Adventures of Wim is a book by George Cockcroft, a career English professor, written under the pen nameLuke Rhinehart. It was first published in 1986, and was represented, by its author, as "The sequel, well almost, to The Dice Man". This original version is no longer in print; a "major reworking" of the book, from the same author, is now what appears as Whim.
Plot summary
The book is composed of sections taken from other, fictional books. The preface to the book claims that it was written in Deya, Majorca, in 2326. According to the book, an entire industry has grown uppublishing books about a Montauk named Wim - including The Gospel According to Luke and the screenplay of a movie. The screenplay is possibly in there as a result of Luke Rhinehart's continuing frustration in trying to get The Dice Man turned into a good movie. Adventures of Wim, then, is an effort to create a new interpretation of the story of Wim, drawing on the many previous efforts, and so providing a multi-faceted and whimsical account of 'one of the greatest figures in the 20th and 21st Century'. A boy is born of a virgin mother and is named "Wim" or "Whim" : Montauk for "Wave Rider". He is pronounced to be the saviour of the Montauk nation by his tribe's navigator, and educated in their ways including the "Montauk martial arts" which are predicated on not engaging with, nor even being noticed by an enemy. Sadly, the humans steal him away and attempt to educate him in more useful skills, such as American Football. Wim, also known as "He of Many Chances", proves to be an inefficient saviour, as God sends him on a quest for Ultimate Truth. This does not seem to be something that will benefit his tribe terribly, but the navigator isn't one to stare down the barrel of a lightning gun, and sends him on his way. After a long and arduous search, Wim finds ultimate truth, and with it the cure for the sickness of the human condition.
Main themes
This book contains a much more open view of philosophy than Cockroft's previous books. The book ties in to the views of The Dice Man, but in a softer and more accepting way, and with more paths to enlightenment.
