Survival

The Island of Serenity #1

by Gary Edward Gedall

Pierre-Alain James ‘Faron’ Ferguson is about to commit suicide, in his suicide note he attempts to understand how he has come to have wrecked both his own life, but also all of those around him.

Pierre-Alain James ‘Faron’ Ferguson finds himself in a type of ‘no-mans-land’, between here and there, he must accept to visit the 7 islands before he will be allowed to continue on to his next steps. The islands are named; Survival, Pleasure, Esteem, Love, Expression, Insight and lastly, the Island of Serenity.

Genres: Spirituality

106 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2014

Reviews

[R.A. McCandless · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t be intimidated by the overly lengthy title of Gary Edward Gedall’s “The Island of Serenity Book 1: Survival (The Island of Serenity Part 1 Destruction).” The book, the first in Gedell’s series of seven, is really more like two separate halves of different books that are welded together through the same main character.

Gedall’s tale is the journey of Pierre-Alain James Ferguson— called Faron throughout. Faron has decided to commit suicide, and the book opens with a screen-capture of Faron’s suicide note on his computer but then works backwards and forwards from there. Readers are given an unnecessary recitation of Faron’s family tree until the reader is brought through Faron’s own upbringing to the point where he meets a girl named Anglique. Obviously, a love-interest but unfortunately it’s at this point, without any fanfare, that the second “book” starts, with post-suicide Faron and his trials and tribulations on the island “Survival.” Here, Faron must literally learn how to survive in the most primitive sense.

“The Island of Serenity” is an easy read, with paragraphs and dialogue that never run more than a line or two each. Gedeall shifts point of view from time to time, but the overall narrative is simply enough to follow and the concepts never delve much beyond the surface. Those readers looking for an adventure story with the exploration of a complex, if flawed character, will be disappointed. This is not that book. Gedall is weaving together a spiritual conceptualization through the metaphysical journey of Faron who will travel from the “island” of Survival to six more in an attempt to relearn and remake himself.

[Elizabeth Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fantastic and imaginative book to read as the psychological dynamics are compelling.

Such a brilliant take on the theme of islands. I wondered whether it would be like 'Lord of the Flies' in some respects but it was quite different, and the juxtaposition of personalities was the key aspect of why this book works so well.

It is good when an author really uses their imagination to take their reader on a journey to another dimension within totally different dynamics, and this is cleverly executed in this book.

I am so looking forward to reading the second book, as I am now wondering what will happen next to the characters. Readers are drawn into this book and actually manage to transcend their ordinary day to day perceptions, which is a hard thing for an author to achieve!

I am now going to look for other books by this author as I like psychologically based books and in many ways they offer authentic representations yet with a twist, as this book so superbly does!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting concept for a book, part philosophical treatise, part spiritual exploration, and part fictional memoir. Original. Parts of it really intrigued me, while other parts were less effective. The two parts of the book didn't meld well, and left the overall affect a bit muddled. The symbolic level wasn't always clear to me.

It was a quick read, and since this is a book one, some of my questions might be answered if I read further into the series.

[Emily-Jane Orford · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s never easy living up to family expectations, but when those expectations are combined with wealth and privilege and, heaven forbid, a noble ancestry with noble aspirations, life can become challenging and rather difficult, to say the least. Some might say that such situations are only fodder for suicide victims. However, there are options.

If you could do it all again, live your life once more, what would you do differently? Facing suicide and finishing his note to announce his intent, Pierre-Alain James ‘Faron’ Ferguson finds himself in a no-man’s land, a place between time and existence. Before he can proceed, he must visit seven islands, Survival, Pleasure, Esteem, Love, Expression, Insight and lastly, the Island of Serenity. On these seven islands he will experience different realms of existence and a means to accept and understand who he is and why he can’t give up on himself. In other words, Pierre-Alain must find a way to forgive himself and move on with his life.

And why seven islands? I believe the author may have suggested some metaphorical reference to the number seven. In Biblical studies, seven is the symbol of completion because God created the world in six days, the seventh day, the day of rest, was really the beginning of all history. So seven is seen as a beginning, but seven is also Biblically associated with the end of time and the completion of the mystery of God. Suicide is the end of a life, the completion before one’s time, so perhaps the seven islands of Pierre-Alain’s journey will bring his own life into complete perspective. After all, life is a journey and Pierre-Alain’s journey isn’t complete; it has only just begun.

Gary Gedall has a unique writer’s voice. His book, “The Island of Serenity: Book 1: Survival” is written in the form of a memoir. This first- person narrative traces a life, one troubled from its beginnings, bearing the weight of what is expected and what is really desired. Gedall’s writing is imaginative taken to the realms of existence and understanding of what and who we are. He makes us think, deeply, to ponder the true meaning of our own lives. A powerful narrative. One that needs to be studied and examined closely.

[Liam Birkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying that this is not a book that I would normally pick from the shelves. Bookstore, Kindle or otherwise. I agreed to read this thinking that I could broaden my reading horizons, and challenge myself to try something that I normally wouldn't enjoy.

The introduction to this book, which I presume is a factual insight into the author's early childhood, is the worst part of the book for me. Don't get me wrong, it is interesting, and I find myself liking the father and wanting to know more; it's more about the way in which it is written. 

For me as a reader, and not knowing French, my main problem with the introduction is that when the mother does speak French, I need a translation, as I struggle to follow the conversations.

Now let's talk about the body of the book.

The main character, Faron, is in Purgatory, after a suicide attempt. He's met by a mysterious entity, who claims that 'it' is here to help. Help change Faron's outlook, to help him live.

And in doing so, Faron finds himself on the first island in a series, which is The Island of Survival. He's transformed into a neanderthal, with no memory of any inventions made (like the wheel), and is told to do what the island's name suggests: survive.

The book seems designed to take the reader (and the author, it seems), back to basics. Before life's complications, before technology, before speech even. To see what human life really is, without any of this noise that we've become accustomed to.

It's not a bad book, and I'm sure that the series as a whole will have a profound message, and I encourage anyone who is in it for the long haul, and who is looking for something a little more spiritual.

I give it four stars, since it kept my attention from start to finish. I wanted to know more.

L. 

[C.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens with an emailed suicide letter. Faron “wakes up” in Purgatory. He’s given a choice: to change or remain the same. To change, he must examine his past and how he came to this point. He must also visit 7 “islands,” named Survival, Pleasure, Esteem, Love, Expression, Insight, and the Island of Serenity. This is the first book in the series, which focuses on the first island, aka Survival.

Faron is dropped into a prehistoric environment where he must learn to survive. At first, he thinks it’s dumb. Of course he can survive, all you need is fire and water, etc. But how do you actually make fire? Where do you find water? How many of us would truly be able to survive in a situation like this? He ends up living with a group of caveman-type folks who teach him basic skills, and he begins to understand certain basic elements of society, such as social roles, sharing resources, etc.

This is a very metaphysical book that acts as an allegory for life. The main character is damaged and living a miserable, unhealthy life, and so he must learn new life skills, each represented by an island. He has to learn to connect with the meaningful elements of life. The book exists somewhere between allegorical fiction and self-help. It’s an interesting premise that makes you think.

[Eve Culley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book to read that started off with a suicide letter. This captured my attention. So, the tale begins. Faron, the main character, begins his life again in Purgatory and he is given a choice to remain the same or to choose to change. The rest of the book is about his choices and what results from them.

At the beginning of his reliving his life, the reader is taken through the events beginning with his parents and how they came together, moving on through his childhood. Some of the dialogs are in French with English sub-titles when he was a child conversing with his mother. (I was grateful for the sub-titles.)

Faron awakes on an island in prehistoric times and he must learn how to survive.
This is the first book in the series so there is no “happily-ever-after” but a “to-be-continued” ending.