Customer Reviews

Nostradamus: The Complete Prophecies

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Of all the books written about Nostradamus' prophecies, this one is one of the few that tries to be objective and doesn't present silly and ridiculous arguments and interpretations. Hogue actually recognises the fact that many of the seer's quatrains are so extremely vague that they allow themselves to dozens of different interpretations. Or.. could Nostradamus have been so amazing as to write one quatrain that predicts different events? I don't know, but I'm sure some like to think so.

Hogue has obviously spent a lot of time and effort in research both into Nostrodamus's life (which is very important when understanding what ANY author is writing) and into the translations and interpretations of the quatrains. He gives the reader the purpose behind the predictions, an in-depth rationale as to the reason it is so difficult to translate, admits his own short-comings, and then attempts to translate them to English, but always gives alternate meanings if they are too unclear to interpret in just one way. He interprets each quatrain in the way he believes it to be interpreted, incorporates other authors' interpretations, and encourages the reader to make his/her own interpretation. This prophecies, in their original form, are very, very difficult to understand, and Hogue gives and open-minded view to the interpretations and never says that he is absolutely right. I admire anyone who admits they don't have all of the answers and appreciated being educated enough in reading his book to be able to make my own interpretations.

Although not a waste of money! This book (the comments) was written by a non-scholar, in a pseudo-scholarly way. His translation is questionable (to say the least), the historical inaccuracy shows that he is not interested in history, nor were the geographic annotations checked on a map.
IT IS however a compendium of what most people (English or Americans, or Anglo-philes) who are into new age believe to be a good interpretation of Nostradamus' work. So it's quite amusing. But remember: Nostradamus was French, not American (only quite recently discovered) or English!
It does contain a good transcript of the original texts, which is a plus for people who know French.
What's really disturbing about it is the bias the writer overtly displays towards certain 'political' interpretations (the bush administration will be regarded as one of the most beneficial influences on mankind for centuries to come, apparently) which I find slightly exaggerated.
In short: the author's comments are not the result of years of research but the result of years of self-indulging, non-critical, self-opinionating thought. A shame, all that wasted time. BUT I 'm having a good time laughing, waiting for an objective book about Nostradamus to come out.

Without a doubt the best Hogue has ever done and will ever do on this topic.

While I'm not a big Hogue fan, this is a worthy edition to any Nostradamus library.

Good effort John, even Sollog says it was well done considering the source material is now outdated.

Search the net for 1566 Edition Princeps to see the Authorized Prophecies of Nostradamus.

The 1568 edition used by Hogue has been proven to be an early forgery.

The 1566 Edition Princeps has been found.

Anyway, well worth the price.

Hoque does a masterful job of interweaving his own interpretations with those of other Nostradamus commentators (Cheetham, etc). If you have any interest in the man, this piece is a must-have.

I become thoroughly engrossed in this book from the very beginning. It is quite lengthy, 976 pages, and it is certainly a book that takes some time not only to read but digest. Was Nostradamus a prophet, a genius, a madman - the reader will need to reach their own conclusions.

In some respects, the book can be interpreted almost as one interprets their daily horoscope. Given a wide scope, the reader can apply a prophecy to fit almost any situation depending on the existing surroundings, circumstances, conditions, and what is happening in the reader's life at that given moment. For anyone who firmly believes in predetermined destinies, they will find the philosophies and beliefs of Nostradamus both intriguing and thought proking. The message can be deep and readers are often compelled to look deep inside themselves for a clearer understanding of the prophecies of this 16th Century, French doctor and astrologist.

If you are into this type of material, you will enjoy this book. I use it as a refence when I have small parties at the house to have fun with my guests. I wouldn't take things too literal though.

it is just dazzling... i have nothing to say about this book, apart the fact that it is past immagination

People. In all honesty, how can you subscribe to the intellectual sewerage uncorked from this book? I am fortunate to have a friend who can translate Nostradamus' texts. We have spent innumerable hours with friends and family in attempts to demonstrate how this man's (intentional) nebulous assertions could be interpreted in various ways. Scientists label this the 'Forer Effect' and it is patently displayed in Hogues' book. There are so many permutations in terms of tranlating Nostradamus, that one can spend a LIFETIME in attmpting to unravel them!! With the amputation of religion in our culture, the lack of time to investigate this archaic information, and a general penchant for people to accept the written word as 'ex cathedra', it is not a surprise to me that this book has attained ascendancy just when these factors are amplified by the events on Sept. 11.
As a reader, do you really believe that people can tell the future? If so, then why is it that the most famous 'prognosticator' has been dead 400 years, and writes in a way to allow an incredibly liberal interpretation? Does that not make you suspicious? If, and this is a BIG if, one can predict the future, then does that not render the future the past???
It saddens me that people will purchase this oblique opus with its dim dissertations just to help them cope with a disaster that has nothing to do with an enigmatic hermit who died hundreds of years ago. This book is the intellectual equivalent of eating a cheeseburger without the cheese or burger. If you want to read a cerebral light-bulb-over-my-head book steer clear of Hogue and head for Robert Wright's 'Non-Zero'. You'll thank me.

Call me a cynical old atheist, but readers expecting to find a catalogue of future events here should take heed. Nostradamus's 16th century writings were written in such an obscure code that they could basically be interpreted as predicting virtually anything (but crucially only with the benefit of hindsight). This is nevertheless an informative and interesting book. I am merely cautious about its sudden explosive popularity. Are we really so desperate and lost as a people, that we need to resort to this for an insight into recent events? This is stimulating stuff, but a history of recent Middle East politics would be a far more valuable guide to the recent dramatic and horrific developments in Washington and New York.