Simplicity suggests that reincarnation involves a difficult struggle between good and evil of any individual. While some imply that karma is the result of fate, the author of This Side of the Gate: A Novel , John P. Johnston, clearly delineates characters who forge their own fate and ultimate rebirth cycles. The initial struggle begins with two rival forces, The Masters of the White Lodge and those of the Black Lodge. Just when the reader believes that right will prevail, the baser instincts of the main character set in and changes his destiny.

Thus he is doomed to begin a series of lifetimes in both lower and higher forms as caveman, administrator, fugitive, dragon, monk, warrior, child, and numerous other roles. What begins as a fascinating story becomes rather repetitive if one reads each segment in a row after the previous one. While this story is best read in bits and pieces, with perhaps some pondering of what each character learns or fails to learn, it does have a karmic flow to it that delineates the higher wisdom of life for those who can discern the same. Very often one forgets it is a novel because of the dominant third person narrative which presents as inspirational wisdom of a nonfiction nature.

Compassion prevails and a deeper sense of what man's purpose holds out in possibilities touches the reader with a profound wisdom. There is justice and beauty, when all is said and done, a fact that each character acknowledges but does not always choose for shaping a meaningful life's karmic promise and cooperation. Interesting and inspirational, especially considering this is in fact the author's exposition of his past lives!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on March 28, 2006

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