The Prophet

Amazing

When I picked this up, I had no idea what to expect. My mouth stands open. I feel like I've read a map to the entryway of my soul. I keep going back and reading my favorite parts over and over. I am in love with these words. They come off the page in my own voice, like they speak from somewhere I have been already, remember acutely. Gibran himself is a prophet, only a prophet could speak such true words. I want to quote him here to give you a taste, here the prophet is speaking of love:

"For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

...

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears."

-Kahlil Gibran

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

My bible.

I was recommended this book by a very dear friend of mine. I'm very happy that she did. The Prophet is the closest thing to a bible I've ever embraced. The range of subjects, from Love, to Pain, Children, Work, and Laws and Prayer are written about and sung so beautifully.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Truly Inspiring

The Prophet proved to be one of the most inspiring books I have read so far. Being only 19, I found the book to be interesting and highly important. I believe everyone should read this book and learn it. I hope you'll get a chance to read this great book because it will be well worth it!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A book to be savored

This book serves you best when you read it slowly, revisiting the topics when needed. Gibran's work is ideal for those who enjoy the wisdom genre and welcome introspection.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Prophet: Telling it like it should Be

An amazing Oriental (Oriental in the academic sense, meaning Middle Eastern spiritualist) Christian book. The mixture of prose and poetry fits the mood of the spiritual explorer. The artwork is thought provoking adding a visual richness to the intellectual pursuit of truth seekers. This book is not a "self-help" Joel Osteen easy read. Be ready to invest time and effort, if you so do you, will not be disappointed.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Simple, Beautiful and Outstanding

One of the best books i have ever read. It is very simple and covers most of the issues we face daily. It shows you the beauty in every thing and a realistic view based on Gibran's experience in life. Simply a MASTERPIECE...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Just What I Needed...& Still Need

I remember I had to read this book in high school. I was 16, and quite frankly, hanging out with my friends and partying were much more fun than some silly homework assignment. Fast forward 19 years. I was in B&N a few weeks ago, and I happened to have stumbled on the book. I wanted something to read, so I thought, 'Eh, why not? It looks like a quick read.' So, I bought it. Well, all I can say is, 'Wow! What a disservice I did to myself back then by not reading this book!' Then again, maybe I wasn't prepared for such an awesome piece of work. I think you need to experience life to really appreciate this book. My first time reading it, I was BLOWN AWAY. I actually started crying in a few areas of the book because I could relate so much of it to my own life and experiences. The first time, I read it as a novel. Now, I use it as a reference tool for life. When my son rebels, I turn to the 'Parenting' section. When my heart was broken earlier this year, I went to the 'Love' section. Sometimes, my intensity is too much for daily life, so that's when I flip to the 'Reason vs Passion' section. I have read a lot of books in my time, but I must say that this is probably the most SPECIAL book I have ever had or read. Now, I'm not some super-intellectual who dwells in the World of the Intelligencia. I'm just a regular person who really needed a book like this in her life. Honestly, I think Mr. Gibran wrote this book for people like me. Heck, I was thinking that he wrote it JUST for me :-) Enjoy.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Deep and personal

I found out about this book from a guest editor piece by Hilary Duff in Seventeen magazine. She had included some excerpts from the book in her piece. They were hard-hitting and deep, so I decided to take on the challenge of reading the book for myself. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran is probably one of the deepest books that anyone could ever read. It was originally published in 1923. Interspersed among the proverbs in the book are pages of the author¿s own drawings. The drawings do not really add anything to the meaning of the book though, and they feature nudity. The book has twenty-eight sections, two of which are basically an introduction and a closing. The other twenty-six cover a wide range of topics from love, children, clothes, friendship, beauty and death to work, houses, laws, pain and time. I like this book because of its many wonderful insights about some topics to which I can actually relate. I was amazed at how something written in the early 1900s can transcend the ages and still hold some relevance to the early 2000s. Some of Gibran¿s proverbs are toe-stompers: ¿But if in your fear you would seek only love¿s peace and love¿s pleasure, Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love¿s threshing-floor, Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself. Love possesses not nor would it be possessed For love is sufficient unto love.¿ Still others of Gibran¿s proverbs are full of wisdom: ¿Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life¿s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and thought they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love buy not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.¿ I found the book to be uplifting overall, although I cannot pull any one individual uplifting proverb because the book, through its depth of wisdom and insight, lightens any bad day. I would definitely recommend that everyone read this book at some point in their lives.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Book provides vision of life in true sense

no words are eneogh in praise of the book. One who is fond of reading and even the one who is not fond of reading must read this book. it provides true insight to the problems which arise while understanding the life, complications of emotions&relations.Reading this arouse the curiosity of reader to read the other books of the Great Writer.Moreover the drawings by Gibran are also amazing

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A must have - thoughtful, profound, moving

A beautiful book - everyone should have this - easy to read yet profound.

Brings great sadness to see this son of Lebanon, now that we experience the devstation to his country in recent years becaue of hard-line fundamentalists

True Masterpiece

I first read this book as a teenager. It has remained on my bookshelf, being read many, many times. I have given it as a gift to several people, over the years. It is one of my favourite books.

The Prophet is a classic, and is considered to be Kahlil Gibran's masterpiece. Gibran himself considered it his "greatest achievement". Originally published in 1923, it has been translated into 28 languages, and is still a popular piece of literature today.

The book is a beautiful blend of poetry and philosophy. Each chapter takes on a particular topic, or aspect of life. "The Prophet" speaks on love, work, law, freedom, pain, time, and many other important issues we all deal with as we journey through life. Each beautifully written chapter is also illustrated by Gibran.

The importance and beauty of this book is immeasurable and timeless. This book should be on every bookshelf of those who truly enjoy the beauty of poetry and classic literature, to be enjoyed and appreciated by every generation. The life lessons offered by Kahlil Gibran are timeless in essence and belief.

A Must Read!!!

This book teaches you about love and family like no other. A cohesive collection of poems that are easily readable, yet exquisitely beautiful.

Poetic Prose for Inner Peace

If you are looking for a spiritually inspiring text that transcends religious dogma, this is an excellent book to pick up. It is a quick, easy read, but a lot of wisdom is packed into each page.

The first and last chapters are really the only parts that involve plot. The 25 short chapters in between are essentially philosophical musings and inspirational advice on difference aspects of life. They could just as easily be read without the first and last chapters, and in any order. Still, I would recommend reading the whole thing through the first time, because it is a lovely story. But the beauty of this book is that you can go back to any topic for which you feel you are in need of guidance, and it will be just the 2-3 page inspiration that you need at that moment. You can (and will) keep coming back to it.

There are chapters on Love, Pleasure, Work, Reason & Passion, Joy & Sorrow, Clothes, Eating & Drinking, Laws, Giving, Friendship, Time, etc. Each chapter draws out the yin and the yang on each topic, and gives spiritual, motivational guidance. Moreover, the writing style is so poetic, you are bound to be entranced by the sheer beauty of the language. It leaves you feeling at peace with life and whatever struggles you are currently facing. I highly recommend it to anyone searching for inner peace.

Keep for Life

This book covers all life events ; poetry and prose that will be a lifelong companion and inspiration. A great gift for anyone but particularly young people (grads, etc) who will treasure it as they mature.

THE PROPHET... Gibran's masterpiece that truly sees beyond the vial

The Prophet is a book about life and truth written by a man that saw both clearly. His use of opposites, such as joy and pain; reason and passion; death and life leads to real self-revelation. His dialogue on pain and its fruit is the most beautiful parable I have ever read. Gibran delivers his sublime messages, not with stilted words and puffy language, but through simplicity of word and humility of deed... My HIGHEST recommendation!

Amazing and Touching

This is by far one of my favorite books. The love, the wisdom for dealing with life, and all of the challenges are eloquently and timelessly written about. It is a great book for approaching life and love. (IMHO)

Get This Book

Anyone who reads this book, will forever change the way they live and perceive their lives.

Great book for reflection

The words of wisdom in this book is better than any I have seen. The style of writing is simple and elegant.

"A KEEPER"

I have owned a copy of this book for over 40 years.

On Nov 22, 2009, a 19 yr old relative of mine was killed in Afghanistan. A speaker, at his funeral, read a chapter from this book.....the chapter on "Children". I had read, that chapter, for years during the challenges of raising my children. It dawned on me...that NOT ONLY THAT CHAPTER....but the entire book would bring comfort to the family.

I bought 8 copies ...... and, DAILY, the family refers to different topics.

To me, this book is a must for table tops, bedtime reading or for libraries.

It's silly to review this book. It's a timeless classic

You will be hard pressed to find finer words than the ones between these covers. Some of the finest truths about life and death are put here in words that flow off the page and into the river of timeless wisdom.

You will read it over and over in the long years of life and each time it will reveal new riches in its revelations. It holds wisdom for most every relationship, every marriage, every ceremony in life.

It's a wonderful gift for yourself, your lover, your friends, you parents. It's also a wonderful gift for you children as they graduate and head off into the world.