With an indifferent end to his marriage comes the opportunity for Professor Anton Bauer to start something new. Just what that is, however, will take some time for this well-learned man to figure out. Anton has a circle of friends and family with beliefs that seem to align with his, and they share many common interests, though he doesn’t feel fully connected with anyone. His career teaching Eastern studies and philosophy hasn’t provided all the answers, either. Still, Anton isn’t left to muddle through life’s biggest challenges, adventures, and quandaries without guidance. An unexplainable phone call ends up saving his life, then he receives an ominous warning from an enigmatic stranger. These and other puzzling events nudge Anton on a circuitous personal odyssey that leads to empowerment. While on his eye-opening journey, Anton learns countless lessons from those with many different perspectives, eventually moving into the role of teacher to many, though no longer at the University of Zürich. The path is fraught with troubles and disappointments, but Anton’s conviction becomes clear. One man’s journey toward betterment and growth evolves into a beautiful quest that will help many people find joy and purpose in their own lives.
Part fiction, part philosophy, Zarathustra’s Journey is an illuminating story about a man navigating through a dangerous intersection where intellect meets ideology and coming off wholly victorious as he finally comes to learn about his true self. A novel divided into three distinct sections, the first part introduces readers to Anton, a man who is a product of his detached upbringing and societal expectations. His adventures range from metaphysical to mundane, but everything is an opportunity for transformation. The second section calls to mind Nietzsche’s style of writing in discourse but with an undeniably brighter tone. There is a consistent thread of active appreciation for nature’s wonders and of reaping the tangible benefits that come from reaching toward our highest potential. The condensed concluding section pulls back on the heavy ideology and ties up loose ends, reminding readers that it is, after all, a novel. Although the character development is lackluster, causing a disconnect with audiences who may struggle to understand certain motivations and actions, in a way, this serves to heighten the transformative arc of the protagonist who makes a meaningful leap from professor to learner to spiritual instructor. Overall, this compendious novel has a lot to offer. From conflict to resolution, and unhappiness to contentment, Zarathustra’s Journey is a progressive guidebook encased in a fictitious narrative that will appeal to the mind and touch the heart.
