THE FERAL SWAN

About the Book

THE FERAL SWAN tells of epic adventure, during a journey through the land of myth. In parallel, there unfolds the impact on plot of the maturation of symbolization in adolescence and in people of mature years. The prose is near poetic. The story is strong. Carl, a student, who escapes into fantasy when frustrated, tries to rewrite an epic poem as a novel. He decides to use his own fantasies in place of needed research. He adds a great battle for the castle at Inbal to illustrate how cowardly is a king. He adds new characters to challenge the reason for the quest of the king's general, the hero of the epic poem, Sadak. He has been sent on the quest to find the "waters of oblivion" which will erase his own image from its place in the memory of his wife. She has been abducted by the lecherous king, a man who is dependent on Sadak's strength for the safety of his kingdom. The epic hero enters the world of the dead, and returns to the land of the living with the elixir. During his return to life, Sadak is confronted by the spirit of a companion, who had been lost to the sea from their ship. The man, realizing that he has nothing to return to, rejects requests that he rejoin the living. Sadak continues to his home. On the way he replaces the elixir with poison. The king seizes the potion for himself, and dies. Carl's subterfuge is discovered. He learns to respond to reality, gives up dreaming, marries his girlfriend and gets a job writing fantasies for the movies.

About the Author

DR. SARNOFF is a Child Psychiatrist. His books on LATENCY and on SYMBOLS IN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, reflect his fifty years of experience with the maturation of symbols in adolescence: depicted in the FERAL SWAN as a shaper of character and a key to plot. His years as an Air Force officer provided experiences that support writing about men under military stress and obligation. Travel in over forty countries to study symbols, myths and epic poems, and guidance from Mr. Joseph Campbell, contribute unique shading to this story of the reworking of an epic poem into the form of a novel. Dr. Sarnoff lives and practices in New York City. He has two children and three grandchildren.