If Only It Were True Unabridged

I really wanted to like this book. I thought the idea was great and it sounded very entertaining. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. This is a short book, but it took me twice as long as it usually would to get through it because I had to force myself to finish it. I can't really put my finger on what it was...I just didn't get into this one. I won't say it was horrible because it had its entertaining and funny parts, but all in all this was not a favorite of mine.

This is the first time in my entire life that I have ever said this, skip the book and watch the movie(Just Like Heaven)instead. Maybe because English is not the author's native language or maybe because men should not try to write romance, either way the execution falls far short of the potential of the plot.

if you're a chic-lit, be a chic-lit. it's good enough. please. don't even try and be all literary and emotional and deep and stuff. it's just gross.

So very average. One of the few exceptions where the movie far exceeds the book. Although not great, it was okay up until the police investigation when it really went to pot. The dialogue was dripping in police cliches. This book was average at best.

This book is wonderful. It is very deep in meaning. I watched the movie twice but I enjoyed the book even more. A great love story showing that with love, determination, and courage you can make miracles.

Tried to get into this one but it lost me about a quarter of the way through. The blurb sounded good but it just couldn't keep me interested.Back Cover Blurb:Lying in the bath in his new apartment, Arthur, a young architect, is understandably surprised when he hears fingers clicking to the sound of the music from his radio. Tracing the noise to a closet, he finds an attractive young woman hiding and, assuming she is part of a practical joke, asks her to leave.But Lauren, stunned to discover that Arthur can see her, reveals the extraordinary truth. Six months earlier she was in a car crash; her body now lies in a coma. Initially sceptical, Lauren finally proves to Arthur that what she has said is true. But when the doctors decide to turn off the machines keeping Lauren alive, Arthur must find a way to save her. For its only her love that can save him.....

A comatose woman materializes as a ghost in her old apartment, charming its current resident.. You're always aware that this is a fairy-tale, but it manages to captivate nonetheless.

Beautiful, a magic read.

For a different kind of ghost and a different kind of ghost story, you?ll want to pick up a copy of "Just Like Heaven." Not all ghosts are scary. In fact, some are downright lovely. Arthur encounters a young woman in the closet of his newly rented apartment, and thinks it a practical joke being played by a friend. Lauren is astonished that Arthur can see her. In reality, Lauren?s comatose body is across town in a hospital, which makes her unique among ghosts, as she is not yet dead. How the two of them fall in love while dealing with these circumstances makes for an amusing and insightful story. Should Lauren?s mother suspend life support? Can Arthur save the woman he loves? Can the ghost reunite with her body or will she remain only a ghost in Arthur?s life? Author Marc Levy has written a remarkable and unusual love story that is sure to entertain and delight you.

This story was very ordinary. After a few days, you even forget you read it.That doesn't mean that Levy has written a highly original story, with his very own style, which I admired.

I picked this up (while weeding books at my library) because that movie with Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo, where she's in a coma and he falls in love with her ghost, was based on it.
I didn't like the movie that much, but I thought maybe the book would be good, I'm not sure why.
Anyway, it wasn't.

I just couldn't get into it.

eh just so so for me. I found the whole concept kind of out there, but if you swallow it...it is sweet and gentle.

This book was a delightful read. I'm not sure the title fits with the story. The story is about a young doctor, Lauren, who gets into a car accident and ends up in a very deep coma. Doctors and her Mom begin to see the recovery as hopeless as she appears to be brain dead on all scans. However, her spirit is alive and manages to manifest itself back to her old apartment where a young architect, Arthur, currently resides.

What unfolds is a beautiful story about love and making the most of the time you have. The dialogue between the spirit of the comatose doctor and the architect who not only tries to help her, but falls in love along the way is beautifully written. The letters from Arthur's mother who past away and flashbacks to when he was a boy are touching.

This book has lots of great quotes and meaningful messages that will stick with the reader long past the end of the story. Some of the activities in the novel are a little far-fetched at times, but the story is wonderful!

A cute little book based on a very original idea. But also a ghost story that is so plainly written that it fails to stimulate your appetite for transcendental stuff. It just feels like a sloppy and harmless fairy tale. The writing is also full of clich?s. Nevertheless, still worth reading.

"The Things We Didn't Say" is a novel by Marc Levy published in 2008, spanning 352 pages. It falls within the romantic novel genre but adds nuances of humor and a touch of fantasy, distinctive traits in Levy's work.

The story follows Julia, a woman about to get married, but her fate changes abruptly when, instead of walking down the aisle, she is forced to attend her father's funeral, with whom she hasn't spoken in nearly twenty years. From this event, a series of unexpected occurrences, including the reappearance of an old love, compel Julia to confront the ghosts of her past, and a father who, even after death, continues to cause more problems than ever.

Levy skillfully combines realism with elements of science fiction, creating a light and agile plot where dialogues, mostly clever and humorous, add freshness. The narration flows simply and entertainingly, with several plot twists that manage to avoid the typical clichés of the romantic genre.

However, despite its lightness and ability to keep the reader's interest, the novel lacks the psychological depth that could have given greater dimension to the characters, especially those who are neither Julia nor her father.

In summary, the combination of romance, humor, and a dash of science fiction makes this work an enjoyable and entertaining read. (Translated from Spanish)

I really enjoyed this book. Iw as already familiar with the Holllywood version of the film "Just Like Heaven", however the book is quite different.
It's main philosophy is to live in the present and to appreciate and enjoy the smaller more simple things in life. A nice sentiment and a gently enjoyable book.

Honestly, I have only read half of the book because there is too much plot and less dialogue between the characters, in my opinion. So far, it is the only book written by Marc Levy that I have not liked very much. (Translated from Spanish)

The eternal question... What would happen if we were given a second chance?
A great novel that has made me discover Marc Levy!!
A beautiful story with quite a few police elements related to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina.
A great discovery for me since I had never read anything by this writer!!! (Translated from Spanish)

It's not the best he has, but it always hooks you; he's a writer who always ties you to his stories.
Final WOW! (Translated from Spanish)

I always adored the movie, and that's why I decided this would be the first book I would read in English. Challenge completed. Now let's talk about the book and its adaptation.

The reason I chose this one is that I love the story and because I felt more confident starting with something I already knew. Spoiler: the movie has very little of the book. They modified 90% of things, even the names of the protagonists. However, for me, it remains just as good of a movie; they are different products that I liked in the same way. I feel the book was very personal and profound; it was well thought out, and the events deserve to be read. The movie focuses on something more commercial that I suppose creates interest in the book: comedy. In reality, both are very different, and if you didn't know they were the same, you might consider that each tells a different story. I loved the book, and I still love the movie. The same story is told in two ways, and I adore both since they are perfectly adapted to their contexts. The book has the perfect story to be read, and the movie tells the right story to be adapted and loved by all.

100% recommendable, both the movie and the book. (Translated from Spanish)

A very easy book to read, that brings you quite a few smiles and keeps you hooked to keep reading, I definitely recommend it a lot. (Translated from Spanish)

A light and easy writing style. Dynamic with an unexpected ending. (Translated from Spanish)

I'm sorry.

I know there are those who will disagree. I know there are those who have hated these characters, but amidst the hate, I also found understanding. It is a raw book that makes you reflect, and honestly, it was quite gripping for me. (Translated from Spanish)

Time cannot be recovered, and that is why we must make the most of it when it is in front of us instead of longing for it once it has passed. The story is quite original and invites you to think positively about second chances and to have faith in other people. Because what has to happen will happen. (Translated from Spanish)

I love this writer, a simple, endearing book with a very good message. (Translated from Spanish)

Entertaining novel with a certain intrigue mixed with historical events through journalistic work. I like how the author writes; it's original. (Translated from Spanish)

I really enjoyed this novel in the official language of the author: "And If It Were True". Thank you, Marc Levy! (Translated from Spanish)

Marc Levy gives us a book that is a true pleasure to read. "The Things We Didn't Say" tells from a very emotional perspective the need to recover lost time and the convenience of being able to enjoy second chances. Even though they are almost never available, if for any reason they present themselves, one must take advantage of them. In short, it is an entertaining and surprising novel that I personally loved. (Translated from Spanish)

It's the eternal question? What would happen if we were granted a second chance? A great novel that has made me discover Marc Levy!! A beautiful story with many police elements related to the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina. As I said, a great discovery on my part since I had never read this writer before. Thanks to a special person with whom I shared this reading ? (Translated from Spanish)