The Alchymist's Journal
Pages: 214
|Published: 1 Apr 1991
Description
In a fictional tour de force of rich historical re-creation and spectacular prose, Evan Connell imagines the journals of seven alchemists: , the famous sixteenth-century alchemist, begins the remarkably musical narration, which then continues from the point of view of, by turns, a devout novice, an elderly skeptic, a conscientious physician, a Christian historian, a revolutionary, and a philosopher. Each offers a unique lens for viewing Paracelsus, alchemy, and the world.
As in Umberto Eco's , the mystery and occult texture of a historical setting come eerily alive. Though ancient in style, the voices of Connell's diarists are trenchantly clear. Like lead into gold, these imagined contemplations of medieval alchemists transmute into a modern, relevant book filled with sublime wisdom, hope, and healing philosophy. A work of high, uncompromising art in which thought is the real alchemy, The Alchemist's Journal is an acute yet forgiving study of humanity by on of America's greatest writers.
As in Umberto Eco's , the mystery and occult texture of a historical setting come eerily alive. Though ancient in style, the voices of Connell's diarists are trenchantly clear. Like lead into gold, these imagined contemplations of medieval alchemists transmute into a modern, relevant book filled with sublime wisdom, hope, and healing philosophy. A work of high, uncompromising art in which thought is the real alchemy, The Alchemist's Journal is an acute yet forgiving study of humanity by on of America's greatest writers.
