The Prophet

By Kahlil Gibran

A book of twenty-six poetic essays written in English, Kahlil Gibran' s The Prophet is full of religious inspirations. With the twelve illustrations drawn by the author himself, the book took more than eleven years to be formulated and perfected and is Gibran' s best-known work. It represents the height of his literary career as he came to be noted as 'the Bard of Washington Street.' Captivating and vivified with feeling, The Prophet has been translated into forty languages throughout the world, and is considered the most widely read book of the twentieth century. Its first edition of 1300 copies sold out within a month.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
• Release date: Dec 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9789358568059

Kahlil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran was a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and a philosopher best known for his, The Prophet. Born to a Maronite-Christian family in a village occupied by Ottoman rule, Gibran and his family immigrated to the United States in 1895 in search of a better life. Studying art and literature, and inevitably ensconced in the world of political activism as a young man dealing with the ramifications of having to leave his home-land, Gibran hoped to make his living as an artist. With the weight of political and religious upheaval on his shoulders, Gibran's work aimed to inspire a revolution of free though and artistic expression. Gibran's, The Prophet has become one of the best-selling books of all time, leaving behind a legacy of accolades and establishing him as both a literary rebel and hero in his country of Lebanon. Gibran is considered to be the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu.

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Reviews for The Prophet

[bell7_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Almustafa takes his leave of a city after twelve years to sail back to the isle of his birth after, but first a seeress and the townspeople gather to hear his words of wisdom about love, marriage, children, work, religion, death, and many other subjects that encompass the human experience.Though the contents list several poem titles, this is really one long prose poem. I have a hard time understanding even simple concepts in this type of poetry - something about versifying it makes it automatically less comprehensible - but though there were nuggets of good lines here and there, mostly it seemed like mystical vagueness trying to sound profound.

[m.belljackson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Almustafa, Prophet, addresses the people of Orphalese as he prepares to leave back to his home island after a sojourn of twelve years."A keeper of silences am I."My favorite speeches are: Children, Work, Buying and Selling, Reason and Passion, Self-Knowledge, Teaching, Time, and Talking.(Unwelcome was frequent use of "pigmy," Eating and Drinking, confusing Freedom, and the kind of mean ending for Almitra...no?)Evocative illustrations were drawn by the author.

[jorgeousjotts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's easy to take just a quick glance at this and think 'this person is speaking poetic nonsense in riddles' and dismiss it, =D But truly it IS quite clever. And there are lots of concepts worth ruminating on. It's short, but pretty dense, so it's a lot to take in at once. It might be a good one to read just a single small section before bed or something.

[librolindsay · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I mean...it's fine. Too bland for my taste though. I've been carting this around for almost 20 years...I probably would have enjoyed it in high school.

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Originally published in 1923, the language is old world but the message is relevant even today. Worthy of multiple reads, each short chapter covers important points in life: love, work, children, joy, sorrow, etc. Another great little book whose wisdom can be incorporated into my yoga and healing classes.

[iudita_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There were some beautifully worded sentences and the occasional flicker of enlighten, but for the most part this little book didn't speak to me.

[eldang-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I feel like I'm supposed to love this book, but it just didn't do much for me. At its best the writing is quite lyrical and there are some wonderfully quotable passages, but taken as a whole it felt like Gibran had tried to find universals among world religions and that road had just led him to rather obvious truisms.

[stevenjohntait · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this years ago. I'm not a religious person in the slightest. I might consider myself spiritual. This book was to me what I suppose the Bible or Koran, or Torah or whatever is to people of religion. It's a go-to book for learning how to be a better person. Provides insight into emotions, and ideas about work and life.

[danielstj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a surprisingly good read. The pithy statements are full of wisdom and poetic grace and the entire whole is abounded by a sense of care and compassion towards the reader. Although I am not religious, I found this to be a particularly gripping book that held my attention from start to finish.

Great read. Recommended for poets, scholars, those with religious reasons, and curiosity-seekers.

[cathy_donnelly-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful and inspiring.

[noonaut · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The translation I read makes it seem as if Gibran were trying to condense "Thus Spake Zarathustra." I'm not sure whether this is a fault of the specific translation

[jennifersalderson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful, amazing, spiritually-lifting little book that I have been flipping through for 25+ years! I highly recommend it - to everyone!!!

[bayardus-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

"Yesterday we obeyed kings and bent our necks before emperors. But today we kneel only to truth."

What a great line! Little did I know it was far and away the high-point of a book that is otherwise filled with platitudes and skin-deep truths.

[haidji-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you have ever questioned time, life, freedom, pain, friendship, love, marriage or pleasure I recommend this book.The lessons in this book can positively impact your life. Very simply written, this book speaks to everyone.

[5hrdrive · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes you read a book, sometimes a book reads you.

[spiritedtruthseeke-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

another MUST read for EVERYONE

[dms02 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

a great look at life. a spiritual read on all topics of life. it has taken on a new meaning every time I read it.

[becky221_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Read in 2002.) Favorite quotes:“And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.”“All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of life’s heart.”“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.”

[erickibler · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A useful work. That is, if you want to learn how to write a book that impresses millions with its apparent depth while saying nothing.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

his is a very interesting listen. The Prophet is not so much a story as treatise on Gibran's understanding of philosphy and religion. There are some beautiful points made, but others that seem confusing. The narration was rather odd. Paul Sparer has an amazing voice, but it would work better in an epic fantasy, and therefore gave the whole work a feel of the fantastic.

[anietzerck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 I read this to complete a reading challenge. I'm not usually one for poetry but I did find this book to be pretty captivating for the most part. There were definitely areas that were harder for me to read than others, but over all I enjoyed it. I'd say that I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

[hollybdurso · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolutely beautiful little book filled with poetic wisdom that I believe people from every faith and background can draw from.

[goofyocean110 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read The Prophet perhaps way way too quickly - its short enough to be read in a few hours, but deep enough to take years to digest. There's lots in there that would be good quotes to remember. It reminded me a little bit of the song 'Best of all possible worlds' in Candide(?) where this one know-it-all explains his unrelenting optimism.

[mariosantamaria_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The author creates a prophet to deliver their wisdom to an audience. Talks many subjects full of wisdom. They are not attached to any specific religion. It is short lenght but you need some time to digest any chapter. It is a great reading.

[barblibrarian_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I originally read this book in high school over 30 years ago and found it beautiful. Today I find it enlightening, calming, and a constant source of re-examination. I actually keep a copy with me at all times to read whenever I need to wait somewhere and want a quick reminder. Very thought provoking and very new age.

[hollowtaction · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

These short sections on various topics are completely insightful. Reading the prophet's wisdom, I felt as though he were telling me things from my own mind that I only had not put down into words, and Gibran wrote his prose with such an artfulness that this novel is nothing short of inspirational. He has written the poetry of my soul.

[motjebben · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful book! The poetry is exquisite and often quoted for its beauty and profound insight. A MUST-READ! Gibran's prophet speaks eloquently on the topics of everyone's life: Love, Marriage, Children, Work, Joy and Sorrow, ... Time, ... Religion...This timeless work will have you thinking deeply and THAT is its greatest gift!

[janemarieprice · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This small and beautiful collection of poems is wonderful. They cover any range of topics of life such as marriage and childhood. They are a great pick you up.

[mfassold_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite books of inspiration. I gave my Friday crew the book before they left for college. One of my favorite memories will always be sharing the book at Starbucks this summer.

[msnikki · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it. It is an aspirational book, full of advice based on ideal types...but that's great because we need to reach for something.