Chasing the Wind: A Philosophical Novel

By William Isley

Description:

On a fateful day in 1972, three college friends make a pact to meet twenty-five years later to discover how their different philosophies of life worked out only to find out that chasing their dreams was unfulfilling, even deadly, without God.

James’ pursuit of cultured pleasure takes him from the art world of New York City to revolution in Portugal. He comes to realize that his Epicurean beliefs are selfish and self-destructive and resulted in the loss of the woman he loves.

Freddy is embittered against God for the death of his mother and seeks knowledge as a means to power. The promise of a greater experience of reality through LSD leads to a nightmarish trip and lifelong flashbacks.

Bart, neglected by his hippie father and Marxist mother, believes that wealth will make him important and happy. When riches don’t satisfy him, he becomes unfaithful to his wife, alienated from his children, alone and miserable.

Chasing the Wind carries the reader on a compelling journey through the dramatic events from the 1960’s to the 1990’s encountering political revolution, murder, psychological trauma, and philosophical currents. It challenges us to examine our own deepest beliefs and desires in life and to realize what brings true happiness.

Book Takeaway:

My desire is that people would see the relevance of philosophical issues and that happiness can be found only through faith in God.

Why the author wrote this book:

While reading Ecclesiastes I was struck by the theme of vanity or chasing after the wind in the pursuit of pleasure, wealth, and knowledge. Having taught philosophy for years using philosophers' writings, I decided to bring philosophy to life by writing a novel about these philosophical understandings of happiness without God.