The Book of Dreams

by Nina George

A heartwarming and magical tale about the distance one man will travel for the sake of love, from the internationally bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop

Henri Skinner is on his way to meet his teenage son, Sam, for the first time when he is hit by a car after rescuing a child from drowning. He is rushed to a nearby hospital where he floats, comatose, between dreams about his childhood and the secrets that have kept him from his son. Sam reads about it in the newspaper – his father is a hero, now in a coma in hospital.

After the accident, Sam waits by Henri’s bedside every day. Due to a condition called synaesthesia, Sam can sense things the doctors can’t – he can see the colours of his father’s thoughts and dreams. At the hospital he also meets Eddie Tomlin, a woman forced to confront her love for Henri after all these years, and twelve-year old Madelyn Zeidler, another coma patient and the sole survivor of a traffic accident that killed her family.

The Book of Dreams is a beautiful, bittersweet story about what love means: the exquisite stirrings of first love, the love between fathers and sons, friendship and family, life, death – and making peace with the past in order to find a future.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Audiobook, Adult, Magical Realism, Book Club

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 17, 2016

About the author

ENG (for German Bio please scroll down).

Born 1973 in Bielefeld, Germany, Nina George is a prize-winning and bestselling author (“Das Lavendelzimmer” – “The Little Paris Bookshop”) and freelance journalist since 1992, who has published 26 books (novels, mysteries and non-fiction) as well as over hundred short stories and more than 600 columns. George has worked as a cop reporter, columnist and managing editor for a wide range of publications, including Hamburger Abendblatt, Die Welt, Der Hamburger, “politik und kultur” as well as TV Movie and Federwelt. Georges writes also under three pen-names, for ex “Jean Bagnol”, a double-andronym for provence-based mystery novels.

In 2012 and 2013 she won the DeLiA and the Glauser-Prize. In 2013 she had her first bestselling book “Das Lavendelzimmer”, translated in 27 langues and sold more than 500.000 copies.

In November 2011, Nina George established the “JA zum Urheberrecht” (YES on Author’s Rights) initiative, which supports the rights of authors, artists and entertainers and is dedicated to resolving issues within the literary community as well as establishing fair and practical rights-license models for the web-distribution. 14 writers’ associations and 27 publishing partners have since joined the JA…-Initiative. George supports the “Initiative Urheberrecht” (Author’s Rights Initiative—www.urheber.info) as well as the “gib 8 aufs Wort”-campaign of the VG Wort.

In August 2014 George initiated the Amazon-protest in Germany www.fairer-buchmarkt.de, where overs 2000 germanspeaking authors – Nobelprizewinnig Elfriede Jelinek or Bestsellingauthor Nele Neuhaus – sign an open letter to Jeff Bezos and Amazon, protesting against the banned-book-methods of the giant retailer in the Hachette/Bonnier-dispute.

In 2015 George is the founder of the Initiative Fairer Buchmarkt e.V., which supports questions of law in daily business of authors – for ex in contracts, fees or author’s rights and e-Business.

George is Member to PEN, Das Syndikat (association of German-language crime writers), the Association of German Authors (VS), the Hamburg Authors’ Association (HAV), BücherFrauen (Women in Publishing), the IACW/AIEP (International Association of Crime Writers), the GEDOK (Association of female artists in Germany), PRO QUOTE and Lean In. Nina George sits on the board of the Three Seas Writers’ and Translaters’ Council (TSWTC), whose members come from 16 different countries.

Nina George teaches writing at Literaturbüro Unna, Alsterdamm Kunstschule, Wilhelmsburger Honigfabrik, where she coaches young people, adults and professional authors.
George also moderates (bilingual) readings and works as a speaker.

www.nina-george.com

find me also on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/NinaGeorge.S...


www.ninageorge.de

DE

Die mehrfach ausgezeichnete Publizistin Nina George, geboren 1973, veröffentlichte bisher 23 Romane, Krimis, Science-Thriller sowie ca. 88 Kurzgeschichten und über 500 Kolumnen.

Ihr Pseudonym Anne West gehört zu den erfolgreichsten deutschsprachigen Erotika-Autorinnen.
Für ihren Roman Die Mondspielerin wurde George mit der DeLiA 2011, dem Literaturpreis für den besten Liebesroman des Jahres, ausgezeichnet. Mit dem Wendekrimi Das Licht von Dahme war George 2010 für den Friedrich-Glauser-Preis nominiert. Sie gewann ihn 2012 mit dem in Nigeria angesiedeltem Fußballkrimi „Das Spiel ihres Lebens“.

George gründete 2011 die Initiative „JA zum Urheberrecht“, mit der sie sich aktiv für die Rechte aller Kreativarbeiter und Kulturschaffenden gegen die Mentalität der Gratiskultur im Internet einsetzt.

Sie ist Mitglied im Syndikat, den Mörderischen Schwestern sowie des Verbands deutscher Schriftsteller.
Nina George lebt im Hamburger Grindelviertel.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst The Book of Dreams by Nina George is not perfect, there is nevertheless much to love about this profoundly moving novel about what it is to be human and just how much momentous decisions define the life path for a person. In this complex and complicated book of family drama, relationships and human emotions, ex-war reporter, Henry Skinner, is on his way to meet his estranged teenage son, Sam, when he finds himself saving the life of a young girl in the River Thames. Unfortunately the most hellish misfortune has Henry hit by a car, and knocked unconscious and into a coma.

Henry is in the intensive care unit of a London hospital where the neurologist is referred to as God. 13 year old Sam has the unusual gift of synaesthesia, meaning he is aware and can sense what others cannot. As he sits by his father's bedside, he is joined by an ex-love of Henry's, the heartbroken Eddie Tomlin, and finds himself beginning to connect with a 12 year old girl, another patient in a coma in the unit. Henry, a man with secrets, finds himself reliving aspects of his life and childhood in his dreams, including his relationships with Marie-France, Sam's mother, and Eddie, but one where different choices and decisions are made and their outcome. In a story where the four characters begin to connect, George utilises the concept of a coma about which relatively little is known to explore the different levels of consciousness, the nature of father and son relationships, love, loss and compassion.

Writing in beautiful prose, Nina George asks the deepest questions about life amidst the oppressive background of hospital routines and lives hanging in the balance. The fragility of life is at the heart of this emotional drama, the need to not allow fear to determine life choices, and to truly live as opposed to sleepwalk through life. Whilst I really loved reading this novel, there were occasions for me when I found the storytelling a little too uneven. A marvellously thought provoking read with great characterisation that made the central themes come alive brilliantly in the narrative. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful, moving, and poetic, Nina George's newest novel, The Book of Dreams , is absolutely exquisite. It's so different from other books I've read recently, and it is one I won't soon forget.

"Maybe we're all stories that someone is reading, and maybe that will save us before we ultimately expire?"

Henri Skinner was once a renowned war reporter whose eyes have seen first-hand the horrors of our world. Shaped by tragedy at an early age, he is a passionate person, one prone to acting before he thinks. On his way to see his teenage son for the first time since he was an infant, he performs a heroic act, only to be struck by a car afterward. He now lies deep in a coma, hearing the voices of those he loves but also reliving his life's memories, as well as exploring the paths not taken.

Sam, Henri's son, is a highly intellectual synesthete (he sees sounds as colors and numbers as sounds) who has dreamed of having his father in his life for as long as he can remember, only to be told by his mother that his father wasn't the type to depend on. When he learns of his father's accident he begins a daily vigil at Henri's bedside. Even though the doctors say they see no sign of Henri's sensing what is going on around him, Sam believes his father hasn't given up yet, and implores him to return to consciousness.

While at the hospital, Sam meets Eddie Tomlin, a woman who was once deeply in love with Henri until he cruelly hurt her. She's moved on with her life but Henri had named her the executor of his living will, so she now must confront her feelings for this man to whom she once gave her entire heart. Eddie isn't sure if she wants Henri to awaken or if she is ready to say goodbye once and for all.

Another patient at the hospital is 12-year-old Madelyn, who has been in a coma since she was in a car accident that killed her entire family. Even though she cannot communicate, does not give any sign that she hears or feels or sees, the hospital continues to treat her, this poor young girl without anyone to look after her. Sam is taken with Maddie, and does everything he can to try and help her back to consciousness, as he tries to do the same for his father.

"There are places where time is thinner, where yesterday, today, and tomorrow converge and we can feel the presence of the dead and the echo of the future."

The Book of Dreams is about the thin line between life and death, of how keeping a person alive is often more for ourselves than the actual person. It's a book about love—both its presence and its absence—and how both can consume you. But more than that, this is a book about relationships, about finding the courage to act, to say the things you've always wanted, to never let regret occupy your mind.

This book is gorgeously written, brimming with vivid imagery and emotion. At times it gets a little confusing, as you're not sure what has happened and what is being dreamed, but the power of this book overcame any of its flaws where I was concerned. In a few days it will be five years since my father died suddenly, and this book, felt a bit like a gift for me, despite how difficult it was to read at times.

I haven't read any of George's other books, but she said in her afterword that her last three novels, The Little Paris Bookshop, The Little French Bistro , and this one form a cycle of novels about mortality and are colored by existential questions about death. I'm definitely going to have to pick her other books up, because this really touched me. It was both a beautifully written and a beautifully felt book.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.

You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[Kylie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully written book, richly metaphorical, about hovering in the space between life and death. It follows Henri, in a coma after an accident, and how he tries to interact with his loved ones and they in turn with him. Poignant and profound, we explore the feelings of loss, hope and grief, all at once.

Yet, even though I can appreciate the beauty of this book, it really wasn't for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I picked up this book, and I mean that in the best possible way. This is the type of book I will be thinking about for awhile. I think the author really took a chance with this one and maybe it won't be for everyone, but I'm pretty darn glad I read it.

The story in some ways is a bit tricky to explain without getting into spoiler territory so I'm gonna keep it brief and simple. The less you know is probably best in this case. Henri Skinner is set to see his teenage son, Sam, for the first time in years when he is rushed to the hospital after being involved in a traffic accident. Henri's former girlfriend, Eddie, and Sam stick close to Henri's hospital bed as he is in a coma. The book is told from the alternating perspectives of Eddie, Sam, and Henri. Yes, you read that right, you will get to know the man in the coma quite well.

I wasn't prepared for how much this would hit me on an emotional and spiritual level. Now I'll admit some of what the author was trying to express might have gone over my head, but what I did get, I loved. It was truly a treat to read a book in which the author was willing to go out on a limb and write a book that might not be "market friendly". I love when authors are willing to take chances and just go for it in order to tell the story they want and I appreciate when publishers give them the opportunity to do this as well. Such a great read and I look forward to checking out the author's other novels.

Read this book if you are up for the challenge that it might be a high risk, but high reward type read.

Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Dreams surprised me in the best of ways. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I’m a fan of Nina George’s Little Paris Bookshop, and I noticed right away that her trademark warmth imbued on every page of The Book of Dreams.

Henri Skinner, one of our main characters, is a former war reporter. He’s rough around the edges, and the war has shaped him. He’s going to visit his son, Sam, who he doesn’t really know.

While literally on his way to see his son, he is injured and rushed to the hospital. While there, he is comatose and vividly dreaming about the secrets of his past.

Sam, Henri’s son, is a gifted thirteen-year-old, and he sits by Henri every day at the hospital. It’s there that Eddie Tomlin arrives, a woman who has loved Henri for many years. Also at the hospital is Madelyn, a twelve-year-old who is also in a coma. She has survived an accident that killed every member of her family.

Each character is dreaming of hope and fighting for life in their own way, and together, they are bonded by these wistful wants.

Gosh, The Book of Dreams gave me so much to think about. First, it had me feeling deeply for its characters, and then it transferred to real life, as the story became so earnest, it felt real and luminescent.

The Book of Dreams is deeply emotional and soaringly rewarding. I cried until I felt that ache in my chest. I had the hardest time letting go of this story and turning the last page. There is sadness, loss, and tragedy here, as is hope.

Lyrical writing, deep meaning, heartbreaking, powerful, and profound, The Book of Dreams taught me about “just being” versus “truly living” among many other life lessons, and I am ever so grateful this book was in my hands and is now in my heart.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Elyse Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ripples of tragedies were too sensory overloaded for me.
So, while I was engaged in the story from the start, I was grappling with the believability chain-
-of events as well.
With several mishaps - right away - they didn’t feel authentically believable to me....but...
ok, I went with it.

I appreciated the concept of this book - ( especially the authors personal connection to this novel - with her own father’s death ), but I honestly wasn’t drawn to reading it until recently when my friend, verbally told me how much she loved it.
So... I gave it a go - having loved “The Little Paris Bookshop”, by Nina George.

The primary theme the author explores is the border between life and death....a powerful theme to contemplate.

There are parts in this book that were compelling to think about.
This excerpt is one them:
“How must they feel, all the people whose beloved lies in a coma? Do they remain ‘faithful’ in the most innocent sense of the word? Do they long for sex, the touch of skin, laughter, shared moments when life is full and sweet? Or do they die, a little at a time, because they no longer there to live? Do they abandon their lives completely and devote themselves entirely to caring and comforting? Or do they conserve some of their energy for themselves?”.
I wondered about this as a young adult when my mother told me that my dad spent his entire first year of their marriage in the hospital in San Francisco. He had tuberculosis. I wondered how my mother dealt with these issues once I was old enough to understand a little bit more about life.

It was also easy to imagine the unbearable tension in the hospital each day.
“There are so many intense emotions in every bed in the ward. One person has gotten lost in a very dangerous place, another is hounded by mortal dread, and yet another patient is running a fever. I sense fatigue and tension, as if there were taut strings and elastic bands crisscrossing the room. Concerns, aches, and fear”.

And the gut reality of physically being in a coma.
“A catheter is hidden under Maddie’s nightie and tracksuit bottoms, and two tubes are connected to her index finger. There is a vial of eyedrops on the table next to her. Further dropper bottles on the table by the door contain other medicines. There are machines by her bed, monitoring the oxygen and her blood and her heartbeat on a constant basis. She is obviously fed through a tube that vanishes into her skin next to her collarbone. Another tube protrudes from her neck; it’s hooked up to the ventilator”.

But...the lines between reality and fantasy ... conscious and subconscious- the different remembering‘s and retellings: the dreams themselves put me into a comatose state myself. It was a little bland and confusing.

The side stories felt odd to and unrealistic that my own emotions never got off the ground.
This book was much more cerebral in thought than it was emotional for me.

2.7 stars ... I appreciate the premises- and purpose for this novel - with much respect for Nina George - but overall I had too many conflicted feelings about the storytelling itself.

I had limitations with just how much I could transcend this human experience with my own heart.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

”Maybe our lives are nothing but stories that are being read by other people.”

Henri Skinner, a man who was once-upon-a-time a war reporter, has just jumped off the Hammersmith Bridge as this story begins, desperate to save the life of a young girl who had fallen overboard.

”The river is dragging her along. It wants to own her.”

But Henri wins this time. It is only after he is on land, carrying this girl to safety that he begins to worry about being late to get to the school where his son, Sam, is waiting for him. It will be the first time that they’ve really seen each other. Feeling weak after putting the girl down, he stumbles out into the road. The girl screams as a car sweeps him off his feet and into the air.

”I’ll be right with you, Sam. I’m just having a little rest.”

Sam is an unusual boy, gifted with a Mensa IQ, he is also a synesthete - what he sees, feels, hears sometimes translates into something else. Numbers, sounds, voices, and music he sees in colours. Letters he associated with personality traits.

”The London Underground sounds steel gray, like a bagful of knives. My mother’s voice is soft, like soft gauze on a frozen lake. And purple. My voice is currently colorless, but when I’m scared it turns bright yellow.
“People who know who they are and what they’re capable of have green voices. Dark green voices, serene and majestic like a wise old forest.”

The story is shared between the voices of Sam, Henri and a woman named Eddie Tomlin, who once was in love with Henri, until he broke her heart, and how they weave together. We hear the story of how Sam came to be, the story of Henri’s brief relationship with Sam’s mother, Marie-France, the story of a fishing expedition that still stays with him, and his regrets over some things that were said.

When Sam finds out that his father is in the hospital, and the time of the accident, he realizes it means Henri didn’t intentionally miss the father-son event at Sam’s school. With that, he is determined to finally spend some time with this man who is his father, a man he doesn’t really know. He knows his mother won’t approve, and so he goes without her consent, where he meets Eddie, and also eventually meets an eleven-year-old girl, Madelyn, Maddie, who is also in a coma, like his father. Maddie’s family were all killed in a car accident, she is the only one who lived. His sensory overlap allows him to see, feel Maddie on a level that escapes others, Sam makes it his mission to try to find a way to reach her, and draw her out of her coma.

Raising many questions about the spaces between life and death, the various conditions of existence that we encounter between our first and last breaths, and whether or not we fully understand what those limits are, the purpose of our lives, this can be thought-provoking, without straying too far into the “woo-woo” category.

With writing that I found both lyrical and profound, and a story that was both powerful and endearing, I loved this story from the start.



Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first experience reading Nina George was with her New York Times bestselling book, “The Little Paris Bookshop.” Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I became an instant fan of the author.

This latest book does not disappoint!

It is profoundly moving, complex and complicated, with a few tears thrown in.

Yet, the characters are someone you want to meet and know and root for…especially when one of the lines shares...

“Maybe we’re all stories that someone is reading, and maybe that will save us before we ultimately expire?”

Isn’t that what we all are living – our own story?

What can we gain from a story like this? Lots.

It's a book about love—both its presence and its absence—and how both can consume you. But more than that, this is a book about relationships, about finding the courage to act, to say the things you've always wanted, to never let regret occupy your mind.

Try this one out, I obviously recommend it highly.

[Betsy Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and I have no idea how to convey why. It deals in the spaces between so-called reality that we all share, but not all of us know it. And it deals with places that are possibly just as real that we only traverse alone.

If you can accept the profundity of the simple lyrics “Row, row, your boat, gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream” and are comfortable with this notion, you will understand and appreciate this book of dreams. It takes the reader through the tears in our so-called reality and explores what life and death are.

Rather than go on metaphysically and possibly incomprehensibly (for people who are not attuned to this kind of material), I’ll trust Nina George to explain—from her afterword:

The Book of Dreams completes my cycle of novels about mortality. I needed to write about fear and transience and to portray the points where life and death meet as a sort of fairy-tale place brimming with parallel realities, a transitional zone among all worlds, heaven, and earth. None of us know if this zone really exists or if it is born of our thoughts and hopes and fears.

For me, it has always existed. And I cannot wait to read her earlier books.

There are real people, love, and a wonderful, heartbreaking, romantic love story in this book, but I haven’t the patience to get into it. Suffice it to say I found the whole thing exquisite and I took it in like a hungry suckling baby.

[Karen R · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heart-tugging story of devotion and hope. Nina George has created beautiful characters and compelling relational dynamics. I especially loved Sam, an extraordinary boy who is astute beyond his years. I wanted to give him a giant bear hug and make his dreams come true.

George excelled at putting her thoughts to paper, especially as they relate to Sam’s journey to find peace and love and Henri’s alternating states of awareness as he remained trapped between two worlds. A profound and thought-provoking read that I couldn't put down. Read it in two days.

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not a bad book. For me there were just parts of it that took a bit of pushing myself through it, which made reading it difficult to get through at times. The premise of the story was interesting and different than I've read, so it wasn't terrible. The characters where likable and unique. They were a bit strange at times or maybe it was the story that was strange at times or maybe it was the relationships that were strange, I'm just not sure.

I knew what would happen in the end, but it was a bit abrupt when it happened. Overall, I'm not disappointed that I read it, it wasn't too bad.

[Maria Bikaki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Η αμήχανη στιγμή που έχεις αγοράσει τα δύο προηγούμενα της συγγραφέως, δανείζεσαι το το τρίτο και ξεκινάς ανάγνωση από αυτό και δεν καταλαβαίνεις αν το βιβλίο που διάβασες είναι μεγάλη παπαριά ή θέλει να σου πει κάτι που εσύ δεν το έπιασες. Σιγοκλαίω. Είμαι θύμα του μάρκετινγκ κύριε πρόεδρε. Σου έκανα την τιμή Nina George να βάλω το βιβλιαράκι σου στο μπούτι μου στην παραλία και εσύ ξηγήθηκες έτσι. Από μένα είναι όχι.
Σοβαρά τώρα δε μου άρεσε. Με κούρασε πολύ και ήταν αρκετά πιο ψυχοπλακωτικό από όσο ήμουν σε θέση να μεταβολίσω.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever watched a comedy where so many jokes are made that some of them are bound to make you laugh? The sheer volume of gags ensures that you're constantly tickled, even if most of the jokes fail. Turn that comedy into a book, trade out the humor for attempts at poetic beauty, and you've got Nina George's The Book of Dreams. Part metaphysical romance, part coming-of-age tale, The Book of Dreams is cluttered with imagery. Whatever ease and elegance it otherwise possesses, George's meandering prose are offset by its own relentless, quasi-stream-of-consciousness ruminations. In turn, the characters' journeys feel simultaneously belabored and shallow. Think of it as "Profundity Lite," a low-calorie alternative for those who wish to keep the weight off of their intellectual figures. With a splash of new age mysticism, a dash of Hallmark sentimentality, and a good deal of carbonation, The Book of Dreams provides a pleasant-enough distraction, but one that will leave many readers empty.

*Thanks to Penguin Random House and Goodreads for the advance reading copy I received as part of a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Nina George's books. They are perfection. I bought them all in hardcover (after already having the paperback). Perfection.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out great, slogged through the middle, and the ending was so very disappointing. After sticking with the characters for that long the choices made by Henri in the end made no sense. What a let down.

There is a great tone to the start of the book and I think the author had a good concept but ultimately this book just let me down.

My copy was provided by NetGalley for review.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will not be summarizing this story. Instead, I will be reviewing my likes and dislikes. I feel the summary for the story that is provided by the publishers is accurate.

The premise for this book is a challenging but rewarding experience.
It is difficult to predict the story, characters decisions, and the ending due to the natural unknown elements in life that the author attempts to tackle. The topics of dreams, life, death, after-life, and those in between are poetically posed and philosophically pondered throughout this story. The characters feel real and are easy to relate to.
The chapters are told through three different characters point of view (Henri, Sam, and Eddie). It was refreshing that the author did not conform to the predictable switching back and forth, or follow the typical character pattern between chapters. It was alleviating to be surprised, not knowing who would come next....or if it was a dream, in this world, or perhaps another. The only pattern anticipated is the day, since it does go in order of Day 1, Day 2, etc...
My favorite aspect of this novel was the foliage of words and manipulation of language the author used.
I did not completely like the ending, but I respect it as it fully engrossed the leitmotif. I thought it was cliche that Eddie works for a publishing company, and that Sam likes to write and wants to be a writer. There is a small romance involved, but it is not domineering to the story itself.

To enjoy this novel, you must have an open-mind...particularly with the subject of comatose.

[Arlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story eventually captured my attention, but if I’m being honest... I was hoping for a different conclusion.

[Herz auf der Zunge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liebe Nina Georges Bücher einfach! So schön, so berührend ❤

[Paltia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is born when dying begins? Unforgettable, remarkable and so impressive. This story is alit with the beauty of the prose.

[Anastasia Ts. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Η υπόθεση του βιβλίου δεν κατάφερε να μου κρατησει το ενδιαφέρον μέχρι το τελος. Αυτη η ονειροπόληση με κούρασε οπως κ η επιθυμία της συγγραφέα να φιλοσοφεί γύρω απο το θέμα του θανάτου. Ο χωρισμός των κεφαλαιων ειναι βοηθητικος γιατι εστιάζεις στα πρόσωπα του εκάστοτε κεφαλαιου. Επίσης έχω να σημειώσω ότι η μετάφραση του κειμένου με κούρασε καθώς καποιες φορες λέξεις αποτελούσα ν δημιούργημα του μεταφραστή λ.χ συναισθήβλακας... Αυτά ειχα να πω... το συγκεκριμένο βιβλιο θεωρώ ότι δεν συγκρινεται με τα δύο προηγούμενα που μου άρεσαν...
Αναλυτικά η κριτική μου εδώ:
https://onmybookself.wordpress.com/20...

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting novel about coma patients and people around them and what they dream about whilst in a coma. enjoyed on the whole the book with its covering several layers and times .

[Theresa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book of Dreams was published in Germany four years ago, but is only now being released as an English translation. In the April edition of Good Reading magazine, Nina George talks about her own experiences with the rare neurological condition of synaesthesia. After writing nearly 30 books under five different pen names, The Book of Dreams is the first time she’s written about the condition. I have to say, reading that Nina herself is a synesthete really added a layer of credibility to this novel that cemented its authenticity. All of a sudden, Samuel’s experiences of the world ceased to be only the product of research. I have always been a bit fascinated with synaesthesia, but was also slightly sceptical, simply because it’s so incredibly hard to visualise. The Book of Dreams is the first time I’ve read about the condition in such an accessible way. And as far as characters go, Samuel is pretty special, and not just because he is a synesthete.

“I can’t look another person in the eye. There’s too much there, and much of it I don’t understand. Sometimes I’m afraid that their gaze will tell me they’re about to die, which turned out to be the case with our housemaster at Colet Court and our neighbour Mrs. Logan. People with synaesthesia used to be regarded as pathological. Pathologically shy, pathologically oversensitive, a real burden on their families. Children who have it are always screaming, quick to tears, and peculiar in other ways too. When they grow up they often turn out to be borderline, complete schizophrenics, or prone to depression. Many kill themselves because they can’t cope with the world and the way they see it. Hypersensitive cry-babies. If there were any pills to treat this condition, I’d be gobbling them like Smarties.”

The Book of Dreams covers some pretty grim themes, but it does so with a sensitivity and beauty that is striking. It’s such an absorbing novel, dealing with consciousness on a whole other level. While Henri lies in a coma, Samuel is able to ‘read’ Henri, and despite their being no response that can be detected by the medical team, or even through the use of an MRI, Samuel knows that his father is still alive, that he’s in there, just waiting out of reach. While Henri is in his coma, we see his life lived out in dreams, alternate existences, and there are also times when Henri seems able to reach out to his loved ones through his, and their dreams, in a kind of alternate consciousness connection. It’s very different, and some people may not feel entirely comfortable with the themes that are played out, but I found it fascinating and inspirational. I also found it very uplifting, which may seem strange given that this is largely a novel about mortality.

“The Book of Dreams completes my cycle of novels about mortality. I needed to write about fear and transience and to portray the points where life and death meet as a sort of fairy-tale place brimming with parallel realities, a transitional zone among all worlds, heaven, and earth. None of us knows if this zone really exists or if it is born of our thoughts and hopes and fears.” – Afterword

While visiting his father at the hospital, Samuel wanders up to another floor and meets Maddie, a twelve-year-old girl who is in a vegetative state with no underlying medical cause. Something is preventing her from waking, a trauma that is so deeply seated within her. Samuel is drawn to Maddy on a number of levels and she is the first person he has encountered that he can’t read. Over time, he continues to visit her and becomes devoted to being there for her, trying to reach her so that she might break through whatever barrier is holding her captive. This is where Samuel really tugged at my heartstrings, the way in which he tried to make moments special for Maddy. It didn’t make any sense, their connection, yet it was beautiful and meaningful and showed the depths of Samuel’s character to perfection.

“I can hear her breath and then, with my soul snuggling against her heart, I hear her breath become a note. The note becomes a tune, a breeze, but it’s not like Madelyn’s piano music. This wind has been scouring the earth for a long time and is now slowly rising, growing brighter, as it continues its quest over the cool, silvery, frost-rimmed, icy coating of a long, broad, frozen river. It is changing into a warming ray of sunlight, which captures the sparkling silence and then alights on a motionless ice sculpture, inside which a heart is beating. My heart.”

This novel explores love in a very raw and jagged way. Love lost, love denied, love withheld, and love for all time. I was particularly drawn to the way in which Nina depicted the care for patients who are in a coma. It was so respectful and dignified, the nurses who work directly with these patients are marvellous. There’s a lot of information about comas woven into this novel, many things that I would never have realised. Henri’s experience was fairly tragic, and it took me a little bit to realise what was actually going on in his sections. At first, I thought we were merely getting his backstory, but then it became apparent that we were instead witnessing him living, through his dreams whilst lying in a coma, alternate existences, some in which he lives an incredible life, but others where he dies too soon. It was so bittersweet to see Henri only get to know his son through the veil of being in a coma. He’d never had the opportunity to parent Samuel, to speak to him, gaze upon him, or even touch him. He had never been able to demonstrate his love for him. That he does so from the depths of a coma is extraordinary and so very poignant.

‘Maybe this is hell. Yes, this must be hell. To live over and over again, through countless variations, repeatedly starting from scratch and committing the same mistakes and new mistakes, and then back to the start. And not to recognize any of the fresh repetitions as things that you’re experiencing for the second or fourth or thousandth time.’

And then there’s Eddie, the love of Henri’s life, if only he’d ever told her. She was terrific, especially the bond between her and Samuel, who up until this point in time, she had never known existed. But she took it in her stride, like so many things, yet never did she come across as a martyr. I adored her. Her love for Henri was something she feared, yet she gave in to it, yearning for his recovery even though it pained her to let him back into her life. The characters within this novel were all so well crafted. Marie-Force, Samuel’s mother, was a complex woman. At first, I judged her harshly for the way in which she had denied Henri and Samuel a relationship. She seemed cold and disinterested as a mother too; I was very unimpressed with her. But later on, we see another side to her, a view into her fears, a crack in her reserve that allowed us to glimpse the great love she had for Samuel. The doctors, the nurses, Samuel’s friend Scott, his brother Maxwell and his step-father Steve, even Eddie’s co-workers; not a single character was one dimensional throughout this novel, even the minor ones. Everyone was uniquely realised.

The translation of this novel is excellent. I didn’t even really think about it being a translation while reading, it was as if the author had written it in English originally. This is a thought provoking read that will stretch your imagination and tug on your heart strings. I really enjoyed it and recommend it widely, although just bear in mind that it’s a novel best suited to the open minded as it’s quite speculative about mortality and the afterlife.

“I realize at that moment that you can always decide: nothing simply happens. It’s always possible to decide whether to lie or tell the truth, whether to be an asshole or not be an asshole.”


Thanks is extended to Simon and Schuster Australia via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Book of Dreams for review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Nina George's writing. I loved The Little Paris Bookshop and the The Litte French Bistro, and hoped to recapture another heartwarming reading experience.
I was excited to see that she had a new book out and really didn't read the synopsis before diving in. Big mistake
Having recently lost my brother 10 months ago to cancer, my mother two months ago to stroke and cancer, and now facing a hospitalization with my father, this book is just too intense and painful for me at this phase of my life. I made it about 1/3 of the way through and finally had to stop myself from reading more. I've lived through too many Intensive Care vigils, arrogant doctors with God complexes, and I have no desire to rehash those experiences during my reading time.
Giving it 4 stars because I do like Nina George's writing, and particularly liked the character of Sam in this book. Perhaps I will come back to this another time.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nina George admits that she has always been afraid of death - her own and that of those close to her that she loves.

"... existential questions about death have colored my last three novels, The Little Paris Bookshop, The Little Breton Bistro, and The Book of Dreams . To produce these books, which address issues of being and no-longer-being, have no happy endings, and are therefore not very “market friendly,” I needed book people who were willing to tread this kind of literary path with me."

This book was one sad thought after another. Both the dreams of Henri who is in a coma and the dreams of Sam, his son and Eddie, his love. A very difficult read and depressing read to be sure. But I want to be there for you, Nina, so recommend your excellent prose and your own voice hidden within.

4 stars

[Karen R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-tugging story of devotion and hope. Nina George has created beautiful characters and compelling relational dynamics. I especially loved Sam, an extraordinary boy who is astute beyond his years. I wanted to give him a giant bear hug and make his dreams come true.

George excelled at putting her thoughts to paper, especially as they relate to Sam’s journey to find peace and love and Henri’s alternating states of awareness as he remained trapped between two worlds. A profound and thought-provoking read.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very emotional read; 4.5, and perhaps a very personal reaction to a book.

According to the author's postscript, this is the final book in a cycle of novels (starting with The Little Paris Bookshop) dealing with the theme of mortality.

Henri, an ex-war reporter/native of Brittany coast, is on his way to see his son, Sam, for the first time when he rescues a little girl from the Thames & is then ricocheted into the path of an oncoming car and he is seriously brain injured.

The book covers his 45 days in a coma, as he dreams and remembers and is watched over by Sam, who a synesthete & knows things on a level beyond medical science, and Eddie, the woman Henri loved but could never commit to. And there's a side story, too, of Madelyn, a 12 year old who has lost her entire family to a car accident, who is also in the intensive care ward, also lost in a deep coma.

Beautiful descriptions of the sea where Henri grew up; a powerful, thoughtful, unusual story. I was just looking for a short novel to take a break from non-fiction and my usual historical fiction when I pulled this from my shelf.

[Jane Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nina George, the author of The Little Paris Bookshop and The Little French Bistro, completes her trio of books on being and not being with The Book of Dreams. These books have great personal meaning to the author as she works through anticipated fear of a life without her father, the grief that comes with his sudden death, and coming to terms with living her own life afterward.

Her research on what we know of brain trauma and coma, relatively little, and bringing to life the two characters in comas and the two immediate characters whose lives revolve around and eventually entwine the comatose is nothing short of amazing.

At times repetative, until you understand why this is, made the initial comnection to the book difficult. But, it is well worth the readers time to push through.

The ending put me in buckets of tears but I am forever changed by the character, Sam, who though it is never stated, obviously lives a life on the autism spectrum. He overcomes so much, is so wise, loves so uniquely, and most of all sees a world outside of regimine...he takes you to a world we would all benefit from visiting regularly.

My very favorite read in many, many books. Thank you, Nina George, for being willing to take us to uncomfortable places that make us grow as people!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nichts "passiert" einfach so. Es gibt die Möglichkeit, sich zu entscheiden. Ob man lügt. Oder die Wahrheit sagt. Ob man ein Arschloch ist. Oder nicht."
Nina George

Nina George fordert in ihren Büchern immer viel von mir. Sie schreibt so schön, so echt, so voller Liebe und Schmerz. Ich spüre das beim Lesen dieses Buches fast körperlich. Es tut weh und es macht zufrieden, mal tost ein Sturm durch einen hindurch, mal leuchtet alles vor Glück.
So zu schreiben, ist eine große Gabe und dies lesen zu dürfen ein großes Geschenk.

[Steffi | Lesenslust · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Das hier ist die Realität. Kein Buch, kein Nerd-Wettbewerb. Das dort, das wummernde Monstrum, die Fragen von Dr. Saul, Henris Sauerstoffmaschine, die achtmal in der Minute Luft in ihn hineinstößt und wieder heraussaugt. Das ist die Wirklichkeit.“

Zitat, Seite 370

Es gibt Geschichten, die dich mit unverminderter Wucht ins Leben schmeißen. Dies hier ist so eine. Denn Nina Georges neuestes Werk ist schonungslos. Es ist schicksalsgetränkt, dramatisch und ergreifend schön zugleich. Eine Geschichte, wie sie das Leben schreibt.

Ich hatte geahnt, dass das scheinbar sorglose Cover nur wenig von dem Inhalt wiederspiegelt, der sich hinter dem Buchdeckel verbirgt. Doch auf das riesige Konstrukt, das dahinter zum Vorschein kam, war auch ich nicht vorbereitet. Georges Geschichte, auf die ich seit ihrem Erfolgsroman „Das Lavendelzimmer“ sehnsüchtig warte, ist auf einer völlig neuen Ebene angesiedelt. Einer hochemotionalen Ebene, mit der die Autorin über sich selbst hinausgewachsen ist. Denn George, die ihr vorangegangenes Buchprojekt abbricht, weil sie nicht in die Geschichte findet; beweist mit ihrem Traumbuch nicht nur Mut, sondern auch schonungslose Offenheit.

Die Geschichte, in der auch persönliche Erlebnisse der Autorin verwoben sind (u.a. der Verlust des Vaters) widmet sich ernsten Themen, über die sicherlich nicht jeder lesen möchte. George spricht das aus, worüber viele schweigen. Es sind Dinge wie ein künstliches Koma, Verlust und Tod. Auf der Suche nach dem Platz im Leben wandern wir auf einem schmalen Grat zwischen Leben und Tod, zwischen liebevoller Hingabe und zweifelnder Unsicherheit, zwischen Liebe und Pflichtgefühl. Wir wechseln zwischen den Welten. Geben uns Tagträumereien hin und blicken aus der Ferne in die Realität. Durchlaufen “Was wäre wenn? – Szenarien.

Nina George ist Synästhetikerin. Sie nimmt Zahlen und Klänge als Farben, und Menschen, Orte oder Stimmungen intensiver wahr als andere. Diese besondere Gabe hat auch der 13-jährige Sam, der neben Henri und Eddie zu den Hauptfiguren der Geschichte zählt. Seine Mitschüler bezeichnen ihn als vulgo Synnie-Idiot, selbst seine Mutter findet nur schwer Zugang zu dem hochbegabten Jungen, der schon als Säugling zu weinen begann, wenn ihn die negativen Gefühle eines Ortes wie aus dem Nichts überfielen.

„Ihre Stimme flutete mich, ein Klang wie ein Geruch, der Duft von Rosmarin im Regen, traurig, gedämpft. Ich spürte, wie lieb sie mich in diesem Augenblick hatte, ich merkte es daran, dass ich auf einmal atmen konnte, richtig atmen, wie auf dem höchsten Gipfel der Welt. Das nasse Knäuel, das sonst in meiner Brust ist, war fort.“

Zitat, Seite 21

Sam ist es auch, der täglich am Krankenhausbett von Henri sitzt und dem Erwachen seines nahezu unbekannten Vaters entgegenfiebert, als dieser nach einem Unfall und einem achtminütigen Tod ins künstliche Koma versetzt wird. Durch die Rettungsaktion eines kleinen Mädchens gerät Henri in die Zielgerade eines heranfahrenden Lkws und wird dadurch frontal erfasst. Das Schicksal nimmt seinen Lauf.

Auch Eddie findet sich in Henris Krankenhauszimmer wieder. Eigentlich hat die Verlegerin eines Phantastik-Verlages mit ihrem ehemaligen Geliebten längst abgeschlossen. Dem Mann, der ihr vor zwei Jahren das Herz brach, weil er ihre Gefühle nicht zu erwidern vermochte. Ihr Herz schlägt längst für einen anderen Mann. Warum sollte ausgerechnet sie über Leben und Tod entscheiden?

„Ich sitze auf dem Boden und lege mir den Mut auf wie Make-up. Ich trenne all meine miteinander ringenden, hadernden, sich gegenseitig im Weg stehenden Regungen säuberlich voneinander, bis nur noch die entscheidenden drei übrig bleiben. Ich konzentriere mich, um sie zu halten, und verbiete allen anderen Emotionen ihnen zu nahe zu kommen. (…) Ich atme ein und denke: Zärtlichkeit. Ich atme tiefer ein und beschwöre: Mut. Ich atme ein und erbitte: Lass mich wie Sam sein.“

Zitat, Seite 192

Als Eddie auf Sam trifft, ist es, als verpasse ihr das Leben eine schallende Ohrfeige. Denn Henri hat ihr nie von seinem Sohn erzählt, einem Kind, zu dem sie eine besondere Nähe entwickelt und das ihre verlorengeglaubten Gefühle zu Henri wieder zum Leben erweckt. Ihre Begegnung öffnet ihr die Augen, klart ihren Blick auf erschreckende Weise auf.

Henri, der Zeit seines Lebens als Kriegsreporter arbeitete, und sich vor dem Unfall auf dem Weg zu Sam befand, kämpft indes verzweifelt um seine Rückkehr ins Leben. In der Zwischenwelt begegnet er nicht nur engen Vertrauten, sondern auch einem Mädchen, das die Geschichte Aller primär beeinflussen wird.

„Es ist wie eine Wunde, die ich selbst bin, es ist wie das Lachen, das noch darauf wartet, gehört zu werden, es ist diese wilde Hoffnung auf ein Leben mit ihr, und eine entsetzliche Angst, es ohne sie aushalten zu müssen.“

Zitat, Seite 227 (Sams Zeilen)

George ist eine Gefühlsvirtuosin. Mit ihrem Traumbuch gewährt sie uns einen tiefen Einblick in die Seele der Menschen und beweist damit einmal mehr, dass die Gefühlswelt genau ihr Ding ist. Ihre Geschichte ist wie eine Fahrt mit einem turbulenten Gefühlskarussell, das während dem Lesen an Fahrt aufnimmt und unsere Gefühlsregungen wie Konfetti durch die Luft wirbelt. So finden nicht nur Tränen der Trauer, sondern auch der Freude ihren Weg über unsere Wangen.

Der Autorin gelingt damit ein weiteres Herzensbuch, das sicherlich nicht jeden, aber genau die richtigen Leser für sich gewinnen wird. Es ist poetisch, tiefgründig und unendlich berührend. Eine Geschichte, in der sie es uns überlässt, woran wir glauben, was Traum und was Realität ist, und wie sich die Geschichte entwickelt. Denn jede Geschichte beginnt erst mit seinen Lesern zu leben und entführt sie zu entlegensten Winkeln; selbst, wenn das Konstrukt das Gleiche ist.

„Das ist die Magie der Literatur. Wir lesen eine Geschichte, und danach ist etwas anders. Was, das wissen wir nicht, oder warum, durch welchen Satz, das wissen wir auch nicht. Und dennoch hat sich die Welt verwandelt und wird nie mehr dieselbe sein wie vorher. Manchmal merken wir es erst Jahre später, dass ein Buch der Riss in unsere Realität war, durch den wir, nichtsahnend, entkommen sind aus Kleinheit und Mutlosigkeit.“

Zitat, Seite 111

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been several week since I read this book and I find my mind returning to it often. Because of this, I've changed my rating of it from a 4 to a 5 star. When a book engages your imagination and your thinking, it is a marvel.

Henri is on his way to meet his teenage son whom he has not seen since he was born. While on the way to the school he notices a young girl fall off a boat and jumps off the bridge to rescue her. He successfully brings her a shore and while engaging the bystanders, wondering if anyone bothered to call an ambulance, he is hit by a car.

We meet Sam, Henry's son when he goes to the hospital to see his father. There he meets the doctors in charge of his father's care: the head doctor is called God. They explain to him that Henri is in a coma and that this will give his brain a chance to recover. Sam's mom does not want Sam to have anything to do with Henri but he begins skipping school to visit his father daily. Sam has a condition called synaesthesia a "neurological trait or condition that results in a joining or merging of senses that aren't normally connected." As an example, he sees emotions and numbers as colors. This will allow Sam to get a sense of his father, even while in the coma.

One day Sam meets Eddy, another visitor and former lover to Henri. She had been in love with him and he broke her heart. It's taking her years to move on and is finally in a happy relationship. But at some point Henri listed her as his emergency contact and now she has to decide how much she wants to be involved.

The story is told from these three characters alternating point of views. Both Sam and Eddy have been essentially abandoned by Henri and yet both visit him daily. For this reader, It's Henry's story that fascinates. While in the coma, Henri finds himself in a boat in the ocean, navigating his way back to consciousness. During this journey we learn about the death of Henry's father and revisit that moment. Henri also revisits significant decision points in his life and sees different possible outcomes based on making different decisions these key points. The imagery of Henry's journey through the water moving between life and death is mesmerising. It's these passages that reverberate in the readers mind long past the end of the book.

Love, loss and redemption sing through this book. It's a beautiful meditation on the impact people snd their choices have on each other.