Strange Life of Ivan Osokin: A Novel (Arkana S) [Paperback]

P. D. Ouspensky (Author)

Book Description

Series: Arkana S | Publication Date: November 1, 1988

Ivan Osokin, fed up with his life, persuades a magician to send him back in time so that he may live his life differently - but the past repeats itself. The author has written many books including "Talks With a Devil", "A New Model of the Universe" and "Conscience - the Search for Truth".

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (November 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140190589
• ISBN-13: 978-0140190588
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,438,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing book., June 21, 2002

By 

Will Flannery (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strange Life of Ivan Osokin: A Novel (Arkana S) (Paperback)

Over the years, I've recommended this book to my friends at least twenty times, and I have for sure recommended it to every psychologist, or anyone in any sort of therapy, that I have known. I read it when I was in college, doing the usual recreational drugs, and reading widely. This book amazed and dumbfounded me, probably more than any other book. The author possesses what seemed to me to be a rare quality (conceited and/or foolish as I am), and that is, he knows more about human nature, and the way the world works, than I do, and he can write about it.

The form of the book is a novel; the protagonist is beset by difficulties that he feels somehow responsible for, but, that he cannot understand. Like all of us? As the story unfolds, we see that this novel is unlike any other, as it examines the protagonist's role in the minutest details of events, and shows how these events contribute to the inevitablity of what seem on the surface to be chance or uncontollable outcomes.

One lesson I drew from the book is to try to 'look deeply' at things. There is the reality that our concious mind registers and that changes moment to moment, and there are currents of meaning that are constant and don't change, but that are not recognized for what they are and are not acknowledged by our concious mind. However, our unconcious mind is fully aware of these currents, and their reality is more substantial than the concious reality. Does that make any sense? Probably not. Be assured that 'Osokin' is an interesting tale, not pyschobabble like my attempted explication.

Ouspensky was a follower of Gurjeiff, and there are still Gurjeiff groups that meet to discuss his thoughts. My last boss at a tech firm was a leader of such a group! I found out from him that Gurjeiff-ans think that the movie "Groundhog Day" with Bill Murray is in the spirit of "Osokin". I agree. The setups are the same, a day, or a life, to live over, however, what follows is entirely different.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strange Indeed....or is it?, June 22, 2003

By 

Rupesh Verma "bibliophilus omnivorous" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strange Life of Ivan Osokin: A Novel (Arkana S) (Paperback)

You seldom come across books which can significantly change your way of thinking or maybe your life for good. This is definitely one such book. I accidently came upon it when I was searching for one of Colin Wilson's books and came upon Strange Life of P.D. Ouspensky which in turn led to this book.

The protagonist, Ivan Osokin, is someone with whom most of us can empathize with. He's someone who would like another chance to live his life again so that he can make use of opportunities he wasted. He is blessed when he finds a magician who can exactly do this - send him back in time with the memories of the "future". He finds himself being a schoolboy again and at a critical path of his life. The strange thing being - now its difficult for him to believe any of it. His memory of "future" starts fading slowly and he finds that the inertia of fate is not easy to get rid of. He's taking the same decisions that he took the last time. His "memory" reduces to a plain deja vu and he's left wondering whether any of it was really true.

Giving away more will destroy the pleasure of reading.

Ouspensky's insights will leave you spellbound till the end. I just wish I had read it a few years earlier.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are an old soul, this is a story of your life...., July 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Strange Life of Ivan Osokin: A Novel (Arkana S) (Paperback)

Ouspensky has captured the essence and tragedy of life in this book - that life is a trap. But there is a way out of this trap. This story is beautiful when you understand what it means, and how closely it relates to the life of someone who is an old soul. It really hits home.