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Adventures in the Supernormal
As an anniversary tribute, Eileen Garrett's early autobiography Adventures in the Supernormal has been published in its entirety, with the addition of remembrances from those who actually knew this complex and utterly fascinating individual. The renowned medium, author and entrepreneur recounts how her powerful psychical gifts steered the course of her life and touched the lives of many others, both famous and obscure. First published in 1949, this latest edition of Adventures in the Supernormal is newly reprinted with never-before-seen photos. Also included is a short biographical essay about her life after Adventures and a selected bibliography of works by and about Garrett.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
234 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 23, 2014
Packs a lot of melodrama into a short book.
That sounds snide on the page, especially since the book is autobiographical, but it seems consistent with Garrett's only blasé attitude.
Eileen Garrett grew up to become one of the better known psychics of the mid twentieth century. In this book, she tells the story of her life. It's hard to evaluate her early years, since this is a memoir, an act of memory that smooths out a lot of the inconsistencies and false-starts of life. Her parents, she said, were passionate and artistic, risking social censure to marry, but she was raised by her much more conventional aunt and uncle--her aunt, especially, was strict in making her obey the rules of Irish protestantism.
Garrett had what she calls supernormal experiences from early on. Her best friends were "the children," fey creatures visible only to her (to her aunt's dismay). She communicated with animals and nature on non-verbal registers. She accepted her aunt's punishments because she knew the older woman was doing only what she was supposed to do--that blasé attitude. Eventually, she escaped to England, where she married several times--to be honest, I lost track of all of her marriages. She lost her two sons when both were very young, but she dispenses with those events in a few paragraphs, They hardly seem to stay with her--the same with her marriages, Eventually, she simply opts to stop marrying.
There's a interesting story here about gender norms, religion, science, and careerism in the 20th century, but these issues are only dealt with obliquely.
Garrett finds a mentor in Edward Carpenter, the Theosophist, though she rejects that philosophy, and he shows her that she is special. Most of the book details her interactions with the psychic research communities in England and the US--where she starts visiting in 1931: Hereward Carrington, JB Rhine, and others. She offers various opinions of those involved in that scene. The book ends with her thoughts on psychical research as it was conducted in the middle of the twentieth century.
The book is ably written and often transcends its own romantic nostalgia--particularly remarkable is Garrett recounting her obsession with murdering small animals in her youth.
And that's what makes the book worth reading, it's small glimpses of the strange, before Garrett nervously tries to cover them with convention.
That sounds snide on the page, especially since the book is autobiographical, but it seems consistent with Garrett's only blasé attitude.
Eileen Garrett grew up to become one of the better known psychics of the mid twentieth century. In this book, she tells the story of her life. It's hard to evaluate her early years, since this is a memoir, an act of memory that smooths out a lot of the inconsistencies and false-starts of life. Her parents, she said, were passionate and artistic, risking social censure to marry, but she was raised by her much more conventional aunt and uncle--her aunt, especially, was strict in making her obey the rules of Irish protestantism.
Garrett had what she calls supernormal experiences from early on. Her best friends were "the children," fey creatures visible only to her (to her aunt's dismay). She communicated with animals and nature on non-verbal registers. She accepted her aunt's punishments because she knew the older woman was doing only what she was supposed to do--that blasé attitude. Eventually, she escaped to England, where she married several times--to be honest, I lost track of all of her marriages. She lost her two sons when both were very young, but she dispenses with those events in a few paragraphs, They hardly seem to stay with her--the same with her marriages, Eventually, she simply opts to stop marrying.
There's a interesting story here about gender norms, religion, science, and careerism in the 20th century, but these issues are only dealt with obliquely.
Garrett finds a mentor in Edward Carpenter, the Theosophist, though she rejects that philosophy, and he shows her that she is special. Most of the book details her interactions with the psychic research communities in England and the US--where she starts visiting in 1931: Hereward Carrington, JB Rhine, and others. She offers various opinions of those involved in that scene. The book ends with her thoughts on psychical research as it was conducted in the middle of the twentieth century.
The book is ably written and often transcends its own romantic nostalgia--particularly remarkable is Garrett recounting her obsession with murdering small animals in her youth.
And that's what makes the book worth reading, it's small glimpses of the strange, before Garrett nervously tries to cover them with convention.
Displaying 1 of 1 review