Customer Reviews

The Secret School: Preparation for Contact

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was probably written more for Whitley Strieber than for his readers. The Secret School provides none of the horror of Communion, the contemplation of Transformation, or the awe of Breakthough. Instead, the Secret School focusses on Whitley Strieber putting his whole life into perspective. It is interesting to follow the chronicles of a man possessed by something, and tormented inside and out by the things that have been brought into his life. If you have read Strieber's previous alien-type books, The Secret School is a must just to complete the cycle. If you are looking for a place to start, start at the begining with Communion. Perhaps this book will bring closure to Whitley's public struggle with demons inside and out.

This is the second time that I have felt compelled to read this book. It is an important, virtually unique, work. The nearest works to it that I can think of would be Phillip K. Dick's Exegesis and Harpur's Daimonic Reality. However, The Secret School is definately the best discussion of the true nature of time and reality that I have found. Streiber is correct about the nature and importance of Joy, opposed to happyness. True joy is a transcendent quality that places us in contact with the realm of the Divine. As for the prophecies contained in the book, after four years they seem more accurate than ever. Finally, even though this is a nonfiction work, the prose style is excellent- I kept being reminded of the magical atmosphere of Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine and Martian Chronicles.

Mr. Strieber has provided us with yet another excellent work describing some of his experiences with aliens. I was enthralled with his descriptions of events of the past, and a bit of a look to the future. From what I "know" about the events surrounding the Biblical Deluge (the Noah flood, also described in the Gilgamesh Epic and the Atrahasis Epic, in addition to other cultures and religions that in some instances describe a freezing instead of a flood -- for reasons I won't explain here), his description of the interaction with a huge "comet" (that I contend is now our moon) are very much what I would expect from a competent scientist or astronomer explaining what would have happened if a planet the size of the Moon came within 30,000 miles or less from the Earth. Those pages alone made the book go beyond my wildest expectations. And fortunately, for other readers, they are surrounded by equally intriguing pages.

As with his other works, "The Secret School" passes the test for internal consistency and coherence in delivery. It's plain to see that Whitley Strieber is deriving the content of this book from a unified and quite substantial wealth of real experience to which he's giving us just a peek, due to editing requirements.

He delights us with the events of a summer during his childhood, and to some items he recalls during the intervening years. The lessons and recalled events range from thousands of years ago to some possible immediate, and hopefully avoidable futures. They teach us about the Earth and its place, along with our place in the cosmos.

"Communion" may have made you feel somewhat uneasy, but I highly recommend "The Secret School" as an exciting bedtime read. And as for your relationship to the little grey things that go 'bump' in the night, you'll not only feel less threatened, but, dare I say, cherished?

"The Secret School" isn't just another book about aliens. In fact, with this book, the 'alienness' has evaporated, to be replaced with an aura of the timeless familiarity of the human spiritual experience. It's a journey into the heart of the mystery of existence itself. Enjoy!

I just finished "Secret School" and I'm left wanting the experience of hearing those words to continue. Mr. Strieber has moved from a chronicler of his experiences to a teacher for all of us. Like a word on the tip of my tongue, I could almost begin to grasp the emotional journey Strieber has taken. I must admit to some jealousy that he has had this incredible experience, but I'm comforted that he believes we can all discover these depths in ourselves.

As with his other books, both fiction and non-fiction, I highly recommend "Secret School." I was particularly taken with his internal evidence that produced unconciously the complex and beautiful work "Nature's End."

You will never regret time spent reading anything written by Whitley Strieber.

Whitley Strieber's "The Secret School" is his latest contribution to nonfiction which began with alien encounters but has become increasingly metaphysical. He stretches the limits of what we perceive as reality through nine "lessons" learned at "secret school" attended in his ninth summer. Fascinating ideas are presented in an entertaining and concrete manner which will leave the reader puzzling over the place of humanity in the universe. If you enjoy books about aliens, metapyhsics or even the works of Betty J. Eadie, you will love this! But be warned! You will never look at life on our planet through the same eyes again

Of all of Whitley's books, this one makes for some fantastic reading! Some really memorable moments that I will never forget. If you have an open mind, and you have an interest in this sort of subject, you'll really enjoy reading this book! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. It was very interesting!

According to Whitley, the events in this book "happened partly in this world and partly in a child's imagination and partly in my current imagination." And, indeed, much of it is pretty hard to swallow (the "face on Mars"?... uh-huh). As a reporter of facts, Whitley is less than reliable in this book.

But as an artist, this is where Whitley shines. The imagery is haunting and overwhelming, and it will stay with you. It may not be his most significant contribution to the close-encounter literature, but by literary criteria this is Whitley Strieber's masterpiece.

Its a little scary but very much needed in order for us to start getting ready for change and perhaps even start making changes within ourselves and within our enviroment.The future is not clear for any of us but after reading Whitley's story it may make you want to do something about it,or maybe not,but it will stir you in a way like never before.

Am I the only reviewer who realizes that Whitley Strieber is a hoax?

Originally, Strieber wrote fiction. When his horror stories weren't selling anymore, he suddenly published "Communion", a supposedly true story about how Strieber was abducted, tortured and reprogrammed by alien entities known as Greys. A clever way to restart his faltering career as an author, wouldn't you say? "Communion" became a bestseller, was translated to several foreign languages, and spawned a little cottage industry of sequels, prequels and newsletters. Even later, Strieber apparently wrote and published a number of new agey books, which I haven't read. Since he's a former member of the weird and cultish Gurdjieff Foundation, he was probably well fitted for that role as well.

Logically, Strieber should be a basket case at some mental asylum. Nobody who *really* experienced the events described in "Communion" could possibly have recovered his sanity and written a bestselling book about it! And yet, the man has been authoring novels (and earning hard money) ever since.

Strange indeed. Maybe he is the Chosen One?

"The Secret School" is a prequel to "Communion". Strieber claims that he was groomed by the aliens already as a nine-year old kid in Texas. They took him and other children to a place in the woods, showed them bizarre holographic visions, and taught them the mysteries of the universe. One of the aliens was named Sister of Mercy and once took the young Strieber to Mars, where he saw the famed face-on-Mars. He was also shown visions of how the Moon split from Earth, of the Permian extinction and of a distant world in a galaxy colliding with another.

Then, I stopped reading. I never finished "The Secret School", but apparently Strieber was induced to forget everything he had learned around the age of 14. Only as an adult did he remember the whole thing, and kindly conceded to write this little novella about it. He also offer us some prophecies about the future, none of which have come to pass (yet). Apparently, the United States will be turned into a "real republic", we will crack the riddle of fusion and anti-matter, and start mining operations on the Moon. It seems the Sister of Mercy was a bad prophet.

"The Secret School" sounds like a novel. It comes across as a strange blend of the movie "Stand By Me" and a ghost story. The plot, if you can call it that, is constantly interrupted by Strieber's annoying interpretations of the lessons given him by the aliens. Had Strieber developed the story, it could have become an interesting novel (I admit that he's a good writer).

Instead, we are pretty much stuck with...the Greys.