Kahlil Gibran (Arabic: جبران خليل جبران) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer. Born in the town of Bsharri in modern-day Lebanon (then part of Ottoman Mount Lebanon), as a young man he emigrated with his family to the United States where he studied art and began his literary career. In the Arab world, Gibran is regarded as a literary and political rebel. His romantic style was at the heart of a renaissance in modern Arabic literature, especially prose poetry, breaking away from the classical school. In Lebanon, he is still celebrated as a literary hero. He is chiefly known in the English-speaking world for his 1923 book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction including a series of philosophical essays written in poetic English prose. The book sold well despite a cool critical reception, gaining popularity in the 1930s and again, especially in the 1960s counterculture. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu.
An easy read. I found a ten rupee note in the pages from the last time I read this. It's a great little compendium and as I visited kahlil Gibrans home this year I thought I'd re-read.
A nice survey, oddly in alphabetic order based on the tastes of the translator. A few touches of misogyny and sexism, but given the 1966 publication date it is actually a smidge ahead of its time. Donating it to a local “little library.”
Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931) was a Lebanese-US Arabic novelist, essayist, poet and painter. He studied art with the sculptor Auguste Rodin in Paris and Arabic literature in Beirut before settling in New York City in 1912.
A romantic mystic and visionary, he preached love, beauty, freedom and redemption in his works. In this book (Reprint, 1996) his thoughts have been bunched on topics arranged in an alphabetical manner starting from A (Action) to Y (Youth). A famous name now, much of his words still ring true which underscores his profound thinking and poetic expression. Some excerpts...
The appearance of things changes according to the emotions, and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves.
Knowledge is your true patent of nobility, no matter who your father or what your race may be.
God does not like to be worshipped by an ignorant man who imitates someone else.
Writers and poets try to understand the truth about woman. But until this day they have never understood her heart because, looking upon her through the veil of desire, they see nothing except the shape of her body.
I picked this book up with great anticipation. I have loved the poetry and philosophy of Kahlil Gibran since being introduced to The Prophet when I was in school. This book did not fulfill the promise which the cover offered. It is broken down into different topics which do not always make sense. There is a section on teeth, when what is being talked about is not teeth at all but the crookedness and decay of modern society which we try and cover with gold. The quotes themselves leave the reader feeling disquiet since they are like reading beautiful scripture which is out of place without that which comes before or after. The quote, taken out of context, leaves one feeling confused and unenlightened. I did find some beautiful quotations in the book, but they were overshadowed by those which were confusing.