Occult Persuasion Or the Anarchist Solution

The constraints of life become too hard to bear for Lyndon and rather than remain with his wife on a much hoped for vacation to renew their marriage, he takes a powder, gets off the ship and disappears. Thinking he fell overboard his wife demands that they look for him and call for help. But, a video of him leaving the ship sends her in a deep frenzy wondering where he went and why. Her children calling on Skype and judgements formed by all three, Margaux finds herself falling deeper within herself and her fears.

Freedom is at the heart of this novel and the definitions might surprise readers as the novel focuses on the different perspectives about what each one of us feels is Freedom and the quality of Life that everyone wants. Anarchy and democracy are forms of social organization. What would happen if anarchy was the form of social organization accepted by everyone where there would be no formal government of any type. In this respect it maximizes liberty because there is no legal and few constraints on it. But, as we get to learn more about where Lyndon winds up and the man named Jason who takes him in, we begin to understand the meaning of this word, the people that are trying to explain and inflict their ways on him as capitalism they feel is at the heart of running our lives, causing pollution and the destruction of our environment and more and as Lyndon reads many books that Jason presents to him will he veer in that direction as he basks in his own form of freedom and lifts the constraints of family and responsibility?

While Lyndon’s wife is exploring different places and becomes involved with Tim a drag queen and finds herself with a group of women and explains how she saw an image of the Virgin Mary that was all black. This will add another dimension to the novel bringing in the occult which is associated with secret knowledge and practices dealing with the supernatural or a psychic phenomenon often for the purpose of obtaining personal power. Occultism plays a major part in the wife’s role in this novel as she begins to see things around her in a different light while Lyndon becomes more involved in anarchism.

Margaux becomes entrenched in various theories and practices involving a belief in and knowledge or use of supernatural forces or beings as she conjures up someone in her mind.

While both of her children react and respond to what is happening and Helen makes a statement that changes it all while Adam refuses to forgive his father and his statements are more negative about him. But, at this time even though she has reached out once more in an email the response she gets is not what Margaux expects and it’s not from Lyndon.

While out to lunch she hooks up with Graham whom she meets at another time and conjures up Nurse Nancy who seems to be trying to get her to help her atone for her sins at the same time seeing the Chelmsford  Sleep therapy. Research shows that deep sleep therapy was developed by Dr. Harry Bailey and would help to assist patients suffering from depression, anxiety and other psychiatric conditions. We learn that the treatment carried out by administering massive does of sedatives for several weeks which induced coma and shut down the grain allowing the patient to unlearn habits that lead to compulsive behaviors and psychiatric conditions.
Nurse Nancy finds her way into the mind of Margaux and we learn more about Chelmsford and the individuals that direct from DST and some committing suicide. The research in the book is documented and we learn more about the long-term effects on the patients and how some wound up deranged mental and physical state that pre-admission and many of them suffering from long-term effects including grain damage. As she thinks about this, she realizes that even though Nancy was reaching out to her for help, she might deserve her fate.

While this was happening, Lyndon had to decide if he wanted to remain with the anarchists as he meets Martha and they banter about his past, the evils of capitalism but no one expands or ponders what would happen if laws and government did not exist.

One email would change it all as Margaux meets Jason on line and then a relationship happens in person that changes the dynamics of it all. While Jason and the other anarchists along with Lyndon plan the protest, the questions asked are can we think freely, can we make our own choices, do we really need rules, government and the environment polluted as you the reader joins the protestors and decides whether you agree or disagree with their viewpoints in part or in whole or not at all. You the reader will witness a change during the exorcism when Margaux wants to rid the world and herself of Nurse Nancy and her evilness that caused many deaths when she was alive. Margaux and Lyndon will have to come to terms with Adam, his choice of partner and dealing with Helen too. The ending is dramatically portrayed. Knowing that Jason was ill and seeing the final scenes with him we learn just how he wanted his life to end and where his heart would have remained if things turned out differently.

Within the novel you will meet a lot of anarchists. The ones within in novel are not violent as others are. There are splinter groups as Jason tells and this group believes in complete freedom. But, just what does that mean? They aspire to and believe that they want a society where individuals can freely co-operate equally and they oppose all forms o “Hierarchical control and most of all they opposite capitalism which they say is killing the world and man and claim that it is founded on acts of genocide and greed and it is responsible for the current global ecological crisis. They rebel or do not want any authority at all, established order or ruling power and this overtakes Lyndon and through emails to Jason and meeting him, changes Margaux. Things within her mind change as she becomes involved with Jason and Nurse Nancy overtakes her at times when she feels vulnerable to her own anger. But, with the help of Trish and Graham and their support what the author creates and explains using Tarot cards and their meanings will enlighten readers to the oc-cult, exorcism and the resolve and determination that Margaux must change and turn around her life. Can two men live in many different worlds and find their way in one? As Lyndon seeks to find his true destiny either with Jason and Sean in their group or someone else, will Jason remain loyal to their friendship or will meeting Margaux change this perspective and the dynamics of their friendship?

With the final scenes as you witness the protest and see and feel the silence that surrounds those involved as they created something peaceful, innovative and definitely made a statement whether positive or negative depending on your viewpoint, author Lisa De Nikolits makes readers think about the many options we have to focus on in our lives, how one man’s actions changed the lives of so many others and the final pages will either enlighten Lyndon and make him whole and part of his family or forever take him on more journeys to find the real him as Margaux too has to decide where she wants to be and if both can forgive each other and themselves for their past transgressions and renew their hopes for their children and themselves. Thought provoking, a novel and a story that will interest discussion groups and create quite interesting and unique questions and answers:

In Jason’s words: Be Your Own Revolution and steal back your world! Live your life to the fullest and be the person you want to be not what others want! Characters that are realistic, flawed and yet have redeeming qualities as once again author Lisa De Nikolotis gives us a novel that is unique, has many powerful messages and makes everyone wonder which is any they would align: THE OCCULT PERSUASION OR THE ANARCHIST SOLUTION? Some endings are beginnings and others are transformations as the journey for Lyndon and Margaux may just be beginning if they see the sunshine and the light and let it shine in their directions together!

Fran Lewis: Just reviews