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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
1. Themes or Characters That Resonated:
The main themes that resonated with me in The Prophet are the ideas of balance and communion—with both the natural world and with other people. I saw repeated threads suggesting that life is not about choosing one side of a duality (joy vs. sorrow, love vs. pain), but understanding that these opposites are actually part of a whole. The book seemed to promote a kind of spiritual and emotional equilibrium, in which life’s beauty is amplified by its sorrows, and vice versa. I also appreciated the implicit idea that we are not separate from the divine, but expressions of it—that we are “the breath of God.”
2. Emotions, Thoughts, or Memories:
My initial impression was that the way the book is written pulls the reader in—it makes you want to believe what it says. It feels like one of those “classics” Thoreau wrote about, the kind of book that seems to speak with the weight of centuries behind it. I think there’s a lot of insightful wisdom here, and it's beautifully written. That said, I’m cautious not to accept everything at face value just because it sounds good. Beauty can feel like truth even when the ideas themselves still need to be weighed on their merits. That tension—between the poetic delivery and the philosophical content—is part of what makes the book worth returning to and wrestling with.
I also found myself reflecting on the nature of belief and truth. If I were to create a conception of God, it might be something similar to what Gibran implies: not a person or a being, but the manifestation of the cosmos and everything in it. His conception of God seems to be found in breath, in life, in the interconnectedness of things.
Two other books came to mind as I read: The Left Hand of Darkness and Les Misérables. From The Left Hand of Darkness, I was reminded of a quote that warns against seeing civilization and primitiveness as opposites—echoing The Prophet’s recurring message that apparent opposites (joy/sorrow, love/pain) are part of a continuum, not a dichotomy. Similarly, a moment from Les Misérables resonated with Gibran’s themes of unity and shared divinity—the scene where the Bishop tells Valjean, “You are my brother.” That spirit of recognition, of seeing the divine or essential humanity in another person, feels deeply compatible with Gibran’s worldview as demonstrated by this quotation that was attributed to him:
“I love you, my brother, whoever you are—whether you worship in your church, kneel in your temple, or pray in your mosque. You and I are children of one faith—the Spirit.”
3. Opinion about the Author or Writing Style:
Gibran’s writing style is poetic, elevated, and intentionally designed to sound ancient or eternal. It reads like scripture or sacred text—something that could be read aloud in a temple or inscribed on stone. That style gives it a sense of authority and timelessness, which is a big part of its impact. The book feels like it comes from a prophet not because of who Almustafa is, but because of how the words move and sound. It's the rhythm and richness of the language that make the reader lean in.
4. Favorite Passages:
"And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course."
This resonated for me because I think true love compels you; you are not able to compel yourself to love.
"And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?"
This is a very good piece of wisdom, and worth contemplating. It can perhaps be a little bit of comfort in hard times, but more easily it can be a way to appreciate the good times when they are upon you.
"Some of you say, 'Joy is greater than sorrow,' and others say, 'Nay, sorrow is the greater.'
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."
This is a demonstration that the world is sort of in a balance. Again, you can't appreciate the good without the bad.
"And the scholar said, Speak of Talking.
And he answered, saying:
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.
For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly."
I liked this because I am generally a quiet person, and when sometimes I speak out I often feel like a fool for having expressed myself.
My ratings-
Writing Style: 90
Relatability: 90
Originality: 90
Personal impact: 90
Plot: n/a
The main themes that resonated with me in The Prophet are the ideas of balance and communion—with both the natural world and with other people. I saw repeated threads suggesting that life is not about choosing one side of a duality (joy vs. sorrow, love vs. pain), but understanding that these opposites are actually part of a whole. The book seemed to promote a kind of spiritual and emotional equilibrium, in which life’s beauty is amplified by its sorrows, and vice versa. I also appreciated the implicit idea that we are not separate from the divine, but expressions of it—that we are “the breath of God.”
2. Emotions, Thoughts, or Memories:
My initial impression was that the way the book is written pulls the reader in—it makes you want to believe what it says. It feels like one of those “classics” Thoreau wrote about, the kind of book that seems to speak with the weight of centuries behind it. I think there’s a lot of insightful wisdom here, and it's beautifully written. That said, I’m cautious not to accept everything at face value just because it sounds good. Beauty can feel like truth even when the ideas themselves still need to be weighed on their merits. That tension—between the poetic delivery and the philosophical content—is part of what makes the book worth returning to and wrestling with.
I also found myself reflecting on the nature of belief and truth. If I were to create a conception of God, it might be something similar to what Gibran implies: not a person or a being, but the manifestation of the cosmos and everything in it. His conception of God seems to be found in breath, in life, in the interconnectedness of things.
Two other books came to mind as I read: The Left Hand of Darkness and Les Misérables. From The Left Hand of Darkness, I was reminded of a quote that warns against seeing civilization and primitiveness as opposites—echoing The Prophet’s recurring message that apparent opposites (joy/sorrow, love/pain) are part of a continuum, not a dichotomy. Similarly, a moment from Les Misérables resonated with Gibran’s themes of unity and shared divinity—the scene where the Bishop tells Valjean, “You are my brother.” That spirit of recognition, of seeing the divine or essential humanity in another person, feels deeply compatible with Gibran’s worldview as demonstrated by this quotation that was attributed to him:
“I love you, my brother, whoever you are—whether you worship in your church, kneel in your temple, or pray in your mosque. You and I are children of one faith—the Spirit.”
3. Opinion about the Author or Writing Style:
Gibran’s writing style is poetic, elevated, and intentionally designed to sound ancient or eternal. It reads like scripture or sacred text—something that could be read aloud in a temple or inscribed on stone. That style gives it a sense of authority and timelessness, which is a big part of its impact. The book feels like it comes from a prophet not because of who Almustafa is, but because of how the words move and sound. It's the rhythm and richness of the language that make the reader lean in.
4. Favorite Passages:
"And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course."
This resonated for me because I think true love compels you; you are not able to compel yourself to love.
"And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?"
This is a very good piece of wisdom, and worth contemplating. It can perhaps be a little bit of comfort in hard times, but more easily it can be a way to appreciate the good times when they are upon you.
"Some of you say, 'Joy is greater than sorrow,' and others say, 'Nay, sorrow is the greater.'
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."
This is a demonstration that the world is sort of in a balance. Again, you can't appreciate the good without the bad.
"And the scholar said, Speak of Talking.
And he answered, saying:
You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;
And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.
And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.
For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly."
I liked this because I am generally a quiet person, and when sometimes I speak out I often feel like a fool for having expressed myself.
My ratings-
Writing Style: 90
Relatability: 90
Originality: 90
Personal impact: 90
Plot: n/a
Mehmet Hakkı Suçin Hocanın harika çevirisi ile okumak çok hoştu.
Ermiş için de şunu diyebilirim, yüz yıldır milyonlarca adet satılan (ki bu eser aslında doğu'dan bakıp, batı'ya yazılmıştır) ve muhatabı pekala batı dünyası olan bir kitabın, ne o gün ne de bu günlere dair; parantez içinde ve dışında, herhangi bir font'un olabilecek en bold hali ile Vicdan denen şeye zerre-i miskal derecesinde bir etkisi olmuş mudur? Soruyorum size, evet evet Erenler size; öyle bir etki olmuş ise eğer, bugün Suriye'de, dün Irak'ta, evvelki gün Afganistan'da olanlar, oldurulanlar, yoksa vicdanlara seslenmiş tüm o Ermiş'lerin sesleri midir?
Son olarak, Kırmızı yayınlarının bu Hardcover kapaklı kitapları çok güzel. Devamını bekliyoruz...
Ermiş için de şunu diyebilirim, yüz yıldır milyonlarca adet satılan (ki bu eser aslında doğu'dan bakıp, batı'ya yazılmıştır) ve muhatabı pekala batı dünyası olan bir kitabın, ne o gün ne de bu günlere dair; parantez içinde ve dışında, herhangi bir font'un olabilecek en bold hali ile Vicdan denen şeye zerre-i miskal derecesinde bir etkisi olmuş mudur? Soruyorum size, evet evet Erenler size; öyle bir etki olmuş ise eğer, bugün Suriye'de, dün Irak'ta, evvelki gün Afganistan'da olanlar, oldurulanlar, yoksa vicdanlara seslenmiş tüm o Ermiş'lerin sesleri midir?
Son olarak, Kırmızı yayınlarının bu Hardcover kapaklı kitapları çok güzel. Devamını bekliyoruz...
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It is not the kind of scripture that exalts one's self, but instead the kind of scripture that manifests itself gradually, ruminating in the psyche until ready to be drawn forth to action. I reserve five stars for books that affect me permanently, that I can consciously point to and say they've affected my disposition for the better, and The Prophet is absolutely among them. Religion metamorphized itself and now I have seen a truth. Gibran is idealist at times, but the poetry that speaks to me shouldn't be anything but idealist. I hope that someday his visions may be realized.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love this mans work, he is a poet and as such his writing is beautiful.
i'm trying to fall in love with life again. hence the philosophic existential poetry. i understand that some might find it preachy or cheesy, but i loved it loved it LOVED IT. some of my favorite parts:
"You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps. Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping. Even those who limp go not backward. (...) You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good." - from On Good and Evil
"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 a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror." - from On Beauty
"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. (...) You may give them your love but 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." - from On Children
"If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live. For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." - from On Friendship
let me be delusional and only see the good in life for like 5 seconds pls!!!
"You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps. Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping. Even those who limp go not backward. (...) You are good in countless ways, and you are not evil when you are not good." - from On Good and Evil
"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 a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror." - from On Beauty
"Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. (...) You may give them your love but 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." - from On Children
"If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live. For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." - from On Friendship
let me be delusional and only see the good in life for like 5 seconds pls!!!
A good read I think. I'm not super into poetry but I did enjoy this. Certain verses resonated a lot while I just didn't get others
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A