Hero in the LabyrinthA lady once casually remarked on British public broadcasting that a third of society is depressed but no one ever speaks about it. Perhaps, in all seriousness, it is to this third of the population that this book is addressed. However you don't have to be depressed to read it. Potentially it is both amusing and instructive, light and deep. Shocked by the approach of his fiftieth year, an English bachelor makes a desperate attempt to become inwardly aware of his given circumstances. The attempt is sustained as a trial over a complete seven-year cycle in his life, leading virtually to the constitution of a new self. Occasionally enlivened by humour, what is particularly valuable in this account of Hero's manoeuvrings in time is its honesty and sustained sense of hope. |
Contents
Early Days | 7 |
Megalomania | 11 |
Spring | 14 |
Active Life | 17 |
Moans and Groans | 20 |
Surprised by Joy | 25 |
Focusing | 29 |
A New Year | 34 |
Communion | 99 |
The Everyday World | 104 |
Meetings | 110 |
Love | 116 |
Business as Usual | 122 |
Seeing Beauty | 128 |
Getting Online | 136 |
Coasting | 142 |
Musical Interlude | 39 |
The Dance Lesson | 44 |
Moving Times | 51 |
Karma | 57 |
The Selfoperating Doorbell | 63 |
Beside a Waterway | 70 |
Life Under Ground | 74 |
Old Feelings | 80 |
Inertia | 83 |
Action | 88 |
Autumn | 94 |
Thinking | 148 |
Dreaming | 152 |
Feeling | 158 |
Society | 163 |
Quest | 170 |
Ongoing | 177 |
Whatever Next | 183 |
The Search for Meaning | 189 |
Life Continues | 194 |
Epilogue | 203 |
Common terms and phrases
able activity actually allow Anyway appeared arrived asked attended attitude become beginning better called certainly close complete concerned condition connected consciousness continue conversation course decided direction effect experience fact feeling felt finally further give going ground hand happy Hero Hero’s hour human idea intended journey keep kind later least light living looking magazine manoeuvring matter meaning meeting mind mood morning mother move nature needed noticed offer once painting particularly passed perhaps person photographs picture Polly possible present previously question realized reason regarding remembered road seemed seen sense side situation someone soul space sure surprise taken telephone things thinking thought told took trying turned usual walk wanted week wondered writing