Books like The Herald of Coming Good

I took a while to get to this book because Gurdjieff had requested that no one read it. But after reading everything else he has ever written, I felt I could give myself permission. I don't see what the big deal is. It's a short book. It gives some very good very general overview of some of his very basic primary ideas. In summary: thoughts, emotions, and actions need to coincide and work together. It is very hard to do this. Most people act purely as reaction, are completely mechanical, blah blah blah. Second main point: the primary evil of humanity is vanity (read, egotism). My opinion: these ideas are fine in and of themselves, and aren't really that revolutionary. Of course, in characteristic manner, Gurdjieff takes as much time as possible to get to the point, and in as round-about manner as possible. He seems to take a special joy in making as convoluted sentences as possible. It is a purposeful challenge to the readers. And I get it, he wants to develop concentration in his readers, lengthen our "criminally" short attention span. But at times, it seems unnecessary confusion. I mean, I was able to get it, after struggling through his Beelzebub earnestly. You get used to it. You develop the skill of cutting through the bullshit and getting to the crux of things. But at the end of the day, not much is said. Or maybe what is most important has been said. All the same, I get the feeling that Gurdjieff is himself subject to a very special, very subtle, and very insidious sort of vanity. At one point he stresses that there is no prescribed system that will work for every individual, and anyone who claims such is a delusional liar. And then he immediately proceeds to tout his own system as a cure-all for everyone. Seemed like a strange about-face for me. And then he spends, here and there, about a third of the book grumbling about people who he feels have slighted him, and grumbling about his problems and making excuses. And it starts to get annoying when he constantly insists that everything he has to say is absolutely, 100% objective and impartial, and that every conclusion he has come to is incontrovertible by anyone for all of time. Again, seems a bit vain. And then there is his repetition of synonyms for the purpose of making his sentences more complicated, but which add no value to his propositions. Repetition repetition repetition. And taking f*ing forever to get to the point. And then complaining about how nothing is his fault. Don't get me wrong. I love Gurdjieff and his writings. But like many of my favorite authors, they are highly complex individuals, with their own faults and complexes. I recommend his works as platforms for personal contemplation, but as with all things, to be taken with large grains of salt.