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Original Title:	Strange life of Ivan Osokin: A novel
ISBN:	0140190589 (ISBN13: 9780140190588)
Edition Language:	English

Strange Life of Ivan Osokin Paperback | Pages: 176 pages

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I don't know if we have free will, I wonder about it, and there are many philosophers and scientists on both sides of the arguments, so I'm not alone. Ivan Osokin, the memorable young Russian character living the strange life of eternal recurrence in this well written novel, seems to be someone who maybe believes in free will but certainly doesn't practice it, at least not in an affirmative way. Most of his choices are negations, the lack of action, but worse than that is he lives his life over and over, between the ages of 14 and 26, without the possibility of changing any outcome. He's assured of this lack of change by his magician acquaintance, who makes this eternal return possible, but Osokin doesn't quite believe him and hopes to change, to his eternal frustration and chagrin. Why can't he change? Does this seem true to you? I feel as if it could very well be the case - no matter what you know, you're liable to live your life in that same route you have always, constrained by a million factors, the least or most of which is your own brain, and the author portrays this in a way that’s simply believable.

If we have free will to make free choices, why aren't we all the best reviewer on goodreads? Why aren't we all millionaires or astronauts, or whatever? You have the freedom of information, you have the brain, why don't you have everything that you (supposedly) want? Did you really freely choose the career you're in, among all the possible careers in the world? Why not, if you truly have free will? And if you've changed careers, or spouses, did you really freely choose these options, or were they simply ever constraining options rather than free choices? Why can’t you fix any relationship, if you say you love her? Isn’t she worth it? Isn’t free will virtually freedom of behavior? Why don’t you change? Or why do you “decline” to change? Maybe you don’t have free will after all. If you dismiss these questions, if these aren’t matters of free will, then what is free will, and what is it worth, anyway? Why do our supposed free choices often lead to suffering, and why can't we freely choose to not suffer instead? If we have free will, what do we get to choose, and what don’t we get to choose?

I guess I'm harping on will because in this eternal return scenario, there is no free will if things always turn out the same, and they do for poor Osokin, and he’s like any other mate you went to school with, schlubbing along the best he can but with certain definite limitations that he can’t quite figure out. The Russian mystic author, Ouspensky, in fact apparently believed in free will, but he also knew how extremely difficult it is to enact it. He wrote this, his only novel, to give you a glimpse of what it takes to change, and a glimpse of the difference, perhaps, between free will and the lack of it, between embracing life actively as it is, or forever being a slave, whether to internal or external factors. The theme of reliving life is common in literature, but this has to be one of the more authentic personal life-like versions. You should meet Ivan Osokin. Perhaps you know him already.

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Title	:	Strange Life of Ivan Osokin
Author	:	P.D. Ouspensky
Book Format	:	Paperback
Book Edition	:	Deluxe Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 176 pages
Published	:	November 1st 1988 by Penguin Books (first published 1947)
Categories	:	Fiction. Philosophy. Cultural. Russia. Literature. Russian Literature

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Ratings: 3.96 From 542 Users | 56 Reviews

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Read this years ago and have always wanted to write a YA novel following its theme of eternal recurrence. The first sentence of the book follows logically from the last sentence, so you could read it forever. Snake devouring itself, and a little Finnegans Wake too. Cool tone, very enjoyable and very fast read.

Probably 3.5 stars is a slightly more accurate rating for Ouspenskys novel, but since I must choose between 3 and 4 stars, I go with the higher rating.For much of the book, I found it a rather painful read. Osokin is a pathetic character, making terrible choices left and right and, for much of the book, knowing in advance the terrible choices hell make and finding himself unable to avoid them. Its painful because its so relatable. How often have we done the wrong thing, knowing better and

It's rather weak as literary work though final scene is very interesting - especially for ppl interested in Gurdjieff work (and because of that I'd give 5 stars).

Such an uncomfortable but likable book. So interesting.The strangeness of the language is strangely endearing; the movie screen theatrics are interesting.It is so painful to know what will happen happen. So infuriating. But so understandable.There are sections, passages, Ah, the one with Tanechka,-- is so, soo beautiful, such a thing of genuine beauty. 'The' conversation with Zinaida (the first real conversation) is also surprisingly deep and meaningful. And you don't know what will happen in

The result of poor life decisions, or the unavoidable path of destiny? The most important thing this book had offered me was and still is, hope!

I find it hard to like a character who sees all the mistakes he's going to make and then makes them anyway, then complain about his mistakes but instead of doing anything about them just shrug his hands and decide he can't do anything about it. The story really didn't need to go 200 pages to make this point. About 20 pages in and I think most people will have gotten the author's thesis statement. It was hard not to see a devious nature in a character at the end, though I imagine it wasn't

I will admit that I don't have much to say about this book, but that doesn't mean it was bad.What I will say is this book was odd, but I appreciated that it was a quick read. I also appreciated the way it approached the philosophy of pre-determination vs. free will.