The truth. It's a simple concept, yes? Well, if Richard Bach's novel Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah is any indication, this is not the case. Bach’s novel makes us question the very nature of our reality and what we perceive to be truth. Perhaps perception is simply a veil that our minds cast over reality, and if we can see through that veil, we can alter the very nature of how we perceive truth.
These are the questions that Bach proposes throughout his novel, and this is why I enjoyed the story. Though the book itself is incredibly short (I finished it on a 2 hour bus ride to DC), the lessons that it imparts are difficult to understand upon first read-through. Contemplation is the key to understanding this book, for it is essentially a message of borderline lethargy in the face of adversity. But this misses the point entirely, for it is not laying down and simply accepting the circumstances of the world, but knowing that the world will work to your benefit if you give it time. This is the beauty of Bach’s novel; it is a novel preaching transcendence, for all a Messiah is is someone who has transcended pain and the limitations of our world. So if this is the lesson that you seek, I highly recommend this book, simply for the nature of truth that it reveals. ( )

I can't even count the number of times I've read this book, or the number of copies I've either worn out or passed on to friends. I've read most all of Bach's books, this is the only one that remains on my shelf year after year. ( )

I had to read this book senior year of high school. What I took away from it was .... you can do anything if you put your mind to it. If it was supposed to be a metaphysical book that teaches me how to be a messiah or that Richard Bach and his guru were messiahs, well, I must have missed that part. ( )

My favorite book of all times. I read this in college and read it again every few years. ( )

A great gift from my Grandmother just before leaveing for college, an orginal copy from the 1977 publication.