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A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and My Missing Keys
A Cluttered Life tells the story of Pesi Dinnerstein’s touching, quirky, and often comic search for order and simplicity amid an onslaught of relentless interruptions. When a chance encounter with an old acquaintance opens her eyes to the extent of the disorder that has crept into every corner of her existence, she begins a quest to free herself of the excess baggage she carries and finds—to her great surprise—that the answers she has spent a lifetime searching for lie within her own piles of clutter.
Dinnerstein’s battle with chaos is an odyssey of self-discovery that leads from the growing mess spilling out of her closets and the backseat of her car to the more subtle forms of disorder in her daily life and, finally, to the most hidden expressions deep within herself. In the end—with the help of devoted friends, a twelve-step recovery program, and a bit of Kabbalistic wisdom—her struggle with the things of this world is transformed from a distraction into its own journey of healing and personal growth. At turns insightful, unsettling, and wildly funny, A Cluttered Life describes how one woman found her true self—and spiritual clarity—through trying to make sense of her muddled world.
Dinnerstein’s battle with chaos is an odyssey of self-discovery that leads from the growing mess spilling out of her closets and the backseat of her car to the more subtle forms of disorder in her daily life and, finally, to the most hidden expressions deep within herself. In the end—with the help of devoted friends, a twelve-step recovery program, and a bit of Kabbalistic wisdom—her struggle with the things of this world is transformed from a distraction into its own journey of healing and personal growth. At turns insightful, unsettling, and wildly funny, A Cluttered Life describes how one woman found her true self—and spiritual clarity—through trying to make sense of her muddled world.
312 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 18, 2011
OK, I really wanted to like this book, and I actually did for the first half. As a bit of a hoarder/clutterer myself, I even got quite inspired half way to start clearing out some of my own 'stuff' - (and I did). But then, this author just goes on, and on, and on... to the point I actually really, really wanted to whack her upside of the head and tell her to get her act together. Sorry, but I have ADHD, and she just needs to have some of my Ritalin - in fact, ALL of my Ritalin, and some. And then, to build a bridge and get the hell OVER herself. 'Self Absorption to the Extreme' is what this is about - her poor long-suffering husband, who must never actually get to see much of her, because she is on the phone all night with some poor friend or sponsor, seeking advice and reassurance as she languishes in her squalor. And then, just to reinforce the terrible stereotype of middle age New York woman, she then reveals that she is totally neurotic a. scared of flying, b. a little bit claustrophobic, but c. also, not a big fan of open spaces. d. has trouble packing, e. only does her laundry once every 3-4 months (up to 6 months sometimes) because no one else can do it quite right - sorry, but that is just disgusting. 6 months of stored up dirty undies? that is e, for EEEWWW. Gross. I would even get that if you actually binned them and brought new ones, but that much dirty laundry just shouldn't be aired anywhere, not even in your own book. Oh, and then bugger me, turns out she has allergies too! All this from page 226 to about 240. Seriously, book was thrown across the lounge, and I sped read the last 50 odd pages. I liked the last couple of chapters. Sure enough, it turned out even poor old God couldn't get in with all that self-absorption either, so there is hope that she will make a little room for him, and that her bridge will indeed start to be built. The great thing is, I now realise that my overloaded wardrobe, and few too many books - are nothing compared to this!!! In fact, it is my great fear of ever becoming remotely like this woman, that is the very reason I never will. Phew. Good to know!
October 11, 2011
I suppose it's unfair to rate this book without finishing it, but I'm not going to right now. I got about 43 pages into it and just don't want to read any more about this woman's experience. She and her smarty-pants friends kind of just irritate me. I guess the truth is the book disappointed me. I thought, from the title, that it would be witty and amusing and it was neither. At least not enough for my taste. She has a life filled with clutter, both real and metaphorical (don't most of us) and gets together her elite group of friends who set about helping her with all the various aspects of why and how and what to do to change her life. Good for her. I don't care. Don't go into this book expecting Erma Bombeck-style witticisms and wisdom. It's an okay read, but not something I want to devote time to right now.
June 5, 2012
Pesi Dinnerstein has written a memoir that enchants, engages, confounds, mesmerizes, amuses and charms the soul.
How can one book be all these things? Because Pesi Dinnerstein, through her writing, is all these things.
Pesi is a woman in search of more than a way to declutter her life -- she is in search of peace, clarity and yes, her keys.
Before the reader turns to Chapter 1, he or she is captured by a quote from Carl Jung: "In all chaos there is a cosmos; in all disorder a secret order."
Despite Pesi's constant search for order and lack of detritus (clutter) in her life, I believe that she had a secret order, a secret method for keeping her life, as she wants it, organized.
Pesi has taken a slice of her life, her clutter, and to it she has added her soul's need for spirituality and serenity. Thus, she engages us with a memoir that doesn't overwhelm with an entire life story.
The writing in this memoir is captivating and humorous and filled with worthwhile quotes that leave the reader taking away something for tomorrow. We each have our clutter, whether it fills the rooms of our homes, our minds, our cars, our relationships. There is something that hinders us from moving on to that grand and organized life we've all dreamed of.
Pesi is supported throughout her quest by well-meaning and loving friends, who attempt to aid her in arriving at a solution for her problem. But Pesi's overriding love of trinkets, books, and thrift shops consistently nudges into the well planned solution and overthrows like a wild group of protesters.
A writer wanting to do her best work is beset with a need to keep drafts upon drafts, not throwing away unnecessary mail items, and stacks and stacks of research.
And her soul is another part of her clutter. What has she done with God? How can she address this?
Pesi explains, "Trying to simplify can be really complicated." And this statement rang true with me the moment I read it. Since retirement and attempting to simplify my life from one of working long days and into the evenings, I'm still finding it difficult to pull myself away from writing and computers to get to the everyday necessities of household chores and running errands.
A journey worth taking with Pesi Dinnerstein, especially if you are a clutterer and a seeker!
http://www.not-just-a-name.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Not-Jus...
https://twitter.com/#!/SherreyMeyer
How can one book be all these things? Because Pesi Dinnerstein, through her writing, is all these things.
Pesi is a woman in search of more than a way to declutter her life -- she is in search of peace, clarity and yes, her keys.
Before the reader turns to Chapter 1, he or she is captured by a quote from Carl Jung: "In all chaos there is a cosmos; in all disorder a secret order."
Despite Pesi's constant search for order and lack of detritus (clutter) in her life, I believe that she had a secret order, a secret method for keeping her life, as she wants it, organized.
Pesi has taken a slice of her life, her clutter, and to it she has added her soul's need for spirituality and serenity. Thus, she engages us with a memoir that doesn't overwhelm with an entire life story.
The writing in this memoir is captivating and humorous and filled with worthwhile quotes that leave the reader taking away something for tomorrow. We each have our clutter, whether it fills the rooms of our homes, our minds, our cars, our relationships. There is something that hinders us from moving on to that grand and organized life we've all dreamed of.
Pesi is supported throughout her quest by well-meaning and loving friends, who attempt to aid her in arriving at a solution for her problem. But Pesi's overriding love of trinkets, books, and thrift shops consistently nudges into the well planned solution and overthrows like a wild group of protesters.
A writer wanting to do her best work is beset with a need to keep drafts upon drafts, not throwing away unnecessary mail items, and stacks and stacks of research.
And her soul is another part of her clutter. What has she done with God? How can she address this?
Pesi explains, "Trying to simplify can be really complicated." And this statement rang true with me the moment I read it. Since retirement and attempting to simplify my life from one of working long days and into the evenings, I'm still finding it difficult to pull myself away from writing and computers to get to the everyday necessities of household chores and running errands.
A journey worth taking with Pesi Dinnerstein, especially if you are a clutterer and a seeker!
http://www.not-just-a-name.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Not-Jus...
https://twitter.com/#!/SherreyMeyer
May 4, 2014
Not only is this a memoir about clutter, but it's also a memoir about finding God in ordinary acts of living, and though the love of friends.
There are (unintentionally) funny parts, when I find myself urging Pesi to keep the entire shoe box of keys because, what if she needs to open something?, but I found myself wincing at the fact that she is always, perpetually late. I hate lateness. (And I do know why.)
The insights Pesi has about her own clutter really hit home for me. They may not for you, because clutter in your life may mean something different to you. I do know why I have clutter, I do. (Way too heavy to go into now...) I just don't know what to do about it.
In this way, the book was a disappointment because I don't have any new techniques for managing my clutter, which shows that I still want to keep my clutter and not deal with it. This is not a silly book, like Clutter's Last Stand (which I also own), but a deep- soul-searching memoir about clutter and God's relationship with us. It's heavy on the Jewish mysticism, so it may not be for you. Surprisingly, I found myself hoping to meet Pesi, even though she'd likely drive me crazy. The laundry!
Did you know there's even a 12-Step group for clutterers? It seems pretty intense, and I'm sure I don't need *that* kind of help, although I'm sure that what addicts say, too.
This was not just a memoir about clutter, but about finding yourself and God, while on the journey of life. (I just read that line and it sounds hokey, but this book kept me coming back for more. Intense small bites of wisdom.)
There are (unintentionally) funny parts, when I find myself urging Pesi to keep the entire shoe box of keys because, what if she needs to open something?, but I found myself wincing at the fact that she is always, perpetually late. I hate lateness. (And I do know why.)
The insights Pesi has about her own clutter really hit home for me. They may not for you, because clutter in your life may mean something different to you. I do know why I have clutter, I do. (Way too heavy to go into now...) I just don't know what to do about it.
In this way, the book was a disappointment because I don't have any new techniques for managing my clutter, which shows that I still want to keep my clutter and not deal with it. This is not a silly book, like Clutter's Last Stand (which I also own), but a deep- soul-searching memoir about clutter and God's relationship with us. It's heavy on the Jewish mysticism, so it may not be for you. Surprisingly, I found myself hoping to meet Pesi, even though she'd likely drive me crazy. The laundry!
Did you know there's even a 12-Step group for clutterers? It seems pretty intense, and I'm sure I don't need *that* kind of help, although I'm sure that what addicts say, too.
This was not just a memoir about clutter, but about finding yourself and God, while on the journey of life. (I just read that line and it sounds hokey, but this book kept me coming back for more. Intense small bites of wisdom.)
Read
October 14, 2015Okay, I think I only read the intro and found a quote/note about it that I like...
"Piles of unfinished business disturbing my concentration in this world [are] probably blocking my way in higher worlds as well. My chronic struggle with clutter keeps me too preoccupied with the physical world to focus on anything that transcends it."
Great introductin rcognizing our ongoing human struggle and identifying a reason to keep striving for simplicity even thouh it's an ongoing journey. I like this phrase "God hiding in piles of clutter"... clutter is a sppiritual block.
"Piles of unfinished business disturbing my concentration in this world [are] probably blocking my way in higher worlds as well. My chronic struggle with clutter keeps me too preoccupied with the physical world to focus on anything that transcends it."
Great introductin rcognizing our ongoing human struggle and identifying a reason to keep striving for simplicity even thouh it's an ongoing journey. I like this phrase "God hiding in piles of clutter"... clutter is a sppiritual block.
October 5, 2011
A charming, funny, frustrating (in a good way), enlightening read. It is written with great honesty and wit. I really enjoyed following along with the author's battle with clutter. It also had the welcome side affect of making me feel infinitely better about my tendency to clutter, while also giving me a strong desire to clean my apartment. Beware if reading in public, you may find yourself desperately wanting to shout out "Just throw away the damn box of keys"!
September 24, 2011
I usually do not like memoirs but I found this one highly engaging and readable. For a woman so plagued by clutter and chaos, Dinnerstein writes with a clarity and control that belies the premise of the book. Also, let's not forget the humor and emotional honesty that makes her story a deep investigation into the ways we assign meaning to our physical possessions and the notion that these things somehow come to define who we are.
December 6, 2011
Well, I had a hard time getting through the book. It just didn't keep my attention like I wish it would have. Pesi had a lot of good reflections but just not enough to keep me engaged. I liked her style of writing and I feel the book flowed well.
April 23, 2012
I'm amazed I finished this book, but glad I did. The first part describes a person who is a borderline hoarder, and really, was rather disturbing. About page 200 she discovers Clutterers Anonymous and then Kabbalah, and I really enjoyed her insights and what she was learning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2012
Interesting memoir that was well written, an English professor with time and clutter management. The addition of a trip to the Holy Land kept my interest.
January 9, 2013
Makes you really think about the clutter. But, you have to do more than just think about it.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews