Perspective

Gurdjieff writes a memoir about his own life, and that always makes the author the definitive expert on the subject. Yet memoirs are not always, and not usually, strictly factual. Authors embellish the truth; if not consciously, then unconsciously by the effects of time on memories. With Gurdjieff's storytelling style, probably influenced by his father's singing of the oral traditions and his sharing of stories with his friends along the way, everything has its embellishments. This is sometimes done for humorous or dramatic impact, although the style oftentimes has obviously exaggerated language. A few scenes defy common sense, such as crossing a rope bridge that has no hand holds with pack horses. However, the reader has no way of verifying this claim. A skilled memoir writer will always only stretch those truths that cannot be verified. However, Gurdjieff has a tendency of asking for more credulity than is...