If Only It Were True
If Only It Were True (French: Et si c'etait vrai...) is the first novel by the French author Marc Levy. It was released in 1999 by Éditions Robert Laffont, and was translated into English the following year. The novel has been adapted into an array of motion pictures, including the 2005 American film Just Like Heaven.
 First edition cover, as published by Éditions Robert Laffont | |
| Author | Marc Levy |
|---|---|
| Original title | Et si c'était vrai... |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Romantic fantasy |
| Publisher | Robert Laffont |
Publication date | 1999 |
Published in English | 2000 |
Introduction
If Only it Were True is a story set against the backdrop of San Francisco and tells the story of Lauren Kline, a young, pretty, medical resident, and Arthur, the man who rented her old apartment. The story revolves around these two central characters.
Plot summary
Lauren Kline is a pretty, young medical resident, completely devoted to her work in the Emergency Room of San Francisco Memorial Hospital. She worked round the clock dealing with patients until she got into a serious car accident. As a result of the accident, Lauren went into a coma. She "woke" to awareness outside of her still comatose body, and was frustrated that she could not communicate with anyone. After a while, she chose to spend most of her time at her old apartment, where she is discovered by Arthur, the man who took over renting the place. Only he can see, hear, or touch her. After some initial disbelief on his part, they fall in love.
Meaning
The novel is about the importance of the human soul. At a certain point of his life, Arthur thought his soul was lost. The moment that he is able to feel love again, he also finds the power to face his past (which isn't pretty).
After the body was returned to the hospital, Arthur and Lauren realized that their time together is ending. This is when they grasp the concept of carpe diem. They spent every possible second together, making the most out of every shared moment.
In 2005, the sequel to If Only It Were True was published, entitled Vous revoir.
References