Dan Millman's imaginative novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior tells the story of a talented college-level gymnast, Dan Millman, (coincidence? I think not,) who stumbles upon a 96-year-old man working in an all-night gas station. This man has appeared in Dan's dreams, (coincidence? I think not,) and Dan decides to call him Socrates, (no, not that Socrates, but a man just as philosophical.) Socrates becomes Dan's mentor in every aspect of his life, especially spiritually, pushing him to extremes with the intention of Dan ultimately reaching a state of eternal happiness and love, just as Socrates has done for himself. Through important teachings ("there are no ordinary moments!") and criticisms ("Dan, you are suffering...gymnastics is a temporary way to distract you from your underlying sense of fear",) Socrates is the all-knowing force that consumes every minute of Dan's waking--and sleeping--life. Told with a great sense of awareness, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is a story not to be taken for granted.
Is Millman's story hard to believe? Sure, a bit. Does it seem strange that the main character, Dan Millman, also happens to be the name of the author, yet the book can be found in the 'Fiction' section at your local bookstore? Of course, (but that does take Peaceful Warrior off the list of books suffering from the 'James Frey syndrome'.) However, I do still have some faith in humanity and I very much so believe in supernatural/other-worldly phenomena. My duty here isn't to doubt the possibility or authenticity of what Millman has written, but to examine the novel as a whole and comment and what works and what does not work.
What I find most appealing about Way of the Peaceful Warrior is how it encourages the reader to analyze his or her own self and understand the urgency of, well, understanding one's self. Millman does this through storytelling without being preachy or over-the-top and with little religious undertone; this is not a "how-to" book by any means, but the lessons taught and, particularly some passages, leave the reader feeling a renewed sense of possibility and passion for life. (My only question--where can I find my own Socrates?)
Many passages in Way of the Peaceful Warrior need to be read numerous times to understand the urgency and importance of the information that Socrates shares with Dan. One quote, spoken from Socrates to Dan, strikes me as particularly relevant to this day (even though Peaceful Warrior was published in 1980), and it is something that I have been working on tremendously in my own life: "Life is not suffering; it's just that you will suffer it, rather than enjoy it, until you let go of your mind's attachments and just go for the ride freely, no matter what happens." Indeed, this book (or Socrates) believes in ridding one's self of personal cravings which will, in turn, bring you one step closer to achieving an eternal state of bliss.
Needless to say, Peaceful Warrior won't be for everyone. Some people will find it preachy while some won't even get past the first twenty pages, accusing Millman of lunacy and/or mental illness. There are many parts of the book that I rolled my eyes at, (for instance Socrates' habit of always responding to Dan's questions or thoughts with a long-winded, life-changing, groundbreaking quote,) but if you look past the reality factor and if you understand the fragility of life and the monumental possibilities that it offers, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the perfect companion to lead the way for a person who is looking to self-explore and reach a higher level of awareness.
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I like this review how ever it was a little hard to read through. You stopped talking about the plot of the story after the first paragraph for the most part, leaving the rest of the review to consist of what seemed like sarcasm and spontaneous random rants. The comments in the parentheses were a funny, I do that all the time, but they kinda took away from the actual review, they were almost be more appropriate as voice overs on Scrubs or something. I'm not trying to knock your review, it was good, i just think you could have done more review, and less . . . talking I guess.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the honesty and sincerity of your review. I can obvious tell that you like this book a lot, and it is especially helpful for the reader to see what they will be getting themselves into, which is apparent in your last paragraph. It seems as if one may need to use some willing suspension of disbelief to get through this book and take in the lessons 'Socrates' has to offer.
ReplyDeleteI also like how you inform the reader it was written in 1980, but bring it back to 2009 by pointing out relevant lessons to today or any era. Socrates is, after all, pretty much a classic. These lessons could definitely be helpful for anyone.
My main criticism is that you may overuse parenthesis. Not that I don't enjoy your witty comments and side notes, but it makes it a little choppy and difficult to read straight through. As you said with the book, I had to go back through and reread most parts with the parenthesis. First, to get the information about the book and then again to pick up on your anecdotes. My suggestion would be to pick a few important comments to make and then leave it at that, however tempting it may be to include all your thoughts. Don't get too close to the story that people won't be able to make their own interpretation if they do decide to read it.
You do, however, give a great overview of the book. And I think your open, honest approach makes it a worth-while review and will give readers an idea of whether or not they'd be into this kind of story.
This review really shows your personal connection to the book, which I think works at times and doesn't at others. This self awareness tells us more about your own experience reading the book, not necessarily the book itself, mostly in the end of the second paragraph and the beginning of the third. Maybe a little more objectivity wouldn't hurt? Otherwise, it tells us what we can expect from the book and what's important to know, and why it matters quite well. I'd definitely agree with the above comments on your use of parentheses and think it ties in to the review's self awareness. Your closing paragraph really ties it together and is definitely the best paragraph of your review.
ReplyDeleteThere is not much for me to add that your colleagues haven't already mentioned. I like the way Carolyn puts it: we know more about your experience with the book than about the book itself. Obviously that's a fine line, since every reviewer must base the review on his/her own experience, but this review does seem particularly deeply personal. (Take, for example, the observation that one of the deep thoughts is "something that I have been working on tremendously in my own life.") In some contexts I can imagine that really working well; if this review were to appear in Time or Newsweek, though, it would be off-putting.
ReplyDeleteI think this review definitely hits its stride in the third paragraph; the first two strike me as kind of spinning their wheels. This line, for example: "However, I do still have some faith in humanity and I very much so believe in supernatural/other-worldly phenomena. My duty here isn't to doubt the possibility or authenticity of what Millman has written, but to examine the novel as a whole and comment and what works and what does not work." I think you're right about what your duty is in the review, but rather than telling us what your duty is, why not just dig in and DO it?