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2000 Years
My First Two Thousand Years: The Autobiography of the Wandering Jew
This monumental work has been called a novelized story of civilization. The Wandering Jew is a cosmic symbol-he is a man, he is a woman, he is sex, he is history, he is life itself.
501 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 1929
12 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
About the author
George Sylvester Viereck
78 books20 followersGeorge Viereck was born in Germany, to a German father and American-born mother. His father Louis, born out of wedlock to German actress Edwina Viereck, was reputed to be a son of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Another relative of the Hohenzollern family assumed legal paternity of the boy. In the 1870s Louis Viereck joined the Marxist socialist movement. In 1896 Viereck emigrated to the United States. His American-born wife Laura and 12-year-old son George Sylvester followed in 1897.
In 1904 while still in college, George Sylvester Viereck, with the help of literary critic Ludwig Lewisohn published his first collection of poems. He graduated from the College of the City of New York in 1906. The next year his collection Nineveh and Other Poems (1907) won Viereck national fame. A number were written in the style of the Uranian male love poetry of the time.[1]
In the 1920s, Viereck became close friends with Nikola Tesla. According to Tesla, Viereck was the greatest contemporary American poet. Tesla occasionally attended dinner parties held by Viereck and his wife. He dedicated his poem "Fragments of Olympian Gossip" to Viereck, a work in which Tesla ridiculed the scientific establishment of the day.
Between 1907 and 1912, Viereck turned into a Germanophile. In 1908 he published the best-selling Confessions of a Barbarian. He lectured at the University of Berlin on American poetry in 1911. Notably, he conducted an interview with Adolf Hitler in 1923 which offered hints of what was to come. He was a close personal friend of Nicola Tesla. He was the person most instrumental in inducing Tesla to work with the German rocket scientists on the "p2" project at Los Alamos, New Mexico, 1936-1937.[2] He founded two publications, The International and The Fatherland, which argued the German cause during World War I. Viereck became a well-known Nazi apologist. In 1941, he was indicted in the U.S. for a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act when he set up his publishing house, Flanders Hall.[3] He was convicted in 1942 for this failure to register with the U. S. Department of State as a Nazi agent.[4] He was imprisoned from 1942 to 1947.
Viereck's memoir of life in prison, Men into Beasts, was published as a paperback original by Fawcett Publications in 1952. The book is a general memoir of discomfort, loss of dignity, and brutality in prison life. The front matter and backcover text focuses on the situational homosexuality and male rape described in the book (witnessed, not experienced, by Viereck). The book, while a memoir, is thus the first original title of 1950s gay pulp fiction, an emerging genre in that decade.
Viereck also published one of the first known gay vampire novels The House of the Vampire (1907). Not only is this one of the first known gay vampire stories, but it is also one of the first psychic vampire stories—where a vampire feeds off more than just blood.
In 1904 while still in college, George Sylvester Viereck, with the help of literary critic Ludwig Lewisohn published his first collection of poems. He graduated from the College of the City of New York in 1906. The next year his collection Nineveh and Other Poems (1907) won Viereck national fame. A number were written in the style of the Uranian male love poetry of the time.[1]
In the 1920s, Viereck became close friends with Nikola Tesla. According to Tesla, Viereck was the greatest contemporary American poet. Tesla occasionally attended dinner parties held by Viereck and his wife. He dedicated his poem "Fragments of Olympian Gossip" to Viereck, a work in which Tesla ridiculed the scientific establishment of the day.
Between 1907 and 1912, Viereck turned into a Germanophile. In 1908 he published the best-selling Confessions of a Barbarian. He lectured at the University of Berlin on American poetry in 1911. Notably, he conducted an interview with Adolf Hitler in 1923 which offered hints of what was to come. He was a close personal friend of Nicola Tesla. He was the person most instrumental in inducing Tesla to work with the German rocket scientists on the "p2" project at Los Alamos, New Mexico, 1936-1937.[2] He founded two publications, The International and The Fatherland, which argued the German cause during World War I. Viereck became a well-known Nazi apologist. In 1941, he was indicted in the U.S. for a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act when he set up his publishing house, Flanders Hall.[3] He was convicted in 1942 for this failure to register with the U. S. Department of State as a Nazi agent.[4] He was imprisoned from 1942 to 1947.
Viereck's memoir of life in prison, Men into Beasts, was published as a paperback original by Fawcett Publications in 1952. The book is a general memoir of discomfort, loss of dignity, and brutality in prison life. The front matter and backcover text focuses on the situational homosexuality and male rape described in the book (witnessed, not experienced, by Viereck). The book, while a memoir, is thus the first original title of 1950s gay pulp fiction, an emerging genre in that decade.
Viereck also published one of the first known gay vampire novels The House of the Vampire (1907). Not only is this one of the first known gay vampire stories, but it is also one of the first psychic vampire stories—where a vampire feeds off more than just blood.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 18, 2013
Imagine: A man named Cartaphilus taunts Jesus on the way to the crucifixion, telling Jesus to hurry up. Jesus turns to the man and says, "I shall go but you shall tarry until I return." 30-year-old Cartaphilus ceases to age.
The Good: Cartaphilus meets many historical figures through the centuries: Appolonious, Mohommed, Atilla, Leonardo da Vinci, Spinoza, Pope Alexander VI (a Borgia), Peter the Great, Martin Luther, and many, many more. He participates in and influences various fulcrums of history. He grapples with loneliness and ennui. He creates an immortal companion named Kortikokura. He pursues a two thousand year courtship of another immortal named Salome (yes, the Salome from the Bible, somewhat re-imagined). It's a fun adventure which also lightly explores the downsides of living forever.
The Bad: This is definitely a man's fantasy, and not today's male but rather a man from a century ago. (The author was born 1884.) Cartaphilus travels to China where he masters the secret of "unendurable pleasure indefinitely prolonged." (Cliché, anyone?) He travels to Baghdad after being rebuffed by Salome, and he drowns his sorrow by purchasing a palace and filling it with his own harem. Some of the attitudes of a century ago are, by today's standards, obvious belittlement and mistreatment of women. So, there's that. The science and philosophy are dated, of course.
The Final Verdict: A tough call between two and three stars. I loved the plot, and I mostly enjoyed the story. However, the tale hasn't aged as well as we might hope.It's "ok". No, strike that. We'll give it three stars.
The Good: Cartaphilus meets many historical figures through the centuries: Appolonious, Mohommed, Atilla, Leonardo da Vinci, Spinoza, Pope Alexander VI (a Borgia), Peter the Great, Martin Luther, and many, many more. He participates in and influences various fulcrums of history. He grapples with loneliness and ennui. He creates an immortal companion named Kortikokura. He pursues a two thousand year courtship of another immortal named Salome (yes, the Salome from the Bible, somewhat re-imagined). It's a fun adventure which also lightly explores the downsides of living forever.
The Bad: This is definitely a man's fantasy, and not today's male but rather a man from a century ago. (The author was born 1884.) Cartaphilus travels to China where he masters the secret of "unendurable pleasure indefinitely prolonged." (Cliché, anyone?) He travels to Baghdad after being rebuffed by Salome, and he drowns his sorrow by purchasing a palace and filling it with his own harem. Some of the attitudes of a century ago are, by today's standards, obvious belittlement and mistreatment of women. So, there's that. The science and philosophy are dated, of course.
The Final Verdict: A tough call between two and three stars. I loved the plot, and I mostly enjoyed the story. However, the tale hasn't aged as well as we might hope.
April 8, 2015
I found this book, and its two sequels, when I was working in a rest home. It's not a book you forget, and I was especially impressed by the third book, which is written from the point of view of his hominid sidekick and which does a great job of expounding Freud's then novel theories in lurid and fantastic fiction.
I also found and read the set of Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd adventures, which scratch a similar historical itch.
What I didn't realise was that the first author was THE George Sylvester Viereck, the villain of "Lovecraft's Book". Now I want to read this again.
I also found and read the set of Upton Sinclair's Lanny Budd adventures, which scratch a similar historical itch.
What I didn't realise was that the first author was THE George Sylvester Viereck, the villain of "Lovecraft's Book". Now I want to read this again.
December 1, 2011
Really long, but well worth the read. (Were you a Highlander fan? Imagine Methos's life story.) The writing was excellent and the walk through history intriguing.
February 1, 2013
Long, but I loved "wandering through history" with the main character. I also marvel at realizing this book was written in 1929. I wanted it to continue thru to next century.
March 25, 2015
The best religious fiction I have ever read and my favorite book.
April 14, 2023
Dos mil años le tomó a Cartaphilus vivir estas aventuras y dos mil años creí que me tomaría leerlas. Sufrí profundamente para terminarlo,por un momento pensé que tendría un bloqueo lector,pensé en abandonarlo o en leerlo superficialmente...pero decidí esforzarme y aquí estamos.
Quiero aclarar que la edición en español tiene 554 páginas mientras que la edición en inglés marca unas 200 y tantas,también tiene una letra pequeña.
Este libro me lo recomendó mi padre,de hecho es suyo. Está interesante y si disfrutas de todo el misterio que envuelve a la historia del Judío Errante,este libro es perfecto.
Me he quedado con ganas de leer el otro libro de los autores que son los primeros 2mil años desde el punto de vista de Salomé,no sé si lo habrán editado en español,si hay copias por ahí (tomando en cuenta que mi edición es de los70's)o incluso si hay viejas copias en inglés,las buscaré.
En fin,bastante bueno.
Quiero aclarar que la edición en español tiene 554 páginas mientras que la edición en inglés marca unas 200 y tantas,también tiene una letra pequeña.
Este libro me lo recomendó mi padre,de hecho es suyo. Está interesante y si disfrutas de todo el misterio que envuelve a la historia del Judío Errante,este libro es perfecto.
Me he quedado con ganas de leer el otro libro de los autores que son los primeros 2mil años desde el punto de vista de Salomé,no sé si lo habrán editado en español,si hay copias por ahí (tomando en cuenta que mi edición es de los70's)o incluso si hay viejas copias en inglés,las buscaré.
En fin,bastante bueno.
June 25, 2024
Not a bad book considering it was written in 1928. Was able to overlook how the protagonist said Jesus had blue eyes as did John. Also said Mary Magdalene had blond hair while John's was tawny.
I believe back then most people went along with the depictions of Jesus painted in the middle ages.
Artists in Europe had absolutely no idea what a Middle Eastern person looked like. I doubt any of them ever went there.
Their idea of beauty was blond and blue eyed probably because it was rare.
The author also got the method of the assassination of Roman emperor Heliogabalus incorrect. Again, allowing for the time it was written it might have been what was recorded as there was no Google.
I'd never heard of this emperor and Google had some interesting information.
The premise is interesting. The protagonist knows Jesus and mocks him for his slave mentality and preaching peace while Jesus is dying on the cross. Jesus tells him, "thou shalt tarry until I return". The protagonist stops aging and begins wandering for hundreds of years. The book is about his adventures many of which were sexual, not all just quite a few. He also acquires a servant named Kotikokura who also seems to be immortal, no explanation of this has been given so far. Fortunately there are no specific details regarding his sexual exploits.
The author does tend to do a lot of nonsensical blabbering, especially at the end. However I'm giving him a pass because of the year it was written.
I believe back then most people went along with the depictions of Jesus painted in the middle ages.
Artists in Europe had absolutely no idea what a Middle Eastern person looked like. I doubt any of them ever went there.
Their idea of beauty was blond and blue eyed probably because it was rare.
The author also got the method of the assassination of Roman emperor Heliogabalus incorrect. Again, allowing for the time it was written it might have been what was recorded as there was no Google.
I'd never heard of this emperor and Google had some interesting information.
The premise is interesting. The protagonist knows Jesus and mocks him for his slave mentality and preaching peace while Jesus is dying on the cross. Jesus tells him, "thou shalt tarry until I return". The protagonist stops aging and begins wandering for hundreds of years. The book is about his adventures many of which were sexual, not all just quite a few. He also acquires a servant named Kotikokura who also seems to be immortal, no explanation of this has been given so far. Fortunately there are no specific details regarding his sexual exploits.
The author does tend to do a lot of nonsensical blabbering, especially at the end. However I'm giving him a pass because of the year it was written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 30, 2023Quite well-written, rather enjoyable, certainly more so than Sue. No signs of fascist sympathies in this work.
June 14, 2025
It is awesome the story of Cartaphilus, because he is my favorite fictional character.
August 15, 2022
Patariu negaišti laiko. Pati knyga prastai parašyta: pagrindinis veikėjas - nepatrauklus nei savo elgesiu nei pasaulėžiūra nutautėjęs, anti-krikščioniškas, biseksualus žydų kilmės asmuo, kuris per savo ilgą gyvenimą neranda kuo geriau užsiimti, tik idealios moters paieškomis, magijos triukų pamokomis ir šliejimusi prie to meto galingiausių asmenybių. Matosi, kad autoriai norėjo tik rašyti erotiką ir aprašyti kuo daugiau pokalbių su garsiomis istorinėmis asmenybėmis, nes daugiau nei veiksmo, nei prasmės šioje knygiūkštėje nėra. Taip pat pilna XX a. pradžios Vakarų literatūrai ir kultūrai būdingų klišių - ištikimas nekalbus egzotinės išvaizdos tarnas, hipnozės seansas, pseudomokslinė genetinės atminties idėja, antikos idealizavimas, kultūrą nešantys užkariautojai ir pan. Tiesa, nors pagrindinis veikėjas ir nesimpatiškas, o vienas jos autorių G. S. Vierek, pasirodo, prijautė Vokietijai ir vėliau Hitleriui, knyga nėra antisemitinė, joje apskritai žydai ar jų kultūra mažai minimi, daugiausia tik pradžioje, pagrindinis veikėjas savęs su jais neasocijuoja ir jie mažai jam rūpi.
O lietuviškas vertimas ir korektūra išvis prasčiausi iš visų knygų kiek gyvenime skaičiau! Vertimui dar galima atleisti paliktus angliškus žodžius, nes gal 1938-ais metais dar ir nebuvo sugalvota ar plačiai naudojami lietuviški terminai, ir rašyba dar tuo metu buvo kitokia, bet jau redaktoriaus darbas...! Atrodo, kad visai neredaguota prieš leidžiant: klaidos (sukeistos raidės) vos ne kiekviename sakinyje, tiesioginės kalbos skyryba išskirtas paprastas tekstas ir atvirkščiai. Geriau rinktis kitą leidimą.
Jei domina žydų istorija ir/arba kultūra geriau rekomenduoju Titas ir Berenikė ir Apysakos.
Jei domina knygos apie nemirtingus veikėjus - Tuck Everlasting; The Many Lives of John Stone, taip pat šitą seriją, rekomenduoju dar filmą The Man From Earth (2007) ir, aišku, Highlander filmus (tik ne paskutinį!) ir serialus ir pirmojo serialo knygas, An Evening at Joe's, komiksus, taip pat dar, Highlander: Way of the Sword, Highlander: The American Dream ir Highlander audioknygas.
O lietuviškas vertimas ir korektūra išvis prasčiausi iš visų knygų kiek gyvenime skaičiau! Vertimui dar galima atleisti paliktus angliškus žodžius, nes gal 1938-ais metais dar ir nebuvo sugalvota ar plačiai naudojami lietuviški terminai, ir rašyba dar tuo metu buvo kitokia, bet jau redaktoriaus darbas...! Atrodo, kad visai neredaguota prieš leidžiant: klaidos (sukeistos raidės) vos ne kiekviename sakinyje, tiesioginės kalbos skyryba išskirtas paprastas tekstas ir atvirkščiai. Geriau rinktis kitą leidimą.
Jei domina žydų istorija ir/arba kultūra geriau rekomenduoju Titas ir Berenikė ir Apysakos.
Jei domina knygos apie nemirtingus veikėjus - Tuck Everlasting; The Many Lives of John Stone, taip pat šitą seriją, rekomenduoju dar filmą The Man From Earth (2007) ir, aišku, Highlander filmus (tik ne paskutinį!) ir serialus ir pirmojo serialo knygas, An Evening at Joe's, komiksus, taip pat dar, Highlander: Way of the Sword, Highlander: The American Dream ir Highlander audioknygas.
August 6, 2016
More than twenty years ago I ran across a hard-cover copy of this book at a garage sale, and subsequently read it. As I recall, it was fairly long, fairly decently done, mostly interesting or I probably wouldn't have finished it; and it had an intriguing premise. It was, I suppose, "sweeping", but no particular bits of it really stand out for me after all these years. In that sense it succeeded less (with me) than some other "autobiographies".
May 27, 2007
Recommended to me by my Dad whom it had an impression on when he was young. It's quite a long rambling book dealing with the popular myth of the Wandering Jew but I enjoyed it.
March 15, 2009
Almost didn't finish this one. Yes, the story is interesting (fun to encounter all those historical characters), but the misogyny and religious stereotyping in it became rather wearing.
January 4, 2010
The rich prose is timeless.
Want to read
February 12, 2011This book was recommended by Dorothy Pinckney. I tried to read it a couple of times. Will try again some day.
October 12, 2013
I loved the scope of history, friendships, constant learning and adventures. Good writing.
May 22, 2015
A fabulous blend of fantasy and history. Like its protagonist"," this book has withstood the test of time!
Want to read
July 10, 2017I WANT TO READ THE WANDERING JEW
August 20, 2017
The edition I just finished is the original 1928 printing. I have read this twice before. Once when I was 14 or 15, the second time in my early twenties.
The story of the Wandering Jew is an old tale, but this book rises it to new heights.
The story of the Wandering Jew is an old tale, but this book rises it to new heights.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews