The Walls Came Tumbling Down

The Walls Came Tumbling Down is one of my least favorite works by Robert Anton Wilson. This is due less to the quality of the work itself, however, than it is to my familiarity with his other works, and how ill-suited his complex and multilayered material is for film. The imagery and references used in his screenplay to deliver his philosophies regarding spirituality, reality, belief, and individual consciousness, not only feel simplistic and forced, but barely manage to capture the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This might be a good introduction for somebody new to RAW's work, but for those familiar with the Illuminatus trilogy, Cosmic Trigger series, essay collections, etc, The Walls Came Tumbling Down might feel like a small step show more backwards. show less

Robert Anton Wilson wrote this film script in the late '90's while settling into a new environment (Los Angeles) and recovering from a collapsed film deal. Wilson waited nearly a decade before publishing it. This is not one of Wilson's better works. Wilson's books of philosophy and social criticism shine with brilliance, wit and a clarifying debunking. Praise of these points festoons the covers here, but it is not The Walls Came Tumbling Down that earner that lauding. In the story Michael, an academic scientist, is so barraged with hallucinations and the paranormal that his entire reality is upset for reality only to emerge as a world run by a controlling shadow government with an extraterrestrial treaty. The quick scene changes and show more short dialogues threaten to unseat even the reader. The Golgotha imagery, folk hallucinogens and parallel universe theorization is a grab bag of alternate reality models that may have been advanced in the late '80's. However, it now reads as predictable, unexciting and not revealing at all. Certainly a necessary addition to the library of the Wilson completists, but a better entry point into his wisdom can be found in Reality is What you can get Away With or Prometheus Rising.

Merged review:

Robert Anton Wilson wrote this film script in the late '90's while settling into a new environment (Los Angeles) and recovering from a collapsed film deal. Wilson waited nearly a decade before publishing it. This is not one of Wilson's better works. Wilson's books of philosophy and social criticism shine with brilliance, wit and a clarifying debunking. Praise of these points festoons the covers here, but it is not The Walls Came Tumbling Down that earner that lauding. In the story Michael, an academic scientist, is so barraged with hallucinations and the paranormal that his entire reality is upset for reality only to emerge as a world run by a controlling shadow government with an extraterrestrial treaty. The quick scene changes and short dialogues threaten to unseat even the reader. The Golgotha imagery, folk hallucinogens and parallel universe theorization is a grab bag of alternate reality models that may have been advanced in the late '80's. However, it now reads as predictable, unexciting and not revealing at all. Certainly a necessary addition to the library of the Wilson completists, but a better entry point into his wisdom can be found in Reality is What you can get Away With or Prometheus Rising. show less

The Walls Came Tumbling Down
by Robert Anton Wilson

All I can say is Wow. This 174 page book was a real eye-opener and page turner all at the same time. The screen-play style added a kind of disjointed feel to an already abstract subject and I must say the result was startling and scintillating all at the same time. The focus from what I can glean, is where do you go and what do you do, when you have flipped out moved on and surrendered it all?

The nice thing about this impetuous guide is that it never lands, it kept taking me from one puzzle or insight to the next until I ended up back where I started, sort of, but not really. I would recommend this awesome read to those searching for a depth of knowledge wisdom not found in the common show more place. Thanks, for an intimate glimpse of the kaleidoscope.

Love & Light,

Riki Frahmann show less

Did not review when first read