القطار الأول إلى بابيلون

by Max Ehrlich, ماكس إيرليك, جاذبية صدقي (Translator)

Dr. Peter Proud’s ordinary life as a professor in California is threatened by recurrent dreams that all end the same: with his murder in a lake at night by a mysterious woman named Marcia. These dreams—which he comes to believe may be flashbacks from a previous life—become so disturbing that he seeks answers from a sleep researcher, a clairvoyant, and an expert in psychic phenomena in order to recover his past. But he soon discovers a new dimension to his dilemma while watching a television show called “America, Past and Present”—and realizes the show is set in the town in his dreams. He travels to Springfield, Massachusetts, and comes face to face with the woman from his nightmares. The woman, Marcia Curtis, is shocked to see in Peter personality traits and characteristics that precisely recall those of her dead husband, Jeff, including his voice. Peter meets and falls in love with Marcia’s daughter, Ann, just as Marcia realizes that he is a reincarnation of Jeff. Will a second tragedy occur just as Peter is about to unravel the mystery behind his dreams?
 
In this classic suspense novel first published in 1973, Max Ehrlich expertly interweaves multiple themes of life after death, romance, tragedy, and altered consciousness into an unforgettable tale.

Genres: Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Thriller, Science Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Metodi Markov · Rating 1 out of 5]

Не струва тази история, безвъзвратно е остаряла.

През 1975 година, когато народецът на САЩ е бил изтрещял здраво по дрогата, сектите и преражданията, тази книга е била хит. Даже са направили и филм по нея.

Сега ми изглежда зле написана и трудно можеш да се сетиш за нея, след като си я прочел. А народецът на САЩ си е все така изплискал менците…

[Monnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we were visiting our son Scott not long ago, he handed me an old hardback copy of The Reincarnation of Peter Proud and asked if I remembered it. Yes, I said - but quite honestly, any familiarity was for the title alone. I knew I'd read it way back when it was published in 1974, when Scott was about 11 years old and I'd just returned to work after exactly that many years as a stay-at-home mom.

I also remembered that I really liked it, but the story - and why I liked it totally escaped me. Now that I've read it again (in just a few hours), I know. For one thing, the story is riveting; for another, it touches on the reality (or not) of reincarnation, which intrigues me almost as much today as it did when I was a 33-year-old mother of two.

Peter Proud, Ph.D. and university professor, has had the same handful of dreams on a recurring basis. The devil, though, is in the detail; in fact, they're so real he remembers every little thing, none of which changes from dream to dream. Concerned on a number of levels including his own mental health, he seeks help and finds a scientist who is trying to document the controversial theory of reincarnation; previous attempts have been unsuccessful mostly because the past "lives" that are remembered happened so long ago that it's impossible to authenticate. Peter is unique in that one of his dream sequences (in which he is a murder victim) takes place around 30 years ago, leading him to attempt to find and revisit the scene, this time in person, to ascertain that what he's been dreaming really happened to him as another person in another time.

I won't tell you that you won't see the ending coming at least a few pages in advance because in all likelihood you will, just as I did. But this is a well-written page-turner I simply couldn't put down. Better still, it's just as thought-provoking as it was way back then. Now I'm thinking maybe I should try one or two of Ehrlich's other books, like The Edict or The Cult. Yeah, that sounds like a plan!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blew my sixteen year old mind when I originally read it at the recommendation of my dad. It was one of his favorite books. My dad died a few years ago, and I found the old hardcover in his bookshelf while cleaning it out. Needless to say, I had to read it again to see if it was as engaging as I had remembered.

This book is a quick read, not only because of its length but because the author does not waste words; he is not prone to detailed descriptions of anything. His writing is efficient and action-oriented. Because of this, the reader's investment is not really in the main character, but the mystery of the story. Perhaps this was intentional. If you like books with meaningful character development, this may not do it for you. But the subject (reincarnation) will make you think twice about any assumptions you may have made about where our souls go after our bodies die.

Overall, this is a super fun book!

[Noella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik heb reeds verschillende (non-fictie) boeken over reïncarnatie gelezen. Ik denk dat de auteur van dit boek zich ook goed gedocumenteerd heeft. Het verhaal verloopt in dezelfde etappes als de 'echte' reïncarnatieverhalen. Eerst de herinneringen--in dit geval in dromen--, dan het besef dat dit geen gewone dromen zijn, en dan begint de zoektocht naar bewijs.
De schrijver blijkt op de hoogte te zijn van het werk van Dr. Ian Stevenson, en hij is ook te weten gekomen dat verschillende bekende personen ook in reïncarnatie geloofden.
En dan de fictie: de ontwikkeling van het verhaal is spannend, en kent een dramatisch einde. Het heeft me geboeid tot de laatste bladzijde.

[Mark Pantoja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reincarnation of Peter Proud by Max Simon Ehrlich
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


Some books are great because they capture a story, others a place, and others a time. Max Ehrlich's Reincarnation of Peter Proud is a great snapshot of the early 70's, with the "trippy" 60's still reverberating and morphing into burgeoning New Age movement. At least, that's how it feels. I wasn't there, so I really don't know. The closest I can get is the TV, movies, and book like the Reincarnation of Peter Proud, which feels like it fits right in with other snapshot/era movies, despite it really just wanting to be a supernatural thriller.

The zeitgeist was a kind of naivete of possibility. The concept of reincarnation is, of course, 1000s of years old, but such new age concepts were on the rise (Once again. See 1920s). It seemed like there was a time, after the age of the atom and going to the moon that opened us up to the reality that there was much more out there than we can imagine. The universe is a vast and unknowable place. Only 50% of what I'm saying is horseshit. I'm not suggesting that any era can be reduced to some quantifiable units. This book just flows nicely in a vein that I think of as 1970s Supernatural Materialism (ha!). Movies and books and even political philosophies of the time (radical militant "Marxists": Germany's Bader-Meinhof, Japan's United Red Army, America's various groups that were painted as such, like the Weatherman, the Black Panthers; see: Network) used materialism to take a sober look at fringe ideas. In these works, there's often some fringe scientist who calls himself a parapsychologist, or ectoplasmic technician or some such title to legitimize his/her efforts. See: The Dead Zone, The Fury, The Exorcist II, (this continued into the 80's with Firestarter, The Entity, and Poltergeist ). Mix with a healthy portion of supernatural horror: Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, and The Omen . Now enter Max Ehrlich with the Reincarnation of Peter Proud: boom! Bestseller.

The great thing about this era is that it's not now. There's not 25 shows on the Sci-Fi Channel (SyFy, Sci-Fie, whatever) all about ghosthunters who have yet to record even one second of ghostly or unexplained phenomenon; there's not youtube with 100 man years of CCTV footage of bugs mistaken for ghosts. I'm not saying there are no ghosts. I'm not saying that there's no unexplained, or demons, or afterlife. What I'm saying is that there is a lack of any evidence for ESP and other phenomenon which has pushed most of those ideas further into Fringe/Pseudos-Science territory, a dearth which didn't exist in the early 70s. The 60s just happened and mainstream America was openly talking about psychedelics, drugs, and alternative lifestyles for the second time (see: early American utopian communes, at least about lifestyles).


I don't know if Ehrlich captured it or contributed to it, but his adequate book went bestseller and then onto Hollywood, and is going on to be another Hollywood film (directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker, both of whom brought us Se7en; there's plenty of dark potential in the book that Ehrlick didn't explore than Fincher could really capitalize upon). The book is an enjoyable 70s romp, though I never really connected with the main character. For one, this book really doesn't have any Peril until the end. There's some interesting cultural exploration of Native American dream therapy ( ondinnok ), though it was introduced early, dropped, and then picked up at the end. Most of the book is just following Pete around as he investigates his dreams so that he can sleep better at night. There's some grandiose talk of prophets and such, but mostly it's just Pete bumping around, his life, but for lack of sleep, pretty fucking absolutely unchallenged and fine. Ehrlich is a good enough writer that he's able to maintain an audience. The most interesting thing to me, besides the 70's New Age zeitgeist, was his investigation pre-internet! (Yes, yes, I know: ARPANET: 60s). That was the most entertaining part of the story. There's a part where he sees something on TV and he has to actually call the TV station, from a landline! Then he has to meet with the producer, in the flesh! Wristwatch on his wrist and telephones that plug into the wall. Craziness.

Like I said, this book wanted to be a supernatural thriller or some kind of exploration of the spirituality of reincarnation (these topics are lightly brushed upon, but there's no depth), but there's no real connection with his past lives or even his future. He's a bit of a cypher, especially with his aspirations and his personal interests (beyond Native Americans; there's a fleeting reference to how he's a serious symphony buff, which isn't mentioned until the last quarter of the book).


All that being said, I enjoyed reading Peter Proud. It could have been a bit shorter. Frankly, it's not much more than a twilight zone special, with some nice twists. 3.5 out of 5 stars.


View all my reviews

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprised me with this one. Never saw the film (though I am old enough to have heard about it at the time of its release in the early 70s). There was overt sex in the movie and bonking your possible own daughter that was a bit too much for me, so I never did see the film.

Now, almost 50 years on... Picked up a better condition one than what's being used as the novel front cover pictured here. The cover could have been less risque so I imagine this edition was done to the belief that Sex Sells even in tacky forms of imagery.

Started quick. Pulled the reader into the storyline immediately. I liked where the story was going and sure didn't click into the ending until it was taking place out in the middle of the lake. I did wonder how the ending would come and to who it would fall until the last few pages.

Glad I've had a chance to read this outstanding novel. Still not too interested in tracking down the film; as always the book will be far more superior.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently famous and even cinematically adapted, this 70s novel plants itself firmly into the Shirley MaClaine / past lives territory. The basic premise is that while most reincarnations are impossible to confirm due to logistics (i.e. tracking down a Roman warrior or some such person from centuries ago), but Professor Proud is having flashbacks into a reincarnation so recent, it's back to back with his present life, thus making it traceable. Which he proceeds to do. Which takes some time and effort in the preinternet era. His intent is to sort of exorcise these dreams out of himself Native American style, but as such things tends to go, he finds out more than he bargained for. Sort of a perfect story for the Age of Aquarius, the book isn't dated per se, so much as it is representative of a particular zeitgeist. It's a quick entertaining read with a killer ending and a nicely paced narrative. Past lives charts are not included.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really two and a half stars, with a half star for the nostalgia. Written in 1974 and made into a movie, this book was a product of its time. Parapsychology and the occult, including reincarnation, were very popular in the early 1970s.

The story is about a young college professor who is having recurring dreams where he's living another life in the 1940s, in places he's never been to before. In one of the dreams he sees his own murder. Has he lived a past life or is it all in his imagination? The plot then focuses on him trying to find the town and the other landmarks in his dreams. But could his discoveries put him in danger once again?

Although pretty dated, this book was a fun blast from the past. It took me back to my youth, when I watched the movie version on tv. What others think of the book, however, might vary.

[Janith Pathirage · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was on the verge of giving at least 4 stars for this flick until that horrible ending. Really disappointing the way things turned around at last. It made everything Peter did throughout the story to reveal the mystery pointless. But this was a gripping story from the start to that point. For that, I give 2 stars to Max Ehrlich.

[Lloyd Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that garnered rave reviews by the great Max Ehrlich back in the 70s; I got mine from my book club at the time as the choice of the month. This was another great read, easy to read, it kept my attention and it was fun to read. When the movie came out it was pretty much the same as the book but of course something was missing as always. Looking at the movie version of a book always misses something, it has something to do with being by one's self alone at home, sitting on a chair reading a book and being immersed into the book and into your surroundings, as you read a book that was created by the author; when looking at the film you miss that aspect/angle, but it is great as always to visually see a product on film after you've read the original book, and see what vision the movie director decided to choose in converting the book to the screen.

[Index Purga]

Edición española sin índice, colección Edibolsillo.

[Nilakshi Bandara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reincarnation of Peter Proud” කියන්නෙ පුනරුත්පත්තිය ගැන කියවුණු තවත් අපූරු චිත්‍රපටයක් ම හිතන විදියට යමෙක් මෙය සිංහලට පෙරලලා තියෙනවා නවකතාවක් හැටියට. පහත දැක්වෙන්නෙ එහි කතා සාරාංශයයි.

එක්තරා පුද්ගලයෙකුට යම්කිසි හීනයක් පෙනෙනවා ඔහු ඉතා තදින් බිය වන. ඒ හීනයේදී ඔහුට යම්කිසි නිශ්චිත ස්ථාන කිහිපයක් පෙනෙන්න ගන්නවා ඔහු සිහිනෙන් කෑ ගහන්නෙ “මාව මරන්න එපා. මාව මරන්න එපා.” යනුවෙන්/ ඔහුට මේ එකම හීනය නැවත නැවත පෙනෙන්න පටන් ගත් නිසා ඒ කරදරයෙන් බේරෙන්න ඔහු වෛද්‍යවරුන්ගේ පිහිට පතනවා.

ඒ එකදු වෛද්‍යවරයෙකුටවත් මෙයට හේතුව හොයා ගන්න බැරි වෙනවා වාගේම එය සුව කිරීමටත් නොහැකි වෙනවා. එක් වෛඅද්‍යවරයෙක් ඔහුට පවසනවා ඔවුන්පුනෞත්පත්තිය විශ්වාස නොකළත් මේ සිදුවීමේ එයට සම්බන්ධකම් ඇති බව ඔහුට සිතෙන නිසා ඒ ඔස්සේ කරුණු සොයා බලන ලෙස.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago. I found it on the 'lending shelves' of my dad's beach house bookcase. I remember really liking the story. The theory of reincarnation always fascinated me. I loved how Peter found out who he was and the mystery of his past life unfurling intertwined with his new life.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously could not put this book down. We were camping with my Mother and Father in law on the Buffalo River in Arkansas and I was pregnant with our first child. I felt guilty because I could not go on a hike or help with dinner...this book had taken possession of me. My first adventure into time travel.

[Nel Diblan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recibí la visita de mi amiga Dolo de Buenos Aires (yo vivo en Mendoza, unos 1100 km al oeste), y aprovechando que compartimos el mismo amor por los libros, obviamente fuimos a buscar lugares donde encontrarlos. Así fuimos a la Alameda, en pleno centro de Mendoza, donde hacen una especie de feria de libros usados muy linda, y apenas vi un cartelito que decía "3 libros por 2000 pesos" (más o menos 1,4 dólares en julio de 2024), me fui a bucear y ahí encontré tres libros hermosos, entre ellos éste, impecable a pesar de sus 50 años de impresión, que me llamó apenas lo vi, prácticamente implorando que lo resucitara (siempre digo que para mí los libros nos hablan, mándenme al psiquiátrico si quieren 🤪).

¡Y ellos siempre son muy sabios, cuando nos imploran con tantaa ganas que los leamos es porque saben que saben que están hechos para nosotros! Además venía de una serie de lecturas muy pesadas (no pesadas en el sentido de que me costaran, sino en el sentido de complejidad, de necesidad de leer a consciencia, como Aristóteles, Andrés Cáceres, Cortázar), y realmente necesitaba salir un poco de los clásicos y recordar que también amo la lectura entretenida, "hollywoodense", que atrapa y mantiene en vilo.de principio a fin.

El protagonista de la historia es Peter Proud, un joven profesor e investigador que de repente comienza a tener extraños "sueños", muy vívidos, que lo hacen gritar dormido con una voz que no es la suya; el más misterioso de esos sueños, es uno en el que él es otro hombre, al que llama X y es asesinado por una mujer llamada Marcia. Busca ayuda por todos lados, pero la situación es insostenible, ¿quién era X? ¿es su vida pasada o está alucinando? A veces el pasado, es mejor dejarlo enterrado...

Para leer de un tirón y mantenerte atento de principio a fin, muy bien escrito, muy entretenido y muy buena historia, sin duda son 4 nelsitos 🧒🧒🧒🧒.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book follows Peter Proud and his journey discovering his past lives, believing he must’ve been reincarnated, and asking help from a scientist to prove it.
Not my usual kind of book and possibly the oldest book I’ve read, but I found when I was reading it, I enjoyed it. It was interesting and fast paced. Once I put it down, however, I found myself not wanting to pick it up again. I also didn’t like the incestuous theme and I felt the ending was very abrupt. Oh and I still don’t believe in reincarnation…

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atendiendo al año de publicación, se observa que esta novela no resultó ajena a las corrientes esotéricas provenientes, muchas de ellas, del lejano Oriente. Si bien es disfrutable, el lector que espere encontrarse con un estudio pormenorizado sobre la reencarnación y el karma, se decepcionará. Al igual que el quiera comprender el origen de por lo que resulta un tanto decepcionante, tanto para aquel lector que esté interesado en esos temas, como para aquel que simplemente quiera comprender el origen de esa rueda interminable de venganza entre Marcia y Peter.

Huelga aclarar que realizo esta crítica considerando que Peter realmente es un espíritu reencarnado, excluyendo así la posibilidad de que Peter se esté creyendo una paranoia y que todo lo que ocurra sea debido a simples coincidencias o a detalles que tu mente ha retenido en algún momento pero de lo que no guardas un recuerdo consciente (tema, por otro lado, interesantísimo también).

Dejando claro mi punto de partida, lo único que parece que tenemos claro es que Peter, el personaje principal, se encuentra atrapado junto con Marcia en una historia interminable de dolor, muerte y venganza. Así, considero que debería haberse incluido en la novela un personaje que pudiera averiguar o al menos tratar de explicar, la razón última para que esos dos espíritus estén atrapados en ese círculo infinito de sufrimiento.

Muchos autores han intentado explicar el funcionamiento de la reencarnación y en especial, un concepto tan polémico como el karma. Si bien hay opiniones muy dispares al respecto, en lo que parecen todos coincidir es la “existencia” de un motivo, de una lección que el espíritu no encarnado aún, acepta aprender o experimentar voluntariamente en esa vida en la que se va a encarnar para poder avanzar espiritualmente. No obstante, en lo que se refiere a Peter y Marcia, ambos parecen bastante obstinados en “no aprender la lección y repetir de curso hasta la saciedad”.

Por otro lado la cuestión de la hija es bastante incómoda. No es un incesto, pero al mismo sí lo es, en tanto que Peter es plenamente consciente de que él es su padre (aunque biológicamente no lo sea). Y es la infracción de este tabú la que provoca finalmente su muerte. Y es que en cuanto aparece en escena la hija de Marcia, sabes perfectamente que Peter va a sucumbir a la tentación, como así ocurre finalmente, lo que provoca que se cumpla el sueño (“profecía”) con el que comienza el libro. Porque finalmente Peter se deja dominar por la venganza, el egoísmo y la lujuria, corrompiendo a Ann, y provocando el “suspenso” de Peter. Supongo que el apellido “Proud” es una pista, como también el siguiente pasaje:

De nuevo, recordó que aquella mujer lo había asesinado en su encarnación anterior, le había cortado la vida antes de que hubiera llegado a su plenitud. Pero ahora ya le daba lo mismo. Era feliz en esta nueva encarnación. Jeff Chapin había muerto. De un modo realmente curioso, él y Marcia estaban en paz. Ella le había quitado su antigua vida, pero le había dado algo de inestimable valor en ésta: Ann. Ya no importaba por qué ella había hecho lo que había hecho. A fin de cuentas, podía hacerse una idea de lo que había sucedido. Ahora quería olvidarlo, dejarlo correr. Su misión en Riverside ya había terminado; no tenía por qué seguir permaneciendo allí. Quería olvidar cuanto se refería a Jeff Chapin y reasumir su identidad como Peter Proud.

Y por fallar la prueba de esta vida, llega la sentencia:
—Yo te amaba, querido. Te amé como nunca podrás imaginarte. Pero tú nunca lo creíste así. Nunca más me has dejado tranquila. En todos estos años, no me has permitido ni un momento de descanso. Y ahora has vuelto para atormentarme. Eres malo, Jeff. Mucho más que antes. Eres un monstruo infame. Y no sólo para mí. Sobre todo para Ann. Has vuelto y has seducido a tu propia hija. Nuestra pequeña. ¿Cómo has podido hacer esto, Jeff? Eres su padre. ¿Cómo puedes haber hecho una cosa tan cochina? Has dormido con ella, asqueroso bastardo. Y ella no sabe quién eres, Jeff. Pero yo sí. No mereces volver a vivir. Y me obligas a volverlo hacer… Igual que la otra vez.

Es interesante que a continuación se nos ofrezca una explicación de por qué algunos recomiendan no conocer las vidas pasadas:

Tal vez era mejor, reflexionó, no saber lo que se había sido en las reencarnaciones anteriores. Los re-encarnacionistas argüían que este conocimiento daba atisbos, cierta orientación, sobre el modo de conducirse en la vida presente. No obstante, podía ser que fuera mejor no conservar ningún recuerdo prenatal. Podías encontrarte con que habías sido un personaje de lo más sórdido. Podrías haber sido un ladrón, un asesino o un burdelero. Eso acarreaba una conmoción, un trauma más o menos importante, cierto perjuicio para tu presente yo.
Por ejemplo, el hecho de haber descubierto que él había sido alguien llamado Jeff Chapin. No se gustaba como Chapin. Probablemente, era mejor vivir la vida como se presentase. Bastaría con saber que vivirías otra vida cuando hubieses muerto y olvidarse de los detalles. Quizá los antiguos griegos tenían la idea adecuada. Los dioses, decían, sumergen todas las almas que van a nacer en el Río del Olvido, con el fin de hacerles olvidar cuanto se refiera a sus vidas anteriores. Si se pensaba en todas las angustias y tormentos que muchos de nosotros tenemos que sufrir en el curso de una vida, ¿por qué salir en busca de todas las frustraciones y dolores de cabeza de las otras vidas?

Asimismo resulta interesante exponer los peligros que estas pruebas de la reencarnación podrían suponer a manos de determinados individuos, en este caso personificados en Bentley, más empeñados en crear una nueva religión a toda costa, incluso aunque ello suponga defenestrar a Peter, Marcia y la propia Ann.

Tal como había dicho a Proud, no podía permitir que las vidas de unos pocos individuos fueran un estorbo. La cuestión era demasiado importante. Él, Hall Bentley, tenía en aquellas cintas magnetofónicas la respuesta al misterio de la muerte. Sí, disponía de la intimidad de algunas personas sin que lo supieran y sin su consentimiento. Pero lo hacía por una causa sagrada. En este caso, los fines justificaban plenamente los medios.
Proud aún no lo sabía, pero estaba destinado a ser un fenómeno. Podía gritar que se había invadido su vida privada, podía incluso querer matarlo. Sí, lo lamentaba. Pero no podía ser de otro modo.
Lanzó una nube de humo hacia el techo y se imaginó por unos momentos lo que sucedería. Vio los negros titulares, el estallido de las noticias en la televisión y el Telstar, las multitudes apiñadas en las calles y tal vez orando en las iglesias. Oyó también las carcajadas de los escépticos, a los irreductibles gritando fraude. Vio las fotografías de los periódicos, los fragmentos de película en la televisión: imágenes de Peter Proud, Marcia y Ann Chapin. Y, por supuesto, de él mismo, Hall Bentley. Era terrorífico. Se puso a sudar sólo con pensar en ello. Por un momento, consideró la posibilidad de volverse atrás.

Pero en definitiva es un libro interesante y entretenido, con sus carencias, disculpables tal vez para no extender la trama, del que me he enterado a posteriori que se rodó una película homónima en 1975, protagonizada por Margot Kidder, Michael Sarrazin y Jennifer O’Neill, en los papeles de Marcia, Peter y Ann, respectivamente.

[Robert Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of a spate of ho-hum reincarnation books from the 70's, this book is partially undone by it's racism and all too predictable plot. Why was reincarnation such a hot topic then? Why were the books about it so bad?

[Amashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my most favorite books. The story was thrilling and a must read.

[Manuel Arismendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

El comienzo y el final se conectan. Una narrativa sencilla, fluida. Es un libro que atrapa al lector desde que comienza hasta que termina.

[Karen Armo · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, enjoyable read, set in the ‘70’s and focused on psi phenomenon. Some of the language was dated and didn’t “age well”.

[Mike Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

23

[Chris Cox, a librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I’m twelve years old and my dad and my older brother are asking me if I want to go see a new movie called “The Reincarnation of Peter Proud.” For some reason, I chose not to go. Don’t know what else I was doing, but I didn't want to go! When they got home they told me the plot of the movie about a skeptical academic that was having dreams about a past life and how he investigates the clues to his previous existence. I was fascinated! Now, I said I wanted to see it! I talked my father to take me to go see it again (who was a great guy for doing that) even though I knew what would happen. So I’m in the theater and the first scene had a sight in it I had never seen before in a movie…a topless woman! I didn’t even know you could do that in an “R” movie! Overall, I liked the movie and that it was well done for what it was.

I saw the movie on network TV a few years later (with the topless scenes removed.)

Anyway, I’ve always had the novel it was based on by Max Ehrlich on the ‘books I might read some day’ list. Well over forty years since I first saw the movie, I finally read the book. I have to admit, it’s a real page turner. Mind you, I still remember most of the plot, so I know where the book is headed, yet I became invested in the story anyway.

Even if you find reincarnation an absurd premise (as does the main character at first) there are a few other plot issues for me. The fact that every random person he asks about the history of the town he is seeking seems to be quite the city historian with their recall of details seems a little much…But you got to keep that exposition going! It does rely on coincidence a bit much, but it is a story and a pretty involving one at that. If the premise of a character searching for details of his reincarnated self seems like something you might roll you eyes at, I get it. I’d recommend thinking about giving it a go anyway! And the character of Marcia (played in the movie version by Margot Kidder) may be the most complex and interesting character in the book.

[S.j. Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this 1974 thriller, and it wasn't quite what i expected. I'd seen a bit of the movie years ago on TV, and oddly i didn't expect the ending! I should have, every clue pointed to the obvious but was hoping for a more positive conclusion! Spoilers ahead!!!!
I'm not quite sure what the take-away was supposed to be. If we are all recycled souls are we all just predestined to live the same sort of lives over and over and over again? If we are horrible in a past life, and we don't learn from it and do better in this life are we destined to come to the same end? In the case of Dr. Peter Proud, his vivid dreams were making him increasingly uneasy. He tried going to a psychiatrist, a sleep study, a medium. Nothing seemed to help him shut out the dreams. He begins to realize he's not dreaming but reliving parts of a past life. Dr. Proud goes on a quest to find the places in his dream and try and discover information about the man whose life he previously lived. He knows he was murdered, and who did it but he doesn't know how or why the chain of events took place. As it all turns out Peter discovers he was once Jeffrey Chapin, womanizer, domestic abuser, boozer and all around cad. Jeff's wife Marcia and daughter are still living in the same house they all lived in nearly 30 years prior. Jeff's daughter Ann is roughly the same age as Peter and they begin a romantic relationship. Jeff's wife, who is the murderer, is an uncontrollable alcoholic and has been since she killed her husband. To be fair, he had it coming, but when Peter shows back up Marcia feels an overwhelming sense of dread. She knows Peter is not what he seems and she's horrified that he's dating Ann. Peter and his shrink had big plans to prove to the world that reincarnation is real and Dr. Bentley is miffed that Peter has gone back on his plan. Bentley turns up at Marcia's house, spills the beans about all their research, and Marcia tracks Peter down and kills him. Again. The End.

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Peter Proud, 27 years old, is a professor at UCLA, who starts having very vivid dreams: the same set of dreams over and over, in which he—in another man’s body, in another town, in another time—lives and dies. Bewildered, confused, and frustrated, Peter consults a psychiatrist and then goes to a Dream Lab to have his dreams analyzed, and finally to a clairvoyant, a woman who ends up telling him something very unsettling… which, just by the title of this book, you can guess.

Years ago, when I was a child, I watched the Hindi film Karz; back then, my mother had told me that it was based on a book called The Reincarnation of Peter Proud: she even borrowed the book from a friend and read it around that time, but since I wasn’t even a teenager yet, it was out of bounds for me. Years later, when I stumbled upon this book, I was drawn to it, if for no other reason than because of that childhood memory.

While some bits (not least the reincarnation angle itself) are dodgy, the book itself is pretty fast-paced and suspenseful. Much of it is taken up by the suspense of what’s happening to Peter (though of course you can guess), then as he tries to discover the truth behind it all: who he was in a previous incarnation, where he lived, and what happened to him. That’s a mystery that’s solved, the truth revealed, in a gripping way.

The plot, really, is what makes this book. The characters aren’t all that fascinating, and Peter himself is just about all right: not a character I liked a great deal, even though he wasn’t simply awful. And I just couldn’t get around how addicted to her dreadful husband Marcia is. If it hadn’t been for Marcia being the oh-how-I-want-him-even-if-he-rapes-me type, I’d have probably given this book four stars. But, for the sheer pace and entertainment value of it, it still does get three stars.

[Marlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remembered this movie from years ago having watched it when I was maybe in my teens or tweens...and I really liked the movie. I watched it again last Halloween as I remembered it being eerie and it seemed to fit the mood of the evening. I did not like it as much, but then I read the book anyway. The author has a great imagination but isn't a good writer at all. There was nothing remarkable in the book except the plot itself, no great passages to excerpt. The end was better the beginning which just seemed to drag on and I got sick of Peter seeing old or infirm people and wanting to tell them not to be afraid of death because they'd be born again. The theme was repeated ad nauseam. Here's my spoiler - this book was so obviously written by a man because how could any woman, no matter who she was being raped by and even if it was her husband, in the middle of such a violent act no longer want to resist but start desiring him and pull him toward her and make it consensual?! To me, that was the worst part of the book. It was offensive and really just hard to believe. There were a few racist comments that were insensitive, but I guess it's a sign of the times and maybe 45 years ago (sadly) that was acceptable and not even noticed. So the book was okay but I'm glad to be done and onto the next.

[Фъстъчко · Rating 5 out of 5]

Съзнанието ми ликува и се преражда заедно с тази книга! Тя ме отвлече и буквално ме възнесе извън общо нормалното възприятие, изуми ума ми, възхити сетивата ми и наград�� илюзията за съществуване извън обвивката на човешкото.
Книгата съдържа състоянията на сънуването, делюзията, фантазията, спомена, дежавюто - остатъчната информация в мозъка, която се предава от душата, влизаща да обитава човешкото тяло до тления му край, отново и отново. Усещането, че се познаваш, но не си самият ти, защото част от теб е някъде отвъд.
Историята в нея не е просто запомняща се. Тя е въздействаща - търсеща и намираща отговори, и същевременно задаваща хиляди въпроси. Тя е удивително изживяване: не се забравя, а има толкова много за разказване за нея, че дори си готов да я препрочиташ. Тази книга е най-доброто, което съм чела тази година и въобще до момента. Тя предизвика бунт в главата ми и създаде усещане за извисяване на сетивата ми дотолкова, че всичко това дори граничи с лудост - лудост, в която съм влюбена.

Ще гледам филмовата екранизация само за да се насладя на чая си и на усещането, че тази книга ще бъде жива вечно -дори и на екран.

[Stephen Snead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done. Although dated. The story itself is interesting and the plot is made plausible. I'm personally impressed by the real world work of people such as the late Dr. Ian Stevenson and the current work of Dr. Jim Tucker and The University of Virginia Department of Perceptual Studies. Along with Dr. Donald Hoffman's study of consciousness and evolution and the interaction of the two.

But, the story itself isn't a tome on parapsychology nor is it a religious tract. You can approach it as a good "what if?" mystery and be just fine. It's interesting to think of how much the world has changed. Some of the investigation of the main character can now be done by anyone with an internet connection or access to one. So, readers under 40 might find it a little Slow in parts. But all in all it's a good story. I've never seen the movie from the 70's that was based on the book. But now I might check it out. I gave it 5 stars but, 4.5 would be more accurate. Happy reading.

[ANGELIA · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would have really liked this (I like reading books with a past life story) if it hadn't been for the whole incest vibe, that wasn't necessary. I've come across this several times, whether in books or movies, and have come to the conclusion that some people get stuck in the Freudian stage when it comes to the parent/child relationship, and who's to say Freud knew what the F he was talking about??? Just because he had the hots for his mom, doesn't mean every other guy does, or every girl gets horny for her dad!

Whatever the case, I suspect some people are turned on by this, and putting it into a book (or movie, as the case may be) is a way of expressing their unfulfilled desire.

And I'll bet there's a lot of under-the-table groping at their family reunions!

Skip this, unless the idea of a guy coming back in another life and falling for his daughter from his previous life sets your heart beating. (It set my stomach churning.)

[LANCE E · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’ll be disappointed in the movie

I love this book, Ehrlich is a master story teller.
Peter does not have nightmares, he has visitations. Because he is both haunted and curious, Freud and Indian lore are woven together in his search to discover his destiny, however tragic.

Ehrlich unfolded Peter’s quest with Great attention to detail although some of the names of Massachusetts towns and characters are a bit unimaginative. Nonetheless , the story was riveting and I read it straight through.

After reading book, I found a grainy video copy on YouTube of the much ballyhooed 1975 movie, screenplay by Ehrlich himself...it was flat, dated and cheesy, the entire premise was overlooked. Regrets.