The
New Age Fiction –
Exploring New Possibilities
Abstract - Today not only for
globalization but also for localization, translation has become very essential.
It has become an everyday need of a civilized person. It seems that, in a world
where so many different languages with strong literary background are spoken,
translation has become a basic requirement to bridge the void between different
nations, cultures and civilizations. In this age as a literary genre New Age
literature is still not well-defined, what seems obvious that it is a yearning
to explore the higher reaches of human prospective. The paper tries to
understand this term and discusses few writers and trends that we are marching
towards in this century. It is best to define it as a genre that explores new
possibilities and concepts. Subsequently, it can be as enormous and varied as
the human mind itself, and difficult to pigeonhole. Even the effects vary.
Key words – #The New Age Fiction, #Globalization,
translation, spirituality
#Alvin Toffler, an eminent writer, sociologist
and futurologist in his #The Third Wave (9180) describes the contemporary era
and also anticipates the coming era. Concentrating on families and investment,
media and military, businesses and administrations, he prepares us for the
comprehensive changes that are rushing toward us all. In his The Third Wave he
describes the breakup of the modern society and he says that in this age of
science and technology, human being is experiencing lack of recognizable order.
To this loss of order, he says that we must also add the loss of meaning. The
feeling that our lives count is lost. This feeling, says Toffler comes from healthy
relationship with the surrounding society. It also depends on being able to see
ourselves as part of a larger, even cosmic scheme of things. However, the
sudden shift of social ground - rules have shattered the world - image that we
carry. Today, as we enter the 21st century, all round us we see terrorism,
violence, gang-rapes, mass suicides, corruption, starvation, social
discrimination, inflation, economic depression, pollution, dehumanization of
human values…. in short, we can hear the dooms-song, leading us towards
catastrophe –
They scream they cry
They suffer they
die;
No one to hear them
No one to help them;
It’s a waste land.
The dance of destruction,
The song of the dead,
Their screams hopeless,
Their cries tearless,
Animal, birds and men
With no light no
ray.
The waterless land
The helpless man.
The dead march in a procession
With their terrible cry
Tamso ma Jyotri Gamaya’-
From darkness, lead us to light,
From death to immortality,
Mrityu ma Amrutam Gamaya’
(By Dr. Mrinalini Thaker)
Well, in this
time of explosive changes and spectacular vagueness, many writers round the
world have come up with fictional and non-fictional books on self- help.
Nowadays we see a strong renaissance of realistic writing, often in support of
social change. The main writers of this age include writes such as James
Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Yukio Mishima, Bharti Mukherjee, etc.
Nonetheless in the latter half of the 20th century we also see the rise of the
non-fiction novel and the new journalism.
The 20th
century it seems preferential the globalization of culture and as part of the
process translation has come to acquire a good deal of prominence. In the
modern literary context, it seems that translation has become inevitable. Today
not only for globalization but also for localization, translation has become
very essential. It has become an everyday need of a civilized person. It seems
that, in a world where so many different languages with strong literary
background are spoken, translation has become a basic requirement to bridge the
void between different nations, cultures and civilizations. We agree when
George Steiner says that it is no over-statement to say that we possess
civilization because we have to translate out of time. Translation plays a
vital role in opening new lanes in the literary-world traffic (Frenze, 103). Translation
also helps to break the narrow domestic walls and to build up the one-world
concept. Scholars from all over the world have given numerous methods and
models for translation; nevertheless, the research does not aim at this aspect
of translation. However, it is equally true that as an independent discipline,
translation has proved to be a bridge between different people and as a
unifying medium it has made literature written in diverse languages accessible.
Consequently,
with translation coming to age, along with English novelist, many novels from
different parts of the world have found their place on the shelf of modern
libraries. Today when we talk about novel, we have a congregation of different
novelist from all round the globe, including translated works. The literature
of our times it seems is very prosperous as well as abundant. There is God’s
Plenty on the vast canvas of world literature as far as novel is concerned. But
it becomes equally hard to get perspective on and evaluate this literature of
our time as we are too close to it and it is still writing itself.
Along with the
mainstream novelist and writers, our age is witnessing a host of diverse
writers who write with diverse purposes. The trend it seems has in recent times
been in style and the books of these writers have become best-sellers as they
act as self-help guide for the disheartened masses. The books of these writers
as such are full of spiritual message and have an unquestionable power to
accelerate the soul and kindle the moral zeal of all who look up to it for
support and guidance. These writers it seems have a wider demand, particularly
among young readers, who see a close similarity between their own struggle and
dreams and those voiced by these authors. No doubt, that the popularity of such
books, show us that in spite of all materialistic possessions that the 21st
century has provided us for, the human heart pines for peace, contentment and
spirituality.
The trend it
seems starts with Dale Carnegie. His How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
became an instant success. Dale Carnegie is followed by a host of different
writers and speakers including Jack Canfield, Mike Dooley, John Gray, Marci
Shimooff, M. Scoott Peck, Stephen Covey, Rhonda Byrne, Richard Bach, Og Mandino, Dr. Spencer Johnson,
Deepak Chopra, Robin Sharma – just to name a few. These writers it seems have
become a blessing for human race.
Anupama
Bhattacharya in an article in Life Positive October 1999 calls it New Age
fiction. Since the term New Age (with its present connotation) was first
articulated in 1971, as a literary genre is still not well-defined, what seems
obvious is a yearning to explore the higher reaches of human prospective. He
says –
Though
the genre itself is rather vague at the moment—you can stretch it to include
other realms, different states of being, space/time continuums, spirit
entities, supraconsciousness and such phenomena— what is obvious is a desire to
explore the higher reaches of human potential. It's almost there, the gift of
wings, words that rend asunder the mask of reality and touch the core of that
unknown, unsought ecstasy. You reach out, the elastic universe stretches to its
brink. Then it snaps. So close, yet so far away. Is that what New Age fiction
is all about?
In the same
article, he says that from spirituality to scientific fiction to horror, the
New Age Fiction genre seems to embrace all. In fact, it is best to define it as
a genre that explores new possibilities and concepts. Then, it can be as
enormous and varied as the human mind itself, and difficult to pigeonhole. Even
the effects vary. If Bach takes you on a flight of ecstasy, Hess forces you to
look at the world from a brand-new perspective. If Adams's books are a snigger
at creation then Coelho brings out the passion and the turmoil of a seeker's
journey. The scope is stunning. Metaphysics rubs shoulder with nuclear science
and Vedic wisdom is expressed in psychedelic visions. Moreover, rarely does it
jar. Clarke spices up his science with metaphysical insight while Chopra adds
colour to his philosophy with the pace of a thriller. The amalgamation is
enriching. In that sense, New Age fiction, he says is not so much a genre as an
irrepressible urge to go beyond human limitation. Even if it means, peeping
through the looking glass into a time-warped dimension where the impossible is
the only way of life. Generations of people globally are inspired and
challenged by what these writers of The New Age have written and it is hoped
that they will be the source of a new brainwave for many years to come.
The first among them, Dale Carnegie
(1888-1955) was an American writer and lecturer. He has also developed courses
in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking and
interpersonal skills and is pioneer of literature of self-help. Born in poverty
on a farm in Missouri, he was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People,
first published in 1936, a massive bestseller that remains equally popular in
the present era. He also wrote How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Lincoln
the Unknown - a biography of Abraham Lincoln, and several other books. One of
the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's
behaviour by changing one's reaction to them. His books are full of inspiring
stories that show the readers how they can lead a better and happier life,
showing a way to self-discovery.
Another writer
belonging to the same category is M. Scott Peck (1936-2005) an American
psychiatrist and best-selling author. With his The Road Less Travelled
(1978), he presents a new psychology of love, conventional values and spiritual
growth. His The Road Less Travelled continues to explore the nature of
loving relationships and leads us toward a new serenity and fullness of life.
It helps us learn how to distinguish craving from love and how to become a more
sensitive parent and ultimately how to become one's own true self.
In the famous
opening line of his book, "Life is difficult" and that the journey to
spiritual growth is a long one, Peck never persecutors his readers, but rather
guides them softly through the hard and often painful process of change toward
an advanced level of self-understanding. His books have a message that is
authentic, down to earth and practical. Drawing heavily on his own professional
experience he suggests ways in which one can reach an advanced level of
self-understanding. While his People of the Lie reflects on the moment’s
situations in life in which not only ordinary people but also psychologists,
psychotherapists and psychiatrists are forced to think about such ethical and
religious topics as good and evil. He questions the prevalent social taboo and
crosses the borderline of conventional thought patterns. In doing so, he
managed to show that it is not always possible or illuminating merely to
attempt to understand, explain and evaluate people's behaviour and actions in
terms of mental health or illness. This is a very valuable contribution,
particularly today, in light of such events as those of 11thSeptember, 2002.
His works are exceptional collection of writing through which life's spirit,
the 'authentic' spirit, travelled.
Though the book
The Road Less Travelled had been written in the mid-1970s, when Peck was
39, but it was in 1938 that it made it to the New York Times bestseller list.
It subsequently stayed on the list for so long that it entered the Guinness
Book of Records. Peck's later books include People of the Lie (1983) on
healing human evil, The Different Drum (1987) on community life, and A
Bed By The Window (1990), an inspirational novel. A World Waiting to Be
Born (1993) looks at the idea of civility at the personal and social level,
while Denial of the Soul concerns euthanasia and incurable suffering. While
Meditations from the Road and Further along The Road Less Travelled
(1993) was developed from lectures given by the author around the world.
In his works,
he articulates in a wonderful way the message of love, community, decency and
spirituality. He dared in reality analyse, determine and celebrate all of
life's layers and then bring to us his insights. Courage, faithfulness and bona
fide intelligence are some words that easily spring to mind as we assess his
giant contribution, to the dignity of the human spirit.
#Stephen Covey
(1932-2012) an MBA from Harvard and a doctorate degree from Brigham Young
University, is an American educator, author, keynote speaker was an
internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher,
organizational consultant. His most prevalent book The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People is considered one of the most profound and impactful books
ever written on personal effectiveness, leadership development and change, In
the 7 habits of highly effective people, Stephen Covey presents a holistic,
cohesive approach for accessing timeless principles. It is a ground-breaking
manual to attaining peace of mind within and building trust without by seeking
the roots of human behaviour in character and by learning principles rather
than merely practices. With probing insights and keen anecdotes, Stephen Covey
reveals how our actions branch from who we are and offers a structured process
for living with equality, integrity, morality and human dignity -- principles
that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take
advantage of the opportunities that change creates.
Outstanding among
the writers devoted to writing on personal growth and relationship is John Gray
(born 1951) an American relationship counsellor, lecturer and author, he has
written seventeen books, including his book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from
Venus (1992) which is being turned into a motion picture. Gray's most current
book is Venus on Fire | Mars on Ice, an exploration of relationships and the
role of food and nutrition to sustaining a healthy romantic partnership. Gray's
seventeen books have sold over fifty million copies and have been published in
forty-five languages worldwide.
#Rhonda Byrne
(born 1951) is another great name in this category; she is an Australian
television writer and producer, best known for The Secret - book and a
film by the same name. By 2007, the book had sold almost 4 million copies, and
the DVD had sold more than 2 million copies, in 2007, Byrne was listed among
Time Magazine's list of 100 people who shape the world. The Secret
teaches us that we create our lives, with every thought every minute of every
day. Living The Secret offers tools and ideas to help and create the
life of one dream. The Secret has arisen from the writer’s own anguish and
grief, but as claimed by the writer that The Secret has been used by thousands
of people to manifest their dreams whatever it may be – a perfect home, life
partner, cars, jobs, promotions and all.
Another writer
belonging to this category is #Mike Dooley (1961- ) a former
PriceWaterhouseCoopers international tax consultant, turned entrepreneur, who’s
founded the Philosophical Adventurers Club on the Internet. Mike is also best
known for his free Notes from the Universe emailing and his New York Times
best-sellers Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams and
Leveraging the Universe: 7 Steps to Engaging Life’s Magic. His
inspirational books emphasize spiritual accountability and he is also one of
the featured teachers in the universal phenomenon, The Secret. The basic
principle of Mike's philosophy, which is a very ancient one, is that ‘thoughts
become things’. He tells that we create our own reality, our own fate, and our
own luck by our thinking. He tells that we humans are filled with infinite
possibility—just ready to explore how powerful we truly are. Exhibiting the
glory of our dreams is not about hard work, but rather about belief and
expectation. These principles transcend belief, realizing the truth about human
nature.
The author
lives what he teaches, traveling internationally speaking on life, dreams, and
happiness.
Next is #Jack Canfield, (1944- ) co-author of Chicken Soup for the
Soul and author of the best-selling book The Success Principles. He started
his career with his teacher, W. Clement Stone, who taught him the vital success
principles that he still operates. Jack Canfield is an American motivational
speaker and the Founder and Chairman of Canfield Training Group and Chicken
Soup for the Soul Enterprise in Santa Barbara, California. He has been
teaching, training and coaching businesspersons, educationalists, corporate
leaders, and people from all fields of life and of all ages and cultures to
create the life they desire. His bestselling book, The Success Principles:
How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, has been applauded
as the new self-improvement model, containing 64 of the most potent principles
of success known to humankind.
The list also includes #Marci Shim off, one of
the bestselling female nonfiction authors. She is also a New York Times
bestselling author, a world-renowned transformation teacher and a proficient
speaker on happiness, success, and unconditional love. She is the author of
Love for No Reason, Happy for No Reason, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul
and involved lecturer in the documentation film The Secret. President and
co-founder of the Esteem Group, she delivers keynote addresses and seminars on
happiness, empowerment, and peak performance for various companies,
professional and non-profit organizations and women's association. She is
dedicated in helping individuals live more empowered and blissful lives. Her
current passion is mentoring people in her program 2014: Your Year of Miracles.
Her profound teachings are simple and easy-to-understand.
An additional
contemporary author who writes in the same trend is #Richard Bach (born 1936) he
is an American writer and poet. His Jonathan Livingston Seagull- a story
published in 1972 became a best seller. It is a story about a seagull, which
goes against the conventionalism of seagull society and finds a higher purpose
of life. This book, during the last decades has inspired many people. By the
end of 1972, over a million copies were in print, Reader’s Digest had published
a condensed version of the book, and the book reached the top of the New York
Times Best Seller list where it remained for 38 weeks. In 1972 and 1973, the
book topped the Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United
States. While in his other bestseller novel Illusion- the adventure of a
Reluctant Messiah (1977), Richard Bach tells us about his predestined meeting
with a messiah – Donald Shimoda. The book it seems is not just a story, but
also a way of looking at life. Richard Bach's mystical adventure story revolves
around two barnstorming pilots who meet in a field in Midwest America. It is a
story born out of inspiration. The great thing about Richard Bach's Illusions
is that he creates a plot, which is both amusing and easy to follow, featuring
his chosen message and presenting his conception of life. His other novels are also
equally inspiring in which, Bach sets forth rather abstract eastern religious
principles in digestible, accessible terms for the western palate.
#Robin
Sharma, Uganda born Indo- Canadian author also writes with the purpose to
motivate and encourage. Robin Sharma is an author of 11 international
bestselling books, and a globally respected leadership expert. In an
independent ranking of leadership gurus, Sharma ranked second
(source:leardershipgurus.net) His best known books include the multi-million
copy bestseller The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari has been translated into 75
languages .His latest book
is The Leader Who Had No Title: A Modern Fable On Real Success in Business
and in Life. Today it seems that Sharma is one of the most widely read
authors in the world. In the novel The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - A fable
about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny (2003) Robin Sharma,
tells us a story about Julian Mantle and his transformation from a millionaire
lawyer to an enlightened monk – his journey from being a sceptical litigator
towards being a yogi and a believer.
The book is
deeply inspiring, idea- rich and full of real-world tactics that can be immediately
applied to one’s life. The language of the book is quite effortless and the
message direct. Robin Sharma via fable, fairy-tale and other stories captures
the wisdom of the past and presents it in a reader-friendly manner. His message
is that life is an incredible game, a quest for happiness. The universe has a
great sense of humour, marvellous love and gifts of magical unseen guidance.
Every step of the journey is to be enjoyed and simultaneously the strength, the
power and the magic will be taken care by the universe – the cosmic law. To
reach the destiny there are no quick fixes or short cuts. Julian, the main
protagonist of this novel says that all lasting changes require time and effort
and perseverance is the mother of personal change. The book seems to generate a
world of wisdom, purpose, happiness, love, peace and success.
In this trend, the works of #Paulo Coelho are
not only the reflection of the society to which he belongs but it is also the
reflection of the struggle and the obstacles he faced in life and eventually it
is the image of the ultimate victory of humankind’s inner qualities and
spirituality. Novels of Paulo Coelho are a call to each of us to live our
dreams, to hug to the uncertainty of life and to rise to meet our own unique
destiny.
A common feature present in all the novels is that the respective
protagonists of all the three novels take up some journey, which ultimately
becomes a quest for wisdom, a truly initiatory experience that transforms as it
teaches. As readers as we take the journey with the protagonists of the novels,
we find ourselves on a route that takes many twists and turns and travel along
unexpected pathways. There are surprises on the way as the protagonists
discover the width of the knowledge, skills and attitudes and learn how to
convert it into life experiences and remember to celebrate the surprises and
enjoy the journey. The characters portrayed by Coelho in his novels – Paulo and
Petrus in The Pilgrimage, Santiago, the Crystal Merchant, Fatima and The
English Man in The Alchemist, Paulo, Chris, Gene and Valhalla in The
Valkyries, Pilar and her childhood friend in By the River Piedra I Sat
Down and Wept, Veronica, Eduard in Veronika Decides to Die, Chantal Prym,
Carlos ,the widow Berta in The Devil and Miss Prym, Esther, Mikhail an
elusive Kazakhstani man and the narrator in The Zahir, Igor Malev’s, his
ex-wife Ewa and Hamid- a fashion magnate in The Winner Stands Alone are
characters who in spite of hardships and obstacles, choose to follow their
hearts. Moreover, at time they go against the laid norms of the society. They
do not fear to stand-alone; they are restless and searching for something that ultimately,
they find within.
The search for
optimism continues with #Austine "Og" Mandino II, (1923-1996) a great
American writer and thinker. He wrote the bestselling book The Greatest
Salesman in the World (1968) and The Greatest Miracle in the World
(1975). His books have sold over 50 million copies and have been translated
into over twenty-five different languages. He was the president of Success
Unlimited magazine until 1976 and was an inductee of the National Speakers
Association's Hall Of Fame. Mandino's main philosophical message is that every person
on earth is a miracle. He feels that one should choose to direct one’s life
with confidence and congruent to the laws that govern abundance.
His #The
Greatest Miracle in the World is the incredible story of Simon Potter, a
rag picker who delivers an inspiring memorandum from God to make the difference
between success and disaster in one’s life. It is a story of hope and
inspiration narrated in a simple way. The most striking feature of contemporary
literature it seems is that fiction which began long ago as an oral story is
now regarded by many apologists as the most inclusive of all arts. In his The
Greatest Salesman of The World, Og declares with finality that he is
finished with his former life of going with the flow, he says I am a lion and I
refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep, with this sentence he says
that he is finished with living by just getting by. He is finished with living
without direction, without passion, without focus. Moreover, with this
sentence, Og declares with potent supremacy that what he chooses to do, what it
takes to fulfil the full measure of his potential, to realize the full measure
of his talents and abilities. He chooses to rise up, to be counted, and to be
stoutly self-directed. He also tells what new literature he and others like him
are going to produce in this century.
The writers of
The New Age it seems write with the purpose of searching and directing the new
world. Simultaneously they are not aloof from the desires, the visions and the
frustrations of the human being looking for the stars in a world where clouds
form on the horizon. Thomas Wolfe was not out of key with the coming
generations when he wrote near the end of his life, that the essence of all
conviction for people of belief is that man’s life can be, and will be better.
This belief in the creative power of the human spirit to endure and to prevail,
whatever the obstacles or the foibles of the individual, is the central and
fundamental aspect in the works of these writers. Paulo Coelho calls it as
globalizing the spiritual Quest. (Confession of a Pilgrim)
However, many
people today it seems have been programmed to go with the flow, to wait for the
sheepherder to tell them what to do, to hide in the mob. They are programmed to
fear the anonymous, avoid the different and hang to the comfortable. Even for
such persons these writes act as a boon. No doubt, in this milieu, the
above-mentioned writers (fictional and non-fictional) are trying to awaken the
humankind from the long nightmare and are compelling them to make a choice.
With self-inspiring stories and quotations, they help unleash the inner lion.
In their works, they combined the ancient principles with incredible new
scientific breakthroughs into mind/body chemistry. They show humankind a path
of rising up with fury in all the power, majesty and glory of the inner lion.
The hypothesis that humans create their own reality by the thoughts, beliefs,
intentions and expectations that they hold, has been part of eastern thought
and religion for centuries and has recently established a growing following in
the west. Its essence it seems can be seen in the works of many respected
thinkers of our time, including members of the scientific community. In
addition, it is a major influence on the literature of today. We humans do not
want to learn from simple things, we think philosophy as well as moral values
as theoretical object with negligible practical value. Economic development and
higher living standards are good for society; however we cannot deny other
aspects of life. Life is not a contest, it is not a scale of achievements, but
it is a simple process that can be enjoyed by everyone. If a large part of
society remains engaged and involved in life-not fight - then it is a social
virtue, a boon for society. The core of the belief in progress is that human
values and goals congregate in parallel with our increasing knowledge.
However, the
21st century shows the contrary. Human beings use the power of scientific
knowledge to assert and defend the values and goals they already have. New
technologies can be used to alleviate suffering and boost freedom. They can and
are being used, to wage war and strengthen tyranny. Science made possible the
technologies that powered the industrial revolution. In the twentieth century,
these technologies were used to implement state terror and genocide on an
unprecedented scale. Ethics and politics do not advance in line with the growth
of knowledge — not even in the end. However, it is a known fact that there is
an enlightenment revolution of sorts taking place on this planet. Every
intentional act to support or hasten that revolution is a good thing whether it
is something as small or it is something bigger in scope, the writers as a
community, have the potential to influence the perspective of millions of
people.
The New Age
fiction is a superb and outstanding product of the modern age - the age of
globalization. A product has been enriched by the excellent minds of all
nations. All these great novelists belong to different caste, creed, colour,
race, and nation but ultimately show the same path. Moreover, as such the
philosophy presented by all such writers is universal, indicating the oneness,
wholeness and the universality of the path that is easily approachable as well
as applicable to all human beings.
·
Primary
source – A Critical Study of Paulo Coelho’s Novels by #Dr.MrinaliniP.Thaker
ISBN: 978-93-83099-11-5
Published in -
KCG-Portal of Journals 1 | P a g e Continuous Issue
- 22 | December – February 2018
Issue 22(December – February 2018) ISSN :
2279-0268
