Stephanie Meyer's The host

[HazyFantayzee]

Has anyone read this book? What were your thoughts?

It actually had quite an impact on me. I like the idea that your soul travels between worlds, assuming different characters, perhaps to learn different lessons...

interested to know your thoughts.

[tropicalheatwave]

whats the book about and how did it have an impact on you?

if you want to share or discuss your books you could also do it here: http://dreammoods.com/dreamforum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=45862#p204039

[MissWong]

Has anyone read this book? What were your thoughts?

It actually had quite an impact on me. I like the idea that your soul travels between worlds, assuming different characters, perhaps to learn different lessons...

interested to know your thoughts.

Is she the Twilight author? I have never read any of her books, is this one more advanced than the twilight series seems to be?

[HazyFantayzee]

It is the twilight author but this is on a completely different level. much more intelectual. I'm just heading out the door otherwise i'd write more all about it. i loved this book, it made me ask lots of questions and has adapted my way of thinking. a must read, in my opinion.x

[MissWong]

I am looking for a new book to read, next trip to the bookstore I will pick this one up and read. I don't know how much the book and Twilight movie are the same, I know I did not enjoy the first film. But I am willing to give The Host a chance. Could you tell how it changed your way of thinking, please?

[HazyFantayzee]

For sure. I don't want to give the story away too much but I will warn that it's VERY slow starting. I do think it's worth sticking with though. There are so many things you could take from it. The story on a really simple level would suffice for some, but for me, I just loved the philosophical / spiritual aspects.

The blurb reads as follows: -
' Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading 'soul' who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met.

As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.'

Ok... so it's marketed as a love story. Maybe you'd take that from it too. But for me, i was fascinated by this connection of the 'soul', made out in this book as a foreign creature, and the body. They way they connected and could differentiate from eachother.

It's helped me to adapt a really dualist approach to spirituality and I think that this has given me a more healthy idea of what I may believe in after death. I think it's really positive to have such an idea, seen as life is so short. I don't consider life to be 'precious' per se... more a task to achieve on the mission of the soul. So when we die, I believe that our soul is the part of us that holds our identity, our lessons, many of our attributes which may sometimes be portrayed physically... in anywhich particular 'host' we live in at that time.

On the other hand, it's made me think more of my body as just a vessel for life. Ok, so it's important to look after it for that reason. But I've certainly become less materialistic since I have adopted this way of thinking.

It made me question what happens to the soul... how it moves on, what it gains from each life... I'm still undecided on a lot of it. I just liked how it influenced me and made me question things that I'd normally not consider.

I hope you like it

[HazyFantayzee]

Re twilight also, you may well prefer the books. More about emotional exchanges between the characters but without the dramatic "goo" that we see in the film. lol x