An American Mystic

Michael Gurian, whose previous books gave voice to his impressive gifts as a psychotherapist, father, and social commentator, now ventures into the realm of spiritual fiction in American Mystic. Ben Brickman is an American living in Paris who is crippled by writer's block. Eventually he meets a Turkish mystic named Josef who consents to become his teacher--but only if he agrees to travel with Josef to Istanbul. Whenever Ben turns a chance encounter into an opportunity for spiritual growth, Gurian inserts a boxed one-page narrative, showing how Ben has just taken one of the "ten steps to enlightenment." For example, when Ben commits to going to Istanbul and then has a dream in which his arms turn into white wings, Gurian frames a box titled "The Threshold," explaining that "The third task of the mystic lies in becoming one with the senses. This is called sensory immersion.... This is not hedonism. Rather, it is sensory action that breaks down ego defense." Unfortunately, this overriding lesson plan makes the story seem stilted and overly contrived, à la The Celestine Prophecy. Even so, as a vehicle for exploring stages of spiritual growth, this is a time-honored device--take an adventure story and make it an archetypal quest. As a result, readers who appreciate storytelling as a means to enlightenment will find themselves happily at home in this genre. --Gail Hudson