Labyrinth of Chaos
by Brian Wallace
New Falcon Publications, 2000: www.newfalcon.com

This extraordinary book by Brian Wallace takes the reader on a kind of pilgrimage of the mind as it explores metaphysical questions in the context of an open-ended excursion through Europe. The pilgrimage is sometimes drug-enhanced. But even if you don't agree with Alan Agrippa's lifestyle, most readers will admire the protagonist's attempts to liberate himself from his limitations and lay hold of certain truths that lie beyond man's intellect. In this sense, the book has a profound spiritual message as well: That we all are called to a higher purpose, even though we often lose our way in the labyrinth of chaos that is life itself. Literary luminaries who preceded Wallace in writing about their introspective explorations - Alan Watts, Timothy O'Leary and Aldous Huxley, to name just a few - would surely be pleased to see that this avant-garde writer is pursuing the story with a style that is unbridled, iconoclastic and penetrating. I found myself riveted in my seat, not wanting to miss a split second of this transcendental trip.

Agrippa's pilgrimage takes us through Europe. But the geographical location of the story is irrelevant to the ultimate purpose of Labyrinth of Chaos: to unveil the mystical path and discover where it leads. The journey moves along with wonderful writing that is sometimes senuous, sometimes scintillating and always intriguing. Though I'm not a psychedelic enthusiast, I must admit that Brian Wallace's luscious descriptions of the experience are tempting: "an exalting of spirit..an adventurous penetration in the mystery surrounding the pinnacle of pleasure, realizable in a simple yet cosmic kiss." But as much as I found myself admiring Agrippa's attempts to unlock mystical truths about the universe through his travels abroad, I kept wondering whether he would ever succeed. That's because we learn that Agrippa lives in a kind of self-imposed shell. As the author points out, Agrippa "wants so much to immerse himself in the culture but his modus operandi is to primarily observe and analyze.." His daring mission, it seems to me, is out of sync with his personality. Still, Labyrinth of Chaos is a remarkable achievement that should be read by anyone with a sense of awe and wonder about life, by anyone who puzzles over where their path might lead.

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