The Ferryman: 8 Crossings to a Gentler Life Audible – Unabridged

After reading "The Ferryman", I found myself wishing Amazon had a 6th star to give out.

I'm 72 + years old and can't ever remember taking the time to write a review of anything I either bought or read. I didn't even bother to tell Nabokov, Dostoevsky or Gibran how much I enjoyed reading "Lolita", "Crime and Punishment" and "The Prophet" and the changes I would have made to their classics. Yes, Virginia, I am enjoying my later years and the reward of being an unrepentant lazy senior citizen. After all, we do get discounts, right?

After reading "The Ferryman" my chronic lethargy took a much needed time out. I felt obligated as a father and responsible adult to turn off the TV, get out of my Lazy Boy recliner and share my impressions of this wonderful little book with others.

The ferryman tells us about his " 8 Crossings to a Gentler Life" as he travels back and forth across a mythical river. His story of revelation is told in a simple, concise and thought provoking manner. To say that the writing and presentation of these 8 crossings is superb in it's power and clarity would be an understatement. I've bought my share of how to live your life books over the years, but none of them had the import and staying power of "The Ferryman".

Apparently, Mr. Simpson spent many years writing and condensing this book in his head. How else could any writer have taken what could have been 8 boring volumes of wisdom dealing with the lessons of life and condensed it into less than 150 can't put the book down pages? The less is more principle prevails throughout this remarkable little (in pages only) book.

Personally, "The Ferryman" took me longer to read than I had anticipated.Read more ›

Vasudeva returns in this lovely little novella (?), although our Ferryman here is not quite as far along, but almost.

we get to listen in on someone who thinks about his life and his choices.

nine bows--

It's about time another generation got its own Little Prince, and Thomas William Simpson's The Ferryman fits the bill.

Simpson manages to introduce us to crystal clear reality through a style that includes the cadence of a Chinese koan, the lilting tone of a fairy tale and a charmingly anachronistic setting. The modern grind exists in that world, but only as a distant memory for the ferryman, who has given it up for a journey that defies the anxieties of identifying with things like time period, geographical location, or financial status.

I remember the first time I discovered deliberate anger, as a child. It was snowing in April and my mom looked out of the window, and said "It's April, and it's snowing. Those people are unbelievable." I think she meant the weathermen, whose forecast must have fallen short of accurate. I wish The Ferryman was around back then to stop me from believing that anger and dissatisfaction are what makes one an adult.

A powerful message is contained between the lines of The Ferryman that defies the resisting minds of both children and adults, sneaking up on the reader as the need to understand presents itself -- that there is a way to fully experience life without getting lost in waking dreams and nightmares.

Simpson makes uncompromising reality sound as enticing as a fairy tale, destroying the romantic myth of delusion:

"They would be so happy to see him. So exited. His home would be bursting with love," he writes of the ferryman's return home. "But as so frequently happens, the ferryman's expectations got the better of him. When he walked through the door of the small stone house on the edge of the village neither happiness nor love fell upon him."

The Ferryman is intricate in its insight yet simple enough to change the world.

This was a surprise! The story weaves it's way into the deepest part of your heart. Just reading the book will slow your heart rate as you imagine yourself slowing down, not thinking of anything, and soaking in the richness of Thomas' language. It will conjure up a softness that our harried world omits in our busy lives.

What a refreshing change from all the current dystopian, sadistic love(?) and “poor me” novels out there. This ferryman is not the Charon of Greek mythology, who ferries the dead to Hades. “The Ferryman” is a soul-felt parable written from the heart of the author, Thomas William Simpson. The travels of Simpson’s ferryman, back and forth across the river, discovering what matters in life (Patience, Compassion, Friendship, Family), is a gentle recognition of virtues necessary to live thoughtfully in this world. Slow down, be gentle, be kind, love your family above all else, and take this timeless and enchanting journey with The Ferryman.

The Ferryman was given to me as a gift from my wife on Father’s Day. It turned out to be one of the most fitting gifts for the occasion. When I was done reading Mr. Simpson’s book I felt as though I had just completed a Fable. For me, there was an important moral/lesson within the contents of this short story: Love, family, and good friends trump all! It may sound like a simple lesson, but many people in our society, like the businessman in the story, overlook it. I thanked my wife for giving it to me and I also thank Mr. Simpson for sharing his thoughts and wisdom. It reaffirmed I’m heading down the right path!