecuencia, utilizan su cuerpo para convertir esos sentimientos en malestar y dolor físico"

Son tan profundas tan ciertas que te permite seguir leyendo en las partes bajas de la historia, además que es una lectura rápida.

[Leonel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Es de los pocos libros que no terminé, me faltó poco, pero sentí que este hombre no merecía ni un minuto más de mi atención.
Escuela coelhiana, ni me acuerdo como llegó a mis manos.

[Elizabeth Weaver · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may be the worst book I’ve ever read. While I admire Deepak Chopra as a spiritual leader and as an expert on living a healthy lifestyle, he is not a polished writer of fiction. Perhaps he has had a enormous amount of help in writing his previous collection of 80 some books.
Sorry Deepak. You are still on my guest list in answer to the question, “Name five people, living or dead, with whom you would like to have dinner.”

[Dey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book that i read from Deepak, to me i was sometimes lost in the context, othrr times it eas too fictional, but any of us can read it and rate it as we want, depends on our own experience, there are a couple of comments that are interesting. Enjoy!

[Karishma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I mean it was okay.

[Paula Chacin · Rating 5 out of 5]

En vista de que el autor se conoce mundialmente por sus libros de auto ayuda realmente no me esperaba una historia como esta, y la verdad es que me ha encantado que se haya salido de su molde para brindarnos lecciones de vida a través de Raj, Molly y Maya. He creado una lista con las frases que me han marcado, frases que leí mas de dos veces sin importar cuanto tiempo pudiese seguir en la misma pagina. Me encanto el hecho de que temáticas que son bases de la humanidad como lo es el amor, el alma y la sanación dominaran la historia.

Although the author is known worldwide for his self-help books I really did not expect a story like this, and the truth is that I was delighted that he came out of his mold to give us life lessons through Raj, Molly and Maya. I have created a list with the phrases that have marked me, phrases that I read more than two times no matter for how long I was on the same page. I loved the fact that themes that are bases of humanity such as love, soul and healing dominated the story.

[Sandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

¡¡¡ATENCIÓN SPOILER!!!

Chico engaña a chica con otra. La otra se muere. Chico tiene la caradura de volver con la primera chica diciéndola que sigue enamorado de la otra muerta. Todo ello salpimentado con una pizca de espiritualidad barata.

[MizzSandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. Wow.
Speechless.
This book was like a dream come true, reaching across an abyss of time and space, grabbing my heart in a strong hold, blasting through my mind.
I am in love with this book and all it turned out to be.

[Zobeida Zoleto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Las almas gemelas existen, solo debes estar atento a las señales y el momento adecuado para descubrirla.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

easy read, though incredibly insightful...

[Vishwas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sloppy..... The book is slow and not interesting.

[Kavita Yadav · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very bad story line, it's more depressing to read the book than to take away lessons from it!

[Adriana Espada leyton · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25
it was weird, good, bad, weird again!! i dont know

[Alba · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fácil de leer, pero no aporta nada nuevo. En ningún momento llegue a empatizar con los protagonistas. Un libro para dejar en la estantería sin que lo vuelvas a recordar una vez terminado.

[Marian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would advise the otherwise good doctor to stick to non-fiction!

[Wander Girl Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoy watching speeches and video by Deepak Chopra and also reading non-fiction books by him. I quite like his philosophy and ideologies about mind, body and spirit. I was totally unaware that the author also wrote fiction until I came across this book at a library. I was immediately intrigued by the title and the author and had to pick it up.
In the book we follow Dr Raj Rabban who treats mentally ill patients. He is engaged to a self confident woman Maya and is soon going to marry her. One day Raj meets a gorgeous theatre artist, Molly on a train ride and is immediately drawn towards her. They end up spending a lot of time together to the extent that he starts cheating on Maya with her. He does feel guilty about it and comes clean to Maya eventually. Soon Maya and Raj call it an off. An unfortunate accident takes place and Molly is no more. But Raj can still see her, feel her and talk to her. She guides him, because she lives within him, as a soulmate.
I quite believe in the concept of souls travelling and evolving together over lifetimes. When I picked this book up I thought some new avenues will open up in this area and I will learn something more. Sadly, I was met with disappointment.
Firstly the plot took a lot of time to build up. The way the story unveiled was quite slow and dialogues rather awkward. I honestly didn’t connect with any of the characters. Their portrayed personalities and the way they acted were quite off. Maybe the author wanted to point out that one breaks free on encountering one’s soul mate, but it didn’t come across convincingly.
I understand that the author wanted to convey a love that is beyond the worldly measures that is why Raj seeing Molly while was engaged to Maya was narrated so lightly but it didn’t sit well with me. Also, Maya inspite of being portrayed as a strong woman forgave Raj so easily and accepted him. I didn’t like the unfaithfulness and dishonestly being justified by the author.
What I liked about the book were a few philosophies which were very thoughtful and it made me think. Book highlights for me were the parts where Raj started treating his patients with Molly’s help and his spiritual evolution, using unusual techniques.
The takeaway from the book was quite less compared to the efforts one has to take to read the entire book. By the end of the book I was left with confusing feelings about the book. I was trying to like it because of my fondness for the other but I simply couldn’t. Overall the book didn’t meet what was expected out of it. I would prefer to stick with reading the non-fiction books by this author.

[Siddhi Palande · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deepak Chopra is the famed author of many spiritual books. I read and reread his work, Life After Death only recently. Soulmate- A Love Story is however a fictional book from Chopra. The novel is published by Hayhouse India.

With 290 pages the novel endues some beautiful love lessons alongside spiritual vibes. It tails the life of Raj who is an intern learning to become a psychiatriat. He is engaged to Maya but falls for Molly. Molly is a character quite deep and is likely to change many lives simultaneously, including yours, the reader's.

That love is universal and it needs no language is a belief crafted tidily in a hospital with mentally deranged hanging around a doctor who himself is wrecked. What matters to this story are the settings. Raj's life is often in and out of the hospital. He has an understanding of the working of the human mind but what he lacks is understanding of the supreme love which he learns from Molly.

The plot is linear and there isn't anything you won't like about the novel. It is evenly paced and takes you through the turmoils of the mind after death of a loved one.

After having lost my father last year in October, it took a lot out of me to pull myself together and so I felt that Chopra's words matched my wavelength to some extent. There are certain things in the novel which I could relate to.

It is written in such a comprehendible manner that it pulls you into it effortlessly. I was in and out of Raj's life and I could feel the confusion and frustration he felt. I especially loved the quotes that the author dexterously put in in the narrative be it through the characters or through his note towards the end of the book.

Once again, Chopra presents to us a story which is more than a story. It is one with fantasy, philosophy and spirituality and will be liked by his readers.

Rating: 3 stars
On the scale of readability it stands on 9 on 10.

[Vidhya Thakkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The soulmate is the story of Raj who is an intern learning to become a psychiatrist. He is engaged to Maya but falls for Molly. Molly is a character quite deep and is likely to change many lives simultaneously.
What will happen when Maya will come to know about Raj? What will raj explain to his family? Many more questions you will witness.

Reading Deepak Chopra’s book is always a pleasure and this book has a unique plot. The book for me was Okayish read as the pace was very slow and felt like the story is dragged. Though another part of the story was good, the start was like an average. There are some beautiful characters that the author created and one can easily relate with Molly’s character. They were impressive. The plot is unique but too slow. The tempo of the story is also good. There are twists and turns at every point. There’s a mystery, romance, and love in it.

Simple Language, Good characters, unique plot make this book an interesting read.

This book has its own qualities, there are some good parts and bad part of this book. Maya’s reaction, Changes in the life of Raj. There are some beautiful lines, in the book which you will love.

if you want something unique and believe in life after death within your loved one or the concept of soulmates this book is for you!!

[Cori · Rating 2 out of 5]

This flows so quickly and vaguely, as if a middle schooler wrote it. I never got emotionally invested to any part of it. A lot of it is very unrealistic... I'm not talking about what happens with Molly, I'm meaning the conversations between and behaviors of all characters is unrealistic. Sometimes the dialogue just doesn't make sense, doesn't flow naturally.
There were also little things that irked me, like when Bradley gets the PLASTIC cups for wine and on the very next page, the wine they're drinking is out of PAPER cups... How do you miss that, as an author? Towards the end Raj tells Claudia "I took the liberty of explaining your case in a long note..." next page he says "I just put down ONE sentence." My first Deepak Chopra book and I'm not interested in reading any more of his work. I understand what he was going for, but Paulo Coelho executes it 100x better.

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted very badly to love this book. I’m a huge fan of Deepak Chopra and I have grown so much, spiritually, in reading his nonfiction books, but unfortunately this story was terrible. The dialogue wasn’t realistic, the behavior between the characters seemed like it was written by an adolescent making an assumption about how adults behave. The women were just props for the male lead, with very little depth and development of character. For a story called “Soulmates”, I felt very few, if any, elements of real love coming off of the pages. Much respect to the author in general, but this book was disappointing.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5/5 stars as far as looking at it like a novel. I would give it 4.25/5 stars if you read it more through the lens of searching the story through life lessons. Deepak Chopra is obviously a thoughtful and brilliant man, and this book feels like it was written to impart wisdom (rather than to just be a novel to entertain). It will challenge the way you think of love and the soul. Stay open to learning while you read this and you can gain a lot from it. Don't expect this to be the best novel you've ever read, instead view it more so through the lens of life lessons woven into a story.

[Dakota Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

So great that we get to see Deepak Chopra's wisdom set in a fictional story that we can relate to and reflect on. I was given this book as a gift and have read it many times, writing on the pages and sometimes opening to certain parts that I've bookmarked. If you read it once and find it cheesy, read it again in small doses and I think you'll see that the story's message is very powerful and applicable to most people's lives. It's romantic in a simple romcom way, but something profound is underneath if you're willing to see it.

[Orne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totalmente confundida. El autor quiso tratar veinte temas diferentes en un mismo libro, pero nunca logró cerrar ninguno. Llegó un punto en el que todo se volvió muy falopa y ya no sabías adónde iba a terminar la historia – y habiéndolo terminado, tampoco lo sé.

Potencial había, sobre todo con la premisa de entrelazar la vida personal de Raj con sus pacientes psiquiátricos, pero creo que ni el autor supo cómo hacerlo. Lo que rescato son algunas reflexiones sobre el amor que te dejan pensando un toque.

[Juan Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you know your soul mate?

I personally wonder if there are soul mates?

Although I do not really like Deepak Chopra his novel "Soulmates" surprised me and I liked it.

It not only proposes the existence of the twin souls, but proposes that they continue to be for many lives and even after death. A soul mate allows you to discover the true path of your life by walking with it.

I wish it were true .... I wonder where are you soul mate?