Pilgrim: A Novel

By: Timothy Findley

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Synopsis: Carl Jung encounters a remarkable man who seems to have lived for millennia in this “exhilarating . . . mystifying and expertly crafted” novel (Publishers Weekly, starred review).On April 17, 1912—ironically, only two days after the sinking of the Titanic—a figure known only as Pilgrim tries to commit suicide by hanging himself from a tree. When he is found five hours later, his heart miraculously begins to beat again. Pilgrim, it seems, can never die. Escorted by his beloved friend, Lady Symbol Quartermaine, Pilgrim is admitted to the famous Burgholzli Psychiatrist Clinic In Zurich, where he will begin a battle of psyche and soul with Carl Jung, the self-professed mystical scientist of the unconscious. Slowly, Jung coaxes Pilgrim to tell his story—one that seemingly spans 4,000 years and includes such historical figures as Leonardo da Vinci and Henry James. But is Pilgrim delusional? Are these his memories merely dreams . . . or is his immortal existence truly a miracle?