Faust: My Soul be Damned for the World: Volume
II [Paperback]
When I received Vol. 1
of E. A. Bucchianeri's FAUST, I was completely intimidated, as reflected in my
review of it. It was obviously a high level academic & extensive treatment
of the subject & frankly my time is very limited these days. Well anyway, I
agreed to read it, and by god I was going to read it. It took 6 weeks. All I
could find to criticize about Vol. 1 was the fact that it didn't have a subject
index. Such an index would be invaluable to people like me who research & cross-reference
a variety of subjects. Be that as it may, I found the material fascinating.
The same precision to detail & skill of presentation applies to Vol. 2--and
it zeros in on subjects that I & Parallel Perspectives I-mag readers are most
interested in; that is, Gnosis, Free Masonry, Knights Templar, Illuminati &
other Secret Societies; Allegorical Numerology, legendary occult persons like
the sinister character known as Cagliostro, sacred geometry and perhaps most
importantly, The Great Work. What I find fascinating about Bucchianeri's tome
is that it is a Magnus Opus about another Magnus Opus (Goethe's FAUST) about
The Great Work (Faust's.)
I've made attempts to explain what The Great Work is in previous reviews (see
product insert links below.) Briefly, The Great Work represents a metaphysical
process in which the individual (Microcosm) unites with Divinity (Macrocosm.)
Most people know this as Magnus Opus, usually as applied to a secular
discipline such as writing, music, art & other subjects of deep value.
Goethe's character Faust's version of The Great Work is strictly materialistic
& downright evil--but a version of The Great Work nonetheless (see The
Ninth Gate below.)
Another aspect I appreciated in FAUST is the character study of Goethe's life
& times. In school I got a smattering of knowledge regarding the great man,
but nothing on a level like this. Not only was he obviously an artistic genius,
but his life was as well rounded & fulfilled as any could be. He was not an
isolated genius, but one who valued and cultivated positive relationships. He
served government & society and was a highly esteemed associate. In so many
ways Goethe was a lightening rod of his times & a true visionary.
As mentioned above, FAUST analyzes at length many of the metaphysical,
religious & political concepts that remain of interest to a wide spectrum
of people. If they're willing to summon up (pun intended) the attention span
required, they will find FAUST an invaluable guide to get to the center of
these ideas.
The gist of this is that enjoyed reading Vol. 2 as much as any potboiler;
educational, of course, but a lot of fun & excitement too.
Index or no index, Vol. 2 gets an unequivocal 5 BIG STARS.
The
Gnostic Faustus: The Secret Teachings behind the Classic Text
Hidden
Mutualities: Faustian Themes from Gnostic Origins to the Postcolonial
(Cross/Cultures 87) (Cross/Cultures - Readings in the Post/Colonial Literatures
in English)
Faust:
A Tragedy (Norton Critical Editions)
Daimonic
Reality: A Field Guide to the Otherworld
Mercurius:
The Marriage of Heaven and Earth
The
Ninth Gate
Review: JEFarrow
Updated 5/10
www.gnostics.com