What do you think?
Rate this book
What Lies Beyond the Stars: A Novel
“Something in me knows of a life I was meant to live but for whatever reason, I have not . . . ”
Words that ring painfully true for Adam Sheppard, a San Francisco programmer who has spent the vast majority of his 30-something years lost in the dim glow of a computer screen. On the verge of a psychotic break, Adam begins to have a recurring dream of his early childhood and the hauntingly rustic town of Mendocino, California, where he grew up. Convinced he has left something behind there, something vital to his present sanity, Adam walks away from his current life to figure out what that is.
One evening, out on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Adam has a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, only to later realize that she may be a long forgotten childhood friend. The coincidence of their reunion only deepens as Adam discovers that the woman has also returned to Mendocino due to a recurring dream, eerily similar to his own.
Lost soulmates drawn together through time and space, or perhaps their meeting is only the beginning of a much deeper mystery. As Adam awakens to the possibility that his life could be destined for more than a bleak virtual wasteland, he soon finds himself a crucial pawn in a game that pits forces intent on enslaving the human spirit against those few quixotic souls who still search for meaning, beauty, and magic in the world.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2016
327 people are currently reading
1006 people want to read
About the author
Michael Goorjian
4 books57 followersMichael Goorjian is an Emmy Award–winning actor, filmmaker, and writer. His acting credits include Party of Five, Leaving Las Vegas, and SLC Punk. As a filmmaker, he achieved widespread recognition for his first major independent film, Illusion, starring Kirk Douglas. Other directing credits include the Louise Hay documentary, You Can Heal Your Life, Wayne Dyer’s film The Shift, and the Hay House film anthology, Tales of Everyday Magic. Michael lives in Oakland, California. What Lies Beyond the Stars is his first novel. Website: http://www.michaelagoorjian.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
January 1, 2017
A few months back I had What Lies Beyond The Stars pop up in front of me on the Hay House Facebook page. Both the beautiful cover and the fact that Hay House had a fiction novel for sale immediately caught my attention!
Without even reading the synopsis I purchased the ebook and excitedly filed it in my 'to be read pile' knowing I'd read it when the time was right.
I knew it was going to be a cracker of a novel with something hidden in it just for me. After all aren't all Hay House books like that, and What Lies Beyond The Stars didn't disappoint!!
Still not having read the synopsis, I began the book knowing nothing of the premise, and within 48 hrs I'd devoured it, finishing it last night.
During the times I wasn't reading it I had this continual inner nag pulling me away from my everyday life here in Australia and back to the book to read it.
I don't think I have ever read a book with so many hidden messages!! Oh my there was a smorgasbord of them!! And I know I sure didn't find them all.
This book demands to be read many times, and I'm sure each time will bring a new appreciation of hidden treasure in the words.
I found myself constantly torn between stopping to ponder and work out the hidden meanings, and the urgent need to work that out later and selfishly keep reading to find out what was going to happen!!
Being a fellow author with a book with a positive hidden meaning, for me it's not just the big stuff that makes a book great its the small details and themes within a story that weave it all together that make a book special. This book is full of those!! And honestly who can go passed a chapter with 206 Einsteins, and 374 light sabers in the title!!
At one point I was left wondering if I could get my hands on Virgil Coates's Navigations of the Hidden Domain, even googling it once it first made an appearance in the novel to see if it was real!!
One of my favorite chapters that resonated with me was the section where Adam and Beatrice talk about the Galapagos and also where Adam explores the 2 oranges. Thank you for the insights hidden here!
There were so many aha moments I almost needed to write notes to remember them all!! Perhaps a follow along study guide would have been handy!!
What an incredible first novel! If you are looking for a book that draws you in, pushes your buttons, gives you a splash of romance, gets you thinking outside the square and leaves an impression long after the last page has been turned then What Lies Beyond the Stars is well worth the read. Thank you Michael Goorjian for sharing a slice of your soul with the world.
Without even reading the synopsis I purchased the ebook and excitedly filed it in my 'to be read pile' knowing I'd read it when the time was right.
I knew it was going to be a cracker of a novel with something hidden in it just for me. After all aren't all Hay House books like that, and What Lies Beyond The Stars didn't disappoint!!
Still not having read the synopsis, I began the book knowing nothing of the premise, and within 48 hrs I'd devoured it, finishing it last night.
During the times I wasn't reading it I had this continual inner nag pulling me away from my everyday life here in Australia and back to the book to read it.
I don't think I have ever read a book with so many hidden messages!! Oh my there was a smorgasbord of them!! And I know I sure didn't find them all.
This book demands to be read many times, and I'm sure each time will bring a new appreciation of hidden treasure in the words.
I found myself constantly torn between stopping to ponder and work out the hidden meanings, and the urgent need to work that out later and selfishly keep reading to find out what was going to happen!!
Being a fellow author with a book with a positive hidden meaning, for me it's not just the big stuff that makes a book great its the small details and themes within a story that weave it all together that make a book special. This book is full of those!! And honestly who can go passed a chapter with 206 Einsteins, and 374 light sabers in the title!!
At one point I was left wondering if I could get my hands on Virgil Coates's Navigations of the Hidden Domain, even googling it once it first made an appearance in the novel to see if it was real!!
One of my favorite chapters that resonated with me was the section where Adam and Beatrice talk about the Galapagos and also where Adam explores the 2 oranges. Thank you for the insights hidden here!
There were so many aha moments I almost needed to write notes to remember them all!! Perhaps a follow along study guide would have been handy!!
What an incredible first novel! If you are looking for a book that draws you in, pushes your buttons, gives you a splash of romance, gets you thinking outside the square and leaves an impression long after the last page has been turned then What Lies Beyond the Stars is well worth the read. Thank you Michael Goorjian for sharing a slice of your soul with the world.
February 27, 2017
I haven't been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished reading it. I can't adequately describe how deep and yet how readable this book is. The author Michael Goorjian has done something special here. I am so looking forward to Book 2! (And hopefully a feature film!) I initially purchased this as a 99cent eBook but I also purchased it in print form so I can have it sitting on my bookshelf with the rest of my favorite books!
August 31, 2018
For those who like their fiction to provide the profound message that we are so much more than we think we are, I suggest you give yourself a little holiday present and read "What Lies Beyond The Stars." If you're like me, it will break your heart open and provide a bright and beautiful message for the new year. A quick note, when you begin to read it, you may not think it's your cup of tea, as the story is about a closed-off computer genius immersed in his job as a game maker, but stay with it for the most intriguing story about what is true and good ... with the bonus of a captivating love story woven within. Kudos to the author. He is a film maker and the book video shows it. I am now going to anxiously await the movie and hope it has the same profound impact on the world as the book had on me when I finished it this morning.
August 27, 2017
No lo he entendido, en muchos momentos he estado muy perdida.
September 12, 2018
“There is something in me that knows of a different kind of life. The life I was meant to live, but for whatever reason, I did not.”
The above quote was what caught my attention while searching for my next read, as it is featured in the books description. This however, at least for me, was not a love at first page kind of book. Far from it. I found myself not really understanding or relating to the protagonist at all. However, half way through the book there was a change.. I couldn’t put it down. I found myself really rooting for Adam, and not just that, but relating to him as well. Who doesn’t believe we are here for a greater purpose, and meant to do so much more with our lives? This novel, which could almost be read as a self-help inspired read truly speaks to our time; specifically our social-media obsessed, over-medicated generation. There were a lot of profound thoughts and ideas about life in general which I found difficult to not stop every few pages or so and highlight the many thought provoking quotes. On a side note - weirdly enough, as I finished the last page of this book that won me over, I found myself at the “about the author” page, I copied the authors name to put into a google search and suddenly my phone shut off and a blank screen was staring back at me (I read on my phone), quite ironic with all things considered. I always say this, but I feel like this could be a great movie. There is a lot of depth to this book however, so hopefully that would cross over. A lot of twists and turns along the way constantly kept me on my toes! This however, is not an easy book to talk about or describe, so I have quite a few quotes that touched me, and will likely peek your interest.
“Occasionally he will catch the whispers of this abandoned voice, in the afterglow of certain “dreams with that lingering sense of a paradise lost, reminding him of another kind of life, the life he was always meant to live, but for whatever reason, he did not.”
“And science tells us that life is just a freak accident, right? So here we “are, two random blips of life accidently stuck on an insignificant planet in a run-of-the-mill solar system, off in some corner of an obscure galaxy, one of two hundred billion, drifting through an infinite universe—which now, by the way, they think is only one of a gazillion other universes inside the multiverse.”
“Sometimes you have to lose everything before you can discover the path you were always meant to follow.”
“I don’t want to die without at least trying to understand why I’ve lived.”
“If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what is within you will destroy you.”
“Sometimes things happen in life, and on the surface, they seem random or meaningless, but in truth they’re part of something much bigger. It’s like there’s this invisible layer to the world, folded into this one, connecting everything in a very deep and sacred way. And even though we’ve been conditioned not to see it anymore, conditioned not to give our attention to it . . . Certain people can still make contact.”
“This slippery question always reminded him of the filmnoir classic The Third Man, when Orson Welles makes his case to Joseph Cotton, saying, “In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace . . . and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.”
The above quote was what caught my attention while searching for my next read, as it is featured in the books description. This however, at least for me, was not a love at first page kind of book. Far from it. I found myself not really understanding or relating to the protagonist at all. However, half way through the book there was a change.. I couldn’t put it down. I found myself really rooting for Adam, and not just that, but relating to him as well. Who doesn’t believe we are here for a greater purpose, and meant to do so much more with our lives? This novel, which could almost be read as a self-help inspired read truly speaks to our time; specifically our social-media obsessed, over-medicated generation. There were a lot of profound thoughts and ideas about life in general which I found difficult to not stop every few pages or so and highlight the many thought provoking quotes. On a side note - weirdly enough, as I finished the last page of this book that won me over, I found myself at the “about the author” page, I copied the authors name to put into a google search and suddenly my phone shut off and a blank screen was staring back at me (I read on my phone), quite ironic with all things considered. I always say this, but I feel like this could be a great movie. There is a lot of depth to this book however, so hopefully that would cross over. A lot of twists and turns along the way constantly kept me on my toes! This however, is not an easy book to talk about or describe, so I have quite a few quotes that touched me, and will likely peek your interest.
“Occasionally he will catch the whispers of this abandoned voice, in the afterglow of certain “dreams with that lingering sense of a paradise lost, reminding him of another kind of life, the life he was always meant to live, but for whatever reason, he did not.”
“And science tells us that life is just a freak accident, right? So here we “are, two random blips of life accidently stuck on an insignificant planet in a run-of-the-mill solar system, off in some corner of an obscure galaxy, one of two hundred billion, drifting through an infinite universe—which now, by the way, they think is only one of a gazillion other universes inside the multiverse.”
“Sometimes you have to lose everything before you can discover the path you were always meant to follow.”
“I don’t want to die without at least trying to understand why I’ve lived.”
“If you bring forth what is within you, what is within you will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what is within you will destroy you.”
“Sometimes things happen in life, and on the surface, they seem random or meaningless, but in truth they’re part of something much bigger. It’s like there’s this invisible layer to the world, folded into this one, connecting everything in a very deep and sacred way. And even though we’ve been conditioned not to see it anymore, conditioned not to give our attention to it . . . Certain people can still make contact.”
“This slippery question always reminded him of the filmnoir classic The Third Man, when Orson Welles makes his case to Joseph Cotton, saying, “In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace . . . and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.”
November 16, 2016
This was unexpectedly good. I loved the scenes and setting of the SF Bay area. It reminded me of the times I spent there. The places were so familiar. Of course the description of what it's like to work as a software developer is really accurate.
As for the more meta-physical and philosophical aspects it brings up, there is a lot of food for thought here I think. I encourage people to read it and let me know what they think.
As for the more meta-physical and philosophical aspects it brings up, there is a lot of food for thought here I think. I encourage people to read it and let me know what they think.
December 10, 2016
What a wonderful read! I don't normally read Novels, but this one will capture your imagination!
The more I read, the better it got! I loved the way the characters were developed. I remained spellbound, as I read from Chapter to Chapter! I must congratulate Michael Goorjian on a Marvelous First Novel! I look forward with much anticipation to his next one!!
The more I read, the better it got! I loved the way the characters were developed. I remained spellbound, as I read from Chapter to Chapter! I must congratulate Michael Goorjian on a Marvelous First Novel! I look forward with much anticipation to his next one!!
March 20, 2017
Brilliant read!
Read this book in one weekend. Such a moving story and easy to "connect" to for so many today. A perfect blend of fiction and self-help, lovingly wrapped in fairy dust, and enough technology to make it present day relatable. Highly recommend! One of the best books I've ever read.
Read this book in one weekend. Such a moving story and easy to "connect" to for so many today. A perfect blend of fiction and self-help, lovingly wrapped in fairy dust, and enough technology to make it present day relatable. Highly recommend! One of the best books I've ever read.
September 24, 2022
It took me months to finish this book, I really didn't enjoy it. It has some interesting ideas that made me think about it, but overall I found it boring. Not the right book for me.
September 2, 2022
This is a book that makes you think, question, and perhaps doubt what is real. What happens to the ones broken in spirit and in mind? At first, with the coding, gaming and tech savvy setting, I felt like the novel wasn’t for me; but the more I read the more I was drawn into Adam’s life. A beautiful and very thought provoking story. Well written debut.
March 27, 2017
A powerful journey inside out
This book surprised me. It captivated me even though at first it wasn't all that familiar. It felt obscure with all the computer gaming technology; not being a gamer, I almost halted the read. But there was an attraction to the journey that urged me onward. How does this man who comes unraveled really find his bliss?
The captivating journey to come to selfhood meets many detours, as this journey presents. The deep desire to follow down the demons and make peace with the self is profound. The courage for the exploration and ultimate achievement creates powerful supports at just the right moment, as this writer reveals.
The title of this book is an invitation...and it does not disappoint. Well constructed and a journey each of us must take.
This book surprised me. It captivated me even though at first it wasn't all that familiar. It felt obscure with all the computer gaming technology; not being a gamer, I almost halted the read. But there was an attraction to the journey that urged me onward. How does this man who comes unraveled really find his bliss?
The captivating journey to come to selfhood meets many detours, as this journey presents. The deep desire to follow down the demons and make peace with the self is profound. The courage for the exploration and ultimate achievement creates powerful supports at just the right moment, as this writer reveals.
The title of this book is an invitation...and it does not disappoint. Well constructed and a journey each of us must take.
April 8, 2017
If you life feels like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle or if you feel as if you don't fit in with the world around you, then this novel is for you.
Beautiful, surreal, and wonderfully written, What Lies Beyond the Stars tells Adam Sheppard's story as he follows the breadcrumbs of a life that he knows he's supposed to lead. Battling against what many would call “The System”, he fights to get himself, and his life, on to the path that he knows he's destined to be on.
This is a novel with evocative, flowing language and if you're looking for a book to make you feel a little less alone in the universe, then this is it.
Beautiful, surreal, and wonderfully written, What Lies Beyond the Stars tells Adam Sheppard's story as he follows the breadcrumbs of a life that he knows he's supposed to lead. Battling against what many would call “The System”, he fights to get himself, and his life, on to the path that he knows he's destined to be on.
This is a novel with evocative, flowing language and if you're looking for a book to make you feel a little less alone in the universe, then this is it.
July 11, 2017
Great read! Incredibly profound and intriguing. I, personally, enjoy reading things that can't be anticipated and more importantly, they make you feel like you are on some sort of emotional roller coaster. Love the twists that occur throughout the story. I was initially disappointed with the prologue but by the end of the book, the disappointment perished. I would have given it a five star if the story hadn't been so convoluted (or maybe I am just too dumb). The hidden messages are still not completely revealed to me. What exactly lies beyond the stars?
September 16, 2017
Too bad I cannot add more than 5 stars... I've read a lot of books, but none have held on to my heart the way What Lies Beyond The Stars has. This books fills me up with longing, questions and answers. I wish I could explain how much I loved reading this. I definitely will be reading it again for a deeper understanding and things that I've missed. So many hidden treasures, everything tied together in this book. Nothing was added in just for the hell of it. I loved it!
October 30, 2017
This book is marvelous in that it keeps you wondering what will happen next. I found the character to be someone you cared about and felt sorry for his circumstances. The author does a wonderful job of weaving the story so you delve into the past to understand the present. I will say, though, that the ending left me wanting to know more after he finds his Beatriz once more.
January 15, 2025
A beautifully written first novel which ignited my imagination. I can't wait to read more by Micahel Goorjian.
December 21, 2017
Thought-provoking enjoyable read
Loved the in-depth insights into the human psyche, the flawed characters, and journey to the center of the soul. Highly recommend.
Loved the in-depth insights into the human psyche, the flawed characters, and journey to the center of the soul. Highly recommend.
March 1, 2022
DNF at 30%. I cannot continue to read this. It’s boring and tedious. There’s supposed to be a huge spiritual revelation, but I’m betting it’s nothing I haven’t heard before.
January 2, 2017
Adam Sheppard lives in the Bay Area and writes code for games. He works with his ‘friend’ Blake; their company has skyrocketed to the top, and has been acquired by the near mythical Rene Adiklein. They work near the top of the tallest building in San Francisco, which has a mysterious pyramid on top. But no one stays on the top for long if they don’t keep innovating; the pressure on Adam to fix bugs and create new things is tremendous. He lives in a gated community with a wife who runs his life and two step children who don’t give a shit about him. He is not engaged with a single part of his life. The only thing Adam does that really interests him is rereading a used book the homeless man who sits by the back entrance to Adam’s workplace sold him. He’s a genius, possibly autistic, and ever since he was 6 has been treated as mentally ill and heavily medicated.
Blake is both his care taker and his exploiter; Blake and Adam’s wife both treat him as property to be put into captivity and made to obey and provide for them financially. So when one day he leaves a note saying he can’t go on, withdraws as much cash as the ATMs will allow him, and disappears, they panic. As does the doctor who has been treating Adam since he was six. Adam doesn’t realize this; he’s gone back to the area he spent some time in before he was 6. He doesn’t really know why he has gone there, but a chance encounter with a woman in the dark convinces him he’s run into his childhood friend Beatrice. After a short blissful encounter, the police capture him and turn him back over to Blake, Jane, and the doctor, who once again over medicates him.
This Kafkaesque story is part novel and part philosophical treatise. Adam is trapped by his life of working and doing the family thing that he is ‘supposed’ to do. He is trapped more thoroughly than most of us- most of us don’t have someone making sure we take our meds- but we are pretty much all in that same trap. The question is, can Adam escape and join Beatrice and her group, who hope to save mankind before it’s too late? Can he find happiness and live fully, rather than as someone drugged into fitting in?
The basic theme of the book is of course how we are all being drugged by input- TV, video games, social networking- that keeps us from living fully and meaningfully. Adam finds that he must live in the moment, not in distractions. This message is nothing new; it’s fundamental to Buddhism. It is the first time I’ve found the message clothed in social networking, on line ads, and psych meds. Other than Adam, none of the characters is ‘real’ seeming; they are more symbol or archetype than they are people. I found that disappointing; making Jane and Blake flat caricatures seemed to fit the story but it seemed like Beatrice and her father should have been fleshed out. While I couldn’t put the book down while reading it, once I was done, I felt somewhat let down. I wanted to know more about Jane’s father, Adiklein, and Michael the homeless man. Will there be a sequel, or are they meant to be mere symbols like Jane and Blake? I wish I knew.
Blake is both his care taker and his exploiter; Blake and Adam’s wife both treat him as property to be put into captivity and made to obey and provide for them financially. So when one day he leaves a note saying he can’t go on, withdraws as much cash as the ATMs will allow him, and disappears, they panic. As does the doctor who has been treating Adam since he was six. Adam doesn’t realize this; he’s gone back to the area he spent some time in before he was 6. He doesn’t really know why he has gone there, but a chance encounter with a woman in the dark convinces him he’s run into his childhood friend Beatrice. After a short blissful encounter, the police capture him and turn him back over to Blake, Jane, and the doctor, who once again over medicates him.
This Kafkaesque story is part novel and part philosophical treatise. Adam is trapped by his life of working and doing the family thing that he is ‘supposed’ to do. He is trapped more thoroughly than most of us- most of us don’t have someone making sure we take our meds- but we are pretty much all in that same trap. The question is, can Adam escape and join Beatrice and her group, who hope to save mankind before it’s too late? Can he find happiness and live fully, rather than as someone drugged into fitting in?
The basic theme of the book is of course how we are all being drugged by input- TV, video games, social networking- that keeps us from living fully and meaningfully. Adam finds that he must live in the moment, not in distractions. This message is nothing new; it’s fundamental to Buddhism. It is the first time I’ve found the message clothed in social networking, on line ads, and psych meds. Other than Adam, none of the characters is ‘real’ seeming; they are more symbol or archetype than they are people. I found that disappointing; making Jane and Blake flat caricatures seemed to fit the story but it seemed like Beatrice and her father should have been fleshed out. While I couldn’t put the book down while reading it, once I was done, I felt somewhat let down. I wanted to know more about Jane’s father, Adiklein, and Michael the homeless man. Will there be a sequel, or are they meant to be mere symbols like Jane and Blake? I wish I knew.
July 29, 2019
Under the skillful ability of the author, this book peels back the superficial veneer of reality with the deftest of hints to his breadth of knowledge; allusions to Plato’s parable of the cave, the idea that what you focus your attention on becomes real and, though the writer may not have intended it, his reference to Einstein’s “looking at E=MC2 and seeing the atomic bomb…” reminded me of how Jung saw the same explosive and untapped power in the subconscious as Einstein saw in the atom.
This book is skillfully written with each chapter building upon the last in intrigue to raise the curiosity of the reader until it ends in a satisfying conclusion.
To paraphrase this book “is for those questioning life’s meaning, those who have taken a wrong turn long ago, forgotten some essential something or other, and now the fog of habit and conformity has grown so think around you, that you might not even remember what it was.”
I would recommend this book if you want to be reminded that there is something more to life than the emptiness of our modern and over medicated, over stimulated society.
This book is skillfully written with each chapter building upon the last in intrigue to raise the curiosity of the reader until it ends in a satisfying conclusion.
To paraphrase this book “is for those questioning life’s meaning, those who have taken a wrong turn long ago, forgotten some essential something or other, and now the fog of habit and conformity has grown so think around you, that you might not even remember what it was.”
I would recommend this book if you want to be reminded that there is something more to life than the emptiness of our modern and over medicated, over stimulated society.
June 20, 2018
It has been a couple of days since I finished this book and I've been waffling on my rating. It's a well written book. The ideas are clear and the descriptions are vivid. And there are some beautiful moments captured in the words of this book. What is holding me back from a higher rating is that I just didn't identify with the main character that much. Maybe I'm too much of a pragmatist and not enough of a dreamer. Regardless of the circumstances, I can't imagine walking away from a life full of responsibilities and commitments. Changing direction, sure, but not just walking away. I know people do it all the time, but it seems selfish to me. So, it was a good book. I liked some of the ideas, but overall it just didn't sit well with me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2016
Loved this book. Couldn't put it down.
January 15, 2017
It started slow, but was well worth the read.
December 26, 2019
This is a book about mindfulness/higher consciousness disguised as a pretty engaging novel. If it resonates with you, you likely found it at just the right time.
April 24, 2020
A random search for philosophical fiction lead me to "What lies beyond the stars" by Michael Goorjian. I started reading the book without any expectations but the book drew me in within few pages with such vivid descriptions, state of the art settings and an interesting story line. As a philosophy student myself, I was amazed at all the insightful observations and deep reflections that came up in almost every page. It is that sort of a book that is relatable but shakes the foundations of what you have accepted as a norm in everyday life. It makes you pause and reflect on where your life is going and how you fit into the larger scheme of things.
It is very difficult to categorise a book like this. It could be in any of these genres -self help, philosophical fiction, magical realism, psychological fiction or even romance. It is that kind of a book that appeals to each reader based on what they are seeking and their overall life experience and knowledge. The book gives you answers, a sense of purpose and makes you embrace the weirdness that makes each of us unique individuals.
Almost every page is highlighted with favourite lines but this one captures the flavour of what appeals to me -
"What if I told you that what you’re after is not necessarily answers to your questions, although they are important. What if what you’re looking for is, in truth, that intimate connection to the world you once had as a child . . . that sense of everything being woven together, and you were not separate from all this, but part of it.”
I am not going to talk about the story line or give spoilers. I will just stick to how the book made me feel. I went through a spectrum of emotions - I was intellectually stimulated on reading all the philosophical reflections, was angry to realise how mechanical our lives have become, was appalled seeing how a psychological diagnosis is traumatic on individuals experiencing it (The comparison to the neighbour's dog left me in tears), felt magical reading the interactions between Adam and Beatrice, was moved to read the author's take on mental health. Overall it's a book that will make you think, take pride in being yourself and seeing things for what they are without the societal conditioning that we are so used to.
To summarise, "What lies beyond the stars" to me is very much like what "Navigations of the hidden domain" is to Adam in the book. A must read for everyone.
It is very difficult to categorise a book like this. It could be in any of these genres -self help, philosophical fiction, magical realism, psychological fiction or even romance. It is that kind of a book that appeals to each reader based on what they are seeking and their overall life experience and knowledge. The book gives you answers, a sense of purpose and makes you embrace the weirdness that makes each of us unique individuals.
Almost every page is highlighted with favourite lines but this one captures the flavour of what appeals to me -
"What if I told you that what you’re after is not necessarily answers to your questions, although they are important. What if what you’re looking for is, in truth, that intimate connection to the world you once had as a child . . . that sense of everything being woven together, and you were not separate from all this, but part of it.”
I am not going to talk about the story line or give spoilers. I will just stick to how the book made me feel. I went through a spectrum of emotions - I was intellectually stimulated on reading all the philosophical reflections, was angry to realise how mechanical our lives have become, was appalled seeing how a psychological diagnosis is traumatic on individuals experiencing it (The comparison to the neighbour's dog left me in tears), felt magical reading the interactions between Adam and Beatrice, was moved to read the author's take on mental health. Overall it's a book that will make you think, take pride in being yourself and seeing things for what they are without the societal conditioning that we are so used to.
To summarise, "What lies beyond the stars" to me is very much like what "Navigations of the hidden domain" is to Adam in the book. A must read for everyone.
October 23, 2017
This book works on a number of levels, is complex and sometimes even profound, asking fundamental questions about life and existence.
Adam is a brilliant and successful computer programmer and creator of computer games but struggles with real life and ordinary social interactions. He has a sort of feeling that he might have been destined for a different path, and even, sometimes, that there is an alternative, better life out there waiting for him if he could just crack the code. A homeless man selling books hints that even if he doesn’t know the answer he does at least agree that there is a question. The towering edifice where Adam works suggests a correspondingly profound depth of plumbable knowledge, and his company, Virtual Skies, implies the importance of the real firmament and what lies tantalisingly beyond.
His quest takes him back to the town of his troubled up-bringing where a chance encounter with a childhood friend seems to lead him towards the revelation he has been seeking. Meanwhile, Adam’s business partner seeks to deter him from his search so he can use Adam’s gifts for his own advancement.
I liked the clever way the writer makes this adventure quite computergame-like, with clues and codes and secret openings offering new levels of experience. I liked the flashbacks between the adult and the child Adam. Adam is a complex and sympathetic character. I was rooting for him - I wanted better for him than his business partner, his wife and the world at large seemed to have mapped out for him.
The narrative is threaded with hints and glimpses of the tantalising alternative which is just out of Adam’s view and also out of the reader’s. It is cleverly ambiguous. Is Adam’s quest simply part of his psychosis, or is it real, and, if it’s real, is it something I, too, can find?
I thought the fundamental question of the book came through really clearly. In these days of screens, of on-line experiences and social media relationships, isn’t real life just passing us by?
The book could have been better written in some parts. The prose seemed stilted at times. But on the whole it was an enjoyable and challenging read. Highly recommended.
Adam is a brilliant and successful computer programmer and creator of computer games but struggles with real life and ordinary social interactions. He has a sort of feeling that he might have been destined for a different path, and even, sometimes, that there is an alternative, better life out there waiting for him if he could just crack the code. A homeless man selling books hints that even if he doesn’t know the answer he does at least agree that there is a question. The towering edifice where Adam works suggests a correspondingly profound depth of plumbable knowledge, and his company, Virtual Skies, implies the importance of the real firmament and what lies tantalisingly beyond.
His quest takes him back to the town of his troubled up-bringing where a chance encounter with a childhood friend seems to lead him towards the revelation he has been seeking. Meanwhile, Adam’s business partner seeks to deter him from his search so he can use Adam’s gifts for his own advancement.
I liked the clever way the writer makes this adventure quite computergame-like, with clues and codes and secret openings offering new levels of experience. I liked the flashbacks between the adult and the child Adam. Adam is a complex and sympathetic character. I was rooting for him - I wanted better for him than his business partner, his wife and the world at large seemed to have mapped out for him.
The narrative is threaded with hints and glimpses of the tantalising alternative which is just out of Adam’s view and also out of the reader’s. It is cleverly ambiguous. Is Adam’s quest simply part of his psychosis, or is it real, and, if it’s real, is it something I, too, can find?
I thought the fundamental question of the book came through really clearly. In these days of screens, of on-line experiences and social media relationships, isn’t real life just passing us by?
The book could have been better written in some parts. The prose seemed stilted at times. But on the whole it was an enjoyable and challenging read. Highly recommended.
December 7, 2017
The cover caught my eye and the title, so I loved that both played into the theme. For a debut novel it deserves 6 stars considering the story is far from simple,builds on itself and the writing is superb.
Cons: The beginning. For some reason I stopped reading this book. I think because this is not a normal fiction book. So if you are looking for brain junk food you won't find it here. When I went to reread it, I had no problem getting into the story. It really hit its stride 40% in and sunk in its claws, hooking me good.
The only other con is the book goes from present to past to present without a notation. So it is easy to get confused or bumped out of the story if you are a fast reader or not paying attention.
Pros: The themes of this book are thought provoking without forcing anything down your throat. Plus the content is left for the reader to examine at will - if they choose to. The suspense is crafted in a way that makes you want to keep turning the page. Certain aspects of the novel I did not see coming and really enjoyed. All the characters were developed and some, like the grandmother, left me wanting to know more about their world. Best of all, I was fully immersed in their world.
The ending was a Pro/Con. I think the author could have actually ended the book without the epilogue and I would have been satisfied. The additional information was nice and reminded me of the book's overall theme but it took away some of that glorious mystery of just arriving on another proverbial shore.
Overall, I will definitely read Michael Goorjian again. I loved how this story was told. Hay House should consider more fiction writers and Michael, write more please.
Cons: The beginning. For some reason I stopped reading this book. I think because this is not a normal fiction book. So if you are looking for brain junk food you won't find it here. When I went to reread it, I had no problem getting into the story. It really hit its stride 40% in and sunk in its claws, hooking me good.
The only other con is the book goes from present to past to present without a notation. So it is easy to get confused or bumped out of the story if you are a fast reader or not paying attention.
Pros: The themes of this book are thought provoking without forcing anything down your throat. Plus the content is left for the reader to examine at will - if they choose to. The suspense is crafted in a way that makes you want to keep turning the page. Certain aspects of the novel I did not see coming and really enjoyed. All the characters were developed and some, like the grandmother, left me wanting to know more about their world. Best of all, I was fully immersed in their world.
The ending was a Pro/Con. I think the author could have actually ended the book without the epilogue and I would have been satisfied. The additional information was nice and reminded me of the book's overall theme but it took away some of that glorious mystery of just arriving on another proverbial shore.
Overall, I will definitely read Michael Goorjian again. I loved how this story was told. Hay House should consider more fiction writers and Michael, write more please.
June 23, 2017
This book quickly became a favourite of mine I loved it. I love when a book comes to me at the right time. I don't usually check amazon's kindle deal but for some reason that day I did and after flipping through pages of books I found this one. The title and the cover caught my attention I'm always drawn to butterflies and so without reading the description I got it started reading it and couldn't put it down.
It's always good when I find characters I relate to in a book and in this one I related to three, Adam, Beatrice, and Coats. especially Adam at the beginning of the book being overwhelmed, having an anxiety attack and an existential crisis, I completely relate to that.
I also liked the way Adam noticed what's going on in the world. How money and material things were everyone's predominant concern and how everyone are glued to their devices wherever they go and how advertisers (not only they) are taking advantage of that and try to draw people's attention to their products. Because that's exactly how it is now. People lost touch with who they are, lost touch with nature. People became slaves to technology.
The only downfalls of this book are: 1) The prologue ruined the plot for me I would've liked to read the story without knowing where it's headed.
2) The story had the potential to be more inspiring. The journey (internal in this case) wasn't satisfying. Adam seemed to have healed himself by silence and time. It just wasn't enough for me.
But overall great book, definitely made its way to my favourites shelf.
It's always good when I find characters I relate to in a book and in this one I related to three, Adam, Beatrice, and Coats. especially Adam at the beginning of the book being overwhelmed, having an anxiety attack and an existential crisis, I completely relate to that.
I also liked the way Adam noticed what's going on in the world. How money and material things were everyone's predominant concern and how everyone are glued to their devices wherever they go and how advertisers (not only they) are taking advantage of that and try to draw people's attention to their products. Because that's exactly how it is now. People lost touch with who they are, lost touch with nature. People became slaves to technology.
The only downfalls of this book are: 1) The prologue ruined the plot for me I would've liked to read the story without knowing where it's headed.
2) The story had the potential to be more inspiring. The journey (internal in this case) wasn't satisfying. Adam seemed to have healed himself by silence and time. It just wasn't enough for me.
But overall great book, definitely made its way to my favourites shelf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2020
“Once you've learned to see beyond the stars," she whispered. "You begin to understand that anything we give our attention to, anything we dream, can become real.”
A thrilling spiritual journey that demands to be read. Question what you think is real, and take a peek beyond. See the edges around the screen of perception. Fight the current of habit and conformity to live the life you were meant for. Go all the way down and find what lies beyond the stars.
This is a story of one man’s struggle for love and liberation in the midst of a culture dehumanized by technology and medication. Goorjian’s compelling characters are full of surprises, providing a convincing tour of computer engineering, corporate business, and philosophy while steadily unfolding a rich and profound adventure.
In my opinion, Goorjian loses a bit of steam near the end but still delivers closure. According to other reviewers he has plans for a sequel, and I eagerly await its arrival.
A thrilling spiritual journey that demands to be read. Question what you think is real, and take a peek beyond. See the edges around the screen of perception. Fight the current of habit and conformity to live the life you were meant for. Go all the way down and find what lies beyond the stars.
This is a story of one man’s struggle for love and liberation in the midst of a culture dehumanized by technology and medication. Goorjian’s compelling characters are full of surprises, providing a convincing tour of computer engineering, corporate business, and philosophy while steadily unfolding a rich and profound adventure.
In my opinion, Goorjian loses a bit of steam near the end but still delivers closure. According to other reviewers he has plans for a sequel, and I eagerly await its arrival.
July 3, 2017
This book turned out to be a wonderful surprise. What a story! The protagonist, Adam, is not macho sort of guy. He is humble and gentle. He is the kind of character you fall in love with. He stands in stark contrast to people who strive for power around him.
Like most of us, Adam is not free. He is just a cog in a wheel. He longs for something more. But unlike most of us, he has the means to set himself free -- a vague memory of something almost mystical that existed in his life when he was a little boy. This vague memory can save his sanity if he can trace it back to its roots. Serendipity plays a part in his search. For Adam, what lies beyond the stars is much more than just a romantic contemplation. It is the secret to his destiny.
Like most of us, Adam is not free. He is just a cog in a wheel. He longs for something more. But unlike most of us, he has the means to set himself free -- a vague memory of something almost mystical that existed in his life when he was a little boy. This vague memory can save his sanity if he can trace it back to its roots. Serendipity plays a part in his search. For Adam, what lies beyond the stars is much more than just a romantic contemplation. It is the secret to his destiny.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews