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Title: Eden at Play: A Grown-Up Fable
Author: Jan Peregrine
Narrator: David K. Aycock
Format: Unabridged
Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins
Language: English
Release date: 10-21-15
Publisher: Janet Peregrine
Genres: Fiction, Religious & Inspirational
Publisher's Summary:
This thought-provoking novella is an extensive update or re-imagining of my 1999 novella Eden in Limbo. It is told in three sections, the first from the perspective of a spiritual guru-type and the next two from many other amusing characters who listen to the guru and observe the strange things that happen, such as a mad monk holding the guru at gunpoint and later stalking a journalist. Eden at Play is religious satire, but it also has spiritual depth to make listeners think about life and their faith or non-faith. Poetry is included as well as a short, poetic version of the story that has a curious child asking his parents questions about the mythological Garden of Eden and death. It's very sensitively described and life-affirming. I also include most of the brief epilogue from the 1999 novella, reflections of my journey as a writer, and recommendations of books mentioned in the novella.
Members Reviews:
Eden At Play: A Grown- up Fable
Let me preface this review by stating that I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchanged for my unbiased review. This is a review of the audiobook, rather than the written version.
As the title indicates, Eden At Play is presented in the construct of a fable, a sort of pilgrimage of a diverse cast of characters, all seeking to come to terms with their own spiritual journey, by presenting their ideas from various perspectives, relying heavily on narrative, and as such, it reads or sounds very much like a play. The author states in the epilogue that the characters represent her own personal spiritual journey at various stages.
The primary character, Big Boss is the feminine version of God, with the character, Third God, representing the Trinity who interacts with the various characters, at certain points during the narrative. The story itself, consists primarily of dialog between the characters, with an occasional monologue from the Big Boss and Third God. The author also bookends the story with poetry,which provides a unique framework for the story.
Although relatively short, I hesitate to label it as a quick read, or listen, since there are various points that the listener may want to ponder. I
recommend repeated readings, or hearings, to fully absorb the various ideas and concepts present in this volume. I found it be a rather entertaining presentation of various perspectives on religion, philosophy and spirituality.The narration, on the other hand, I feel would have been better served by a feminine voice, which would have been a better fit for the poetry and the feminine voice of the main character.
While I found the book and characters to be fairly intriguing, due to the unusual presentation, I am not sure it will appeal to a wide audience. However, for those interested in exploring various viewpoints, on religion, philosophy, and spirituality, it is worth exploring.
A great book to read again and again!
Eden At Play: A Grown-Up Fable is, as other reviewers have noted, not a "quick" read, because you do need to take time to put together all of the pieces and really understand all that is at play (pun intended) within the story.