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Book Review for
The Gift of Gabe |
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Book Review for
The Gift of Gabe |
Few people have heard of the novel, The
Gift of Gabe. A year ago even fewer people had heard of it. In these days of
big budget mass marketing books that are published by small publishers often
have difficulty finding an audience. Without an advertising budget, word of
this book has been spreading. Early readers fascinated by the book's
inclusive spirituality, told others. An internet forum for people who study
Gnosticism picked up on the book last summer making it their topic of
discussion for two months. Some Beatles fans became interested after the
reviewer for the online music magazine, Ear Candy recommended it saying, "I
was also fascinated by the interpretations of Beatles lyrics in the book,
especially after having read about every book imaginable on Beatles song
analysis." Shortly after the review in Ear Candy information about the book
showed up on What Goes On, a website dedicated to Beatles news. What most readers find fascinating is that many familiar songs are interwoven throughout the story and looked at in a way that is unique and thought provoking. A reviewer for Bookpleasures said, "Actually, it is primarily through Gabe's radical interpretations of the mentioned songs that one tends to become convinced of his perspective's veracity." Many of the songs are so familiar to people that the author was able to do this without directly quoting the lyrics. A reviewer for Mystic Living Today wrote, "There are many wonderful songs, book references, and passages throughout that are beautifully brought to life under the author's direct and interesting first person style." While many readers seem to be focusing on the Beatles songs referenced in the book, songs by Jimi Hendrix and others are also referenced by the main character to help illustrate spiritual concepts. The volume of examples given and the interconnections between songs and artists have led many to conclude that there is truth in what the main character says. One of Gabe's claims is that during certain creative states some people can 'channel' the Universal Mind and be unaware that they are doing so. Gabe cites Plato and many others to support this concept. Purported examples are given including songs by Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison. Gabe believes that this experience is what some of the Sufi call shathiyat and what Joseph Campbell called transcendent poetry. What may be most controversial is Gabe's claim that this archetypical poetic experience is 'the speaking in tongues' of the early Christians. It is probably this concept that has appealed to readers who identify themselves as being 'new age'. Word of the book has shown up on websites like The Holistic Bulletin. The reviewer for Mystic Living Today said, " I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an enlightened and spiritual read.." One of the things that differentiates The Gift of Gabe from other books in the visionary fiction genre is that it incorporates factual information and events in a way that is similar to historical fiction. Some readers have had a scholarly interest in the book seeing it as a modern myth that incorporates the philosophy of Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, G.I.Gurdjieff, and others. While some are predicting that the book will become a
countercultural classic, the book is clearly not for everyone. A reviewer
for Round Table Reviews wrote, "The Gift of Gabe is well written, but the
subject matter was too over the top for me." The same reviewer still
recommended the book for some saying, "Those with a strong interest in The
Beatles and philosophy will be thrilled with Brian Joseph's novel." |
