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The Journey

by Dan O'Brien (Goodreads Author)

3.35 of 5 stars 3.35 · rating details · 17 ratings · 11 reviews

The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled with exotic places and age-old questions, the J...more

Paperback, 176 pages

Published November 21st 2011 by Create Space

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Aug 20, 2012 Literary rated it 1 of 5 stars

The Journey starts with Th'bid, a man or not a man, that either dies or doesn't die and travels in his mind or not in his mind to find the meaning of life, or death, or neither, or both.

Confusing? Yeah, join the freaking club.

Evidently, our author, Mr. O'Brien, likes to make sure that you don't have a damn clue as to what you're reading, let alone understanding. Through the course of reading this book, I felt my sanity slipping ever so slowly away. I'm not sure if this was intentional by the aut...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Majanka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: spiritual, read-2012

In The Journey, author Dan O’Brien takes us on a spiritual journey. Our main character is a soul who’s lost his name as he reached The Crossroads, and is referred to as “The Lonely” for a large part of this book. The Lonely doesn’t know where he is or why he’s here, and neither do the readers. I liked this confusion, this sense of not actually being anywhere, but I imagine not everyone will like it as much. Not only does The Lonely have no idea who he is, where he’s from, or where he’s at, but n...more In The Journey, author Dan O’Brien takes us on a spiritual journey. Our main character is a soul who’s lost his name as he reached The Crossroads, and is referred to as “The Lonely” for a large part of this book. The Lonely doesn’t know where he is or why he’s here, and neither do the readers. I liked this confusion, this sense of not actually being anywhere, but I imagine not everyone will like it as much. Not only does The Lonely have no idea who he is, where he’s from, or where he’s at, but neither do the readers. As The Lonely embarks on his spiritual journey to rediscover who he truly is, he must ask the help of spiritual beings. The first of them is The Frozen Man, then comes The Burning Man and next up is The Wicker Man. These beings, which aren’t exactly Gods, but more like spirits or things that just are, I suppose, give The Lonely glimpses of ideas, and it’s up to The Lonely to analyze them. In reconstructing the ideas, he slowly reconstructs himself, his own memories and who he once was.

I recommend to throw all your conventional ideas about books, how books should be written, and so on, out of the window before starting on The Journey. Think of it as a less-dark journey like in Dante’s Inferno. There are no real fleshed-out characters, but more like prototypes of characters. The Frozen Man, The Burning Man and The Wicker Man are more like ideas, notions, rather than actual characters. Even the main character, The Lonely, is so generic at first it could be anyone, which makes it easy for the reader to see themselves as The Lonely and the main character of this journey. The plot itself isn’t really there as well. There is a plot of sorts: The Lonely needs to figure out who he is, and to do so he meets with metaphysical characters who provide him with ideas, and a guide at The Crossroads who points him in the right direction. But that’s as far as the plot goes. This book isn’t plot-driven, instead the plot just flows, like paint brushes on a painting. The Lonely interacts with divine beings (fine, they’re not Gods, but they’re all-knowing, so I’d call them divine regardless), but instead of replying, they answer questions with questions. This reminded me of the philosophical teachings of Socrates, who was known to teach through questioning.

What is unique and thought-provoking about The Journey is that it asks philosophical questions and provides us with answers, but does so in a unique way. This book explained things totally different from what I’m used to hear, and fortunately, it was a lot easier to understand this way. In simple logics, the book introduces us to basic philosophical principles, and makes the reader ponder about life, death and the reason why we exist, if any.

What I did feel was lacking in the book was a drive, a point, a climax. I loved the ending, but sometimes the middle lacked direction. This vibe fitted the atmosphere of the book, but made me feel more confused than I’d liked to. Dante’s Inferno gave me plenty to think about as well, but on top of that, it provided a straight-forward, continuous journey that went in one direction, not several. I struggled to get through the beginning of this book, partly because it was so strange at first. Once I delved deeper into the novel, I began to understand what the author was trying to do and started enjoying it, but it was hard at first to adapt to the atmosphere and setting of this book.

If you’re looking for a fun, enjoyable, easy read, then The Journey isn’t what you’re looking for. However, if you’re looking to ask yourself a few questions, and read a new take about the meaning of life and philosophy without being preached to, then The Journey is a read you’ll definitely enjoy.(less)

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Jul 15, 2012 Karielle Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

The Journey by Dan O'Brien
Release Date: April 16th, 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace
Page Count: 176
Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review

The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled...more The Journey by Dan O'Brien
Release Date: April 16th, 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace
Page Count: 176
Source: Complimentary copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review

The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled with exotic places and age-old questions, the Journey is a book that seeks to merge the fantastical and real. Join the Lonely as he seeks out answers to his own existence and perhaps the meaning for us all.

What Stephanie Thinks: I will say I've never read a book quote like The Journey... I don't really know what much else I can say about it. The novel follows the spiritual (read: imaginary) voyage of a soul named Th'bir, who loses (though later rediscovers) his identity at the embarkment of realm in-betweens, and thus is referred to as The Lonely. At first, The Lonely is as confused and in the dark as readers are — he doesn't know who he is, where he's from, or what he's doing at the surreal crossroads of discovery, but he, and we, are soon to find out.

He is instructed to receive guidance from various beings, but they're not really beings, not really human. They aren't necessarily gods or spirits either. They just are. From the Frozen Man he learns of the 'necessity of logic ... the infallibility of thinking and observing without emotional bias in order to find the meaning of things' (74), from The Burning Man, he discovers 'the obscurity of definition, the reality of emotional content and the inspection of all things created and man-made to find out their deeper significance. To perhaps approach life and the realities of what that encompasses from a humanistic position, to see how they apply to the individual, not as a broad statistical judgment taken without relevance to how stratified life truly is'. In other words, The Lonely is exposed to infinite, inconsistent ideas, and it is up to him to analyze and sort them out on his own. It is up to him to reconstruct himself out of the ideas that he is thrown, and the long, grueling spiritual journey is where it will happen.

Existence, as well as the purpose of life, of death are also pondered upon. While the notions and wisdom conveyed are thought-provoking — I found myself engaged in concepts that were always in the back of my head, but never really brushed upon until O'Brien mentioned them — I found this book overall to just be weird. There's no real plot, no real characters, no real point, and that to me, is very unsettling. The structure is a mess, and the flow very hard to follow. I'd love so much to just accept a story like this for how it is, in all of its philosophical and psychological disarray, but I could hardly make sense of, let alone enjoy it, so I'm afraid to say it isn't something I could recommend.

Dan O'Brien is not a letdown with words, though. His style is lush and fast-paced, nothing I have to dig too deeply with, very easily skimmable. Which is why it's a shame how the absence of essence made The Journey a difficult read. Reminiscent of Nicolai's The Case, the cluttered plot, unclear intention, and ambiguous storyline constitute this story, and they really are all it has to offer. This book is very new age-y — strange, but not in an intriguing way, just in a "what the fuck did I just read" way. Maybe after a bit of polishing and refinement, I could try this one again, but for now, no thank you.

Stephanie Loves: "'Men find validity in their lives from histories and proofs, ignoring the mysterious beauty that surrounds them and the thrall of those things unexplained. Babies grow into children and then into adults. First, they are cared for greatly for in order to be able to care for the generation next and so on, as needed. However, in youth there is a time during which we learn of something that we often too easily let go of: imagination."

Radical Rating: 4 hearts - So-so; reading this book may cause wrinkles (from frowning so much). (less)

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Apr 23, 2012 Grampy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I'm required to tell you I received this book as a Goodreads First Reads winner. However, it will be a tough one for me to review. It finally really came together for me in the last chapter, but I recommend reading it just on the basis of the thought-provoking lessons to be considered in that final chapter. The world would be a much better place if all 7+ billion of us were to read it and heed it. Leading up to the final chapter, I felt like I was in over my he...more

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May 17, 2012 Nadyne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: e-books, fiction, kindle, philosophical, 2000-s, read-in-2012, american

First sentence: "The open arms of the darkness embraced the being, the one that had been called Th'bir."

Last sentence: "His footprints soon erased from existence, as if he had never walked upon the shore."

From Amazon: The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed b...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: advanced-readers-copy

***This book was received as a free advanced readers copy***

Ok, I freely admit that I really just did not get this book. But I enjoyed the language in it for the most part, and thought it was interesting. It just made me feel a little dumb.

A being called The Lonely sets out on a journey. There a shape shifter called the Crossroads points him in the four directions of the compass, to meet a different kind of being at each end. To the North, a being of logic, the South, one of passion, the West so...more ***This book was received as a free advanced readers copy***

Ok, I freely admit that I really just did not get this book. But I enjoyed the language in it for the most part, and thought it was interesting. It just made me feel a little dumb.

A being called The Lonely sets out on a journey. There a shape shifter called the Crossroads points him in the four directions of the compass, to meet a different kind of being at each end. To the North, a being of logic, the South, one of passion, the West something a little more wild, and to the East, something peaceful. Each of them has a lesson to impart and only after speaking with them can he continue on his journey, to try to figure out who or what he is and why is on this journey in the first place. And ultimately the journey is about knowledge.

The Lonely was kind of pretentious. I'm not going to lie. For a guy who claims to now know what's going on or where he is, he sure does like to argue with these all powerful type beings and try to show them up. But hey, at least he has spunk. The beings themselves are all very different from one another, and that's in both appearance and the messages that they have to impart. I actually think I liked the South the best out of all of them, just because she was a little wild and warm. She'd probably be a good friend. The last figure kind of confused me as I wasn't sure the lesson he was trying to drive home.

So aside from the book making me feel like an idiot with some of its ideas, I did like the imagery. I could actually picture the different places that the Lonely visited and enjoyed the concept of finding a different person in each direction. It was just the conversation (and this book is mainly conversation) that left me at a loss sometimes. I don't consider myself a genius or anything, but some of it was pretty high level and I don't think it could be enjoyed by a wide group of people, I certainly had some trouble in parts anyway. This book is probably for a chose few who like philosophy and figuring out life's lessons and deeper meanings. Its definitely one of those books you have to think about.

I'm still pretty confused and may have to go back and read it again just to see if I can figure a little more out. But considering I read for pleasure I'm more likely to be distracted by something a little more brain friendly.

The Journey
Copyright 2011
176 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com (less)

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Sep 28, 2012 Tabatha rated it 3 of 5 stars

At times I can honestly say I didn’t understand this book. It wasn’t an easy to comprehend novel to read, but that’s probably my fault more than the books. It’s definitely worth a read if you can manage to comprehend the meaning behind it. I think it’s really intense, and I might just not be at the right level of understanding. I did however enjoy the section about the Chameleon. It was definitely my favorite part of the novel.

Did I mention Dan O’Brien is the son-in-law of the people I’m staying...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Journey is unlike any book I've ever read. The main character is called the Lonely. He doesn't know if he is alive, if he is dead or what his purpose is. He begins a journey to learn his purpose and to find peace. He wants to know his name and why he exists. His journey begins at the crossroads, and the constantly changes it's appearance.

His journey takes him to the North, East, South and West. At each place, he learns the answers to his questions or what he learns takes him to the next stop...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Jes rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I will start this review off with the fact that I won this book in a goodreads giveaways. The book was a pretty quick read but I just had a hard time focusing on the story. It was sometimes confusing and I almost feel like the author was trying too hard to sound philosophical. I did like how the ending sort of tied everything up, but I just wasn't satisfied, and that to me is a very important piece of making a book good to me.

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Apr 11, 2012 Frank rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Existentialism with a witty dark tone to it. while this might not be an easy read for everyone, is in fact a good read. this is a good story for those readers that enjoy complex writing with complex psychologies. while at the beginning might be hard to follow the end pays off.

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Feb 08, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Readers who like a lot of soliloquy and dialogues between characters

Shelves: philosophical-meanderings, good-message, fantasy, kindle-book, all-things-winter-challenge, 2011-reading, bbb-review

3.5/5.0 stars

For a full review, see the Bitten by Books website: http://bittenbybooks.com

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About Dan O'Brien

I have been writing novels for over a decade and had a couple published by traditional, small houses. Riding the self-publishing boom, I have four books in print that are available in paperback or e-book format. If you are interested in reading them, I am always open to sending out samples (or PDFs) to those who are interested.

I was born on the east coast and spent most of my life moving around....more

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The Path of the Fallen (The Fallen Chronicles)

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