Strange Life of Ivan Osokin

This is a beautifully written novel exposing the 'great secret' of recurrence that Ouspensky reveals in intricate detail in his other formal books. I personally love how O weaves a web of suspense through the book as the anti-hero continues to defy his own efforts to change himself. The way that Osokin comes to forget all that he wanted to remember and the immense shock he has on remembering his earlier visit to the magician is delightfully terrible. The last few pages of the book are a powerful invitation to wake up and a potent reminder of what happens if we don't. I'd challenge anyone not to be moved to change their being by the end of this book.

Ouspensky's only novel, this is a timeless book. Written with the intention of shaking us out of our complacency it is perhaps more relevant now than ever. We either awaken or remain asleep.Unlike so many modern new age books (like the nonsensical The Secret for example) this is a book written by a genius who understood the true challenge of our psycho-spiritual predicament along with the unfortunate likelihood that in our sleepy complacency and despite our many opportunities to the contrary; we too easily fail to rise to the opportunity it presents us with.

really thoughtful read loved it

The book did not arrive at the said date...and does not give any information to the reader about the author nor the book itself, which is usually on the inside or back of the book. A stark difference from the original booking.

This book is insightful and interesting but limited. I think that I can summarise the main premise for you.....Even if you were given the chance to go back in time and relive your life over again, you would simply repeat the same actions and behavioural patterns that you had done before. Therefore, if your motivation for returning was to try and alleviate the regret in your heart by changing your past - then the return would be futile as nothing would actually change, and you would, eventually, end up right back in the same place of regret once again.Why is this? according to Ouspensky, it is because the indivdiuals' mind is locked into habitual patterns of thinking and acting that are determined by their, social, cultural, educational and emotional histories. So without actaully changing the nature of yourself - i.e. your mental conditioning, simply going back in time will, on its own, be completely futile.So how does a person go about changing themselves?? - well that's where the book's usefulness ends. Ouspensky's suggestion is that you undergo a long period (15yrs ish - Ouspensky's teacher Gurdjieff spent 20) of appenticeship to a 'teacher' (or 'wizard' as it is translated here) who will show you the way to live. Quite what will be taught, or how is not stipulated.So, seeing how for most of us, the prospect of finding a 'teacher' when we kind of know the subject but not the method, is a bit of an impossibility - not to mention the giving up a meagre 15yrs! (that's 105 if you're a dog!!) Is there some other way to go about things?Well, as mentioned in earlier reviews, the book has been the substrate for numerous works (although the book itself echoes the already well-established principle of eternal recurrence). You could watch Groundhog Day? Bill Murray is forced to live the same day over and over again and ends up inadvertently taking the Buddha's advice 'to be a light unto oneself' and figures out, after passing through despondency, frustration and despair, that the solution to his misery is to cultivate the positive aspects of his psyche - his compassion, wisdom, humour, humility, kindness - and yes it ends up making him happy, without a 15year apprentiship to a Wizard!! Incredible. Of course I'm not suggesting that such cultivation is easy - but at least it is a finger pointing the way ;-)