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    The Prophet
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    The Prophet
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    The Prophet
    Ebook75 pages56 minutes

    The Prophet

    By Kahlil Gibran

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    The Prophet is a book of 26 prose poetry fables written in English by the Lebanese-American artist, philosopher and writer Kahlil Gibran. Originally published in 1923, it is Gibran's best known work and has been translated into over 40 different languages.

    The prophet, Almustafa, has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years and is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses topics such as life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with work, love, marriage, eating and drinking, joy and sorrow, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, pleasure, beauty, religion, crime and punishment, reason and passion, and death.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHead of Zeus
    Release dateMar 1, 2017
    ISBN9781786695994
    Author

    Kahlil Gibran

    Poet, philosopher, and artist, Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931) was born in Lebanon. The millions of Arabic-speaking peoples familiar with his writings in that language consider him the genius of his age and he was a man whose fame and influence spread far beyond the country of his birth. His poetry has been translated into more than twenty languages and his drawings and paintings have been exhibited in the great capitals of the world and compared by Auguste Rodin to the work of William Blake.

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    Reviews for The Prophet

    4/5

    2,200 ratings59 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I read this years ago. I'm not a religious person in the slightest. I might consider myself spiritual. This book was to me what I suppose the Bible or Koran, or Torah or whatever is to people of religion. It's a go-to book for learning how to be a better person. Provides insight into emotions, and ideas about work and life.
    • 4/5
      I selected The Prophet as an Around the World For A Good Book choice for Lebanon but really I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time. Especially since a I few years ago when I met Kahlil Gibran's cousin and godson - also named Kahlil Gibran - on a sculpture tour of Forest Hills Cemetery. The Prophet is a series of lessons given by a prophet to the townsfolk on topics varying from "Children," "Self-Knowledge," and "Good and Evil." It has many of the paradoxical formations found in many works of inspirational literature including Lao-Tzu's "Way of Life", the teachings of the Buddha and The Beatitudes of Jesus Christ. Like those other works, it's not really a read once and remember book, it's more of a come back to again and again and find a different pearl of wisdom book.Favorite Passages:from "On Eating and Drinking":But since you must kill to eat, and rob the newly born of its mother' s milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship. - p. 23from "On Self-Knowledge":Say not, "I have found the truth," but rather, "I have found a truth." Say not, "I have found the path of the soul." Say rather, "I have met the soul walking upon my path." For the soul walks upon all paths. - p. 55from "On Death":Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the shall claim your limbs, then you shall truly dance. - p. 81
    • 3/5
      It's ok, not earth shattering or anything. May require re-reading.
    • 4/5
      This was a surprisingly good read. The pithy statements are full of wisdom and poetic grace and the entire whole is abounded by a sense of care and compassion towards the reader. Although I am not religious, I found this to be a particularly gripping book that held my attention from start to finish.

      Great read. Recommended for poets, scholars, those with religious reasons, and curiosity-seekers.
    • 4/5
      This new edition seemed a good opportunity to take in this classic. You don't hear so much about Kahlil Gibran nowadays, but when I was in my teens he seemed to be all over the place.To be honest, I'm not sure what I think. The work captures the cadence and impression of a solid work of philosophy -- much better than the other forms I was also consuming in my teens, like Richard Bach. And I found his real world pragmatism on issues reassuring. Unlike the Christian platitudes on marriage about becoming one, Gibran urged the partners to maintain their individuality however much they are together. Similarly, parents are encouraged to allow their children to become their own persons. Parents may strive to be like their children, but they should not work to make their children like them. All true. On the other hand, I tend not to appreciate arguments of the form of clever wordplay that seek to find deep wisdom by inverting the terms. A and not-A. A chain is only as weak as the weakest link, but also as strong as the strongest one. That's ridiculous. Were I a different kind of person, or even the same person at a different, probably earlier stage of life, I may have the time and inclination to puzzle over these brief expositions on selected topics. But that's not what's going to happen. In truth, I found the new introduction to be the most memorable, with the story of how reading the right book at the right time can change one's life. That's what we really need to be reminded of.This edition introduced a new error into the text, on page 19. Publishers do not pay as much attention to copy editing as they did in the old days, sadly.
    • 3/5
      Wijsheidsliteratuur op en top. Toch begrijp ik die Tagore-idolatrie niet echt goed.
    • 2/5
      The translation I read makes it seem as if Gibran were trying to condense "Thus Spake Zarathustra." I'm not sure whether this is a fault of the specific translation
    • 5/5
      Read this when I was 10 & it stayed with me forever. My buddy in college used to tease me that it was my bible :-p
    • 3/5
      This is an interesting piece of philosophy, well worth a couple rereads. Basically this prophet comes to town, and the people of the town ask him all kinds of questions, and he answers them. There's some good advice about infusing your every action with love and stuff like that, and some confusing advice that may be encouraging nudity and/or anarchy. Like I said, it's worth multiple reads. And it's short enough that rereading is no burden. A good choice if you're in the mood to ponder the Big Issues.
    • 3/5
      his is a very interesting listen. The Prophet is not so much a story as treatise on Gibran's understanding of philosphy and religion. There are some beautiful points made, but others that seem confusing. The narration was rather odd. Paul Sparer has an amazing voice, but it would work better in an epic fantasy, and therefore gave the whole work a feel of the fantastic.
    • 5/5
      a great look at life. a spiritual read on all topics of life. it has taken on a new meaning every time I read it.
    • 5/5
      I originally read this book in high school over 30 years ago and found it beautiful. Today I find it enlightening, calming, and a constant source of re-examination. I actually keep a copy with me at all times to read whenever I need to wait somewhere and want a quick reminder. Very thought provoking and very new age.
    • 4/5
      A beautiful book! The poetry is exquisite and often quoted for its beauty and profound insight. A MUST-READ! Gibran's prophet speaks eloquently on the topics of everyone's life: Love, Marriage, Children, Work, Joy and Sorrow, ... Time, ... Religion...This timeless work will have you thinking deeply and THAT is its greatest gift!
    • 4/5
      (Read in 2002.) Favorite quotes:“And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”“All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of life’s heart.”“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”
    • 2/5
      Was not quite my cup of tea. Might re-read. Might re-rate then.
      But I just say - "It was okay"
    • 3/5
      "The Prophet" is a book that by it's own religious nature will vary in quality depending on one's personal views.
      I say this because as someone who has completly step back from any religious belief, I struggled with some of the book's content; some "truths" presented are those shared by many religions and therefore are completly dependent on belief.
      That being said, I would still recomend this book because of the beautiful imaginery recalled by the Prophet to deliver his teachings; most are so rich that there were parts I re-read several times because understanding the simple images felt many times like an ephifany in the sense that it gave order to some portion of the human experience without simplifying it.

      All things considered, it was worth reading since this is a small and well written book whose effect is more likely than not to bring some more perspective on religious beliefs.
    • 1/5
      A useful work. That is, if you want to learn how to write a book that impresses millions with its apparent depth while saying nothing.
    • 5/5
      There are spiritual gems sprinkled throughout the pages. A book of wisdom and a spiritual classic.
    • 5/5
      This small and beautiful collection of poems is wonderful. They cover any range of topics of life such as marriage and childhood. They are a great pick you up.
    • 5/5
      "The Prophet" is a beautiful and timeless work of art. From the mouth of an old man about to sail away to a far off place, we hear the simple and lyrical wisdom of life and all its components, such as love, work, materialism, crime, freedom, friendship, pleasure, and death. This is a classic guide book for life, full of philosophical eloquence. It is a profound and poetic serman that puts much into perspective without feeling dogmatic or religious. Especially poignant were the writings on Marriage, Children, and Joy and Sorrow. The book can be read in less than an hour, but I'd suggest spending more time with it, allowing yourself to fully absorb this masterpiece. Ten stars.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. It is an aspirational book, full of advice based on ideal types...but that's great because we need to reach for something.
    • 5/5
      This is one book in which, as I came to the last few pages, I subconsciously began to read slower and slower: trying to make it last as I savored every word. There is real poetry in this book...the best kind that is full of wisdom and deep things said in the simplest way. A beautiful, gently philosophical read.
    • 5/5
      This book is priceless. If you haven't done so, read it soon. So much wisdom so sweetly and lovingly put forth.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite books of inspiration. I gave my Friday crew the book before they left for college. One of my favorite memories will always be sharing the book at Starbucks this summer.
    • 5/5
      In the seventh grade I learned teachers didn't know as much as they led us to believe. I'd read The Prophet and wanted to talk about it with my Tag English teacher. He had no idea who Kahlil Gibran was. It took me at least a week to wrap my brain around that fact.More years later than I'd care to admit, I still remember the impact the book had on me and, while I've never read it a second time, several passages and the overall impact stick with me.
    • 5/5
      Timeless in its wisdom. Less is definitely more in this slim volume. Excellent guide for living.
    • 5/5
      i was surprised to learn that gibran was actually an (arab-)american poet and writer, considering that his body of work is almost completely left out of the western and american poetry "canon." the prophet is truly a gift that gibran left for the world. of all writing that i've read this is by far the most practical and accessible, and it's no wonder that it is the most widely read work of all time. the omission of this book from the western poetry canon smacks of racism, but also calls into question the definition and function of poetry in society. because the fact is that most poets will never touch as many people in such a profound way as gibran's prophet has and continues to--particularly those considered to be the "best" within the isolated privileged halls of academia. gibran's prophet's wisdom crosses cultures and time, despite the lack of enthusiam from the ivory towers of poetryland. in fact, the prophet is gibran himself."Beauty is life when life unveils her holy face. But you are life and you are the veil. Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in the mirror."
    • 5/5
      Beautiful and inspiring.
    • 5/5
      Always a good, quick read. Each time I read this text, I find new gems inside it. The pictures are a bit disturbing at times, but beautiful nonetheless. The story revolves around a man ('The Prophet') who is leaving his adopted country to finally return to his native land. He speaks to a large crowd who has gathered to see him depart, on such things as love, marriage, children, material objects, and death. Spiritual and inspiring.
    • 5/5
      I picked up a First Edition copy at Thrift Store! The Greatest Find of My life!