The Bridge Across Forever

If ever there was a book that I wish I'd have written, it would have to be "The bridge across forever". Richard Bach is a very gifted writer, who can take his readers on a ride through love and other emotions. I read this book for the first time in New Delhi after borrowing it from a hostel-mate. After completing it, i went out and bought my own copy and have since read it two more times!Love is a very difficult emotion to put into words, but richard bach makes a very good attempt at trying to do so. The journey he takes us through while in search of his soul-mate is the story of everyone of us in one way or the other. Every person on this earth is in search of his/her soul-mate. The bridge across forever is a book about each one of us, whether we be in search of our soul-mate or have already found them.The words with which Richard Bach describes his love are very meaningful and worth reading over and over.I suggest this book as a definite read for all.

Richard Bach may be one of those authors which one either loves dearly, or loathes unconditionally; he can occasionally come across as overly-hokey and melodramatic, but his stories are well-crafted and deeply personal. _The Bridge Across Forever_ may be the best book he's written yet, and is an excellent way to expose oneself to his style of writing; it was the first book of his which I read, and it caused me to run right out and snatch up all the others I could find. I haven't yet found one that surpasses this one, but almost all of them contain wonderful gems and insights._Bridge_ is a rich, warm story about slightly metaphysical connections in life, through time, space, and personal growth. As he writes of his future wife, Leslie, the absolute love he feels for her is crystal-clear, and may at times bring tears to the reader's eyes. His love of flying is beautifully-portrayed as well, and he does a wonderful job of introducing the reader to the absolute joy and freedom of being airborne. In fact, Bach's descriptions of nearly everything are alive and vibrant, putting the reader Right There in that moment with him.It's easy to recognize Truth when we see it - this book is full of truths that we perhaps always knew, but didn't quite *know* that we knew - it's that kind of book. I really recommend this to anyone who doesn't absolutely detest probing books with a real soul.

This, in my opinion is Bach's best work. It is one of the only books he has written where instead of just giving his, sometimes overly egotistical, opinions on life and how to live it; he lets us in to the emotional side of his being. Love is hard, and you can feel the strain of his relationship with his soulmate Leslie in every page. The letter from Leslie speaking of the differences in their approches to love, she comparing it to music and he to a chess game, still makes me weep every time I read it! The only bad thing I can say about this book, is at times I found myself HATING Richard's guts(from a female point of view he sometimes behaved like a complete jerk). But I find myself reading this book again and again to remind me that even though love's road is rocky and difficult, it is SO worth the journey.

I have read many books that call themselves love stories or memoirs, but morph into self help manuals, presuming to help ME find greater meaning and/or love in my life. The thing I most enjoyed about Richard Bach's story is that, although he tells in detail what worked and what didn't work for him in his search for a soulmate, he does not suggest that this is what will work for everyone. I also enjoy the fact that Bach does not idealize himself in this work. He is a wonderfully flawed human being, and this comes through, even in his own words. He may idealize his mate, but after all, that is his right. And who knows? Maybe she is that perfect, after all. Either way, as a hopeless romantic, this book inspires me that perhaps one day, I'll find someone who thinks I'm as perfect as Bach's Leslie. Bach's adventures into new age religion are interesting. I enjoy the fact that here also, Bach does not preach. He shares his experiences and discoveries matter of factly, admitting that he finds them confusing at times. I find it an act of bravery that he shares such intimate details of his romantic and spiritual lives.

The term soulmate has been thrown around so loosely that it has lost most of it's meaning now a days. This book shows by example what a loveing careing and nurtureing realtionship is and what you sometimes go through to get there. If you think your in love now, read this book and look at yourself. Look at the person your in a relationship with. Look at the people around you. On the subway, in line at the movie theather. After a while and if you do find your soulmate (and nobody promises you will at first so never settle in the meantime) You will look at them and yourself differetly. You will notice what was there all the time but the walls have fallen and you know who's in love and whose settled. Do yourself and your partner a favor. Never settle. Never, never, never. It's nice for a while but when they find there soulmate you'll want to know where your's is. Won't you?Thank you Richard and Leslie.Paul