Astonishing the Gods

Ben Okri's tells the story in an elegant manner with a love of words filled with abstract and concrete notions. There is peace, love, suffering, longing, and darkness within this beautiful tale. As you read you find yourself filled with the curiosity of a child, the humility of an enlightened being, and a love beyond compare among other things. As you begin to read you may initially feel overwhelmed by the abstract concepts, however do not be deterred because as you continue to read you will receive rewards that are limitless. By the time I had completed the book in 2 days I felt as if I was in a deep meditation that eloquently ended leaving me satisfied and at peace. I loved this book and it will be one I shall read over and over again!

Who has experienced the vision of the soul? Who has dared to explain the soul? Who has dared to put the journey of soul, which is beyond words, into words?Only Ben Okri, Nigerian literary giant and prophet, could do this.In Astonishing the Gods, Ben Okri takes the reader on the most fabulous of journeys - the journey within, to the soul, and the journey outside, to the soul's home, somewhere and everywhere in the vastness of infinite space. From the initial misunderstanding of invisibility to the ultimate acceptance of "higher invisibility", Okri's soul journeys through the universe to realms of varying levels of light. With its guide, the soul comes to understand a city, a realm, a dimension, as a "vast network of thoughts". On one branch of the journey, the soul understands "in a flash" that banks are places where people deposit or withdraw "thoughts of well-being" and that hospitals are place of "laughter, amusement, and recreation." The masters of this land believe that "sickness should be cured before it becomes sickness. Healing was always needed, and was considered a necessary part of daily life."Okri, fabulist and seer, drops clues of exquisite subtlety throughout this tale, clues that require the perception of a pilgrim. Through the soul's guide, we learn that "When you stop inventing reality then you see things as they really are". And - voila! - we've stumbled upon the connecting message of the world's great religions. Okri explains that familiar, evanescent homesickness of the soul that has led various philosophies into Emptiness and Satiation and often into empty-handedness: "When we yearn, our yearning comes through from deep below. It comes from a deep remembering, from the forgotten dreams of our mingled ancestry." And, all the aware souls of this world vibrate in cellular acknowledgement.Remember, as you read, that "a fragrance of eternity linger(s) over everything". And perhaps, you'll end up like me - with two marked up copies of your own and copies flung far and wide to family and friends, many of whom will wonder how you could ever glow from reading such an extraneous book.Ellyn Peirson, Editor, thepassionatesoul.com

An incredibly beautiful novel rich in mythapoetics and the journey toward remembering... maybe you could call it a journey toward enlightment but in a way it is different than that. Seeing the unicorn and knowing how to be visible and invisible. It's magic, and one of my favorites.

This is a truly Wonderful book, one of my personal favourites. It is rich in spirituality and teachings. Okri's thoughts on creativity, knowledge, understanding and searching were so powerful and insightful, I felt my myself enriched by simply reading his words.

This is by far my favorite book. It's deeply spiritual and uses beautiful, lyrical metaphors that contain a deeper meaning with each reading.