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Reincarnation Related Novels and Stories You Have Read

SeaAndSky

Senior Registered
INSTRUCTIONS: This is a thread for fiction involving reincarnation in some manner/degree that you would like to recommend to others. This does not mean that reincarnation is at the core, or even forms a major part of the story. It may merely form part of the background of the story in terms of the beliefs of all or some of the characters.

Anyhow, the point is to provide a brief (or long) description of the book with some discussion of why you would recommend it to others on the board. And, if you feel like you can, a personal rating of from one to five "stars". (Others may differ and say so with their own reasons).
 
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INSTRUCTIONS: This is a thread for fiction involving reincarnation in some manner/degree that you would like to recommend to others. This does not mean that reincarnation is at the core, or even forms a major part of the story. It may merely form part of the background of the story in terms of the beliefs of all or some of the characters.

Anyhow, the point is to provide a brief (or long) description of the book with some discussion of why you would recommend it to others on the board. And, if you feel like you can, a personal rating of from one to five "stars". (Others may differ and say so with their own reasons).
For my part (as a starter) I have chosen "Kim" by Rudyard Kipling. I have read and re-read this book over the years. It is set in Colonial India, and takes place as a story set in an environment where a large majority of the people believe in reincarnation (either as Hindus or Buddhists), but does not focus on reincarnation except to the extent that being freed from reincarnation is one of the primary aims of the old wandering Llama who is one of the main characters--a pilgrim seeking a waterway reputedly created by the Buddha by which he may be freed from the chains of karma, illusion and rebirth. But he is only one of the characters. The main character is a boy and young man named Kim, a child of India and its British conquerors, who loves and serves the Llama, but also has another side to his life, one that is filled with danger, intrigue and adventure. As a person torn between and trying to balance multiple cultures, peoples and goals he lives out a conflict that eventually comes to a head, and leaves him finally with a choice he must make. However, I will leave that for the reader, as does the author. If you are looking for a screed against colonialism, etc. you will not find it here. There are some pointed criticisms of the system and results, but it does not ignore some of the benefits it brought to India as well. The attraction of the book for me was in the varied and intriguing characters, cultures and lands that Kipling describes. And, likewise, in the conflicting drives, aims, ideas and ambitions of young Kim and the struggle he faces in trying to reconcile the irreconcilable. I have often felt the same, and feel like the story speaks to me on a personal level in this and in other ways.

I give it five stars--*****

PS--This is not a story where you will find many female characters of note, though an elderly Buddhist lady of high birth is prominent in the story. So, if a dearth of female characters is the kind of thing that will trigger you, this may be considered to be a "trigger" warning. :cool: OTOH, the only two female characters that receive serious attention are both "strong" female characters. So that may be a redeeming feature for those who require one. ;)
 
A kindle book I won in a Goodreads giveaway

Orkney a Novel by Maggie Toner

Four brothers from Iron Age Orkney die almost simultaneous deaths in battle. The energy of their passing is so extreme that they are bound together through time. Their adventures lead them from Orkney to Roy Bridge, Scotland; Lismore, Co. Waterford, Ireland; Chaffee's Lock, Ontario; and finally, Fredericton, New Brunswick in the 20th century.

I would say that reincarnation is not the main theme, but it very much a part of this book. I gave it 4 stars. It is well written.
 
Hmmm. I'm trying to remember the name of a book I read many years ago. So if anyone is familiar with the book, please speak up! It was a "slow burn" mystery where the reader doesn't realize that reincarnation is involved until fairly late in the book. It begins with a torturous death in Medieval Italy, and exemplifies the adage that "revenge is a dish best served cold" as the victim slowly tracks down the perpetrator centuries later. It also includes the idea of family-line reincarnation, something I had no acquaintance with in that long-ago time. Anyhow, if anyone is familiar with a book like this, please let me know. Hmmm. On memory alone, I'd rate it at about 3.5 stars. Its a good mystery page-turner, and definitely worth a read, but not in the same league as a classic like "Kim".

PS--As a side note, it also illustrates one of the reasons why it may be best for humans not to remember past lives, lest we suffer revenge or take it. :oops:
 
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The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.

And Enzo comes back. I won't spoil it any further.
 
Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer

Ancient Evenings, a dazzlingly rich, deeply evocative novel, recreates the long-lost civilisation of Ancient Egypt. Mailer breathes life into the figures of that era; the eighteenth dynasty Pharaoh Rameses and his wife, Queen Nefertiti; Menenhetet, their creature, lover and victim; and the gods and mortals that surround them in intimate and telepathic communion. His hero, three times reincarnated during the novel, moves in the bright sunlight of white temples, in the exquisite gardens of the royal harem, along the majestic flow of the Nile and in the terrifying clash of battle. An outstanding work of creative imagination, Ancient Evenings displays Mailer's obsession with magic, violence and eroticism and lives on in the mind long after the last page has been turned.

 
Hi Cryscat,

Thanks for the tips, these both sound like great books. I'm going to try to read Mailer's book as soon as I get around to it, and Stein's book when I can.

Cordially,
S&S
 
I was looking through some old estate books and came across "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"--a little book I had completely forgotten, but which made a very big impression on me and a lot of other people in the early 70s. Reincarnation is only mentioned in passing, as it is really a book about spiritual awakening, and perhaps a bit Buddhist in outlook. It has the distinction (as far as I know) of being the only book about spiritual subjects where the main protagonist (and all of the characters) are seagulls! But don't let that dissuade you, it is an interesting (and short) read. In my old age I don't agree with some of the spiritual aspects, but still a good read, even after all of these years. ;)

PS--It also has its own Wikipedia article, but since it gives away the plot in a colorless sort of way, I would suggest reading the book instead! Heck, you can probably read the whole thing in less than an hour!
PPS--The book also gives a bit of a "feel" for the bygone hippie era in which it was such a hit. I was more of an interested bystander than a full participant myself, but in the portrayal of the life of the "flock" that the book gives, it does a good job of mirroring how a lot of people felt in that bygone day.
 
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This is a book I read when I was young. Its out of print now and young adult.

Cat in the Mirror

This is the story of two girls: Erin and Irun. One lives now in New York City, and one belongs in ancient Egypt 3,000 years ago. One is fascinated by things of the past, and the other haunted by a voice from the future.

For Erin, the "now" she lives in is not all she'd like it to be. There are problems around her and problems within her that she cannot always understand. She is a loner until a young Egyptian boy, Seti, transfers to her school and befriends her. And in her own time, Irun has much the same feelings of discontent, and another Seti tries to understand.

But there are other things that bind the girls--the same appearance, their relationships to their parents, and a cat called Ta-she. Perhaps the two girls are in some way the same person after all.

Mary Stolz's haunting novel delves into the feelings of two young women, joined and yet separated by time and place, and into their relationships with thouse around them.
 
Hi, folks:

I read the following short story when I was in the last year of my university studies (I was a student of Nuclear Physics), and I was learning English in my free time (my first foreign language had been German).

It impressed me then so strongly, that it influenced the whole rest of my life.

"The bum" by Somerset Maugham

Best regards.
 
Hi, folks:

I read the following short story when I was in the last year of my university studies (I was a student of Nuclear Physics), and I was learning English in my free time (my first foreign language had been German).

It impressed me then so strongly, that it influenced the whole rest of my life.

"The bum" by Somerset Maugham

Best regards.
Hi Cyrus,

I am not sure how to categorize the story, other than as an illustration of pride and ego carried to its utmost extreme by one (the failed artist) who, seemingly, had no reason for such pride and ego. Nonetheless, it was definitely what I consider to be a good story, and one I would recommend.

However, I am not sure how it relates to reincarnation? So, I am interested to get your thoughts on that. I'm also curious to get your thoughts on the manner in which the narrator juxtaposes his desire to enjoy a period of inactive leisure with what he finds when it is involuntarily thrust upon him.

Overall, the story reminds me of Satan's famous words in Milton's "Paradise Lost": "Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven". The failed artist, in a gesture of contempt that is foolish in view of his destitute state, apparently prefers to retain his pride and dignity rather than accept well-meant charity from one of his contemporaries from earlier days. Stupid. And yet, I still found myself pitying him after the story was ended.

Cordially,
S&S
 
Hi Cyrus,

I am not sure how to categorize the story, other than as an illustration of pride and ego carried to its utmost extreme by one (the failed artist) who, seemingly, had no reason for such pride and ego. Nonetheless, it was definitely what I consider to be a good story, and one I would recommend.

However, I am not sure how it relates to reincarnation? So, I am interested to get your thoughts on that. I'm also curious to get your thoughts on the manner in which the narrator juxtaposes his desire to enjoy a period of inactive leisure with what he finds when it is involuntarily thrust upon him.

Overall, the story reminds me of Satan's famous words in Milton's "Paradise Lost": "Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven". The failed artist, in a gesture of contempt that is foolish in view of his destitute state, apparently prefers to retain his pride and dignity rather than accept well-meant charity from one of his contemporaries from earlier days. Stupid. And yet, I still found myself pitying him after the story was ended.

Cordially,

Hi, S&S:

The author mentions dejavu when trying to locate in his memory that beggar man - and he even confuses him with himself at moments, because pride and ego of which you speak refer to pride and ego of young people, common to many young men, which the author and the beggar had been at the same time and place, and in very similar circumstances.

Both of them had extraordinary pride and ego, whereas the main difference between them was that in the end the author had had luck and became a successful writer and the other one was unlucky and too stubborn to throw away the ideals of his youth in favour of more pragmatic values.

I see it this way.

When I myself was that age, me too, was excessively hopeful about my capacities to achieve success in my life, and this story made me more sober in this plan, for which I'm awfully thankful to S.Maugham. It saved me a lot of time, as a minimum.

With respect to Maugham's meditations about the "inactive leisure" I can only say that they never touched me and I considered them a bore.
Not my piece of cake, you know. Never liked getting too spiritual, to tell you the truth.

Best regards.
 
"Intruders", a 2014 eight episode series, based on Michael Marshall Smith's novel.

a secret society, Qui Reverti (Latin for 'who return'), whose members chase immortality by seeking refuge in the bodies of others after their own deaths


The plot idea has a better potential than what the series delivers. I haven't read the book.

We tend to think of reincarnation from our current personality's perspective, but we could also see it from the perspective of a past life personality that cohabitates a new physical body, together with the body's current personality. It is conceivable that the two personalities might not get along, and anyway, there could be only one dominant personality at a time.

There is food for thought in the plot's idea, that could've yielded a more philosophical and less action-oriented development.
 
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