Dr. Daniel Brandon, a successful neurologist, falls victim of marital discord and job stress compounded by an unfair and torturous malpractice suit. The situation threatens his mental sanity, and nightly dreams become his only escape. Dr. Brandon discovers the protagonist of his dreams resembles him physically, but he is always young and happy and, unlike the dreamer, enjoys sexual freedom and adventures. Convinced that this character holds the secret of eternal youth and happiness, the doctor decides to study him and unveil the mystery. Dr. Brandon envisions what he believes to be cryptic messages embedded in the dreams that seem to steer him through a maze of trails and should lead to the resolution of his quest. In a dream, Daniel meets his true love, Julie, who catapults his research to an unprecedented height. He hopes that unveiling the secret will provide him the key to reaching eternal bliss with Julie.
Set in a real waking world under the whimsical rule of the dream world, this thought-provoking novel engages readers in a romantic adventure full of fantasies.
Amazon Rating: 5 stars
Kirkus Review: “A provocative character study … Villalba has a vivid imagination.”
Readers’ Comments:
“So, so beautiful and thought-provoking. Will be reading more than once. Villalba writes with artistry and passion, and that makes this novel all the more worthwhile. It’ll be hard to find a book to live up to the standard set by The Stranger’s Enigma.”
“Creative and intriguing. The story line in this novel is one of the most creative ones I’ve ever seen, and for that reason I loved it. A Chicago neurologist going through mid-life crisis goes on a quest to find eternal bliss in the most unconventional way. A combination of dream analysis, fragmented self-analysis, and vacillation between reality and fantasy, the book is well written, the characters are interesting, and the story is intriguing.”
“This novel is very different to what everyone is used to read. It’s about dreams and obsessions, about searching for the meaning of life- somehow sideways. The book has a parallell development: in dreams and in reality.”
PURCHASE THE BOOK ON AMAZON.
Paperback: $14.99
E-book: $ 6.99
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I have issued an updated edition of this book in preparation for a sequel I will soon publish.
