Speaking of Jane Roberts: Remembering the Author of the ... (ISBN 0966132777)

Integral part of the Seth Material:
Marshall McLuhan coined the famous phrase, "The medium is the message." As I began reading through Seth's books and Jane's books, I often thought how aptly this applied to Jane. It seemed to me that Jane often fought fiercely to preserve her independence from Seth. While I admired her intellectual integrity, I felt that in holding to it so rigorously, she was actually missing out on some of the benefits of applying Seth's ideas in her daily life while having Seth around to coach her. Still, it was seemed apparent to me that she had expanded her use of the inner senses tremendously from reflecting on Seth's ideas. That in itself was a testament to the material's validity and I used to point this out to others. The death of Jane shocked and saddened me and I suppose I had the same reaction as many readers, "Couldn't Seth have done something? What was the point of the Seth Material if Jane couldn't use it to heal herself?" That was only a knee jerk reaction though. I discovered Seth in 1973 and it only now that I am beginning to integrate it into every aspect of my life. I knew how difficult the translation of idea to behavior was and is. Reading THE WAY TOWARDS HEALTH provided a sense of closure for me about Jane's death, as it laid out what had transpired in the last days. SPEAKING OF JANE however, helped me UNDERSTAND Jane's death. It painted in stark relief, the beliefs that Jane held dearly to, which manifested her condition and death. No biography could have done that in the same way that this memoir did. Life is not a series of events, it is an interactive dance between thoughts and the experiences that flow from those thoughts. SPEAKING OF JANE, for me, put the Seth Material into perspective. Seth SOUNDS nice. His ideas FEEL good. But they also happen to be the governing dynamics of experience. Unless I act as if what Seth taught MATTERS, in the moment, his ideas are only a comforting bedtime story. For me, Sue's books are an integral part of the Seth material and SPEAKING OF SUE, an indispensible illustration of the incredible value of applying the lessons of don Seth to every aspect of my personal journey.

Touching Memoir:
This is a truly touching and revealing memoir of an extraordinary life-that of Jane Roberts. In reading the Seth books, I never had a true feeling for who Jane was as a person. Not that she ever seemed merely a conduit for Seth, but his teachings always took precedence in the writings. In Sue Watkins' book we are able to see the difficulties and doubts Jane experienced, the often very painful and austere life she lead (for example the issue of food, which Jane seemed to deny herself - eating a peanut butter sandwich, but not wanting to be seen doing so; or the belief that travel was a folly that could not be tolerated because it took her away from her writing desk). But the earthy humor and joy of Jane also comes through - dancing, smoking, drinking and hanging out at the local taverns. While I'm not sure the author really knew Jane on an intimate level (and says as much many times throughout this book), it is certainly the most revealing look we are likely to have of Jane Roberts and her extraordinary accomplishments during a particular lifetime. I believe this book will have more meaning for the reader who is already familiar with the Seth material.

Very disappointing:
As I delved into the Seth works, I started wondering just who Jane Roberts was. Since this 'memoir' was the only book on her I could find, I bought it despite iffy reviews. Well, I have to say that although it was a quick read, it is an awful book and a real letdown since I really wanted to know about Jane's life. This book is mainly about Susan Watkins. When it is not specifically about Sue, it is about Sue's opinions and judgements on Jane and how they relate back to Sue. This author might be one of the most biased, slanted, and judgemental people to write a biography yet. She judges herself so badly that the book becomes painful to read. I started feeling a dark cloud encompass me throughout. To be honest and searching with oneself is one thing. To think of everything you are and have done as not good enough and to write about it page after page in a biography on someone else is quite something else. I told my husband that I could do fans of the Seth material a favor and edit out all the stuff on Sue and write a really nice 15 page booklet on Jane. I wonder what Rob, Jane's husband, thinks of this self serving piece of work. I give the book two stars because it was a fast read and it made me question the validity of Seth and any psychic phenomenon. Sue makes it sound like Seth is just another part of Jane and after understanding her perception of Jane, I just don't know what to think anymore.

Really not worth it.:
I really do regret purchasing this. Poorly written with the author going on and on and on about herself and trying desperately to associate herself with Jane Roberts. It was torture reading this.

I was saddened:
A vital perspective on Roberts and the Seth Material; I see now, as I had only glimpsed in the Seth books, how compulsively disciplined Jane and Rob were--very far from Seth's ideas about spontaneity--how severe their lives were, in terms of diet and overall lifestyle, although not in a classical "spiritual" way (obviously they drank and smoked, for example); how much more important was Jane's view of herself as a writer, than as a psychic. I'd never have guessed that Sue didn't like Jane's poetry much, something she apparently didn't have the nerve to write while Jane lived. There are none of the eye-popping psychic experiences that make the other books such a blast to read, and make Jane's life seem so glamorous--in fact it's the difficulties and sadness and illness that come to the fore. How could the woman who brought us Seth's teaching have been so distant from it, in many ways, herself? But it's not a biography--it's one friend's view of a woman who, perhaps, no one (other than her beloved husband Rob) really knew all that well. How I long to see two books published: Robert Butts' long ago proposed book on the phenomenon, "Through My Eyes", and Jane's unfinished autobiography "From This Rich Bed", which someone (are you reading this, Sue?) should put into some kind of usable form while people who knew Jane are still alive. This book gives only a glimpse of the brilliant woman who brought us the Seth Material but who was not the Seth Material, but a sad, funny, insecure human just like the rest of us.