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What a spiritual journey!
I loved it ,the musician who aspires to reach the highest of spirituality ,her journey of discovering the truth is inspiring and transforming It's truly a romance of two worlds ,the materialistic world and the spiritual one This novel is too long yet enjoyable and would appeal to anyone who loves and interested in spirituality The beginning is a little boring though but once i get to the part when she meets her twin soul,who helped her heal and reach the highest of spir What a spiritual journey!
I loved it ,the musician who aspires to reach the highest of spirituality ,her journey of discovering the truth is inspiring and transforming It's truly a romance of two worlds ,the materialistic world and the spiritual one This novel is too long yet enjoyable and would appeal to anyone who loves and interested in spirituality The beginning is a little boring though but once i get to the part when she meets her twin soul,who helped her heal and reach the highest of spirituality ,it gets really interesting.
Nowhere does the Divine Master say that God is so furiously angry that he must have the bleeding body of his own messenger, Christ, hung up before Him as a human sacrifice, as though He could only be pacified by the scent of blood! Horrible and profane idea! To those who cannot see this perfection of goodness depicted in Christ's own words, I would say in the terse Oriental maxim: It is progressive, as I have told you—it begins as a germ—it goes on increasing in power and beauty for ever, till it is great and pure enough to enter the last of all worlds—God's World.
But there are sometimes hindrances to its progression—obstacles in its path, which cause it to recoil and retire a long way back—so far back occasionally that it has to commence its journey over again. This is plainly stated in the New Testament thus: Because, being pure Light, He is also pure Love; the power or capacity of Love implies the necessity of Loving; the necessity of loving points to the existence of things to be loved—hence the secret of creation.
From the ever-working Intelligence of this Divine Love proceeded the Electric Circle of the Universe, from whence are born all worlds. Jun 14, Kasey Jane marked it as did-not-finish. I am trying to get better at putting down books that I really dislike. The book reminded me of a cross between The Celestine Prophesy and Twilight. It is rife with Victorian-era New Age mysticism and for some reason all of the near-celestial supercharged beings in the book are magnetically drawn to the fairly ordinary protagonist.
Except that she's not really like the rest of her pathetic, simpering sex Not worth it for me. Oct 17, Russell rated it really liked it. Lucid and languorous, this book will instill faith in the faithless, and fortify already enhanced souls It's not one to miss for followers of the Cult and Esoteric teachings. There is a vast realm of lost knowledge related to the mystical properties of electricity, but you're not Christian enough to know about it, oh no.
Both the unnamed Author Avatar protagonist and her mentor Heliobas frequently stop to lecture on the amorality and fallen state of contemporary s society, treating us to the spectacle of wealthy people complaining about how all anyone ever does is chase after money. Heliobas in particular comes across as That Fedora Guy we've all encountered on Reddit.
Now Corelli was an early proponent of what we would call the New Age movement, and, looking back after decades of cults and gurus, there is a lot about Heliobas's character that raises red flags. He claims to have all the answers to life's Big Questions if only you follow him; he deliberately isolates a vulnerable woman from her friends and family; he is viewed as infallible by this same woman, who blindly lets him administer mysterious potions to her thankfully not made with Flavor Aid and cyanide ; he isolates his middle-aged sister as well, claiming the protagonist is the only female companion he's found suitable for her; and, most alarmingly, he outright condemns critical thinking and rationality as symptoms of dangerous atheism and human fickleness.
Both the protagonist and Heliobas are also laughably elitist, loudly proclaiming their Christian values yet unthinkingly lording it over household domestics and failing to recognize how their wealth affords them this exalted lifestyle dedicated solely to artistic and spiritual pursuits. Corelli, through her avatar, explicitly links artistic talent to Christian virtue. True artists have a unique connection to God, you see, that allows His forces of love and creation to flow through them. This means the world just doesn't appreciate them and only likes derivative losers, because fuck those people who need to make a living.
Well, it is a compelling story, at least in audiobook form. Marie Corelli was basically the Dan Brown of her day, known for novels inspired by esoteric lore that were wildly popular despite negative critical reception. Her wacky ideas about electricity were actually reflected in contemporary physics, which believed that an otherworldly ether filled all space and was necessary for electrical and wave transmission. At the time of her book, this was developing into the concept of the spatial fourth dimension, which also has its roots in the theosophical and occult trends of the era.
For all Corelli's self-righteous Christian blather, many of these mystical thinkers, such as Claude Bragdon and Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, drew extensively on Eastern and ancient pagan beliefs for their perception of another level of reality which serves as an heavenly well for artistic inspiration. Ironically, for all her own self-professed devotion to the highest Art, it seems like the critics were right, as Corelli has since fallen into obscurity, while Arthur Conan Doyle, H. Wells, and Rudyard Kipling - all of whom she outsold in their lifetime - are still household names.
Corelli is said to have been a lesbian, which the relationship between the protagonist and Zara would seem to support. While the Victorians did describe strong friendships in language that to us sounds romantic, Zara's disembodied soul-lover prevents the protagonist from kissing her while she's asleep, so there's that. Corelli also blatantly and hilariously pimps out her brother's shitty poetry, specifically Love Letters of a Violinist and Other Poems and Pygmalion in Cyprus, and Other Poems , even giving the publication info for one in the form of a footnote.
He repaid her by with public defamation and claims that he was the real author of her books. A Tale of Three Destinies instead. It has similar themes of the beauty and majesty of the immortal afterlife versus the crude clay of the doomed body. Basically the Christian reworking of the Platonic ideal. Not surprisingly, Corelli and Haggard were mutual admirers of each other's work, so there may have been some influence there.
But enlightened Stella is a much nicer, more sympathetic character than Heliobas and not! Jun 21, Seth Kenlon rated it it was amazing Shelves: This book provides you with so much to think about, your mind will be racing for the duration of each chapter. The obvious thing you'll be thinking about is the story as presented: There, she meets a mystical doctor who claims he can heal her physically and spiritually. It's a fascinating science fiction story that ends in a sort of philosophical and theological climax in the same way that, say, Stranger in a S This book provides you with so much to think about, your mind will be racing for the duration of each chapter.
It's a fascinating science fiction story that ends in a sort of philosophical and theological climax in the same way that, say, Stranger in a Strange Land or do. It's a good story, with a touch of mystery and a mattering of character drama. But around the story is a hovering obsession with religion and existential angst.
The author clearly put a lot of thought into the philosophy of her story, and has her own unique reinterpretation of Christianity, which she attributes to the fictional doctor in the book. But the author obviously truly believes what she's writing about, because in an appendix in the edition that I read are letters to the author from fans who thank her for, basically, enlightenment. And still there's more going on in the book.
It was written during a time when electricity had just come into semi-regular use, after the trans-Atlantic telegraph cable had been run. You can sense the excitement and optimism in the science fiction; electricity is a mystical force of the world that connects the physical plane with the spiritual one, and science puts everything past and present into perspective. The author's fascination for this up-and-coming technology is both infectious and uncomfortable, because you want her to be right about there being a bright future for humanity, but you are a reader literally from her future, so you know how it actually turns out.
The Victorian setting makes the story a sociologically interesting, too.
I've alway I stumbled upon a Youtube comment naming this as a good Christian book to be adapted into a movie. Whether or not they are able to harness is depends on the strength of their faith and their relationship with their spiritual being. After hearing of Caine's harsh criticism, George Bentley suspected that the novel might have commercial appeal and published Corelli's first novel. See 1 question about A Romance of Two Worlds…. I will recommend it to anyone who is seeking and not looking for facts as it will app Is it Fiction? See All Goodreads Deals…. The idea of the novel is inherently grandiose, but the scale of the writing never quite reaches spectacular levels.
Getting the world view from a female Victorian artist is fascinating. It's enthralling to read about how she sees her place in the world, and the way she feels other sees her and her gender, and what she wants to achieve, and what she wants to do with her life, and her insecurities and doubts, and the strength she finds within herself.
It's honestly one of the most feminist stories I've ever read, and it's progressive feminism: There's even more to discover in this book, but I can't mention everything without venturing into spoilers. If you like early SF, this is worth a read. Jul 30, Miri Fern rated it liked it. I stumbled upon a Youtube comment naming this as a good Christian book to be adapted into a movie. I had never heard of it, so I looked it up and soon procured a free digital copy. I read a few reviews on here beforehand, so I went in knowing the writing would be flowery and overwrought.
It wasn't as bad as I expected, and I eventually got used to the style. Yes, Corelli probably was a little full of herself, but I found her admonishment of critics charming at least, admirable at best. I've alway I stumbled upon a Youtube comment naming this as a good Christian book to be adapted into a movie. I've always felt like art is in many ways plagued by elitism, with a select few "respectable" writers held aloft by critics who can't be said to know better than the average person.
I mean, plenty of critics blasted this book both when it was published and after, but I didn't think it was that bad. I actually rather enjoyed it. I wouldn't call it high art, but it's hardly trash. The characters are memorable and interesting, if a little mysterious. Heliobas in particular stands out, and naturally he became a recurring character, appearing in two other Corelli books. The weird New Age Christian fusion philosophy might turn some people off - I did wind up skipping most of the "Electric Principle of Christianity" chapter because I wasn't interested in that aspect - but otherwise the plot moves swiftly.
The idea of the novel is inherently grandiose, but the scale of the writing never quite reaches spectacular levels. Consequently, it feels strangely down to earth and simplistic, given the cosmic subject matter. That appears to have been one of the major complaints of contemporary critics, who claimed Corelli had "the mentality of a nursemaid". As to whether it could be made into a movie, I think it might actually benefit from some Hollywood streamlining and simplification.
I can see it working, provided it was put in the proper hands. It would probably wind up looking a lot like Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, though, so maybe not Oct 01, classic reverie rated it it was amazing Shelves: I read the Delphi collection of her works, not this edition. I had no idea what to expect but a brief introduction gave me a little idea and so I began with a hope I had not heard of Marie Corelli until reading Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, where Francie is looking forward to reading Corelli but has not yet read to the "C" of the library books.
I had no idea what to expect but a brief introduction gave me a little idea and so I began with a hope of some romance but as I read I noticed this was not the usual kind but much deeper. This is a romance with God, heaven and our twine soul. Colleri had originally wanted to call her novel "Lifted Up", which to me seemed the perfect title since after reading I felt uplifted.
In a modern world where they try hard to erase God in many ways and a Godless world is all around us in so many arenas of society, I needed to read this spiritual gem of a story. I wonder what Colleri would say of modern times compared to doubting era of her times.
Somethings are science fiction but all in all her messages of God and heaven and life had such clarity to me. The main female character remains nameless to the very end. There is a passage where Heliobas sees her in the future and this was not the case. Her life being in progress and not ended at the end, so I used my imagination to have the ending I found quite possible. Jan 31, Dave rated it liked it Shelves: She wrote some interesting fictional books, mixing romance with the occult and science to produce some books which today would be considered speculative fiction.
She was the illegitimate daughter of Scottish poet and songwriter Dr. Charles Mackay, and lived both in England and in France during her youth. She was a musician before turning to writing, and that part of her life is very apparent in this novel. The novel is narrated by an unnamed woman, but who clearly is intended to be the author Marie Corelli, who is visiting the Riviera Cannes with friends Colonel Everard and his young wife Amy , because of her ill health when she encounters a mysterious Italian artist, Raffaello Cellini, who has caused a stir with his works.
There are those who are impressed by their color, while others claim that they will fade quickly and that he is a.
Raffaello Cellini has an immediate effect on our heroine, as she feels better when he is around, which we soon learn is no accident. He has used inner electricity on her to improve her health, though he is not personally qualified to completely heal her. He sends her to Heliobas, the man who helped him achieve so much, both in health and in art.
Cellini sends her to Paris, where she consults with Heliobas and meets his sister Zara, who also is able to control her inner electricity. He heals her, and teaches her about his powers, as well as about how it all fits in with Christianity. This then becomes the central point of the book. Corelli spends a great deal of time on her own interpretation of Christianity.
This may well cause a problem for some readers, though one should remember that it is fiction and to not let this ruin what is a fairly interesting premise.
There are some interesting themes and devices which run throughout the story. One of which is the attitude that some have toward new artists, i. It seems clear that this is likely something which Marie Corelli encountered in her time as a musician, as well as perhaps with the attitude that some had towards her being the illegitimate daughter of Dr.
The theme of Christianity and how it relates to her beliefs regarding electricity and health is another very obvious theme. There are also some interesting devices which would later be used in speculative fiction. There is a form of telepathy, though one could say it is more of a force of will, which extends into the unconscious mind as well as with the visions in the narrators dreams early in the book.
Another is the use of astral projection, which plays an important role in this story spiritually. Ultimately, the story has no end, and instead it serves as the basis for what would be called today a new-age religion. The book also contains 10 letters to the author at the end, from people who have accepted the theories contained in the book as true. Jul 24, Mel rated it it was amazing Shelves: I may have discovered my new favourite author for the year. This book was truly wonderful. I started to read this one next as it was the first book that Coreli wrote, however it was just so beautifully written I had to stop reading it online and instead ordered myself a 19th century edition.
The edition I bought was gorgeous, leather binding with marbled endpapers and edges. The text was clear and beautiful paper. Mary being an extra planar creature that was sent down to show women how to live a faultless life the way Jesus was for men, and Jesus not being a sacrifice but rather a good example.
But I still loved the book. As Bill says about Augustine, it really made me wish I could believe in this god character they were talking about cause he sounds quite cool. But the book was just so wonderful on so many levels. The main character was a young independent woman, who made her living by being an accomplished piano player and composer. At no point was there any mention of gender norms, or guardians, or husbands for her. She was just living independently as she willed. When the book started she was terribly depressed and the way Corelli wrote about depression was beautiful.
Then there was the lovely supernatural element to the book, the mysterious man who was able to heal using the power of electricity and Christianity. At the end of the book there was a truly remarkable scene where the main character completely told off the man who was supposedly in love with Zara for only being in love with her body, but that she could appreciate her properly and loved her body and mind and how Zara could never have been happy just as an ordinary wife for him.
The spirituality that was the focus of the book reminded me a fair bit of CS Lewis, in that it came across as a nice fantasy. There were other worlds in habited by other beings and it read like a lovely myth even though it was supposed to be true. I have already got one more lovely 19th century edition of hers to read, and another on order from abebooks.
Mar 04, Alia Makki rated it it was amazing. I have not read any other of Corelli's novels. I had no idea what the premise to this story was. None of which mattered to me as much as the number of pauses I had to take between the chapters, just to cry. The story begins with a young pianist who got too sick to play.
The doctors couldn't figure out why she was sick, so they sent her traveling. She went to Cannes, met a fellow creative a painter and a mystic's Pandora's-Box broke loose. Scryers go there in astral state either to access information or to affirm faith. A long description of this place, how to explore it, the characteristics of the people who frequent it, the beings who reside and pass through it, is described somewhere in the middle of the book.
Until I reached that part of the character's spiritual ascension in the book, I had to pause a lot I was listening to it in audiobook format. For fear of looking ridiculous for crying suddenly over tea-making, or fail to control the seizures that beheld me as I saw the images the story drew in my mind. The problem with mystical experience is that it's near impossible to talk about without sounding downright crazy or arrogant. Which is why true mystics rarely speak of their experiences in the Betweens with elaborate and comfortable description.
He gadflies the narrator with this attitude when they first meet, earning him one hell of a Did You Think I Can't Feel? His own twin flame up in heaven gets frustrated with his arrogance and sends him a message through the narrator. The narrator and Zara, at least they would have been. He usually comes off as a bit of a Jerk Ass along with being a Deadpan Snarker. Lightning Can Do Anything: Electricity is the key to the future, and to the nature of God and creation.
No Hugging, No Kissing: None of the main characters' twin flames exist on Earth in the story, so they all remain single in a corporeal sense. When Prince Ivan tries to kiss Zara, he gets zapped by her electric jewel and she tells Heliobas that he tried to rape her.
There's still plenty of hugging and kissing, but only between the narrator and Zara. Could be another reason people think this is autobiographical. Older Than They Look: Zara, who looks 17 but is really Purple Prose Red String of Fate: According to Corelli's doctrine, every soul is destined to be with one other and him or her only.
Any other relationship is doomed to fail. If your twin soul happens to be dead, you'll only reunite with them in the afterlife, so you're pretty much stuck being asexual here on Earth. Your twin flame, twin ray or mirror soul is the other half of you — you'll merge together and Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence like Decker and Ilia when your incarnations are complete; your soul mate is important throughout many lifetimes and will always remain close to you, but is a separate person. Zara and the narrator are probably soulmates. Especially the interior of Heliobas' place.
Suffers badly from this. The novel tries to assert that the moon doesn't exist but is really an elaborate hologram and that Jupiter and Saturn are inhabited by advanced humanoid races. And electricity really cannot do everything. In a later novel, Corelli tried to visualize atomic energy this way. Self-Insert Fic such that many readers still believe some or all of it really happened. Too Good for This Sinful Earth: