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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
On a Spaceship with Kherdian, January 8, 2001
This review is from: On a Spaceship with Beelzebub: By a Grandson of Gurdjieff (Paperback)
This book is a deep, intimate look at one man's journey through the transformational apparatus known in Fourth Way terminology as, "School". Kherdian is a natural born writer and the story reads with the kind of effortlessness which, ironically, requires a great effort to produce. For those who have entered a school setting, the story in this book will open new eyes, offering the opportunity to pour new wine from old bottles. And for those who have yet to be in a school, but wish to be, they'll want to ponder carefully whether or not to read this book. You must remember that, despite his wealth of experience, the author is human and some of the conclusions he puts forth, whether for real, or as a teaching ploy, are questionable. For example, towards the end of the book where he describes the turmoil over his decision to leave the farm-school, he comes to the conclusion that his teacher, Mrs. Stavely, was incapable of letting go of him. And he goes on at some length to explain why this was so and it had the scent of justifying moreso than conveying. One in the work might leave a light on in the window for the possibility that Mrs. Stavely understood that the author could not truly leave the farm without her providing a strong resistance for it. Yes and No go hand in hand--without her strong No (you're not leaving), there could be no Yes (I am leaving). And it seems she played it to perfection, leaving no sense of obligation in Kherdian--he seems to really believe she wanted him to stay. Consider a teacher who, by her very nature, had achieved a measure of objectivity and played a role so convincingly that even those who studied and had some knowledge of a teacher's roleplaying function were taken in by it then set free. Words come and go, and Kherdian is excellent with them, yet the main point can be found in the impression the author leaves on a reader and this Kherdian writes about and understands. This book is a worthy read. Remember to think for yourself while reading it.
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13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Excellent Book on the Gurdjieff Work, August 29, 2001
This review is from: On a Spaceship with Beelzebub: By a Grandson of Gurdjieff (Paperback)
This account of the rather dispersed Gurdjieff teaching was painless to read, and offered a history of a time when the heroic early phase of the Gurdjieff work was long past. The book takes place mostly in the seventies and eighties as Mr. Kherdian and his wife worked first with the Gurdjieff foundation on Long Island, and then later on a farm close to Portland, Oregon, with an elderly woman who had once studied with Jane Heap. The power trip that seems to be the curse of Gurdjieff groups was present here as well, although Mrs. Stavely didn't seem to demand that her charges spend the evenings pleasuring her, which is somewhat unlike most male gurus. One thing I found myself wondering throughout was about the financial picture. How did the Foundation support itself? How much were the students asked to tithe? In a similar way, I was wondering if Stavely demanded a portion of the income of her charges in exchange for room and board at her farm residence with her occasional tidbits of wisdom. Kherdian does seem to be one of the few remaining artists in the movement known as the Work. While this was an intense focus in the first half of the century, you rarely hear of a cultural worker turning to the Gurdjieff work for inspiration today. Kherdian is a good poet, working in a domain that is hard to put one's finger on -- something along the lines of William Williams, but with a more transcendant dimension visible through the plums. This book's most interesting pages have to do with how the work affected his poetry and art. Unfortunately, there are too few discussions of the notion of "objective" art which Gurdjieff proposed, and which Kherdian and his wife were trying to pursue. Kherdian's aesthetics, and his relationship to Gurdjieff's aesthetics, remain a mystery, but should have been the focus of this book, as it is his strongest concern throughout. However, what we get instead is a personal account of many personal but ephemeral relationships with people of varying interest who also participated in the work with Kherdian and his wife. The sense of humor in Gurdjieff and his early disciples seems to have been replaced with a kind of serene pioneer spirit in the rolling hills of Oregon. I missed the sense of mischief present in earlier groups. The book is painless reading -- the three hundred pages fly past and give a good indication of where the Gurdjieff work is headed these days. That in itself should be enough for anybody who is interested in these things, but doesn't know where to go or what they will find in such an adventure. -- Kirby Olson
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
With the effort of being sincere, May 25, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: On a Spaceship with Beelzebub: By a Grandson of Gurdjieff (Paperback)
A most helpful book, and a true window into what troubles so many socalled workgroups. ...
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