| Book Reviews Celestine Prophesy, An Adventure , by James Redfield Review This Book Here Back to Books For Sale Main Site Very enlightening content poorly written in a New-Age daze. This book is heralded by some to be the new artifact that has the answers to life. Whatever! Though the content is worth the reading and contemplation, do not be mislead by the motives of the author. This is yet another piece of New-Age material that too many trees have been wasted on. There is a real message in the book that I believe Redfield happened to stumble upon by accident, or perhaps he heard of true spiritual accounts and tried to immitate them in this book. Keep your wits about you, and be discerning. He should have left these lessons to be taught by those who have had these experiences, or to a real author, who would have put the information across much, much more effectively. As I said before, find the truth in the book, because it is worth the few bucks, but do it only if you are able to ignore the money-making scheme of it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABSOLUTELY SPELLBOUNDING I found this book to be a remarkable piece of art, stumbled upon by accident. I have never quite read a book that left you thinking about it's context with such depth and wonder. I find myself living in parallel with the story as if it were not a work of fiction! It really allows you to see the beauty of nature, family and life. If you want adventure that places you within the depths of a story, then you found the right one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A True Classic This is Redfields' original, fresh, thought-provoking classic. I hope in the future he can write other new original stories. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This book is absolutely awful. It passes itself off as some sort of mystery book on the outside, but then turns into a jumbled collection of [material] that does a disservice to the New Age movement with which it is associated. It's not that it's just bad New Age literature; it is quite possibly one of the worst books ever written. Not only does it struggle to maintain some semblance of a shred of cohesion, but characters and "plot" devices just magically appear from thin air when needed. I would advise anyone who is looking for some sort of guidance in the New Age movement to look elsewhere. I would advise anyone who's looking for a good mystery/thriller with elements of the supernatural and archaeology to look anywhere but here. You could probably write a better story yourself, and you won't end up feeling less intelligent for the effort. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A must read for those seeking a higher meaning in life. What starts as a simple mystery for this young man turns into a quest for an ancient manuscript, lost (or hidden) in the Peruvian rain forests. A manuscript which offers the keys to the meaning of life itself. As the adventure unfolds the young man finds himself drawn down a path of no return, fraught with dangers and unknowns. But it's also a path of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual enlightenment, and one he is compelled to follow. This book is about experiencing life on a deeper level of knowing and being. It offers insights into the meaning behind our patterned behaviors and why we keep repeating the same old ways even when they never bring fulfillment. It also guides us through the process of enlightenment for positive change in our lives. When discussing this book with other readers, I have found almost unfailingly that it either had profound meaning for their personal lives, or no meaning whatsoever. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. It is a work of fiction, one man's vision. The choice to embrace it not is yours, and yours alone. If you're on a path seeking meaning and empowerment in your life, I'd certainly recommend this book. It's easy reading and not very long. If you've read it in the past and found no meaning, try it again. Timing is everything, my friends. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It helped me and maybe it'll help you too i just finished reading the celestine prophecy! the knowledge within the book completely fit in with my knowledge of love, nutrition, alternative/wholistic medicine, psychology, history, chi, new age of aquarius, quantum physics, magick, my own dreams, group dynamics, meditation, ecology, relationships, addictions, etc... i could relate very well to much that it revealed. the 9 insights are very simple truths, easy to grasp; although Redfield occasionaly makes oversimplified generalizations. reading the first few insights of the Celestine Prophecy repeated to me much of what i had already discovered and i was mainly excited to see someone else having put into words what i'd already been thinking. the later insights also incorporated much of what i already understood, but they definitely gave me a new way of looking at everything and they assembled lots of pieces that've recently been floating in my head into something very clear. it all seems so obvious now. i like the way the insights build upon eachother sequentially and they are told in parable form. i looked at the reviews on ... and most all of the negative reviews were critiqueing his writing style, but i think they were missing the points, or insights i should say. yes, the way in which he reveals them and tells the story may seem slightly corny, but it wasn't meant to be a great peace of literature; it was meant to help people find meaning and to evolve spiritually. my final word on The Celestine Prophecy is that it is a powerful vision that synthesized previous knowlegde to give me a more precise direction in my spiritual evolution. i'm sure that a year from now, i'll consider this book just another influential stepping stone on my path and not "the best book i've ever read" as i consider it now. nonetheless, if you are ready and open to these insights, then i think you can benefit greatly from them. below is someone else's review of the book that i found to be particualrly short and sweet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Celestine Prophecy is not the best novel ever written, in fact to some it may seem hookie. What was great about this book, and in my opinion any book, was that it helped me grasp many of the ideas that had been swimming around in my head but could not be put into a working formula. Its one of those books that makes you say "yeah, I knew that, but I couldn't find the words." As the story unfolds so do aspects of the reader's self. Each chapter, or insight, revealed something new about who I was and who I wanted to be. Many of the ideas discussed in this book are nothing new. They are at the core of many eastern philosophies and are heavily influenced by mysticism. But who cares! Each interpretation of these ideas is in its own way unique. Its like listening to a radio station that plays a certain jeanra of music: each song has a common feel and yet each has its own personality. All in all, it may not be a literary masterpiece but The Celestine Prophecy is a must read. It will move you in places that have been forgotten, ignored, or that have been suffocoated by the monotonies of western culture and idealogy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So simple, you might miss it. I want to say that this book was incredible, but it IS credible. Unless you live in a cave somewhere, and you never interact with anyone, then you will find yourself saying, "Wow, this guy makes sense. Why didn't I notice that before?" I think the reasons that this book is either rated as absolute garbage or absolutely mind-blowing, is because it's so simple. It's often the simple, basic ideas that we overlook. This book changed my way of thinking. It addresses a great number of issues that affect all of us everyday. YES, it is fiction, but that doesn't mean that you can't apply it to your nonfiction life. From the way you see yourself, to the way you interact with people, to the way you deal with problems, this book offers basic, simple insights to our complicated, frustrating lives. Don't let this chance for enlightenment pass you by. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |