An Unlikely Prophet: Revelations on the Path Without Form : A Novel [Hardcover]

Alvin Schwartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1997

In 1947, Alvin Schwartz wrote what the New York Times called perhaps the first existential novel in America. And as a friend to Saul Bellow, Jackson Pollock and some of the best minds in psychology and physics, he was part of a rich intellectual world. Now, toward the close of his life, the sum of his experiences has led Schwartz to a new place, and onto a new path. In his compelling and powerful spiritual memoir, Schwartz leads us from a heartfelt skepticism of things unseen to a bright new awareness of possibility. An Unlikely Prophet is a remarkable personal testament on the relationship between what we experience and what we believe.

For fans of Carlos Castaneda, Richard Bach, and Dan Millman.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you like comic books, especially Superman, and have an interest in Eastern spirituality, An Unlikely Prophet is the perfect book for you. Alvin Schwartz wrote the Superman newspaper strips in the golden age of comics (the 1940s and '50s). He believes that writing the strips had tremendous long-term personal spiritual ramifications. In 1994, decades after he quit writing Superman because of a dispute with his editor, Schwartz was contacted by a seven-foot-tall Tibetan man who claimed to be a being "created by the imagination of another man." What follows is Schwartz's spiritual memoir, An Unlikely Prophet. Stunning at every turn, Schwartz shares stories ranging from a time-traveling Hawaiian kahuna (who met Superman on a beach) to the magic behind Jackson Pollock's drip paintings to the Superman villain, Mr. Mxyztplk, as a Tibetan demon. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Readers will likely profit from this, one of the first books from DIVINA, a new imprint of MacMurray & Beck devoted to "speculative" books. Schwartz is famous for writing the Superman comic strip in the 1940s. In a lecture, Schwartz relates that Superman developed a life of his own, meaning he inspires the seven-foot-tall Tibetan Mr. Thongden to find Schwartz. Thongden is a tulpa, brought to life through the meditative thought of another human. That human has died, and Thongden needs Schwartz to meditate on him so he does not starve. Thongden's tales and visions keep Schwartz focusing on him, while he leads Schwartz to meditate on personal identity, multiple consciousnesses, modern physics, and Superman. Schwartz finds some things he experiences with Thongden hard to believe, but harder still is convincing his wife--until she experiences a vision of her own. The finely crafted narrative will hold readers' attention, and the speculations in this "spiritual autobiography" (as Schwartz calls it) will give even skeptics plenty of food for thought. Kevin Grandfield --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 242 pages
• Publisher: Divina; 1st edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096595210X
• ISBN-13: 978-0965952101
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,423,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic fantasy -- or is it??, July 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Unlikely Prophet: Revelations on the Path Without Form (Paperback)

Over the years I stumbled across the fact that Alvin Schwartz wrote Superman during the strip's best time. But upon reading An Unlikely Prophet I was mystified by his translation of the Superman myth to a (almost?) real life situation. Schwartz is a master at dangling the real and the imaginary before us. Did all this really happen or is it a fiendishly clever work of fiction? Where did the lines cross? If, indeed, they crossed at all. Unlikely Prophet is the quintessential 'can't-put-down' book. It is a highly entertaining and, if you choose to believe the Tibetan mysticism, a very educational read. It will improve your geography, sociology, psychology and vocabulary. And it should raise Alvin Schwartz higher in the ranks of superior writers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive and Strange, June 18, 1999

By 

Rik ([e-mail]) (Beaverton, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Unlikely Prophet: Revelations on the Path Without Form (Paperback)

The book starts out grounded in reality, and then slowly becomes less grounded until it starts to fly. An enjoyable story and a fascinating belief structure fill the pages. Try it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This author prisms unique universal insight., November 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: An Unlikely Prophet: Revelations on the Path Without Form (Paperback)

As the world becomes a global village, it is a pleasure to read materials such as this one that touch upon eastern, western and multi-dimensional thought.