Buddha

Starred review from March 12, 2007
Eastern philosophy popularizer and mind-body pioneer Chopra has done novels before, and critics have not found fiction his long suit. That should change with this tale of how the Indian prince Siddhartha came to be the enlightened one, the Buddha. The subject is tailor-made for Chopra. He can draw on what he's familiar with: the ancient Indian culture that shaped the historic personage of the Buddha, and the powers of mind that meditation harnesses. Although the novel begins a little slowly with exposition and character introduction, once the character of the Buddha is old enough to occupy center stage, Chopra simply portrays the natural internal conflict experienced by any human seeking spiritual wisdom and transformation. Centered on a single character, the narrative moves forward simply and inexorably. Especially imaginative and intriguing is the low-key nature of the Buddha's enlightenment experience. In case Chopra's fans want something more direct, an epilogue and concluding "practical guide" offer nonfiction commentary and teaching on core Buddhist principles. Chopra thanks a film director friend for sparking the project, and the novel has clear cinematic potential. This fast and easy-to-read book teaches without being didactic. Chopra scores a fiction winner.

February 1, 2007
Chopra is best known for his spiritual how-to books. Here, he turns to fiction (though he adds a how-to epilogue), writing about the life of Prince Siddhartha, who became the Buddha. Chopra divides his book into three parts. The first chronicles the youth of a motherless boy who has a destiny: to be a spiritual leader as foretold by astronomers at his birth. But his powerful father refuses to bow to fate and keeps his son isolated from the world. In the second part, Siddhartha, now a husband and father, sees suffering and decides to leave his life of leisure and become a monk. Despite extreme asceticism and a duel with a demon, enlightenment eludes him. In the final section, Siddhartha sees the error of trying to defeat his body and, in one night, achieves enlightenment and becomes the Buddha. The Buddha's story is compelling, and though Chopra's writing can be overly dramatic and his language flowery, he captures the essence of the spiritual seeker, sometimes shockingly single-minded in the pursuit of illumination. When the novel ends, the explanations begin, with Chopra providing a Q and A about the tenets of Buddhism. Many will find his "answers" as enigmatic as they are enlightening.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

February 15, 2007
Once you get past the marketing package (got enlightenment?), what remains here is a fictionalized "version" of the Buddha story. Famed New Age guru Chopra presents Buddha's journey from Siddhartha the prince to Gautama the monk and on to enlightenment, with half of the book spent on the tale of Siddhartha's. More mythic fable than biography, this story is filled with imagined details and dialog combined with legend, fantasy, and the supernatural. Chopra's goal of bringing Buddha's story to the mainstream may be hard for some to swallow, as there is so much less focus on the teachings than the life, as it is fantastically presented here. Only in the epilog are some of those connections made clearer. Given Chopra's following and a major media push, this book will be in demand, but it may be one that people talk about more than read. Recommended for where there is interest in Chopra's writings.Nancy Almand, Mesa Coll., San Diego

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.