Thursday 26 January 2006

In the Eyes of Anahita by: Hugo Bonjean

In the Eyes of Anahita
By: Hugo Bonjean
Eagle Vision Publishing
ISBN: 0973754206
253 Pages

This book came to me with high praise and great recommendations. It is often compared to Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael. There are some similarities to both of these books, yet this one does not live up to the greatness of the other two offerings. However, it does have some insights to offer.

In this book, a woman keeps appearing to our author in many forms and in many places. He is told by a priest friend, “You have seen Anahita. I call her Mary. She has been seen by many here in the valley and goes by many different names.” The book begins with a question by the author’s son, ‘Why do people have to pay for food?’ And, while on a trip in South America, his eyes are opened to many injustices and his worldviews are challenged.

Many questions are examined in this volume, such as: ‘Are human beings being human?’ and ‘Is a global society a social globe?’ This book raises many questions about the global use of resources, and the distribution of wealth in the world.

This book is dialogue-heavy and though the message is good, it was an effort to make it through the book. Less than halfway through reading it, you know where the author is going and it takes him a long time to get there. That, combined with the new-age elements, made this book a disappointing read. If it were closer to Coelho’s or Quinn’s books and less like the Celestine Prophecy by James Radfield, it would have been more enjoyable.

All in all, this book would be a 6 out of 10; good message, but Bonjean's work is a weak telling of that message.

(First Published in Imprint 2006-03-03 as 'Eyes of Anahita just doesn't dig deep enough')


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I Would Like to say that when I first started to read In the eyes of Anahita, it made me question myself a little the first day, after the second-forth and final day of reading it, my self thought was challenged to question those around me, including a co-worker who walks around feeling very sorry for himself, thus making everyone else feel sorry for him. I have suggested both of my bosses to read it then suggest it to him. But the good thing is My other co-worker has begged me for the book, so she can read it and see where the adventure of a lifetime will lead her as it led me.