The Prophet is the most famous among the English writings of Khalil Gibran, the great artist and writer of the 19th century. I bought the book two years ago, but I was too sceptical about reading it because of the language barrier. I read English books; however, it’s a bit of a task for a non-native like me to fully digest Victorian-era English. Its translations were not my choice because I wanted to experience the magical writing of the author in its fullest form.
A Brief: The prophet, a wandering soul, was about to bid farewell to the land where he had spent some time. The villagers, although not all in favour of the man’s conduct, wept at his departure and tried to persuade him to stay. When they realized that his departure was inevitable, they asked him about life in the way it connected with each of them. Through the villagers’ questions, the author discusses the milestones of life in such a way that the essence gradually sweeps into readers’ minds. Starting with love, he traverses through the reality of human existence, imparting values to the listeners by the time he reaches his final topic — death. And in the end, he sails away to another land.
”Connecting regular life with God is something that religions and canonical texts have been attempting ever since the evolution of religion.
Zero HourThemeNectar
My Reading Experience — Starting Day one of reading The Prophet was challenging. I found it to have a bit of a spiritual texture, which I am not a big fan of. It took me some time to adjust to the tone and style of the book. However, the essays are short, which encouraged me to continue reading. Gradually, I started feeling better about the views, although here and there the almighty was referenced. One can read the chapters without paying much attention to that part. Even without those references to God, the essays maintain their actual meaning and remain the same.
Inner Conflict: At one point, however, I felt outraged, as if I had been subjected to some kind of toxic spiritual positivity. I felt as though I was standing outside the parameters of the book, outside time and space. This discouraged me, and I stopped reading the book for a day and a half. During that time, I gazed at the book, unable to open its pages. It’s hard to finish something we started unwillingly, but we often continue just to satisfy the urge to beat the challenge.
To motivate myself to read again, I had to think about and read between the lines. It gave me insight into the fact that the author was writing in the 1920s, which justifies his narration, and that it’s okay to have different views about God and spirituality. Being pessimistic toward those who think differently is nothing but intolerance. Thus, I started to analyze the author’s points in a secular way. This helped me continue reading.
Falling in love with the flow: By the time I reached halfway through the book, I started to enjoy the poetic nature of the essays, the flow, and the slightly rhyming lines that can be read with a tune in mind. I dropped my dictionary and began to absorb the rhythm of the lines, which improved my reading experience.
By the end, I became a complete listener to the prophet. This might explain why I felt inertia when the farewell was finally happening.
The Farewell: I tend to feel inertia with books I enjoy; it’s quite my nature. However, it’s not usual for me to feel inertia toward books I start and continue with opposition. It was truly an eye-opener for me, as an atheist, to realize that even spiritual and religious people can have secular views of the world and still be spiritual to the core by spreading the essence of God.
My Part: That said, I still feel that it’s not natural to discuss secular affairs with references to God, because it’s not just a matter of belief for religious people, but for non-believers of all kinds too. Connecting regular life with God is something that religions and canonical texts have been attempting ever since the evolution of religion. It’s not always about the religious spirit causing the commotion but about the existence of the non-religious. So, in that respect, I would disagree with the author.
I know it’s quite possible for people to think that I am not in my right mind to criticize a great author who has never been criticized for his masterpiece, even by great critics. But that’s the problem I have been discussing. It’s not always right to go with the flow. Sometimes, it’s okay to swim against the tide, if only for the satisfaction of having said it.
