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The Whisper of Pialigos | 
 enlarge | Author: J Douglas Bottorff
Publisher: Wheatmark
Category: Book
List Price: $20.95
Buy Used: $6.25
You Save: $14.70 (70%)
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 1160939
Media: Paperback
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 1587367114
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781587367113
ASIN: 1587367114
Publication Date: January 15, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Stuart Adams, a moderately successful novelist, wants to write the big book that will make him rich. A serendipitous encounter with aging eccentric Wes Barnes may provide a ticket to the wealth he seeks. Barnes has been on a decades-long search for an ancient scroll believed to contain knowledge that could have a profound impact on global consciousness. He hires Adams to chronicle the expedition and publicize the scroll's contents-if they can find it. The assignment sets Adams and Dr. Niki Mikos, a fiery Greek archeologist, on a perilous journey to the Mediterranean and an exploding volcano that may hold the prize they seek. Along the way he is dogged by strong memories of a place he has never been. His confusion grows when a Pialigarian priestess tells him it is his destiny to undergo a ritual involving a deadly labyrinth. If he succeeds, she says, the planet will become "sweet with the fragrance of peace." If he fails, he will lose his life. Her suggestion is nonsense, of course?superstitious mumbo jumbo that has nothing to do with his destiny. Or so he thinks.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
An impressive piece of work! August 23, 2008
Alden Studebaker (Lawrenceburg, Indiana)
I was thoroughly captivated by The Whisper of Pialigos from beginning to end. Doug Bottorff has ingeniously woven together the best aspects of an action-adventure thriller with a compelling spiritual message. His characters are believable, engaging, and interesting, and the unexpected twists and turns in the story line kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I felt as if I really was in the Greek islands. This is an impressive piece of writing, and a must read for all who enjoy The Da Vinci Code genre.
Better Than Any First Novel Has a Right to Be! March 28, 2008
Michael A. Maday
As a former editor of Doug Bottorff's and a friend, I began this book with a combination of fascination and concern. What if it wasn't as good as he thinks it is? My dread evaporated quickly within a few pages and from that point on my admiration soared. This is better than it has a right to be, I quipped to myself at one point.
This novel is a kind of Da Vinci Code meets Celestine Prophecy except it excels at everything the latter tries to do on every level, and it is deeper and more spiritual than the former. In fact the specter of expectation works against this book; we expect a kind of derivation and then are gleefully surprised by its freshness.
I am impressed by Bottorff's skillful descriptions that propel the action. I am pleased by his characterizations that are more than believable but compelling. And the sexual tension he introduces and sustains between Stuart and Niki is truly delicious. This book offers a feast on many levels, the beauty of the Greek islands, the excitement of adventure and romance, the stimulation of both spiritual and intellectual ideas that touch archetypal emotions within us.
The conclusion is also most gratifying as mythological themes and the plot elements come crashing together, and this satisfaction is no small feat. I like how Bottorff merely suggests that Stuart in a former life may have known Jesus himself but that this is not a major point of the novel. While I thought the survival of the scroll and of Capt.Thrasher was a bit incredulous, this is a minor quibble that no doubt would play well in a Hollywood movie, which by the way this book deserves. I loved it and I did not want it to end!
Back to the Garden: The Whisper of Pialigos August 17, 2007
Linda (Tempe, AZ USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Like many others, I, too, enjoyed this book for its fast-paced action, rich description and sympathetic characters. But while it provides a great ride on one level, I enjoyed even more the intellectual play, careful research, metaphorical frames, and the metaphysical dimensions of the book. Bottorff's hero is, indeed, an everyman, an Adam who must make his way back to the Garden after losing his way. That this contemporary Adam eventually discovers both his material Garden and his spiritual innocence through the journey, makes the story satisfying. The literary choices Bottorff makes to get him there give it a deeper artistic dimension than might be evident at first glance.
First, the labyrinth plays an important role in the novel. The ancient symbol that predates all modern religions and is used in most, can be seen as a spiritual exercise where the (silent) meditative journey is as important as the destination, a recurrent theme of the novel. It also symbolizes the spiraling karmic path of death and rebirth, significant in the novel. And it represents a great spiritual and physical paradox involving a frightening and chaotic maze within a great and complex cosmic plan which, in turn, reflects the twists and turns of the characters' travails within the wholeness of the plot. This use of symbolism made this novel richer for me than Mosse' labyrinth novel, for example, which like Brown's DaVinci Code, simply uses spiritual symbols to generate or further a plot rather than reflecting, exploring and enriching the wisdom imbued by those symbols.
Another aspect I enjoyed was the play on words in the title. Bottorff's fictional Pialigians seem very close in certain descriptions to the ancient culture of the Pelasgians--the pre-Greek civilization that in some interpretations of Plato's Critias were from the continent of Atlantis. Even more interesting, a similar homonym, (or slip of the keyboard in my case), offers "Pelagians", followers of Pelagius, a first century, C.E., Catholic monk and heretic who believed that Original Sin did not taint human nature because it, being created from God, was Divine (Wikipedia). While unexpected and perhaps coincidental, the similarity to the Three Measures of Wisdom in the novel is worth noting.
More archaeological sites of the book deserve excavation but for now, I'm hoping for both a film and a sequel. What does Adam do now that he's discovered spiritual truth? How does this new knowledge work for him and his bride? And what about the "sons of Adam" who grow up in an Eden without the mark of Original Sin? Do they still struggle? I have a hunch that this author has much more to impart about the implementation of wisdom; I know he has the artistic skills to do it in a way that makes it both accessible and richly rewarding. Wouldn't it be interesting if, like the scroll Adam finds, it is one day said about Bottoff's book:
"This unlikely source may indeed offer the world one of the clearest windows yet unopened into the mind of Jesus" (266)?
The Journey April 10, 2007
Marilyn (Bothell, Washington United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Having read two other books by this author, books I refer to often for their inspiration and simple truths, I was curious to see how he would take the leap from down-to-earth spirituality to the writing of fiction.
I agree with other reviewers who say that The Whisper of Pialigos is a fun story. Stuart Adams unwittingly embarks on a wild and harrowing journey in search of an ancient scroll, while at the same time searching his soul for understanding and meaning in his own life and relationships. What is love, anyway? Is something missing in his life? His better judgment tells him he should go back home to Marion and protect what he has. But, a mysterious memory, a whisper, propels him in another direction.
Vivid descriptions, beautifully crafted, give life and personality to the characters. The vibrant hues of the Greek islands remain painted in my mind. I feel as though I have journeyed there. They say it's fiction, but I'm not so sure. I'll never forget the feeling of standing on the beach of Kyropos, trapped in the fiery darkness of the awakening volcano as the earth trembled and the rising sea threatened to devour me.
Perhaps the writing of this story was not such a leap after all. Mr. Bottorff has artfully created a captivating story with beautiful locale and down-to-earth characters as a backdrop for his interwoven spiritual theme.
I WANT TO GO TO GREECE NOW... March 21, 2007
Sheryl Shicora
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This well crafted story captured my attention with the opening sentence and I could hardly put the book down until, regretfully, the end. It is easy to read yet is a complex tale, woven with mystery and metaphysical message along with detailed characters, exotic locations, lots of action and intertwined relationships. This multi level depth kept me intrigued as the story flowed along and carried me through the gamut of emotion. I really enjoyed this thought provoking, good entertainment story and look forward to more works from this author.
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