The Journeys of Socrates

In 1980 Dan Millman published a New Age semi-autobiographical novel, WAY OF THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR, which focuses on a 94-year-old guru named Socrates. This prequel tells the story of Socrates's earlier life in Russia. Millman himself speaks briefly after the close of this narrative, describing the circumstances that led him to his spiritual teacher and the stories of Socrates's history--but these will be of interest primarily to those who take Millman's claims seriously. The most enjoyment comes from Sam Tsoutsouvas's rich and varied narration. Millman's prose is clunky, and he tends to overexplain, but Tsoutsouvas's delivery is masterful, changing a thin story into something like classic radio melodrama with his breathy pauses and his growling of the villain's names. G.T.B. 2006 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

March 28, 2005
In his landmark 1980 novel, Way of the Peaceful Warrior,
Millman blended fact and fiction to tell the story of a young man whose life is transformed by his encounter with a mysterious sage named Socrates. In this intriguing follow-up, Socrates takes center stage. It's late 19th-century Russia, and young Sergei Ivanov has been drafted into training to become one of the czar's elite guards. When Sergei saves the life of a brutal fellow student, Dmitri Zakolyev, during a difficult training exercise, he knows this act has actually made him an enemy. Dmitri humiliated by his weakness, gets back at Sergei years later when he becomes part of a pogrom to hunt down Jews; during a chance encounter, Dmitri wounds Sergei, who is part Jewish, and kills his pregnant wife, Anya. After a suicide attempt that leads to a kind of vengeance-oriented enlightenment, Sergei studies with a series of masters to perfect his warrior skills. Millman's narration clips along, and he does a fine job with period flourishes. But the extended training chapters suffer from clichés of character and narrative, and dampen the suspense. A shocking surprise about the fate of Sergei's unborn child and a ham-fisted meeting between Sergei and his rival strain credibility, but Millman's fluid storytelling makes this an easy read. Agent, Candice Fuhrman
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September 15, 2005
"Journeys", the prequel to Millman's novel "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" published 25 years ago, begins with the violent birth of Sergei Ivanov in 19th-century tsarist Russia. Young Sergei is sent to an elite Cossack military boarding school for intensive training, and in the course of saving another student's life, he makes a powerful enemy. When he leaves the school, his odyssey begins in a quest for revenge. But as he moves forward, Sergei encounters masters who reveal secrets about martial arts and the path to peace. Although Sam Tsoutsouvas's narration is sometimes rather flat, the ending is exciting and moving. Recommended for public library collections. -Barbara Valle, El Paso P.L., TX

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.