MY REVIEW OF ON PERSEPHONE’S ISLAND BY MARY TAYLOR SIMETI

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Mary Taylor Simeti is an American woman that has lived in Sicily since her marriage.

Her book, On Persephone’s Island, is at the same time her diary and also an essay on life in Sicily as she sees it with her own eyes and ideas. Actually, everyone who describes a place, a situation and even a historical event adds something personal to the narration.

Of note, the parallel she makes between Sicily of today and Greek Sicily. Actually, Sicily was Greece, as the south of Italy and the western coast of today’s Turkey. Great Greece was made of city-states. All of them gave life to Greek civilization.

Very interesting is the reference she makes to the Eleusinian Mysteries and the Thesmophoria, both in honor of Demeter, whose most important temple was in Enna, Sicily. The Eleusinian Mysteries and the Thesmophoria were esoteric rites. Only the initiates were allowed to take part in them.

Overall, this book contains useful information about Sicily, its culture and traditions.

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English version)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English version)

– The Vibrations of Words (English version)

– Travels of the Mind (English version)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (versione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (versione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

MY REVIEW OF JANE EYRE BY CHARLOTTE BRONTE

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Three sisters – Emily, Charlotte, and Anne Bronte – were excellent writers. I have read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and just finished reading Jane Eyre by her sister Charlotte. Someday, I hope to come across something written by the third sister, Anne Bronte.

In Jane Eyre, the main theme is love; the immortal love that disregards wealth, physical beauty, age, and social status. Do you think we can find this kind of love only in novels or also in real life? Can unalloyed love exist? Is it just the dream of artists, writers, poets, painters, sculptors, and music composers?

What also struck me was the nobleness of Jane Eyre’s soul. Her uncle bequeaths to her twenty thousand pounds – a huge amount of money at the time – , but instead of pocketing it all for her, she shares the bequest with her cousins who have been disinherited by their uncle. Can such a thing also happen nowadays or does it only exist in literary works?

Overall, Jane Eyre is a superb, thought provoking novel. It prompts us to act well in life, for, in the end, Providence always comes to the aid of the righteous.

Ettore Grillo, author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily (English edition)

– A Hidden Sicilian History (English edition)

– The Vibrations of Words (English edition)

– Travels of the Mind (English edition)

– Una Storia Siciliana Nascosta (edizione in lingua italiana)

– Viaggi della Mente (edizione in lingua italiana)

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

MY REVIEW OF EINSTEIN’S FORMULA BY JOSEPH CACIBAUDA

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Einstein’s Formula by Joseph Cacibauda fully deserves a five-star review.

It is a short novel, but you do not need to write many words to give rise to a masterpiece.

In Italy, there was a great poet, Giacomo Leopardi, who wrote a very short poem entitled L’infinito (The Infinite). It is a beautiful immortal poem. Few poets have been able to equal it.

Joseph Cacibauda’s novel is not only compelling and easy to read; it is also a journey into the innermost recesses of the human soul. It describes what his idea of life on earth is. Life is born from thought, or rather from the energy of thought.  On the other hand, the Buddhists maintain that life is an expression of the mind. Your mind creates life and the world around you. If you turn off your mind, in that moment the world disappears.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for something enjoyable, special, and enlightening.

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo

MY REVIEW OF INWARD REVOLUTION BY J. KRISHNAMURTI

Posted on by Ettore Grillo

Inward revolution by J. Krishnamurti mainly treats the theme of freedom of ideas while one is doing a spiritual quest. In fact, if you are conditioned by religion, any religion, by a guru, or by your stock of knowledge, you cannot see yourself and reality as they are. You see things as you have been taught. By doing so, you give rise to a conflict between what it actually is and what it should be.

According to Krishnamurti, such conflict must be avoided not only when you do meditation but also in your ordinary daily life. In other words, the mind must be free of prejudices and preconceived ideas.

Throughout the book, from the first to the last page, the author insists on the theme of freedom from conditioning.

I have found some similarities between Osho’s teachings and Krishnamurti’s. On the other hand, all great masters and superior minds are closer to the truth than we can imagine.

Ettore Grillo author of these books:

– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily

– A Hidden Sicilian History

– The Vibrations of Words

– Travels of the Mind

http://www.amazon.com/author/ettoregrillo