Boyhood with Gurdjieff

by Fritz Peters

When Peters’ mother suffered a nervous breakdown in the early 1920s, young Fritz was taken in by his aunt, Margaret Anderson, and her partner, Jane Heap. They were editors of The Little Review, the literary magazine that launched the writing of James Joyce, e. e. cummings, Ezra Pound, and other avant-garde greats.

Anderson and Heap introduced Peters to many influential figures, but most significant to him was G. I. Gurdjieff, founder of the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in Fontainebleau, France. When Fritz first arrived there, Gurdjieff asked him what he wanted to learn. The boy replied, “I want to know everything. Everything about man. I think it is called psychology or maybe philosophy.” Gurdjieff answered with a sigh, “Your answer makes life difficult for me. I am the only one who teaches what you ask. You make more work for me”.

Thus, Fritz became perhaps the most intimate student of this mercurial mystic, but Gurdjieff was more than just a teacher to Fritz. He was a father figure whose influence Peters never shook, and always struggled to integrate. This stunning memoir covering Peters’ first years at the Institute retains a child’s naive perspective while offering photorealistic recall of Gurdjieff, the workings of his intentional community, and the eccentric characters who lived there.

--
"On a par with Alice in Wonderland, a real treasure of our literature. Not only is it full of amazing anecdotes, it is also full of wisdom. The wisdom of life."

-Henry Miller

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Spirituality

250 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Arthur Anderson “Fritz” Peters was the author of both novels and memoirs, which touched on themes of spirituality, mental illness, homosexuality, self and society, always through the lens of an unrelenting individuality and nonconformism. Peters’ most successful novel was Finistère, published in 1951, which sold over 350,000 copies and was an influential and unapologetic work of early gay literature. Due to instability in his family life, Peters spent his childhood between Europe and the United States, often nurtured by those adults who were able and willing to assist. Central to his upbringing was his aunt Margaret Anderson and her partner Jane Heap, creators of The Little Review literary magazine, along with other members of their circle, such as Gertrude Stein. Most notably, the esoteric teacher George Gurdjieff interacted closely with Fritz from an early age and was hugely influential in Peters’ life and literature. Boyhood with Gurdjieff, Peters’ most popular memoir, paints these figures and their projects in a thoughtful and intimate light.

Reviews

[Scot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both sweet and insightful, a wonderful little book for those interested in different accounts of students of GI Gurdjieff. What makes this one stand out from other accounts is that it is written by a student of Gurdjieff who was with him as a child. Though written as an adult, he masterfully captures the essence of his young mind and experiences with Gurdjieff. I have read many accounts of his students, but this one ranks near the top both from the perspectives shared of day to day life and spiritual learnings. Highly recommended for those interested in the ideas of Gurdjieff that have read the major books in the canon.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fritz Peters spent several years as a child living in Gurdjieff's community at Fontainebleau, and this is one of the best accounts of that community. Peters is an excellent writer, and this is a vibrant and witty evocation of life around Gurdjieff in the 1920's. A fondness for the man himself illuminates these pages, but Peters is also fairly scathing toward the pomposity of other residents adoration of 'The Master'. As such, Gurdjieff is portrayed in a more playful, not to mention fallible light than many other 'reverential' books written by his followers. Thoroughly recommended for any one interested in Gurdjieff - as is Fritz Peters excellent sequel, 'Gurdjieff remembered'.

[James E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wise beyond his years, independent but open to growth, in this memoir Fritz Peters displays things we could all learn from.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly one of the best books on humanity I've read in a long time.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

found this book in the library years and years, had never heard of Gurdjieff but this led me on a long search trying to understand his teachings.

Peters had the great fortune to meet him as a child where Gurdieff puts him to work doing the lawn. it filled him with an adult pride, and gurdjeff who people were searching for as a mentor and teacher all their lives, was not only that for peters but a father figure.

peters tells wonderful anedotes about gurdjiff which i still remember to this day. a great introduction to gurdjieff and his teachings.
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[Laura Zurowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few suggestions for those curious about the life of Gurdjieff, as told by Fritz Peters:

1. Peters' two books on this topic (this one and "Memories of Gurdjieff") are very well written and tell compelling stories - to read them as autobiographies without expecting any insights into Gurdjieff is worthwhile alone.

2. "Boyhood" is just that, recollections of the 1920s living in France and the physical work (gardening, household chores, cleaning rooms...) he was required to do as a resident at Gurdjieff's Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man. Peters does a great job of recreating the literal and concrete mindset of late childhood and early adolescence and the emotions he felt (or didn't feel) as a result of his tumultuous and atypical upbringing.

3. Peters' retelling of events that occurred inside and outside the Institute, and his childhood perceptions of them, could be enough to turn a reader off from wanting to know anything more about the personal development work Gurdjieff was teaching to adults. As a person living 100+ years later, I had some serious "WTF??!!" responses. However, persevering and reading Peters' "Memories of Gurdjieff" book, which chronicles their interactions as an adult and elder in the time before and after WWII, is worth it.

This isn't to make excuses for mean-spirited or dysfunctional behaviors, but how society viewed and treated 11-15-year-olds in the 1920s differs from today.

4. If anything, upon reprinting, these two books, "Boyhood" and "Memories", could have been combined into one new edition with more expansive commentary and reflections about how Gurdjieff's teachings are situated in time and how parts of that teaching are still relevant today.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 1964 memoir about Fritz Peters’ time with Gurdjieff is wonderfully evocative and is an insightful exploration of what it was like to be close to this controversial guru and be part of his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man. I’ve never quite understood what Gurdjieff’s teaching and philosophy was all about nor why so many disciples flocked to him (including Katherine Mansfield, to my surprise) but from Peters’ memoir I did at least get some understanding of Gurdjieff’s appeal, not least because Fritz Peters, even as a boy was very clear-sighted and non-judgemental. He was sent to the Institute when his mother had a breakdown and he was placed under the guardianship of Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap, editors of The Little Review. Jane Heap placed him in the Institute and he was to some extent taken under Gurdjieff’s wing, although ultimately chose to return to his mother in America. The years he spent in France come vividly to life and he established a relationship with Gurdjieff which lasted the rest of his life. Essential reading for anyone interested in Fritz Peters’ work as well as in Gurdjieff as man and teacher.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a strange book. I had never heard of Fritz Peters or G.I. Gurdjleff or the Institute for Harmonious Development of Man. The book assumes the reader is familiar. That said, I could not put it down. Somehow this book kept me enthralled into what might happen. The assumption is that something does happen, which with this book may be a misnomer. But non-the-less, this book kept me reading. I am giving it three stars.