No Man an Island Clues
I can’t give away everything about the final meaning of No Man an Island, now that the story is complete. That would ruin some of the fun of seeing people speculate, and it would also destroy some of the plans for my ultra-cool sequel, now being written.
I will answer questions to the best of my ability. But, to be honest, some of those answers are already in the book, some of them are in the sequel, and some of them are to be found only in the reader. To a large extent, NMAI is structured like a meditative labryinth, with each suceessive twist and turn leading inwards to a spiritual insight, and taking you back out again. What that insight is, well, that’s really individual to each reader. And it might not happen for some, most, or all readers. It’s just part of what I hoped and planned for.
So ask me your questions, I’ll tell you no lies. But the truth, that is a tricky concept. I’ll do my best.
But here are the chapters that best point the way. I’m not providing links, because the NMAI Table of Contents has them all:
The Novel
The Ending
Different Car, Same Day
Gwen: Ethan’s Stories
Gwen: Ethan’s Journal
Gwen: Mistaken Identity
Gwen: Searching
The Wilderness: Nightmare
The Wilderness: Deja Vu
The Opening
100. Gwen
Pilgrim’s Progress: Young Love
Enigma: Morning Mystery
Enigma: The Search for Clues
All of Rewind, but especially Literature Debate, and Born on the Wrong Planet
then 209. Gwen to 216. Gwen: Stalemate
Psychomachia – a word worth looking up
all of Lost
all of Clarity and The Beginning. Two Key Words: Samsara and Maya.
Happy Hunting: Now, on with the questions!
I have some rereading to do. I read the first part of the book quite quickly and it was a while ago. I like reading books online like this in short bits chapter by chapter, it gives you time to think about it.
Since you say Samsara, this puts a more Buddhist slant on the interpretation. Ethan has become a little more evolved through the lessons he learned through his adventures in NMAI, and has gone on to the next plane of existance. As have Mara and Raphael (who are now human rather than angels – humans are more evolved because they have free will?), and also Mara’s mother. His life wasnt’ a dream except in that all our lives are illusion in some sense. Am I on the right track?
Hmmmm. I can answer some of this, but not all of it, because I’m still working away at the sequel. I will say that the Samsara/illusion thing is on the right track.
But it’s not just a Buddhist tradition. In the “Lost” chapters, I had Jesus calling Ethan “Elijah,” “John,” and “Gawain,” and included scripture that implies John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated. It’s Biblical as well as Buddhist.
I wouldn’t say “more evolved” either, because how much more evolved can you be than Elijah? He was so holy he was taken straight to Heaven without dying. Only Enoch ever got to do that besides him, in the Bible. Legends say Mary did it, and so did the Prophet Mohammed, but that’s outside the Bible. Elijah was top of the list, really.
I think it’s more “to fulfill God’s plan” and “explore something new.” Elijah was top dog, so as John he had to be second fiddle to Christ. As John he was a pretty crazy guy, living in the wilderness and yelling at sinners. Well, in short, Elijah/John was somebody you could trust to do important jobs. So Ethan does something big. But what hasn’t this person done? Had a regular life. That’s the thought behind the ending, and the coming sequel, anyway.
But the illusion thing is pretty key, too, and hopefully the sequel will address it.
The first time I read the first third of the novel was rushed, late at night, to catch up. I suspect I probably missed a lot. I’m going to reread at a slow pace, a couple chapters at a time. No doubt I’ll have more questions and theories at a later date.
I’ll be glad to answer questions and entertain theories.