The Bridge Across Forever: A True Love Story

oh, where to begin??? i guess i should start with the fact that an older book by about 7 years of his (illusions) is one of the books that has most impacted me in my life. perhaps it was the timing in my life when i first read it, and each timing that i reread it or referred to it. so maybe i had high expectations coming in. i suppose i could give 1 star because the ending of this book starts to approach some of what is good about illusions, but the rest of this book is ... let's just say i kept reading it to see how angry it could make me, how much he could make me want to reach through time and throttle him, and because i've not not finished a book i've started since the third grade. he's not a great writer, but that's forgiven show more because he's got "a message," i guess. maybe. but here's the thing. well, 2 things. firstly, this is a sort-of memoir, and the man writing it is a colossal, monumental douchebag. i don't know that i've ever used that word to describe someone, but wow it fits this guy. and secondly, it's like he learned absolutely nothing at all of the lessons he wrote about in illusions, which is dispiriting, to say the least. reading this, you wonder how in the world it's the same person who wrote that little gem, and you think if even he can go back on those lessons so very easily, and be this terrible person who seemed to remember none of what was good from that book, then what truth is there in it? how could he have written illusions and be the person who wrote this book? how can leslie, who seems an amazing woman, stand to be in the same room with this man? i'm actually okay with selfishness as a life prerogative; i think it makes sense to live for yourself and how you see fit. but to do that at the expense of others? not taking anyone else into account? hurting whoever you want along the way because how they interpret it is on them? asshole. how this is billed (and reviewed!) as a love story is beyond me. he treats people like shit, including and especially the woman he claims to be his soulmate (it doesn't help that we know he's divorced her, and divorced the next woman as well). and because he - after being a truly incredible piece of crap human being for so long - finds love in spite of himself, we call this a love story? i call this a sorry excuse for both a memoir and a human being, and with very little to learn about love in it, other than what to avoid. i can't stand this man. maybe i read this book at a time that i am not open to it or ready to hear it or whatever, but let's face it - we want to learn our lessons from people that we can respect even remotely. maybe that's a shortcoming, and my lesson to learn. i can still learn from this book, especially the ending and from leslie in general, and not just how not to be an asshole. but in the end that's the overwhelming lesson in this book - not to behave like the author. show less

Bestselling author Richard Bach explores the meaning of fate and soul mates in this modern-day fairytale based on his real-life relationship with actor Leslie Parrish. "This is a story about a knight who was dying, and the princess who saved his life," Bach writes in his opening greeting. "It's a story about beauty and beasts and spells and fortresses, about death-powers that seem and life-powers that are." Yes, it is all that, and more. On the earthly plane this is about the riveting love affair between two fully human people who are willing to explore time travel and other dimensions together even as they grapple with the earthly struggles of intimacy, commitment, smothering, and whose turn it is to cook.

Based on Richard and and his wife, Leslie Parrish.
Bestselling author Richard Bach explores the meaning of fate and soul mates in this modern-day fairytale based on his real-life relationship with actor Leslie Parrish. "This is a story about a knight who was dying, and the princess who saved his life," Bach writes in his opening greeting. "It's a story about beauty and beasts and spells and fortresses, about death-powers that seem and life-powers that are." Yes, it is all that, and more. On the earthly plane this is about the riveting love affair between two fully human people who are willing to explore time travel and other dimensions together even as they grapple with the earthly struggles of intimacy, commitment, smothering, and whose show more turn it is to cook. Their love affair and happy ending inspired many enthusiastic fans. Years later, some of these fans were devastated to discover that this match made in heaven didn't manage to stick (the couple are no longer together). But in an interview, Bach explained that lovers don't have to stay married forever to be lifetime soul mates. Read this as a lesson about love's enchantments and possibilities, but don't count on this book to keep you and your mate on the bridge across forever. --Gail Hudson show less

Being a sucker for good romance that I am, I picked up this book off a second-hand roadside bookshop for two reasons:
a)I *loved* Jonathan Livingston Seagull. And this was the author's real life love story.
b)The author is a pilot. I am fascinated by air-crafts and all things aviation.

So there was an obvious excitement when I started the book. Later, a few chapters down, I could see some of my thoughts put out words. It was like an echo. All the private thoughts resonating back at me. Like the thing he says about saying that "I love you" - it isn't just an empty term to said just for the sake of it. It means a world.
This other thing he said about getting bored being with one person. It happens. For a more practical outlook, an show more economic theory - Diminishing Marginal Utility (DMU) states the same thing. After a period of time, an excess of our favorite thing crosses our satisfaction level and that's where it all starts tumbling down.

Most of the parts of this book connect so well with me, that I feel a part of me is out there. I don't want people to read this book. I don't want people to criticize it or just say whatever they feel about it. Because that'd somehow get to me, it'll be like tainting the thing I felt while reading it. I just want to hug the book and save it from the public. show less

I was intrigued by this one, as it wasn't your average autobiography, love story, or New Age philosophy book, sort of a combo of all three, written in a non-conformist way. It was one of those books I couldn't put down until I finished it. If it wasn't for the fact that the happy couple didn't stay happy and went their separate ways (though not until sometime after this was written) I would have given it another star.

I'm not much into romances or love stories. And the out of body experiences, astral projections and dreams in which the author visits the future seemed a little far-fetched to me.

That said, I really did enjoy reading this . I found it an engrossing story, partly because it described a life so different from mine: a writer finds himself a sudden success, and goes through a bunch of ups and downs as he alternately spends his money on airplanes and looses it again. The descriptions of what it feels like to fly an airplane enthralled me. But the heart of the story is about a man seeking a perfect relationship. The problem is that he isn't perfect, and the woman he finally finds is portrayed as being so. He comes across as rather immature, show more self-centered and rude, whereas his soul-mate is full of phrases of wisdom and philosophical advice on life and love. The dialog between them is very frank and realistic, and made me laugh quite a number of times.

Original review on Dog Ear Diary show less

I read this book after reading Illusions and it sort of followed on from that. Richard and Leslie's relationship is believable and touching, with ups and downs just like everyone else in this world. The difference is, they KNOW they are soulmates. I LOVE this book - it speaks to me in ways I cannot even describe and I have re-read it several times over the years. One for all those of use who believe in soulmates and "the one"! It doesn't matter that they are no longer together....even soulmates may not be able to live with one another...life is not perfect and circumstances change...soulmates make a CONNECTION that lasts forever...THAT is the point of this story!