Author: Peter A. Balaskas

Publisher: Bards and Sages

ISBN: 9780615147437

“The eyes of the demon have returned! I cannot believe it. I thought they were finally eradicated from my life, and they had been for many years.”  

It is with these chilling words that Peter A. Balaskas begins his compelling novella, The Grandmaster. And welcome to the world and life of J.S.W. who chronicles his 69 years with the juxtaposition of his paranormal powers, famous ancestry, and his horrendous experiences in the concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Presented in the form of entries in a journal, we learn that J.S.W., whose real name is not revealed to us until about half way through the novella, is the founder and director of the Wagner Institute for Mental Treatment and Investigations. The institute was created in 1966 and comprised personnel who possessed extraordinary powers such as ESP and other gifts. Unfortunately, J.S.W is very anxious that his colleagues are beginning to lose their control, even their sanity, and this may have a devastating effect on the very existence of the institute.

Moreover, J.S.W. is concerned that although he has described in detail the histories and gifts, both supernatural and non-supernatural, of all of the personnel of the institute, he has not written about himself.

In order to remedy the situation and to provide validity to his findings, he now has decided to write about his past. However, J.S.W. realizes that elucidating his life history in explicit detail would mean writing an entire book that would take years and perhaps be a bore to his readers. Consequently, he decides instead to shorten his autobiography on concentrating on how he used his extraordinary powers, his wits, and his compassion towards his fellow human beings.

Beginning with the day he was born in 1920 in Berlin, Germany, J.S.W. reveals that his father was a medical doctor with extraordinary paranormal powers and his reputation for kindness and goodwill gave him the name, “Der Hoffnung Engle”- the Angel of Hope. These powers and even the moniker were passed down to J.S.W. who had been informed by his parents that they were derived from his father’s side of the family. These powers included telepathy, empathy, astral projection, a specific type of telekinesis where it involves simple energy transference from the person to a desired object, resulting in it being animated. As we shall later discover, all will prove very handy in helping J.S.W. to become a healer of both the body and psyche to his fellow concentration camp inmates and in aiding them survive the Nazi atrocities.

J.S.W. eventually divulges the origin of the red eyes that haunt him, German composer Richard Wagner’s music, his experiences during the holocaust, as well as his famous ancestor, and Colonel Reinhardt, the vile commandant of the concentration camp, who unfortunately likewise comes equipped with paranormal powers but which he viciously uses.  We also encounter J.S.W’s dogged refusal to sell his soul to the devil and bond together with Reinhardt in merging their astonishing powers to further the cause of Hitler and his henchmen.

The Grandmaster is a cleverly concocted novella combining tragedy and hope from the bleakest sadness and intolerable cruelty to an unconditional kindness. 

The pacing of the narrative is extremely effective, although be forewarned, some of the scenes display an icy clarity that can be rough on the reader.

Balaskas’ great writing skills add a certain amount of piquancy and nuance to what might have wound up as just another run-of-the mill novella focusing on supernatural trickery rather than delivering a philosophical punch weaving a human tapestry of love, loss, and survival.

To read Norm's Interview With Peter Balaskas CLICK HERE

 The above review was contributed by: The Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com, Norm Goldman, B.A. LL.L, Retired Title Attorney: Norm is also a travel writer and together with his artist wife, Lily, the couple meld Norm's words with Lily's art. To check out their travel site click on Sketchandtravel.com   Click here to view Norm’s Reviews & Interviews.

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