Boyhood with Gurdjieff

By: Fritz Peters

Narrated by: Emile Hirsch

When Peters’ mother suffered a nervous breakdown in the early 1920s, young Fritz was adopted by his aunt, Margaret Anderson, and her partner, Jane Heap. They were editors of The Little Review, the literary magazine that launched the writings of James Joyce, e. e. cummings, Hemingway, and other avant-garde greats. They moved to France where they raised Fritz among Gertrude Stein’s salon.

Anderson and Heap introduced Peters to many influential figures, but most significant to him was G. I. Gurdjieff, founder of the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in Fontainebleau. When Fritz first arrived there, Gurdjieff asked him what he wanted to learn. The boy replied, “I want to know everything. Everything about man. I think it is called psychology or maybe philosophy.” Gurdjieff answered with a sigh, “Your answer makes life difficult for me. I am the only one who teaches what you ask. You make more work for me.”

Thus, Fritz became perhaps the most intimate student of this mercurial mystic, but Gurdjieff was more than just a teacher to Fritz. He was a father figure whose influence Peters never shook, and always struggled to integrate. This stunning memoir covering Peters’ first years at the Institute retains a child’s naive perspective while offering photorealistic recall of Gurdjieff, the workings of his intentional community, and the eccentric characters who lived there.

©1964 Arthur A. Peters (P)2024 Hirsch Giovanni Publishing

All around great

The details of the story were intriguing & often amusing. I could envision the esteemed spiritual mentor Gurdjieff thru the eyes of the beautiful author, in his youthful honesty. The narrator- pace/inflection/accent- was perfect . I give this “listen” a 5++.

One of the Very Best

Having read so many books by people who were involved with Gurdjieff, I was delighted to find this on Audible. I always loved this book and considered it the most endearing of them all.
And it is beautifully executed here.

As Gurdjieff himself would have said, "Bravo, Audible!"

This author wrote a sequel to this that is even better. It is certainly more inspiring.

Lastly, and this isn't a criticism. I was involved with a disciple of JG Bennett for a little while. Then, in 1989 at a Jean Klein retreat, I had lunch with the head of the Gurdjieff movement in America, the successor to "Lord Pentland."

My point is Gurdjieff's name is not pronounced as, "Goor-jeef." It is pronounced as, "Goor-jeff."

A truly minor complaint and hardly worth mentioning compared to finding such a wonderful revival of this classic book. Now, if they would only do the even better sequel what a gift THAT would be.

Bravo, Audible!