The Prince and the Singularity - A Circular Tale

The Prince and the Singularity.......... "Highly Recommended".
It's Muster time! The bored gods assemble to play a game, going on for centuries, in which they bet, and if they lose, they give part of their powers to the Top God, and universes, galaxies, forests etc., are created. If they bet all their powers and lose, they vanish until the next game. The Top God orchestrates the show. The game is a scam deemed an explanation for creation. The birth and rebirth of the Universe is deemed by all to its shrinking to a dot (singularity), and then expounding as the game is played anew. The reviewer has from time to time visited by the idea that we humans are somebody's experiment (`the Gods'?) - we are loosed to experience the earth, and even after centuries, we must find our way back to Source. Earth is at times heaven, at times hell, but we are told to `make the most of the experience', and some of us set out to `change the world' without understanding whether the bounds are fixed or pliable.
I found it easy to finish this book at one reading, and then to read it again. I found it quite easy to dig into the story for its lessons. It is a tale at once simple and deep. It is a strange experience. Unlike other Prince tales, I did not find anything particularly funny; nor did I feel emotional about any character. Anyway, scams at all levels level are mixed with an individual search for knowledge; taking on a mission of saving humankind and finding that it all comes down to individual upliftment in the end. The Prince eventually separates himself from his quest and from the population, pursuing instead, knowledge. He does `die', `beginning a new cycle, a new learning', and in the process gaining freedom, advancement and illumination.
There are a number of lessons in this book that may be useful to the reader (certainly they are points to ponder):
(1) Reality is neither right nor wrong; it just is". Don't try to `change the world'; accept things as they are. Think here of War; Poverty; Hatred etc. which may be component parts of the operating system. I am intrigued that Mother Teresa did not try to change or eradicate Poverty, but instead to ameliorate its consequences.
(2) Someone always wants to concentrate power and wealth in the name of the `common good' but in reality for themselves.
(3) Don't be too excited about offers of powers, nor to try to change the world. This leaves you freer as a person.
(4) Ascending to another level of consciousness requires speaking from the heart not just from the mind.
(5) In life, nothing is created; nothing is lost; everything changes.
(6) True knowledge comes from discovery, which itself comes out of experiences.
(7) Maybe life is just a game, and we (especially the `experts') pretend to understand, but of which precious little is really known. Maybe we human beings are nothing; maybe we are not. In his last Chapter (read the book) the author offers two alternative responses we can make. Given my Caribbean origin, I would substitute the word `rum' for his `tea'....in moderation, of course.

It's really circular, it's really singular anf it's dimensionally striking. A trip into time, dreams and powers. Barrennto gives us the different vectors, has us lost for then to argue on existencial matters. In between, the main character gets into hilariously peppered situations.
Easy light reading with tones of deepness!

Pedro Barrento has his own take on the reason we are all here, and communicates it in a story that is lush, entertaining, rich in ironies and keeps you in a state of bemused amusement the whole way through.

I, personally, am NOT a lover of fiction - but this little tome is so much more than just a G-R-E-A-T read! It is insightful, highly contentious, humorous and conveys profound wisdom - without lecturing!

Drawing on elements from the Theater of The Absurd (Albee, Stoppard, et. al), Ken Wilber's excellent 'A Brief History of Everything' and the depth psychology (the myths & legends) of the cycles of forth-going and return (birth, death and re- birth) of the archetypal 'hero's sacred quest', Barrento's 'The Prince and The Singularity' is evocative of the world's biggest selling *single* literary work - Coelho's much loved, 'The Alchemist', in its use of simple language to explore the eternal truths of what it is to be human.

It is easy to read, but not to be rushed - almost every idea expressed in each chapter being pregnant with consequences. I confidently predict that this author has a world-wide hit on his hands!!!

Back when I was about 20 I spent my days reading stuff by Richard Bach (eg Jonathon Livingstone Seagull) and Robert Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance). Reading this book brought those two to mind. It's nothing like either of them - in fact it's nothing like anything I've ever read before but it's quirky and unusual and makes you think, just like those two do.

I loved the circularity of it, and the way it explains nothing in the end, but also asks the question what is reality and is it good or bad? Some things are currently unexplainable; the nature of reality is one such topic; but this book manages to show that reality is unexplainable in a very enjoyable way. If this review comes across as circular and doesn't actually tell you what the book is about, that's a good thing because that's what the book is like anyway.

I think it's good. Read it and make up your own mind.

I received a copy of this book in late May and finally I had the chance to read it without further interruption from the kiddos. I must say there are many reviews on here that describe the book in whole, but to add further, The Prince and the Singularity - A Circular Tale is a fantastic read! I highly recommend it. Place it on your reading list. Yes it's about Gods, the story of Creation told in an interesting manner of a card game and a Prince whose journey leads him to situations in which he works his way out, but its' thought provoking and enjoyable. I believe this book will become a classic! Kudos to Pedro Barrento! I look forward to reading more books by him.

The Prince and the Singularity - A Circular Tale is an exceedingly well written piece of work that offers much to the philosophical being within us and yet structured in such a way that if you should so wish may be read and considered in a more light hearted manner.
In writing this tale the author has taken bold steps into examining the Creation Myth and encouraged us to question the paths taken and reached in an often challenging and yet humorous way. An echoing combination of Paulo Coelho's deep and profound thinking may be found here as well as the `out of the box' humor so commonly found in Terry Pratchett.

I have truly enjoyed this book and would not hesitate in recommending him as not only an author to watch but a modern classicist in the making. SatinPaperbacks.com

Pedro Barrento has created wonderful and witty tail based on the story of creation. Drawing from both Eastern and Western belief systems he has managed to weave a story that is as simple and easy to read as it is profound and thought provoking.

I make no guarantees that this book will change your life or your outlook on life or what you believe is beyond this life but it will challenge you consider all three from a different prospective. Using humor and satire, Barrento has effectively and enjoyably approached the significance of existence, stripped it bare and laid it out for any and all to see, comprehend and come to their own conclusions.

If you are looking for a humorous book to read, then give it a chance.
If you are looking for something light and fun to read, then give it a chance.
If you are looking for something thought provoking to read, then give it a chance.
If you are just looking for something to read and you are not sure what the hell you want to read, but want to read something but haven’t found anything to read then spend the $2 for the electronic copy or the $8 for the physical copy and read it while you are trying to figure out what you want to read… don’t let this little gem pass you by.

I don't often say this, but The Prince and the Singularity is really different. It deals with the nature of things, of gods, of creation. An ambitious project indeed, but Barrento brings it off with style and panache. This is particularly impressive given that the writer is not a native English speaker. Some very weighty thoughts are presented, but it is so well done that there is no heaviness at all about the book, which has a deftness and lightness of touch that made it a joy to read.

This book is an interesting take on creation theory vs. big bang. It is light hearted, fun, and a quick read.
My only distraction was grammar and style. But I have been doing a lot of editing on books lately so I was a little hypersensitive to it.