Prophet: Life and Times of Kahlil Gibran

This respectful but frank biography of the author of The Prophet reveals Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) as a deeply conflicted man. Robin Waterfield, an English translator of ancient Greek philosophical texts, believes that Gibran never felt entirely at ease in America (to which he immigrated from Lebanon in 1895) or in his native culture. His influential Arabic poetry infused a rigidly classical literature with Western-style romanticism and colloquialism. And his English-language books like The Prophet (which has sold millions since its initial publication in 1923), with their emphasis on the individual's quest for enlightenment and inner peace outside of the constraints of organized religious institutions, helped to create New Age spirituality. Yet Gibran was an alcoholic, frequently unhappy in his relationships with women, and in Waterfield's judgment became so enmeshed in his role as poet-prophet that he "could not endure the reality of being a human being." Somewhat pedantically written and argued, this useful work sifts fact from fiction to illuminate Gibran's links with early 20th-century bohemians in Boston and Greenwich Village, his political and literary affiliations with fellow Arab immigrants, and his impact on the culture of his time and our own. --Wendy Smith