Rating: 
Summary: Unimpressive.
Review: There's an awful lot of stuff that falls under the New Age umbrella. Some of it's actually worth reading. Unfortunately, "The Celestine Prophecy" does not fall into that category.I avoided this book for a long time, generally suspicious of anything that becomes such a huge bestseller so quickly. Then I learned that its initial popularity was largely due to word of mouth and decided to give it a chance. It is rare that I actually regret reading a book, and I've spent probably more time than I ought on texts that address the general sense of spiritual malaise that seems to be a feature of the late 20th century. "The Celestine Prophecy" doesn't address it, it feeds off of it like some kind of leech, siphoning the rampant dissatisfaction with traditional religion and turning it into a kind of holier-than-thou self-assurance that we've figured out all the answers. What a load of tripe. There's nothing in this book that hasn't been said before and said better, by people who clearly knew what they were talking about. I'm not saying Redfield's ideas are complete fantasy, but they're awfully close to it -- and he refuses to look at the other side of the coin. Nothing major is easy, and that includes devotion to a spiritual path. This book is something like a crash diet -- you delve into it for however long it takes you to read it (in my case, six months, because the writing turned me off so thoroughly that finishing the book at all became a severe effort of will), then promptly forget all about it and go back to living just as you were before. I don't claim Christianity as my religion, but I surely do understand the animosity many Christians have toward this book. Just about anybody I've spoken to who has made a commitment to any spiritual path feels pretty much the same. For that matter, so do I. For readers who say it's changed their lives, I put to you this question: How
Rating: 
Summary: Why so many negative reviews?
Review: About a year ago, I was suffering from an
overwhelming sense of depression with no
end in sight. Being in college at the time,
all that I've learned in school was "humans
are here to compete with each other for
food and sex" and "there is no God".
At this time, one of my friends recommended
The Celestine Prophecy. This book pointed
me in the right direction and started to lead me
on a spiritual path. I hope those who gave
this book such negative reviews realize that
all of us are intimately connected in some
sense. The things that we do to others
will reflect back to us. Love is the only
answer. This message is
echoed not only in The Celestine Prophecy,
but in the Holy Bible as well.
This book isn't meant to be a literary classic.
Sure, you can argue that the writing style
and the plot leave much to be desired, but
that's not why this book was written.
The Celestine Prophecy is meant to be
USED.
Those of you who are nonetheless unhappy
with The Celestine Prophecy and want to
read a good spiritual book are encouraged
to read Dan Millman's Way of the Peaceful
Warrior and Neale Donald Walsch's
Conversations With God (books 1 and 2).
Dan Millman's book has an especially
improved writing style.
Rating:
Summary: Why I chose not to read this book
Review: Here is a query I put out to some friends through e-mail, and a response from a very intelligent person: [My question] > Okay so I just finished reading a really stupid book someone gave me. How irritating. What a waste of time. And that made me wonder about what each of you thinks is the worst book you have ever read. I mean, the very, very worst. [his answer] Oh, this is easy. "The Celestine Prophecy." The worst book I have ever, ever read, or ever hope (if hope is the right word) to read. Read for our book club a year or so ago, or I wouldn't have made it past page 10. The book's only redeeming value? When asked what is the worst book I ever read, I no longer have to cogitate or hesitate, I can say Celestine, without further reflection. DON'T READ THIS BOOK. Pray for our country that it and its sibling remain best sellers after all this time. Maybe no one else is actually reading it - that would be the best we could hope for
Rating:
Summary: Glad I only borrowed it
Review: As a result of reading the Prophecy, many people claiminspiration. I have a feeling though that these same people are theones revving the engines and inching forward into the intersection
at the red light. There are some good, albeit commonsense ideas here, but the "adventure", the writing and the characters are seriously disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: I read this book and promptly forgot most of it!
Review: Having thoroughly enjoyed Carlos Castenedas books ,althoughdisallusioned to find none of it was really factual,I expected a goodread from the Celestine Prophecy. I generally put aside all critical reasoning when I read this type of philosophical fantasy and let my subconcious mind ruminate on the plot. The final result? The story and plot are trivial. The insights rather simplistic and forgetful,for the most part. I really believe this books popularity is an example of many peoples desire to regain a spirituality and belief in the afterlife which our mechanistic/scientific society has all but destroyed. Wouldn't it be wonderful if his premise were true!
Rating: 
Summary: You people are so naive..
Review: First of all I am not a bookworm nor am I very spritual. I picked this book while I was at the airport to pass some time, and I want to put in my $.02 worth. I barely finished it. I agree with the poor style of writing but the message behind it is quite interesting. To think that humans will one day evolve to this higher level is thought provoking.
For those of you who feel insulted by the way Redfield characterizes the church I say this "Stop being so naive!!" Their are those in the clergy who are lower than the the most perverse prisoner in jail. Have some clergy not abused children? Did'nt the spanish inquistion occur?
I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that somebody in the church would kill somebody else to hide something that they were afraid off.
I also find it very pathetic, that somebody here was so afraid by the meaning of the book that he/she actually picked up a map of Peru to try and justify why they hated the book. The real reason is that your afraid to conceptualize that everything you believe in is really idolatry.
Overall its ok reading, unless you still believe in Adam and Eve.
That's my review of the book(And the reviewers)
Rating:
Summary: The Celestine Bigotry
Review: While this book is atotal journalistic failure, it must certainly be a joy to read foranti-Catholic bigots because in it Redfield characterizes the Catholic Church as dangerous, scurrilous and capable of murder. Right off the bat, in chapter one, Redfield's story says that the "leaders of the church" were trying to suppress the manuscript (which by itself is an insult) and that the "priest" in the story was secretive about the manuscript because it was "dangerous for him" to talk about it. As a Catholic, I am insulted and offended that Redfield dares to imply that the leadership of my church, anywhere in the world, could pose a "danger" to anyone. And it gets worse, on page 33 one reads "Jose... was murdered... by... people in the government or in the Church." This is not only insulting and offensive, it is also malicious. Here Redfield goes beyond implying that the leadership of the Catholic Church could pose a danger to someone, now he insinuates that they are capable of murder. The blood of thousands of martyrs of the Church speak volumes about the willingness of Catholic clergy (and in many instances Catholic lay people as well) to sacrifice their lives for their fellow man. Around the world Catholic missionaries give up the comfort and luxury of the west to aid the impoverished of all nations. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is a perfect example of Catholic Christianity. I bet you'll never find Redfield and his ilk out there doing that kind of work. No, they find it much easier to pick the pockets of gullible Americans! It should be obvious to anyone reading this book that Redfield in just another, dyed in the wool, anti-Catholic bigot! The question is why would anyone who reads this book speak highly of it when it so blatantly bashes someone's faith? How can anyone who approves of this book think of themselves as tolerant towards others? Where is their tolerance for my faith? I wish that everyone who reads this book would recognize its intolerance and reject it for that reason alone. But I know that anti-Catholic bigotry is alive and well, so we will continue to see folks give this book high ratings. For them I quote our Lord Jesus, who, while suffering and dying on His cross, prayed for those who nailed Him to it, saying "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do!"
Rating:
Summary: Thank you for such an inspirational book!
Review: It really upsets me to read some of these reviews and realizethat many people just do not get it. I am sure that James Redfielddid not write this book for people to live their lives according to the 9 insights. "The Celestine Prophecy" is an adventurous tale in order to help the reader understand these 9 insights. This world is so full of hatred, violence, confusion,and mis-communication and I believe it would be wonderful if everyone could just take ONE or TWO of these insights to heart. I have many friends who have read this book and each one was inspired in a different way by the insights discussed in the book. I took out of this book what I felt important for my everyday life. For example, one insight helped me to see more of the beauty in the world and another helped me to understand more of why humans have so many conflicts. I think that anyone who in confused about religion, or any part of life in general ahould read this book. If you WANT to get the most out of this book you can. It is an inspiring book to read, for people living through the end of this century. Just maybe more people will understand the insights, NOT just judge the plot of the story. I believe "The Celestine Prophecy" could help many more people see the real beauty that exists in this world. This book was by far one of the best of I've ever read!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Isn't there enough New Age garbage out there already?
Review: Another book about finding spiritual awareness and the truthabout who we are? I think we have enough "New Age" ideas tokeep us entertained until the rapture. This book is mildly fascinating as a work of fiction, and truly damaging when seen as truth. Judging from the numbers of books sold and the comments of most of those who have read it, the majority view it as non-fiction. The author asks us to "suspend our doubts" and then we will see reality. But the reality is in the Scriptures, not this book.
Rating:
Summary: This book is unreadable
Review: The popularity of this book is one of the most profoundindictments of the shallowness of the American reading public. It isone of the most poorly written novels I have ever attempted to read. It is cliche ridden, the plot and characters are presented with the grace and skill of someone who appears to have learned English within the last week, and the "revelations" are a shallow as my children's wading pool. What is going on with this wretched piece of writing? Now someone's going to make it into a movie? Get serious.
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