To Fathom the Gist: Volume 1 - Approaches to the Writings of G. I. Gurdjieff

As a disciplined approach to the study of Beelzebub's Tales, this will appeal to many serious students of Gurdjieff's ideas. Yet there is something about this exclusive focus that leaves me slightly uneasy, in that it seems to minimize the necessity of working with real human beings in legitimate groups. The Fourth Way is an oral tradition, and while Gurdjieff did write his masterpieces for generations both known and unknown to him, it is also true that there are some genuine persons of knowledge with whom one can work and study today.

For a few pages here and there, I was feeling grateful to Robin Bloor for writing this book, but the numerous times when his thinking and research go wildly off the rails more than offset that good feeling. I really wanted to be very positive about Fathom the Gist, it's a great idea, but it is not realized in this volume.

excellent

thanks

The author has shared some of the fruit of his many years of labor with us and I have little doubt that this book will uplift and stimulate the discussions for many years to come. He shows us the tools he has used to uncover the actual meanings of the various words chosen which have stymied many over the years. One point in particular that he makes is that Gurdjieff was meticulous and exacting in his choice of words in keeping with his aim: "To destroy mercilessly, without any compromises whatsoever, in the mentation and feelings of the reader, the beliefs and views, by centuries rooted in him, about everything existing in the world."I believe this book will assist us in this.

To Fathom The Gist is probably the most important book yet published about Gurdjieff's writings.Like many others who have read Gurdjieff's Beelzebub's Tales To His Grandson, I hadn't found a way to get real insight into the meaning - even after many times of reading.To Fathom The Gist has been a real breakthrough for me, because it explains how to approach the book productively, without revealing directly what a particular tale or chapter actually means. It suggests what the meaning might be of some of the obscure words that litter the book and also explains ways of digging into their etymology. It even advises you on how to think, not just about Gurdjieff's writings, but also in general. For me, the explanation of what Objective Science is and how it differs from Subjective Science was especially helpful.I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the Tales. It is written in a very accessible style, so is a pleasure to read. Most importantly, it provides many insights into the allegorical nature of Gurdjieff's writing. I am very much looking forward to volume 2, although I am certain I will continue to learn and get value from this first volume for some time yet.

Several books are published every year on the subject of Gurdjieff but it has taken over half a century for someone to write a book that offers readers of Gurdjieff's books the keys to "fathom the gist" of his writing. Bob Hunter's 'The True Myth' and J G Bennett's 'Talks on Beelzebub's Tales' are rich with enlightening interpretations but neither are as systematic as Bloor's new work. This is a highly readable book and for those that have puzzled over 'The Tales' (as Beelzebub's Tales is often called) it might be a bit of page turner.Bloor offers a range of techniques - some obvious and others a result of long labour - to employ to unravel the meaning buried in Gurdjieff's writings and he offers examples of both fruitful and unfruitful applications of these same techniques. Of particular value is his list of morphemes that are the basis of the neologisms Gurdjieff employs in his writings. This alone is work the price of the book.There is plenty of spade work for the reader and 'To Fathom the Gist' is no Idiots Guide to Gurdjieff's writings - Bloor just provides the tools. By the end I was left wondering why it took over 60 years for a book like this to be written and grateful that Bloor has done it.

Mr. Bloor's TO FATHOM THE GIST (vol.1) is an insightful and original work. This kind of ultra-effort to present such a variety of perspectives carries value for every serious reader. Mr. Bloor is an original thinker and courageously ventures into new territory. What I like most about Bloor's work is that the Legominism itself is his gravity-center. He supports his observations with very clear citations from the text, giving multiple examples to elucidate a point. This book serves others who wish to penetrate the depths of Gurdjieff's Legominism in the way Gurdjieff prescribes, not according to their own 'wiseacring.' There are numerous suggestions on how to approach the text. Chapter 6, "Language and Style," is of particular importance in that we are presented with nuances that most likely slip by many readers. We are encouraged to look more carefully, pay closer attention, and embrace more detail. There is a wealth of assisting material here, including appendices that organize material for us that we can reference. There is something here for even the most experienced readers. Robin has a unique voice worth hearing.

Took ages to arrive but that isn't the point:This is gobbledygook pure, but let Mr. Beelzebub speak for himself:.. the point is: This is the very opposite of what helps to find the fathom of the ghist:Spoonfeeding of the worst kind.So best to let Mullah Nassr Eddin and Beelzebub himself speak:Quotes from Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson:"You must here know, that in long-past ages one might still occasionally run across beings of that profession who still invented and wrote something really by themselves; but in these later epochsthe 'writers' among the being there, particularly among contemporary beings, have been of those that only copy from many existing books all kinds of ideas, and by fitting them together make a 'new book.' "(page 98)"All they can do is wrangle with pigs about the quality of oranges" (p. 15)"..there's more reality in it than in the wiseacrings of an expert in monkey-business" (p. 152)"a flea exists in the World just for one thing- that when it sneezes, that deluge should occur with the description of which our learned beings love so much to busy themselves" (p. 351)"Ekh...you, Koorfooristanian pantallons, isn't it all the same to you whether you have a mule or a hare for your farm work? Haven't both of these animals four legs?" (p. 863)