Beelzebub's Tales The 1931 Manuscript - Book 1

The 1931 Manuscript is a draft version of Beelzebub's Tales, which A. R. Orage sold in installments to his American Pupils which he helped edit the book as Gurdjieff was writing it. This is Book 1 in a series of three.

Readers who enjoy reading the 1950 publication of Beelzebub Tales will most likely enjoy reading The 1931 Manuscript. Irrespective of the many differences between the books, the text of the 1931 Manuscript bears the mark of Gurdjieff. It is permeated with his rhythm and style. While in some chapters the text of the manuscript is similar to the 1950 publication, it is distinctly and surprisingly different in many others.

In reading those other chapters, one gets the impression of a Gurdjieff-written work one has never previously encountered. The subject matter may be familiar - in most cases it will be - but the text is not. That may prove to be the main attraction of The 1931 Manuscript. Nevertheless, there is another reason why some readers will be attracted to this book.

The 1931 Manuscript is a version of Beelzebub's Tales that Gurdjieff created and approved word by word. As such it stands as an early but nevertheless authentic text of Gurdjieff's work of objective literature. Those who have picked up the gauntlet thrown down by Gurdjieff, who are determined to "try and fathom the gist" of his writings, will discover The 1931 Manuscript to be of particular interest. For them, it may prove to be a complementary text rather than an alternative one.