All will be Revealed

ALL WILL BE REVEALED A Novel by Robert Anthony Seigel.

This is a fiction and theme is the life after death thru spirit medium and it exposure. The characters are few such as Auerbach, a photographer of adult pictures, Verena Swann, the spirit medium, Leopold Swann her brother in-law, Dr. Mayhew, running a hospital for mental patients i.e. mad. The story starts with the photographer who thru his photo business has amassed millions and styles himself as a big company. His main model was Jane Larue a young thing. When she was introduced she is pregnant about nine months. Who made her pregnant? During the session she delivers a boy. She and the baby remains there within the photographer’s mansion. After a few weeks the baby suddenly dies on the hands of Auerbach and that snaps the ties bonding the model to the work. Both visit a spirit medium at the suggestion of the girl. Meanwhile there is some digression telling the profession of the mother of Auerbach. She was a dancer but fell down in an act of levitation in the theatre and expired when her son was only 10 or so of age. He has almost forgotten all his childhood difficulties with living and wholly consumed in his profession of adult photographer. Nothing else matters, even his own mansion and the article set there were not very familiar to him. When he follows his model to the home of the spirit medium, he was planning as how to make use of this in his business.

At the place they were met by Leopold and Verena and some more who were attending the séance. In a single candle light, the session goes on with many of them calling for their dead ones and the medium answering, Larue also in the group. But the medium targets Auerbach and made him remember his loving mother. In the darkness surrounding the candle the later perceives the image of his mother. Jane Larue was told by her to leave posing nude for photos and change her way life.

Leopold who is the man behind the success for the business of spirit medium sees the photographer a good target to make his own millions. The story thickens. Before these Leopold, was a showman making a living? But when his arctic explorer brother disappeared on his exploration journey, he and Verena organised mission to find him but failed. Finally, others found the body of Theodore Swann and brought it for burial in New York. The year was in the last decade of 19^th century. His body was cremated with honour for a hero. Since then Verena Swann did experience unusual visitations from the dead. Leopold finds a way to continue his profession in exhibiting her as spirit medium. It was mostly success. Verena in his hand acted the perfect spirit and both had a following. They made money but not like in case of Auerbach. That is the point.

But Verena new that she is faking the acts and was sorry for Auerbach and she wanted to stop doing spirit medium. Leopold was aiming to seduce his sister in-law making a case that his brother entrusted his wife Verena to his care and he will continue to be her guide and master. Though at times Leopold is very forcible in his demand on Verena to marry him, she resists all those advances almost successfully. After the encounter with Auerbach, she changes herself to quit being a medium. Still she is visited by her husband at times. Leopold senses betrayal and accordingly acts to commit Verena to Dr Mayhew’s asylum i.e. madhouse.

There was this Dr. Mayhew another conspirator to use Verena as a sample patient to expose the spirit medium as mentally unbalanced. He has a number of mentally sick in hospital a dungeon. There is no question of releasing any body from there. Leopold commits Verena to this hospital to coerce her to continue to be his puppet. Auerbach interferes, gets Verena released from the madhouse, and takes her to his mansion. He finds a new life with Verena. Leopold takes animal training and show.

Both Auerbach and Verena easily slide into a new life. The long time bachelor who though was familiar with women models striping before him to be photographed, never attracted him as objects of love, desire or pleasure. All his attention was to make wealth and a huge one at that. Verena was not thinking of marriage, in fact she was rejecting all the advances from her brother in-law. Suddenly she feels for a new life away from her dead husband and away from being a spiritual medium. There are hints in the narrative that Auerbach might do something opposite in case of Verena but not explicit. Similarly Verena a long time widow who never intended to re-marry. Her acts benefited her brother in-law alone by way of earning dollars and publicity. This Verena turns away from all to start a new life.

The author in delicate and touching words depicted such a transformation in part of both. The two naturally slips into intimacy and love. There was no pre-plan in this. It was told with understanding and compassion. I would say that this part is something memorable in this novel.

As a novel revealing that entire are behind the profession of spirit medium, which caters to gullibility of faithful this book succeeds well, unlike a pamphlet on the subject. Although the story is told as that of the last decade of ninetieth century

New York it is equally valid for today’s states including our India. A vast majority of believers of all faith are carried away with such superstitions. Not just ordinary mortals but educated ones. One could understand the politicians indulging in superstitious acts but scientists like the president of India A P J Abul Kalam a reputed missile expert grovelling before godmen and women like Putaparti Satya Saibaba, Mata Amritanandamayi, Sri Sri Ravishankar et.al This book should get more wide attention with all readers.

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