The Gardens of Light Book

I should firstly 'fess up that I'd read a shopping list if Amin Maalouf had written it. There's a good reason for that though. It doesn't matter what the subject of the book is, he has a way of telling a story that makes me feel as if I'm curled up at his feet listening to him reading it.

In The Gardens of Light (heaven essentially) Maalouf tells the story of the life of Mani, the founder of Manichaeism, a term which has come to mean opposites, e.g. black and white, light and dark. I don't believe in gods but I am fascinated by spirituality, particularly in the form of mystics or prophets who attract flocks of disciples who help to spread their message or new religion. Mani's wasn't a new religion as such. He believed in a universal faith that would embrace all beliefs. At that time, in 3rd century Iran and surrounding countries, the main faiths were Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and the cult of Ahura Mazda. Mani also embraced Buddhism. His messages came to him via his 'Twin' who spoke to him and guided his actions. This happens a lot with prophets, doesn't it? They hear another voice, often identified as God. Nowadays we might think they were suffering from a mental illness rather than communing with holy spirits. For Mani, his Twin represented the two sides of him, just as his religious beliefs were based on the struggle between Light and Darkness. Both reside in all of us so no one can be all good or all bad, even God or the Devil.

Mani gained the protection of the Sassanian kings and, through this, we learn about the wars against Rome. When a son who was not sympathetic to Mani came to the throne, one who preferred to be guided by the Magi, Mani's days were numbered and he was eventually tortured to death.

I appreciate that the subject matter might sound dry or dark but it's not at all. In Maalouf's hands, it becomes an allegory for the possibility of peace in the Middle East if only everyone would tolerate everyone else's beliefs and men would accept a more equitable society, devoid of caste and racial divisions. Mani himself is long forgotten and very little is know about his life but Maalouf has managed to piece together what is known to present it as a believable account of the life of an extraordinary man living in extraordinary times.