Customer Reviews

All and Everything: Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson

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The book commands your attention and mental energy every time you pick it up. The tales are so concisely creative, and are told in such a logical sequence, and in such rich language that I could not overcome the feeling of being a student sitting humbly at the feet of a High Quality Human Being. I recommend this book with all of my essence to all who want to attain to as Mr. Gurdjieff calls, "Objective Reason."

This is the original version of Beelzebub you have been looking for. It is a very diffcult read with pages upon pages of foreign works, but well worth the effort! In this book, we find Beelzebub relating the history of the universe, our planet imparticular, to his grandson. These tales are a delight to read, albeit difficult at times. I can honestly say that this is the most enlighteningbook I have ever read. It offers an excellent model of social, religious, and political history and hope for the future.

Gurdjieff (1866?-1949) was an eminently practical philosopher. After a traumatic car accident in 1924 from which he miraculously survived, Gurdjieff decided to transmit all of his lifelong learning into book form, and embarked upon an intensive writing effort that resulted in Beelzebub's Tales to this Grandson.

Gurdjieff advises us to read Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson thrice, with the open heart of a child listening to a fairy tale. This is not an easy task, for one is dealing here with an account of God, World and Man intentionally composed to provide a self-transforming shock. However, any sincere effort to 'fathom the gist' of this work will provide unexpected benefits. The ultimate impression one recieves is of unsurpassed compassion for the human condition and a heartfelt call to awaken a dormant conscience.

The manuscript was edited into readable English by A R Orage from the literal translation done from Gurdjieff's original Russian by Thomas and Olga de Hartmann. The result was then read to Gurdjieff who consequently revised the text, which was again refined by Orage. This arduous cycle was repeated for the full seven years (1924-31) that Gurdjieff worked on Beelzebub's Tales.

This Two Rivers Press edition is a fascimile of the original 1950 edition whose publication was directly supervised by Gurdjieff.

I wish you good hunting in your quest for the Hidden Learning.

If the book is the World's Number One Unread Book it is simply that the book is not very easy to read. However, if the effort is made, not only is the book intensely funny but the wealth of knowledge contained therein is truly priceless. Gurdjieff was the ultimate rascal mystic and Beelzebub's tales is a tour de force. I actually enjoyed this book alot! It took many years and many false starts and I have only read it through once but it is clear this book deserves an important place in the history of literature. And even though the book is somewhat tragic in its approach, I say it is easily one of the funniest scifi novels to come along ever.

There is a geographic area that might be considered the navel point between Europe, Asia and Africa. This territory, extending via Samarkand towards China, Altai and Tibet and via Constantinople to Athos, Armenia and Coptic Egypt is permeated with the heritage from ancient Greece, sufism and Persia. While in many ways the region has remained an enigma with respect to esoteric teachings, it is widely believed to have given birth to many accomplished magicians and dream masters. Among these definitely belongs Georgios Ivanovich Gurdjieff.

Gurdjieff considered AAE his magnum opus. He used the book to transmit his teachings in a code that can be as vexing as it is funny and instructive, and that is virtually unbreakable for all but the purest afficionado. The basic container holding the main Tale is an early version of Star Trek: highly evolved beings (described as having tails, hoofs and horns) use a spaceship (powered by a perpetuum mobile superdrive "made of amber with platinum hoops and interior panels of the walls made of anthracite, copper and ivory") to hop from planet to planet as emissaries of assorted Archangels. While traversing the hyperspace, they communicate via "etherograms" (!), use their teleportation machines, reflect on the meaning on existence and entertain each other through tales - in this case, mainly stories about the planet Earth and her deluded human inhabitants.

Beelzebub's Tales transmit the essence of G's lifelong realizations and teachings.The ambitiousness of this work is mind-boggling, as is the cleverness of the code which is mostly beyond the reach of a two-brained cayote. The work stands on its own, not only with respect to esoteric teachings of the early 20th century (when Gurdjieff had virtually no serious competition - theosophy is kindergarten stuff compared to Beelzebub's Tales) but even today, when unfortunately many of us lack the time, energy and commitment for real spiritual study and practice. The wisdom and depth found therein are remarkable and illuminating - if you are able to claw yourself through text like this:

"For the further clarification of the phenomena taking place in the (planetary) atmospheres and concerning the 'Omnipresent-Active-Element' in general, you must know and remember this also, that during periods when, owing to the sacred process 'Aieioiua', 'Djartklom' proceeds in the Okidanokh, then there is temporarily released from it the proportion of the pure - that is, absolutely unblended - Etherokrilno which unfailingly enters into all cosmic formations and there serves, as it were, for connecting all the active elements of these formations; and afterwards when its three fundamental parts reblend then the said proportion of Etherokrilno is re-established. "

This is how it goes for... oh, 1348 pages, not for the faint of heart. There is much fascination with science, natural phenomena, nature of religion, Buddhism, psychology, (Kundalini) yoga and human constitution that is Ur-Trekkie ... also you'll find wicked discussions about Bolshevism and French hygiene, both of which Mr. G found highly unimpressive :)

There are uniquely personal & cultural aspects to the Work as well. Anyone with Armenian or Georgian friends will immediately recognize the peculiar style of humor G. puts into the mouth of the fabled Sufi Mullah Nassruddin who pops in and out of discussions on the nature of energy, universe and God. What struck me in particular was Mr. G's inexorable sense of hierarchy that is deeply embedded in the Tales and a certain sense of loneliness, perhaps even sadness, associated with it. Some may call his uncompromising attitude impeccable; others - generous; still others (me included) - a bit melancholy and disconnected. Are the Tales profound? Yes. Can they help people wake up? Perhaps. The book, as brilliant and far-seeing as it is, is an expression of an uncompromising man, an elitist who had no time for regular folks like you and me. It requires much thought, intellectual grit and persistence (in G's words: "the conscious and intentional fulfilling of Being-Partkdolg-duty") to be able to extract pearls from it.

It speaks for itself. But in short, profound, shocking and earth shattering. It wold take any man 10 lifes to accomplish what Gurdjieff did in 1.

One of the best and purest sources of knowledge. One of the worst translations in English. Even so, a thirsty reader will find it worth the effort.