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The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit
It has been nearly three decades since Shirley MacLaine commenced her brave and public commitment to chronicling her personal quest for spiritual understanding. In testament to the endurance and vitality of her message, each of her eight legendary bestsellers -- from Don't Fall Off the Mountain to My Lucky Stars -- continues today to attract, dazzle, and transform countless new readers. Now Shirley is back -- with her most breathtakingly powerful and unique book yet.
This is the story of a journey. It is the eagerly anticipated and altogether startling culmination of Shirley MacLaine's extraordinary -- and ultimately rewarding -- road through life. The riveting odyssey began with a pair of anonymous handwritten letters imploring Shirley to make a difficult pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in Spain. Throughout history, countless illustrious pilgrims from all over Europe have taken up the trail. It is an ancient -- and allegedly enchanted -- pilgrimage. People from St. Francis of Assisi and Charlemagne to Ferdinand and Isabella to Dante and Chaucer have taken the journey, which comprises a nearly 500-mile trek across highways, mountains and valleys, cities and towns, and fields. Now it would be Shirley's turn.
For Shirley, the Camino was both an intense spiritual and physical challenge. A woman in her sixth decade completing such a grueling trip on foot in thirty days at twenty miles per day was nothing short of remarkable. But even more astounding was the route she took back thousands of years, through past lives to the very origin of the universe. Immensely gifted with intelligence, curiosity, warmth, and a profound openness to people and places outside her own experience, Shirley MacLaine is truly an American treasure. And once again, she brings her inimitable qualities of mind and heart to her writing. Balancing and negotiating the revelations inspired by the mysterious energy of the Camino, she endured her exhausting journey to Compostela until it gradually gave way to a far more universal that of the soul. Through a range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations, Shirley saw into the meaning of the cosmos, including the secrets of the ancient civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria, insights into human genesis, the essence of gender and sexuality, and the true path to higher love.
With rich insight, humility, and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us on a sacred adventure toward an inexpressibly transcendent climax. The Camino promises readers the journey of a thousand lifetimes.
This is the story of a journey. It is the eagerly anticipated and altogether startling culmination of Shirley MacLaine's extraordinary -- and ultimately rewarding -- road through life. The riveting odyssey began with a pair of anonymous handwritten letters imploring Shirley to make a difficult pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in Spain. Throughout history, countless illustrious pilgrims from all over Europe have taken up the trail. It is an ancient -- and allegedly enchanted -- pilgrimage. People from St. Francis of Assisi and Charlemagne to Ferdinand and Isabella to Dante and Chaucer have taken the journey, which comprises a nearly 500-mile trek across highways, mountains and valleys, cities and towns, and fields. Now it would be Shirley's turn.
For Shirley, the Camino was both an intense spiritual and physical challenge. A woman in her sixth decade completing such a grueling trip on foot in thirty days at twenty miles per day was nothing short of remarkable. But even more astounding was the route she took back thousands of years, through past lives to the very origin of the universe. Immensely gifted with intelligence, curiosity, warmth, and a profound openness to people and places outside her own experience, Shirley MacLaine is truly an American treasure. And once again, she brings her inimitable qualities of mind and heart to her writing. Balancing and negotiating the revelations inspired by the mysterious energy of the Camino, she endured her exhausting journey to Compostela until it gradually gave way to a far more universal that of the soul. Through a range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations, Shirley saw into the meaning of the cosmos, including the secrets of the ancient civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria, insights into human genesis, the essence of gender and sexuality, and the true path to higher love.
With rich insight, humility, and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us on a sacred adventure toward an inexpressibly transcendent climax. The Camino promises readers the journey of a thousand lifetimes.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
213 people are currently reading
1937 people want to read
About the author
Shirley MacLaine
114 books326 followersShirley MacLaine is an actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed, and eccentric women, she has received numerous accolades over her seven-decade career, including an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, six Golden Globes, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Apart from acting, MacLaine has written numerous books regarding the subjects of metaphysics, spirituality, and reincarnation, as well as a New York Times bestselling memoir, Out On a Limb.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 386 reviews
October 8, 2023
I will be hiking/walking the Camino de Santiago next year so I have been devouring many books from those who have done the Camino. Shirley MacLaine's The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit, is very different than other Camino books I have read.
Most of the Camino books I have read focus on why the author is doing the Camino, details about their specific routes and experiences, and quite a bit about the people they meet on their journey.
MacLaine's book is more metaphysical and spiritual. She experiences reincarnation and highly unusual dreams. For me, it was hard to follow.
For right now, I am setting her book aside and I will read it once I have done the Camino.
Most of the Camino books I have read focus on why the author is doing the Camino, details about their specific routes and experiences, and quite a bit about the people they meet on their journey.
MacLaine's book is more metaphysical and spiritual. She experiences reincarnation and highly unusual dreams. For me, it was hard to follow.
For right now, I am setting her book aside and I will read it once I have done the Camino.
November 17, 2013
Yes, we do judge a book by its cover. This one says The Camino, and I was hoping to read about the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. I had read half a dozen books about the Camino before I went and did it myself, so when i returned home I thought I better read this Spiritual Book of Shirley MacLaine's.
Little could've prepared me for the depth of spirituality of this book. I really enjoyed the bits where she was actually on the trail, but 90% of this book is about an imaginary world. Sure it is very interesting, very bizarre, ties in the pyramids with reincarnation, Atlantis, vibrations and crystals, and visiting aliens, androgynous beings that divide into male and female shapes that have sex... But it was just a tad bizarre when you expect to read about the Camino. As I have studied philosophy and have an interest in people's ideas of how the world was possibly created I finished this book, but I can imagine many people who would pick up this book not finishing it.
Read this book if you are interested in a totally awesome view of the world, but don't read it if you think it will tell you about the Camino pilgrimage in Spain.
Little could've prepared me for the depth of spirituality of this book. I really enjoyed the bits where she was actually on the trail, but 90% of this book is about an imaginary world. Sure it is very interesting, very bizarre, ties in the pyramids with reincarnation, Atlantis, vibrations and crystals, and visiting aliens, androgynous beings that divide into male and female shapes that have sex... But it was just a tad bizarre when you expect to read about the Camino. As I have studied philosophy and have an interest in people's ideas of how the world was possibly created I finished this book, but I can imagine many people who would pick up this book not finishing it.
Read this book if you are interested in a totally awesome view of the world, but don't read it if you think it will tell you about the Camino pilgrimage in Spain.
August 20, 2010
The parts about the travelling I liked to read, but the story about spiritual experience I found very vague and strange and not interesting and the story about the press following her I found very irritating: she thinks she is a very, very important person.
May 26, 2012
I heard about this book before walking the Camino myself in 2010, and now, nearly two years later, I've actually gotten around to reading it. What can I say - a celebrity walks the Camino. This wasn't so much a book about walking the Camino as it was an opportunity for Shirley MacLaine to talk about herself and describe in lurid detail the dreams she had along the way. However, it did illustrate to me just how much the Camino infrastructure and signage has improved since the 1990s, for which I am thankful.
August 26, 2015
I read Shirley MacLaine's The Camino several years ago and it touched me in subtle ways as did her previous book, Out on a Limb. This review is from rereading it and trying to find that point of connection that had moved me so. Or maybe points of connection, for there are many.
First, Shirley MacLaine is no ordinary "movie star. " She is a capable writer, able to tell her story in engaging and intelligent prose, even when the subject matter is strange. She is aware of her privileged position that allows her to travel the world without the concerns that hinder the rest of us. Yet she isn't so "full of herself" that she doesn't recognize that driving desire for knowing that mark her as a sincere seeker, of knowledge and understanding, way beyond the illusions of fortune or fame.
The Camino is an apt telling of a journey undertaken by Shirley physically, spiritually, and metaphorically. She tells a story that is an engaging travelogue highlighted with spiritual connotations that inspire and enlarge the recounting of her physical traveling. Her tale is also metaphorical, told with meaning for herself and her readers. She tells us not just about the travel, but about the journey that happened in the same space and what it taught her, with the implication that we can draw similar insight from our own journeying, whether far or near.
In the introduction, she tells us what the Camino is:
"There is a famous pilgrimage that has been taken by people for centuries called the Santiago de Compostela Camino across northern Spain. It is said that the camino -- the road or the way -- lies directly under the Milky Way and follows ley lines that reflect the energy from those star systems above it."
I admire her for making that succinct description in 53 words. Then she gives us the reason people undertake the grueling, 500 mile, pilgrimage:
"The Santiago Camino...is done with the intent to find one's deepest spiritual meaning and resolutions regarding conflicts in Self."
With this intent toward spiritual self-discovery, Shirley launched her own journey down the ancient way prompted by anonymous letters sent to her during shows she was doing in South America. With further encouragement from spiritually-minded friends, she undertook the physical trek in 1994 when she was in her sixties. Just making such a trip at that time in her life is an inspiration for those of us wondering how many trips we have left in us.
She relates how she started the trek in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, crossed the Pyrenees mountains into Spain, and walked village-to-village (between cities) and staying in sordid little refugios (places for Camino pilgrims to stay the night) until she reached her journey's end at the town of Santiago de Compostela. Along the way she faced territorial dogs, rain, sometimes annoying fellow pilgrims, cold showers, intrusive paparazzi self-serving priests, and persistent dreams of her past lives, always urged on by the locals with the exhortation of: Ultreya -- move forward with courage.
Sleeping in the refugios, in the open, or sometimes ina hotel, she dreamed. At times, her dreams were so lucid she considered them visions, and they were all about her past lives. Indeed, her telling of those visions of her past lives on the Camino and in Atlantis and Lemuria are what puts this book (with her others) solidly in the "New Age" section of the book store. Enhanced by the concentrated energy of the Camino, her visions were of her travels on the Camino as a Moorish girl, apparently a mistress to Charlemagne, as a pupil of "John the Scot" (who is also one of her chief spirit guides), and as an androgynous being in Lemuria and Atlantis who was an early experiment carried out by aliens on the sexual separation of humans. The latter is an image of humanity's "split" from it's previous state of unity (between yin and yang) to its current state of disconnection, ever seeking its other half.
Such visions will be off-putting to many rational thinkers, but they should not be so quick to judge. While I personally don't believe there was a real Lemuria and Atlantis with aliens that sank into the ocean, I do believe they are powerful and persistent metaphors of our civilization and the dangers of arrogant materialism. They warn us of the inevitable collapse from living the way we do. They go along with New Age ecological themes of preserving the earth and creating sustainable modes of living, rather than the paradigm of "endless growth." Such themes are constant at the core of mystical lore, and Shirley MacLaine's works are no exception. Indeed, while she avers the reality of having had the visions, she still alludes to them as being instructive imaginings.
In The Camino, Shirley says: "Without the recognition of the soul's journey within us, we are lost and only part of what we were intended to be."
Maybe finding that lost part of us is the attraction in "journey" stories that make them classics, like The Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings and Gulliver's Travels, and The Camino. I know that, in spite of the "fantastic" parts, I've been able to relate to Shirley MacLaine's writings in my own quest for enlightenment because I recognize in her prose the quest for understanding of a fellow seeker. And so I highly recommend The Camino to you as a guidepost to help you in your own journey through this mysterious life.
Ultreya!
First, Shirley MacLaine is no ordinary "movie star. " She is a capable writer, able to tell her story in engaging and intelligent prose, even when the subject matter is strange. She is aware of her privileged position that allows her to travel the world without the concerns that hinder the rest of us. Yet she isn't so "full of herself" that she doesn't recognize that driving desire for knowing that mark her as a sincere seeker, of knowledge and understanding, way beyond the illusions of fortune or fame.
The Camino is an apt telling of a journey undertaken by Shirley physically, spiritually, and metaphorically. She tells a story that is an engaging travelogue highlighted with spiritual connotations that inspire and enlarge the recounting of her physical traveling. Her tale is also metaphorical, told with meaning for herself and her readers. She tells us not just about the travel, but about the journey that happened in the same space and what it taught her, with the implication that we can draw similar insight from our own journeying, whether far or near.
In the introduction, she tells us what the Camino is:
"There is a famous pilgrimage that has been taken by people for centuries called the Santiago de Compostela Camino across northern Spain. It is said that the camino -- the road or the way -- lies directly under the Milky Way and follows ley lines that reflect the energy from those star systems above it."
I admire her for making that succinct description in 53 words. Then she gives us the reason people undertake the grueling, 500 mile, pilgrimage:
"The Santiago Camino...is done with the intent to find one's deepest spiritual meaning and resolutions regarding conflicts in Self."
With this intent toward spiritual self-discovery, Shirley launched her own journey down the ancient way prompted by anonymous letters sent to her during shows she was doing in South America. With further encouragement from spiritually-minded friends, she undertook the physical trek in 1994 when she was in her sixties. Just making such a trip at that time in her life is an inspiration for those of us wondering how many trips we have left in us.
She relates how she started the trek in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, crossed the Pyrenees mountains into Spain, and walked village-to-village (between cities) and staying in sordid little refugios (places for Camino pilgrims to stay the night) until she reached her journey's end at the town of Santiago de Compostela. Along the way she faced territorial dogs, rain, sometimes annoying fellow pilgrims, cold showers, intrusive paparazzi self-serving priests, and persistent dreams of her past lives, always urged on by the locals with the exhortation of: Ultreya -- move forward with courage.
Sleeping in the refugios, in the open, or sometimes ina hotel, she dreamed. At times, her dreams were so lucid she considered them visions, and they were all about her past lives. Indeed, her telling of those visions of her past lives on the Camino and in Atlantis and Lemuria are what puts this book (with her others) solidly in the "New Age" section of the book store. Enhanced by the concentrated energy of the Camino, her visions were of her travels on the Camino as a Moorish girl, apparently a mistress to Charlemagne, as a pupil of "John the Scot" (who is also one of her chief spirit guides), and as an androgynous being in Lemuria and Atlantis who was an early experiment carried out by aliens on the sexual separation of humans. The latter is an image of humanity's "split" from it's previous state of unity (between yin and yang) to its current state of disconnection, ever seeking its other half.
Such visions will be off-putting to many rational thinkers, but they should not be so quick to judge. While I personally don't believe there was a real Lemuria and Atlantis with aliens that sank into the ocean, I do believe they are powerful and persistent metaphors of our civilization and the dangers of arrogant materialism. They warn us of the inevitable collapse from living the way we do. They go along with New Age ecological themes of preserving the earth and creating sustainable modes of living, rather than the paradigm of "endless growth." Such themes are constant at the core of mystical lore, and Shirley MacLaine's works are no exception. Indeed, while she avers the reality of having had the visions, she still alludes to them as being instructive imaginings.
In The Camino, Shirley says: "Without the recognition of the soul's journey within us, we are lost and only part of what we were intended to be."
Maybe finding that lost part of us is the attraction in "journey" stories that make them classics, like The Odyssey, The Lord of the Rings and Gulliver's Travels, and The Camino. I know that, in spite of the "fantastic" parts, I've been able to relate to Shirley MacLaine's writings in my own quest for enlightenment because I recognize in her prose the quest for understanding of a fellow seeker. And so I highly recommend The Camino to you as a guidepost to help you in your own journey through this mysterious life.
Ultreya!
June 21, 2016
I have read almost all of Shirley Maclaine's books. I love them so much and they really fill my mind wondering void! This one was no different! The people who walk the Camino are heroes to me and I was right there with her as she told her experiences she had during her walk. You must read this book with an open mind for without that you probably won't finish it. She is so brave, as always, to say what she really thinks and believes and I give her kudos for that. I agree with her that there is so much more to the spiritual realm and the great big universe out there than meets the eye and what she invisioned during her meditative and sleep states were truly amazing! I wish I was physically able to do a journey of this magnitude!
July 7, 2023
Drivel. Absolute drivel. It only gets one star because I managed to finish it, and I couldn’t wait to leave a review. For the crazies out there this book has everything: Atlantis, archangels, androgyny, Charlemagne, past lives, time travel, crystals, extraterrestrials, theories about original sin based on her travel to Lemuria (a magic kingdom). I don’t care that this is a spoiler because it makes no sense anyway. So you will have to experience it for yourself. Or don’t. It’s just ridiculous.
October 9, 2023
Love all of Shirley's books. This one will take you on her journey as if you walked a!ong side her.
June 1, 2023
I read this shortly before walking the Camino myself as I was interested to learn about others’ experiences. It’s typical MacLaine in terms of spirituality and otherworldliness but I enjoyed her journey. I made a lot of notes which, on rereading, remind me of my own journey - Some walked in pairs; others walked alone. There was no procession of pilgrims. They simply dotted the countryside……Most wore the scallop shell - the symbol of St James, which was the insignia of the Santiago pilgrim - on the back of their backpacks.
Shirley was ready for a new understanding to propel me forward for the rest of my life. I think this is the biggest mistake people make when they decide to walk the Camino. They have huge expectations of the seismic changes they’re going to experience in their lives once they have completed it. It’s certainly an accomplishment to have walked all or most of the Camino - to present your Camino passports at the office and qualify for the completion certificate - but to expect anything more than that is to set oneself up for failure. The Camino is many things to many different people but essentially it’s just a darn good walk on which you can savour the freedom of the open road and the serendipitous encounters with strangers, and new friends, along the way.
Shirley was ready for a new understanding to propel me forward for the rest of my life. I think this is the biggest mistake people make when they decide to walk the Camino. They have huge expectations of the seismic changes they’re going to experience in their lives once they have completed it. It’s certainly an accomplishment to have walked all or most of the Camino - to present your Camino passports at the office and qualify for the completion certificate - but to expect anything more than that is to set oneself up for failure. The Camino is many things to many different people but essentially it’s just a darn good walk on which you can savour the freedom of the open road and the serendipitous encounters with strangers, and new friends, along the way.
November 29, 2010
Although I liked the premise of this book it was... odd. That is the only word I can use to describe it. Very odd. I picked it up because, as a fellow Camino traveler, I was interested to see what someone else had to say about a journey that was very pivotal in my own life.
While I really appreciated much of what Ms. MacLaine had to say regarding the spiritual nature of the Camino, and the way in which people are drawn to it, and find meaning from it she really dismissed and failed to account for the Catholic nature of the walk. While she had some interesting, yet deep insights that came to her (mostly on the nature of being and relationships), I think if she had delved into the Catholic theology behind both the Camino, and much of what the gospel teaches, she could have found similar reflections without the uh... interesting Sci Fi bend her own reflections took her. However odd her own revelations may be to me, I don't want to discount for her that the Camino was ultimately a very powerful and moving experience -- and I did enjoy that about the book. Still... it was just an odd read.
While I really appreciated much of what Ms. MacLaine had to say regarding the spiritual nature of the Camino, and the way in which people are drawn to it, and find meaning from it she really dismissed and failed to account for the Catholic nature of the walk. While she had some interesting, yet deep insights that came to her (mostly on the nature of being and relationships), I think if she had delved into the Catholic theology behind both the Camino, and much of what the gospel teaches, she could have found similar reflections without the uh... interesting Sci Fi bend her own reflections took her. However odd her own revelations may be to me, I don't want to discount for her that the Camino was ultimately a very powerful and moving experience -- and I did enjoy that about the book. Still... it was just an odd read.
April 30, 2018
this book centers around the authors quest in search of a spiritual journey as is obvious by the title.she travels light and takes advice from others who have made the same such journey before.according to the author,the camino offers everyone who walks it a love affair.this book took me a while to read.but its not hard to understand and experience what the author talks about through her style of writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2024
This was not the usual read about The Camino - who goes where when, stays where there, and tips and tricks of which the reader is encouraged to take note.
In this book Ms. MacLaine pours her heart out, wryly shares her boots-on-the ground experience as a celebrity/famous person just trying to be ordinary, waves her soul out in the wind for readers, and seems to hold little back in the way of her spiritual visions and companions. She breaks into doctrinal phases to give a reader a place to sit while she shares her thoughts, and it changed from reader / author to student / teacher. The idea that we are one gender with strong leanings in preferences that change through our many incarnations in life was an intriguing one.
The read was something completely different than I expected when I cracked the book open. I was interested most of the time, but as when hearts&parts are unexpectedly and abruptly exposed I wanted to back slowly away. . . .just for a moment. However, I stayed to the very end, but still was glad this wasn't a long journey. Lest you think I'm warning you away, I'm not at all - I'll be thinking about this book for a long while, celebrating the variety of philosophies in this world. I will read more of her books - there are a few more on my list, and the beat goes on.
In this book Ms. MacLaine pours her heart out, wryly shares her boots-on-the ground experience as a celebrity/famous person just trying to be ordinary, waves her soul out in the wind for readers, and seems to hold little back in the way of her spiritual visions and companions. She breaks into doctrinal phases to give a reader a place to sit while she shares her thoughts, and it changed from reader / author to student / teacher. The idea that we are one gender with strong leanings in preferences that change through our many incarnations in life was an intriguing one.
The read was something completely different than I expected when I cracked the book open. I was interested most of the time, but as when hearts&parts are unexpectedly and abruptly exposed I wanted to back slowly away. . . .just for a moment. However, I stayed to the very end, but still was glad this wasn't a long journey. Lest you think I'm warning you away, I'm not at all - I'll be thinking about this book for a long while, celebrating the variety of philosophies in this world. I will read more of her books - there are a few more on my list, and the beat goes on.
July 23, 2012
This memoir by Shirley MacLaine is about her pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in Spain. It is a beautifully written account of one woman’s incredible experiences along the centuries old trail that has inspired the likes of Saint Paul, Charlemagne, Dante, St. Francis of Assisi, and even Chaucer. The trek is 500 miles over mountains and valleys with stops along the way catering specifically to pilgrims in search of spiritual awakenings. MacLaine was in her 60’s when she hiked the historic trail after receiving several anonymous letters imploring her to consider the trek. She writes of her experiences with various strangers along the way and her humble way of life in Spain’s sparse refugios while being hounded by paparazzi and wild dogs. In her usual thought provoking candor she writes about the spiritual dreams and visions she is susceptible to, believing she was once a Moorish woman with an angel named Ariel who enters in and out of her life. At times the visions get a little “out-there” but Maclaine’s questioning mind and observant, open character make the story take on an insightful quality that never fails to inspire deep reflection.
September 20, 2015
I thought about giving it zero stars but I did muddle through the book so I guess it deserves one star. I quickly grew tired of the dream-visions so I skipped pages. Incredibly weird book written by a tiresome, self-centered author. Very little about the Camino experience. I'm not sure why I kept reading - maybe like gawking at a disaster or maybe I was hoping to learn more about the Camino. Ranks right up there as one of the worst books I've read.
April 25, 2020
This book left me with a lot of questions. For example: Why? What idiot published this? Is this a nightmare? Does God hate me? Is there any God at all?
In summation, this book is horse shit. It was given to me as a Christmas gift, since I walked the Camino this past fall. You might look at it thinking it would be a humble, emotionally raw, and insightful memoir of a historic and powerful journey (as I did) but you'd be startlingly wrong. No. Instead, this book is a nonsensical acid trip complete with avatar characters giving birth in an androgynous version of neverland (if you're masochistic enough to read this book you will understand what I'm talking about). I swear the word "androgynous" is used in this book at least 100 times. You might look at this book and think "oh wow would I love to learn about the culture and landscape of Spain." But no. Instead, you will find yourself immersed in ludicrous descriptions of made up spiritual human societies such as "Lemuria" (a society of, again, "androgynous" spiritual beings, not lemurs as you might suspect) and "Atlantis." Thought you knew Shirley MacLaine? Well just wait until you hear about her past lives as a Moorish girl. If you're looking for a book about a famous actress' delusional dream sequence then by golly is this the one for you. What killed me most of all is the Camino is an extremely challenging and profound experience of reflection - there's potential for a lot of deep emotional material to write about there, and yet Shirley MacLaine chose to completely deflect by writing about her dreams talking to imaginary Scottish knights. And of course the perpetual saga with the press, can't forget about that. I must say waiting to see when the journalists would jump out next really kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn't really get interesting until about the fiftieth time it was mentioned. To wrap up, complete nonsense written by a woman completely out of touch with reality. A better title would be The Camino: A Journey of Delusion.
In summation, this book is horse shit. It was given to me as a Christmas gift, since I walked the Camino this past fall. You might look at it thinking it would be a humble, emotionally raw, and insightful memoir of a historic and powerful journey (as I did) but you'd be startlingly wrong. No. Instead, this book is a nonsensical acid trip complete with avatar characters giving birth in an androgynous version of neverland (if you're masochistic enough to read this book you will understand what I'm talking about). I swear the word "androgynous" is used in this book at least 100 times. You might look at this book and think "oh wow would I love to learn about the culture and landscape of Spain." But no. Instead, you will find yourself immersed in ludicrous descriptions of made up spiritual human societies such as "Lemuria" (a society of, again, "androgynous" spiritual beings, not lemurs as you might suspect) and "Atlantis." Thought you knew Shirley MacLaine? Well just wait until you hear about her past lives as a Moorish girl. If you're looking for a book about a famous actress' delusional dream sequence then by golly is this the one for you. What killed me most of all is the Camino is an extremely challenging and profound experience of reflection - there's potential for a lot of deep emotional material to write about there, and yet Shirley MacLaine chose to completely deflect by writing about her dreams talking to imaginary Scottish knights. And of course the perpetual saga with the press, can't forget about that. I must say waiting to see when the journalists would jump out next really kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn't really get interesting until about the fiftieth time it was mentioned. To wrap up, complete nonsense written by a woman completely out of touch with reality. A better title would be The Camino: A Journey of Delusion.
September 17, 2013
I first read The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit by Shirley MacLaine more than ten years ago; I could not understand why a sexagenarian, especially such a famous one, would want to walk 500 miles with belongings limited to a backpack. Though Ms. MacLaine tried to do the pilgrimage incognito, she was hounded by the press, and she recounts what she had to do to elude them. As renown as she is, the story has little to do with her acclaim and more to do with her spiritual journey. At the time, I loved the book, and it became the impetus for my walking the Camino.
Upon completing my Camino in 2011, I reread the book and marveled at Ms MacClaine’s physical strength, walking 20 miles each day and completing the 500 miles in 30 days–a feat most people half her age would find daunting. Since Ms MacLaine walked the Camino in 1994, the pilgrimage has gained popularity and many difficulties that she encountered (cold showers and attacking dogs) have been resolved. Those who read the book now, should not be dissuaded from walking the Camino because of her stories.
I was surprised in the second reading by the mysticism in the book; I had forgotten her visions, her conversations with Charlemagne, and her recollections of past lives. I recall finding her spiritual journey intriguing the first time I read the book, but this time I found these stories difficult to read and a little “out there.” I doubt that if I were to read the book now for the first time, that it would inspire me to undertake such an adventure.
I recommend this well-written book for those who enjoy mysticism, adventure, travel, and spiritual journeys.
Upon completing my Camino in 2011, I reread the book and marveled at Ms MacClaine’s physical strength, walking 20 miles each day and completing the 500 miles in 30 days–a feat most people half her age would find daunting. Since Ms MacLaine walked the Camino in 1994, the pilgrimage has gained popularity and many difficulties that she encountered (cold showers and attacking dogs) have been resolved. Those who read the book now, should not be dissuaded from walking the Camino because of her stories.
I was surprised in the second reading by the mysticism in the book; I had forgotten her visions, her conversations with Charlemagne, and her recollections of past lives. I recall finding her spiritual journey intriguing the first time I read the book, but this time I found these stories difficult to read and a little “out there.” I doubt that if I were to read the book now for the first time, that it would inspire me to undertake such an adventure.
I recommend this well-written book for those who enjoy mysticism, adventure, travel, and spiritual journeys.
February 8, 2025
One Star is too much I lost literal braincells reading the first 40 pages and will not continue
July 13, 2024
I only read this book because I'm planning to walk the Camino and I like reading about other pilgrims' experiences. I never read so much nonsense in my life! I don't recommend it.
January 3, 2026
The second book I read about the Camino adventure of more spiritually aware people and I cannot stop and wonder how come so much ego can be paired with visions and the divine? I was under the impression that higher consciousness means the work of having to first accomplish ego dissolution. Which is not the case here, obviously.
When she started recounting some New Age / Rudolf Steiner things about Lemuria and Atlantis, I couldn’t even be bothered or interested since she started so superficially her narration of this wonderful path that Camino is. Definitely not inspiring trust.
The last time I take for good ChatGPT book recommendations, as they truly suck.
When she started recounting some New Age / Rudolf Steiner things about Lemuria and Atlantis, I couldn’t even be bothered or interested since she started so superficially her narration of this wonderful path that Camino is. Definitely not inspiring trust.
The last time I take for good ChatGPT book recommendations, as they truly suck.
July 31, 2019
Shirley, you jest. Much as I am charmed by your voice I am going to have to play the cynic with this one. Rather than saying nothing much really happened on your grueling spiritual pilgrimage, you and your fabulous imagination cooked up some flights of fancy once again involving reincarnation and former lives you have lived. Surprise, and...
Balderdash!
The book mostly works as an unintentionally campy journal of a wealthy, privileged Hollywood star who has so much time on her hands she can whisk about the world in search of finding "who I really am" and then write books about her travels. I enjoyed "Out on a Limb", and yes, I believe there is more to life and this world than the merely physical dimension. It's great fun to speculate about such stuff, and I too have had a few uncanny experiences, so don't assume I am saying it's all hokum. However, I can almost tell in this book when the author is stretching the limits for the sake of adding some spiritual spice to the otherwise somewhat plodding journey.
I assume her publisher was salivating for another best-seller, but this journey seemed little more than some great exercise, some sublime meditation, blisters, and sore muscles. It reads more like something well-padded tourists do to say they've done it than any kind of illuminating path bursting with epiphanies. Whenever nasty things like stinky clothing, rats on the floor of the places she spent the night, cold water showers, hideous food, and assorted threatening insects and creatures become pat of the experience one can't help but giggle at our intrepid adventurer.
She could not convince me for a nano-second that she didn't expect the paparazzi to tag along for the enlightenment, yet she makes it sound like they were her most vexing aspect of the journey. That, and her fear of being torn asunder by wild dogs, which I have read elsewhere is anything but a common occurrence as most of the dogs are described by others who have taken the trek as sleepy, sun-baked, friendly canines who are bored with the succession of "pilgrims" looking at them warily. As there was apparently nothing much else to evoke true terror or fear on this journey the reader is baited early on with the suspense of our heroine being savagely torn asunder by Cujo-like canines. She must've been tempted more than once to call her limo driver to pick her the hell up!
In summary, read it if you might find amusement in a wonderfully tough hen's "spiritual trek" and how she personifies walking sticks and reads deep and sometimes bewildering meanings into every little gila monster or bug that crosses her path. The book itself wanders into territory I would politely describe as "New Age cheese"all too often. If you enjoy that sort of thing, (and apparently thousands do), then go for it.
In the end I was left with the same question as after I read "Out on a Limb": Why is it that when Hollywood stars had past lives they are ALWAYS heroes or heroines, kings or queens, martyrs, royalty, or historical figures of great importance or at the least involved with such figures on a personal level, while the rest of us were just inconsequential working stiffs, peasants, field hands, maids or boring housekeepers? Answer: because it wouldn't make for an interesting story or movie.
Balderdash!
The book mostly works as an unintentionally campy journal of a wealthy, privileged Hollywood star who has so much time on her hands she can whisk about the world in search of finding "who I really am" and then write books about her travels. I enjoyed "Out on a Limb", and yes, I believe there is more to life and this world than the merely physical dimension. It's great fun to speculate about such stuff, and I too have had a few uncanny experiences, so don't assume I am saying it's all hokum. However, I can almost tell in this book when the author is stretching the limits for the sake of adding some spiritual spice to the otherwise somewhat plodding journey.
I assume her publisher was salivating for another best-seller, but this journey seemed little more than some great exercise, some sublime meditation, blisters, and sore muscles. It reads more like something well-padded tourists do to say they've done it than any kind of illuminating path bursting with epiphanies. Whenever nasty things like stinky clothing, rats on the floor of the places she spent the night, cold water showers, hideous food, and assorted threatening insects and creatures become pat of the experience one can't help but giggle at our intrepid adventurer.
She could not convince me for a nano-second that she didn't expect the paparazzi to tag along for the enlightenment, yet she makes it sound like they were her most vexing aspect of the journey. That, and her fear of being torn asunder by wild dogs, which I have read elsewhere is anything but a common occurrence as most of the dogs are described by others who have taken the trek as sleepy, sun-baked, friendly canines who are bored with the succession of "pilgrims" looking at them warily. As there was apparently nothing much else to evoke true terror or fear on this journey the reader is baited early on with the suspense of our heroine being savagely torn asunder by Cujo-like canines. She must've been tempted more than once to call her limo driver to pick her the hell up!
In summary, read it if you might find amusement in a wonderfully tough hen's "spiritual trek" and how she personifies walking sticks and reads deep and sometimes bewildering meanings into every little gila monster or bug that crosses her path. The book itself wanders into territory I would politely describe as "New Age cheese"all too often. If you enjoy that sort of thing, (and apparently thousands do), then go for it.
In the end I was left with the same question as after I read "Out on a Limb": Why is it that when Hollywood stars had past lives they are ALWAYS heroes or heroines, kings or queens, martyrs, royalty, or historical figures of great importance or at the least involved with such figures on a personal level, while the rest of us were just inconsequential working stiffs, peasants, field hands, maids or boring housekeepers? Answer: because it wouldn't make for an interesting story or movie.
January 23, 2015
The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit
Years ago, I read "Out on a Limb" by Shirley Maclaine, so knew to expect the unexpected from her.
The first three quarters of the book describe how she heard about the Camino, the journey itself, the people she met along the way, past life regressions she experienced during her quiet times....so far, very interesting, and I enjoyed following her walking travels through the sacred trail.
The last few chapters rattled me. This was where I reached "the unexpected", (which, of course, I should have expected!) I can only imagine that my own soul's journey through time was not yet ready to hear the things that Shirley Maclaine wrote about. This is not a criticism of the book, just how it felt to me. The story is written with complete honesty, and I like that. If an author, any author at all, is going to write an autobiographical account of any period of their life, I would expect nothing less, therefore, if what I read in the latter section of the book had not upset my equilibrium, my rating would be five stars. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone!
I would only recommend this book to a person who is open to hearing of possibilities other than those traditionally accepted, as per the bible. And having a mind wide open would help as well. It is evident that Shirley Maclaine realizes there may be some readers who find what they read disturbing, as warnings are strategically placed at the beginning of two such sections. I read past the first warning sign unscathed...but even though I felt my mind open to new theories, it will take some time to digest the possibility of the second concept presented.
Years ago, I read "Out on a Limb" by Shirley Maclaine, so knew to expect the unexpected from her.
The first three quarters of the book describe how she heard about the Camino, the journey itself, the people she met along the way, past life regressions she experienced during her quiet times....so far, very interesting, and I enjoyed following her walking travels through the sacred trail.
The last few chapters rattled me. This was where I reached "the unexpected", (which, of course, I should have expected!) I can only imagine that my own soul's journey through time was not yet ready to hear the things that Shirley Maclaine wrote about. This is not a criticism of the book, just how it felt to me. The story is written with complete honesty, and I like that. If an author, any author at all, is going to write an autobiographical account of any period of their life, I would expect nothing less, therefore, if what I read in the latter section of the book had not upset my equilibrium, my rating would be five stars. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone!
I would only recommend this book to a person who is open to hearing of possibilities other than those traditionally accepted, as per the bible. And having a mind wide open would help as well. It is evident that Shirley Maclaine realizes there may be some readers who find what they read disturbing, as warnings are strategically placed at the beginning of two such sections. I read past the first warning sign unscathed...but even though I felt my mind open to new theories, it will take some time to digest the possibility of the second concept presented.
July 11, 2011
Shirley Maclaine's travels are always "out of this world" and interesting to me, and this book was no exception.
The Camino meaning "the way" is about a difficult 500 mile pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in northern Spain. The trail is ancient and allegedly enchanted and walked by St. Francis of Assisi, Charlemagne, Ferdinand and Isabella, Dante and Chaucer, among many others.
I especially liked the book's definition of 'karma': all energy always returns to itself. However, SOME of Maclaine's revelations were indeed far out!
The Camino meaning "the way" is about a difficult 500 mile pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in northern Spain. The trail is ancient and allegedly enchanted and walked by St. Francis of Assisi, Charlemagne, Ferdinand and Isabella, Dante and Chaucer, among many others.
I especially liked the book's definition of 'karma': all energy always returns to itself. However, SOME of Maclaine's revelations were indeed far out!
June 24, 2012
I really loved this book. I found it at a second hand book sale for $2 and promptly took it home and begun reading. A good friend of mine had recommended it months and months prior. Aside from the author sharing similar traits to myself (taurus) I loved the surprise of all her visions and insights while on the trail. They were fantastic. I would certainly read this book again!
February 5, 2014
The reason I gave this book 4 stars is not for its literary brilliance, but for its unique content and the fast pace at which it moves. Some things in the book are a bit "out there." However, anyone who has heard of Shirley MaClaine's beliefs and writing should expect this. I was caught up in the actual concept of this journey and the transformational possibilities.
November 6, 2015
Worthwhile. Found access when I thought in myths and parables.
August 20, 2024
Not really sure how to rate this. It's just...weird. Science fiction masked as memoir.
December 4, 2022
I selected this book because I hiked the Camino last year and my memories of the experience were recently heightened by some inspirational text messages from friends that I had met along the way. Perusing the photography I had accumulated from the Camino, I sought out a book to read about someone else’s experience. I had vague recollections of the media hoopla about MacLain’s walk, but really no concept of what it had all been about. So, I decided to read this quick little book to find out; and to hopefully spur the wonderful memories that I still harbor from my personal Camino experience.
Certainly, anyone who has walked the Camino will know that, had MacLain really wished to remain incognito, it would not have been a problem. MacLain’s egotistical embellishments of being constantly accosted by hundreds of reporters is likely not even true; and certainly would not have been the case if she had endeavored to utilize even the simplest tactics to remain anonymous. MacLain writes that in every village people began hanging out of windows yelling for her, which is a bit too much to believe. I have to say that it troubles me how MacLaine has taken such liberties with the truth in order to sensationalize this book.
MacLaine populates this book with outlandish dream-like projections that bear forth some Gnostic-like fantasy that she concocts about her past lives. Unfortunately for MacLaine, she misses the most wonderful thing about the Camino, which is the inspiring interactions with other walkers. However, I must say that meeting other walkers on the Camino does seem a lot like meeting people from past lives, because they seem so immediately familiar. They walk up beside you, just as a brother or sister might; and your conversations with them forego inconsequential niceties, instead becoming immediately personal, relevant, and fully conversant. There is no reluctance to touch or hug or dine together. You sleep amidst them in the bunk rooms as you would with family, for family they are, and probably have been, for potentially much longer than any of us may actually realize.
Instead of developing these relationships, MacLaine remains aloof and openly resistant to most others during her walk, never really allowing herself to escape the cage Hollywood has erected around her. Much of her book reads like juvenile concoctions, made-up to mitigate a lack of indigenous experience. Her egotistical mindset repeatedly manifests in her writing, particularly via her constant insistence upon assuring readers that the press is following her every move. And the hate MacLaine exudes towards the press is entirely inconsistent with the life-lessons she purports to be learning. The reality is that use of a hat, sunglasses and scarf, as well as not publicizing her departure, would have been more than enough to keep MacLaine incognito on the Camino. It seems instead that MacLaine likely wanted media attention and that the whole ordeal amounted to little more than a publicity stunt. The result is a book that is largely inaccurate and quite misleading about the true Camino experience.
MacLaine’s experience seems very sterile in comparison to my own. Of even greater disappointment is MacLaine’s launch into a wildly concocted fantasy that reeks of her egoism and her apparently insatiable thirst for publicity. Not the least of these fantasies is her wild account of growing a phallus and having sex with her feminine self; or of being a close confidant to Charlemagne. MacLaine gets so carried away with her fiction that she loses her ability to communicate her actual experiences. To be frank, MacLaine is obviously more inclined toward envisioning herself as some sort of ageless spiritual master than she is in interpreting the experiences confronting her in the here-and-now.
MacLaine certainly did not fall in love with the Camino, and with other Pilgrims, as happened to myself, and those I met on my journey. Instead, MacLaine’s experience is filled with her constant personal problems and her unceasing desire to “just finish”. MacLaine writes: “I didn’t want to waste a minute when I could be walking and accomplishing my goal to finish.” Nevertheless, there are some similarities between my experience and MacLaine’s and so my review here will include the following list of them.
• Ostentatiousness of the Cathedrals - MacLaine remarks: “I saw how the church had attempted to mold its constituency into its societal perspective, sculpting the domain of feelings away from individual spirituality even as it claimed spiritual superiority.” I’m certain the church would declare both MacLaine and me to be heretics; but I think even the many Catholic friends I walked with sensed the primitive ostentatiousness of the church edifices, elaborate hierarchy, costumes, and rituals.
It is not lost upon the thoughtful pilgrim that much of the gold and ornamentation in the many cathedrals came at the expense of the Aztec and Inca, who were slaughtered in the Americas by Spanish conquistadors. Additionally, the myriad of diabolical transgressions exercised by the Catholic Church are not lost upon the contemplative pilgrim: the dehumanization of serfs, persecutions of Jews and Protestants, the sale of indulgences, the wicked Popes, the burnings, the Inquisition, the Crusades, the persecution of scientists like Galileo and others, the holocaust, and the continued, unabashed attempts at world domination. The elaborate cathedrals along the Camino stand in testament of it all. MacLaine writes: “In every village I was awed by the opulent richness of the churches, while the poor people who attended them gave every last penny they had to the collection plate. One priest sold holy candles to the peasants, which they lit, placed on the altar, and prayed over. When they left, the priest put them up for sale again. They had paid for the privilege of praying.”
• Penance v The Call of The Camino - MacLaine’s response to an acquaintance she met along the way who asked her if she was doing penance made me laugh out loud. MacLaine simply replied: “I don’t think so." The idea of penance is contradictory to grace and the message of forgiveness promised by Jesus. Those who walk the Camino as some sort of self-punishment will only find pain and hardship; and will be much less likely to even finish. Even MacLaine utilized car transportation for considerable portions of the route, as did many of the friends I encountered along the way (MacLaine even arrived at the cathedral in Santiago by car!) .
The majority of the people I met along the way were not doing penance but were “called” to the Camino. I know this sounds weird, but the Camino “calls” most of those who walk it and I was no exception. In the first moments that I heard about the Camino I knew that it was something I would do; and many of the people I met along the way were similarly inspired. MacLaine attributes this to experiences in past lives, which seems outlandish; however, certain mysterious, synchronistic, incidents do seem to happen to people walking this route.
MacLaine writes: “There had been an impulse, almost a compulsion, that had guided us to drop our lives, put everything in suspension, and come to Spain, and none of us knew why.” Whether it be energy fields, past lives, or a profusion of Saints pushing people along, the undeniable reality is that those who walk the Camino gain in self-awareness and the memories tend to empower them for long after they’ve exited the Camino.
• Baptism - Ultimately, baptism occurs by acquiescence of the self or, in other words, a willingness to be baptized. This is a willingness to seek a fresh and new start or to walk in a certain way. The symbolism of walking a certain way is not lost in the willingness to walk the Camino – or, as MacLaine puts it: “the willingness to walk toward the 'unknown world'." Ultimately, God baptizes us in time. Jesus demonstrated that the ultimate baptism to come is in death, wherein the transformation will be even more profound, into that of a spiritual being.
In dialogue with her envisioned friends, MacLaine has one of them ask her: “Well, lassie, you baptized yourself into quite an experience, didn’t you eh?” To which she replies: “Yes, It was wonderful.” I’m reluctant to castigate MacLaine for the promenade of invisible friends she conjures along the way. Invisible friends are vital necessities for many in achieving spiritual growth. The proof of their existence hinges upon the spiritual success of those that envision them. It is impossible for a skeptic to deny life successes that accompany those who harbor deep spiritual beliefs.
• Freedom - MacLaine informs that her friend told her that she would learn that: “her body is not a prison.” While I’m not certain whether MacLaine ever learned this or not, I know that a huge part of the Camino experience is about “freedom”, especially for those who choose to do it alone, like MacLaine and me. For those of us who have spent most of our lives dealing with our jobs, spouses, children, possessions and all the other things encasing us within stereotyped lives, the sudden freedom of doing nothing but walking, eating, sleeping, conversing, and being yourself for a month is shear bliss.
I suppose this experience of freedom may be less perceived by the independently wealthy, who already skirt about the world in total freedom anyway. But for those who spend their lives largely serving others (or other things), the Camino is largely about freedom. And for those who have a hard time releasing these things, the Camino tends to wean you from them, removing excess baggage, unnecessary fat, egoism, fear, etc.
• Time – Except for the constant reminder of the sun, one quickly loses the sense of time on the Camino. The particular day of the week rarely occurred to me or even mattered. My focus was entirely upon the journey and the mystical sort of experiences that manifested every day. MacLaine speculates about time, in the sense of dual dimensions existing simultaneously, such that one might switch into those other times and places. While I did not experience the elaborate visions claimed by MacLaine (nor believe them to be true), I will relate a couple of rather mystic incidents that happened to me.
The Enormous Dog – My Camino experience vacillated between periods of close contact with other hikers and periods of solitude. After several days of walking with others, I would often separate for a few days of solitude before rejoining groups of people. It is on one of these days of walking alone that I ventured into a really nice albergue in a very small town and found that I was the only guest. This was the weirdest thing because the albergues were always very full with people and this one had countless bunks and spacious accommodations; and yet, I was the only occupant. It was so weird; but I fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion and, like on most mornings, arose before dawn to begin my hike. I carefully closed up the albergue, as the proprietor had instructed, and deposited the key in his hiding place. It was still very dark, as I began navigating through the small village. A short distance along the way I observed a huge dog lying beside the road. I was immediately seized with fear. This was no ordinary dog and in fact it was easily the size of a lion. It was so huge and shaggy that I was very frightened that it might attack. I have never, ever seen a dog this big and it was lying right beside the path. The dog did not bark or growl and I told myself not to look at it, resisting the temptation to stop my progression along the path. I also resisted the temptation to take a picture of it, as another dog I had encountered earlier along the way had become vicious when I pointed my camera in its direction. I walked slowly and steady along the opposite side of the path, never looking directly at the giant dog and never looking back. Once past the dog, I congratulated myself upon conquering another stage of fear. When I texted my friends about this experience they could never quite grasp how serious I was about it and, in fact, I myself began to joke about the dog as a manifestation of C. S. Lewis’ “Aslan”, from The Chronicles of Narnia, coming by to check on my progress. There was much mystery in that little village, including the feeling of energy that emanated from a little brook that ran through the village, where I soaked my feet; and the overwhelming absence of people. It was like walking into a time warp or through a dream.
Reincarnation – I’m starting to feel a bit like MacLaine in relating these stories but this one is the most bizarre and also occurred during one of my three-day excursions of hiking solo. I was enjoying the afternoon sun alone, in the coolness of the evening, at an albergue with an outdoor patio. There was no one on the patio but me. I was watching the cattle moving down along the road below, fascinated with the transhumance that still occurs in the Spanish countryside. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another person sitting at the table next to me. I was rather shocked because no one had been there before and this person had the distinct features of my late business partner and brother in law that had passed away decades ago. He smiled knowingly, with seeming glimpses of recognition, but had difficulty communicating with me through badly broken English. I was convinced by the half smile that never left his face that he knew me. When I momentarily glanced back down at the transhumance below, he disappeared, just as quickly as he had materialized. For anyone who has deeply contemplated religion, the revelation of the enduring spirit growing within multiple lifetimes provides rational explanation for many questions that loom unanswered in Western orthodoxy
Failure to Return Grace - After completing the Camino, I chose to stay two nights in Santiago and reward myself with the nicest accommodations that I could find. I rented a huge flat with its own kitchen, separate bedroom, comfy sofa and balcony overlooking the scenic street below. As darkness was approaching the second day, I was returning from the cathedral, and just outside my flat I noticed a shadowy hiker on the street, slinking into the nook of a doorway to sleep.
REVIEW CONTINUED IN COMMENTS BELOW
Certainly, anyone who has walked the Camino will know that, had MacLain really wished to remain incognito, it would not have been a problem. MacLain’s egotistical embellishments of being constantly accosted by hundreds of reporters is likely not even true; and certainly would not have been the case if she had endeavored to utilize even the simplest tactics to remain anonymous. MacLain writes that in every village people began hanging out of windows yelling for her, which is a bit too much to believe. I have to say that it troubles me how MacLaine has taken such liberties with the truth in order to sensationalize this book.
MacLaine populates this book with outlandish dream-like projections that bear forth some Gnostic-like fantasy that she concocts about her past lives. Unfortunately for MacLaine, she misses the most wonderful thing about the Camino, which is the inspiring interactions with other walkers. However, I must say that meeting other walkers on the Camino does seem a lot like meeting people from past lives, because they seem so immediately familiar. They walk up beside you, just as a brother or sister might; and your conversations with them forego inconsequential niceties, instead becoming immediately personal, relevant, and fully conversant. There is no reluctance to touch or hug or dine together. You sleep amidst them in the bunk rooms as you would with family, for family they are, and probably have been, for potentially much longer than any of us may actually realize.
Instead of developing these relationships, MacLaine remains aloof and openly resistant to most others during her walk, never really allowing herself to escape the cage Hollywood has erected around her. Much of her book reads like juvenile concoctions, made-up to mitigate a lack of indigenous experience. Her egotistical mindset repeatedly manifests in her writing, particularly via her constant insistence upon assuring readers that the press is following her every move. And the hate MacLaine exudes towards the press is entirely inconsistent with the life-lessons she purports to be learning. The reality is that use of a hat, sunglasses and scarf, as well as not publicizing her departure, would have been more than enough to keep MacLaine incognito on the Camino. It seems instead that MacLaine likely wanted media attention and that the whole ordeal amounted to little more than a publicity stunt. The result is a book that is largely inaccurate and quite misleading about the true Camino experience.
MacLaine’s experience seems very sterile in comparison to my own. Of even greater disappointment is MacLaine’s launch into a wildly concocted fantasy that reeks of her egoism and her apparently insatiable thirst for publicity. Not the least of these fantasies is her wild account of growing a phallus and having sex with her feminine self; or of being a close confidant to Charlemagne. MacLaine gets so carried away with her fiction that she loses her ability to communicate her actual experiences. To be frank, MacLaine is obviously more inclined toward envisioning herself as some sort of ageless spiritual master than she is in interpreting the experiences confronting her in the here-and-now.
MacLaine certainly did not fall in love with the Camino, and with other Pilgrims, as happened to myself, and those I met on my journey. Instead, MacLaine’s experience is filled with her constant personal problems and her unceasing desire to “just finish”. MacLaine writes: “I didn’t want to waste a minute when I could be walking and accomplishing my goal to finish.” Nevertheless, there are some similarities between my experience and MacLaine’s and so my review here will include the following list of them.
• Ostentatiousness of the Cathedrals - MacLaine remarks: “I saw how the church had attempted to mold its constituency into its societal perspective, sculpting the domain of feelings away from individual spirituality even as it claimed spiritual superiority.” I’m certain the church would declare both MacLaine and me to be heretics; but I think even the many Catholic friends I walked with sensed the primitive ostentatiousness of the church edifices, elaborate hierarchy, costumes, and rituals.
It is not lost upon the thoughtful pilgrim that much of the gold and ornamentation in the many cathedrals came at the expense of the Aztec and Inca, who were slaughtered in the Americas by Spanish conquistadors. Additionally, the myriad of diabolical transgressions exercised by the Catholic Church are not lost upon the contemplative pilgrim: the dehumanization of serfs, persecutions of Jews and Protestants, the sale of indulgences, the wicked Popes, the burnings, the Inquisition, the Crusades, the persecution of scientists like Galileo and others, the holocaust, and the continued, unabashed attempts at world domination. The elaborate cathedrals along the Camino stand in testament of it all. MacLaine writes: “In every village I was awed by the opulent richness of the churches, while the poor people who attended them gave every last penny they had to the collection plate. One priest sold holy candles to the peasants, which they lit, placed on the altar, and prayed over. When they left, the priest put them up for sale again. They had paid for the privilege of praying.”
• Penance v The Call of The Camino - MacLaine’s response to an acquaintance she met along the way who asked her if she was doing penance made me laugh out loud. MacLaine simply replied: “I don’t think so." The idea of penance is contradictory to grace and the message of forgiveness promised by Jesus. Those who walk the Camino as some sort of self-punishment will only find pain and hardship; and will be much less likely to even finish. Even MacLaine utilized car transportation for considerable portions of the route, as did many of the friends I encountered along the way (MacLaine even arrived at the cathedral in Santiago by car!) .
The majority of the people I met along the way were not doing penance but were “called” to the Camino. I know this sounds weird, but the Camino “calls” most of those who walk it and I was no exception. In the first moments that I heard about the Camino I knew that it was something I would do; and many of the people I met along the way were similarly inspired. MacLaine attributes this to experiences in past lives, which seems outlandish; however, certain mysterious, synchronistic, incidents do seem to happen to people walking this route.
MacLaine writes: “There had been an impulse, almost a compulsion, that had guided us to drop our lives, put everything in suspension, and come to Spain, and none of us knew why.” Whether it be energy fields, past lives, or a profusion of Saints pushing people along, the undeniable reality is that those who walk the Camino gain in self-awareness and the memories tend to empower them for long after they’ve exited the Camino.
• Baptism - Ultimately, baptism occurs by acquiescence of the self or, in other words, a willingness to be baptized. This is a willingness to seek a fresh and new start or to walk in a certain way. The symbolism of walking a certain way is not lost in the willingness to walk the Camino – or, as MacLaine puts it: “the willingness to walk toward the 'unknown world'." Ultimately, God baptizes us in time. Jesus demonstrated that the ultimate baptism to come is in death, wherein the transformation will be even more profound, into that of a spiritual being.
In dialogue with her envisioned friends, MacLaine has one of them ask her: “Well, lassie, you baptized yourself into quite an experience, didn’t you eh?” To which she replies: “Yes, It was wonderful.” I’m reluctant to castigate MacLaine for the promenade of invisible friends she conjures along the way. Invisible friends are vital necessities for many in achieving spiritual growth. The proof of their existence hinges upon the spiritual success of those that envision them. It is impossible for a skeptic to deny life successes that accompany those who harbor deep spiritual beliefs.
• Freedom - MacLaine informs that her friend told her that she would learn that: “her body is not a prison.” While I’m not certain whether MacLaine ever learned this or not, I know that a huge part of the Camino experience is about “freedom”, especially for those who choose to do it alone, like MacLaine and me. For those of us who have spent most of our lives dealing with our jobs, spouses, children, possessions and all the other things encasing us within stereotyped lives, the sudden freedom of doing nothing but walking, eating, sleeping, conversing, and being yourself for a month is shear bliss.
I suppose this experience of freedom may be less perceived by the independently wealthy, who already skirt about the world in total freedom anyway. But for those who spend their lives largely serving others (or other things), the Camino is largely about freedom. And for those who have a hard time releasing these things, the Camino tends to wean you from them, removing excess baggage, unnecessary fat, egoism, fear, etc.
• Time – Except for the constant reminder of the sun, one quickly loses the sense of time on the Camino. The particular day of the week rarely occurred to me or even mattered. My focus was entirely upon the journey and the mystical sort of experiences that manifested every day. MacLaine speculates about time, in the sense of dual dimensions existing simultaneously, such that one might switch into those other times and places. While I did not experience the elaborate visions claimed by MacLaine (nor believe them to be true), I will relate a couple of rather mystic incidents that happened to me.
The Enormous Dog – My Camino experience vacillated between periods of close contact with other hikers and periods of solitude. After several days of walking with others, I would often separate for a few days of solitude before rejoining groups of people. It is on one of these days of walking alone that I ventured into a really nice albergue in a very small town and found that I was the only guest. This was the weirdest thing because the albergues were always very full with people and this one had countless bunks and spacious accommodations; and yet, I was the only occupant. It was so weird; but I fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion and, like on most mornings, arose before dawn to begin my hike. I carefully closed up the albergue, as the proprietor had instructed, and deposited the key in his hiding place. It was still very dark, as I began navigating through the small village. A short distance along the way I observed a huge dog lying beside the road. I was immediately seized with fear. This was no ordinary dog and in fact it was easily the size of a lion. It was so huge and shaggy that I was very frightened that it might attack. I have never, ever seen a dog this big and it was lying right beside the path. The dog did not bark or growl and I told myself not to look at it, resisting the temptation to stop my progression along the path. I also resisted the temptation to take a picture of it, as another dog I had encountered earlier along the way had become vicious when I pointed my camera in its direction. I walked slowly and steady along the opposite side of the path, never looking directly at the giant dog and never looking back. Once past the dog, I congratulated myself upon conquering another stage of fear. When I texted my friends about this experience they could never quite grasp how serious I was about it and, in fact, I myself began to joke about the dog as a manifestation of C. S. Lewis’ “Aslan”, from The Chronicles of Narnia, coming by to check on my progress. There was much mystery in that little village, including the feeling of energy that emanated from a little brook that ran through the village, where I soaked my feet; and the overwhelming absence of people. It was like walking into a time warp or through a dream.
Reincarnation – I’m starting to feel a bit like MacLaine in relating these stories but this one is the most bizarre and also occurred during one of my three-day excursions of hiking solo. I was enjoying the afternoon sun alone, in the coolness of the evening, at an albergue with an outdoor patio. There was no one on the patio but me. I was watching the cattle moving down along the road below, fascinated with the transhumance that still occurs in the Spanish countryside. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another person sitting at the table next to me. I was rather shocked because no one had been there before and this person had the distinct features of my late business partner and brother in law that had passed away decades ago. He smiled knowingly, with seeming glimpses of recognition, but had difficulty communicating with me through badly broken English. I was convinced by the half smile that never left his face that he knew me. When I momentarily glanced back down at the transhumance below, he disappeared, just as quickly as he had materialized. For anyone who has deeply contemplated religion, the revelation of the enduring spirit growing within multiple lifetimes provides rational explanation for many questions that loom unanswered in Western orthodoxy
Failure to Return Grace - After completing the Camino, I chose to stay two nights in Santiago and reward myself with the nicest accommodations that I could find. I rented a huge flat with its own kitchen, separate bedroom, comfy sofa and balcony overlooking the scenic street below. As darkness was approaching the second day, I was returning from the cathedral, and just outside my flat I noticed a shadowy hiker on the street, slinking into the nook of a doorway to sleep.
REVIEW CONTINUED IN COMMENTS BELOW
July 30, 2025
As most reviews say, this book has two VERY distinct parts, and the subtitle (a spiritual journey) is more accurate than the main title (the Camino). Probably about 50% of the book has to do with her experiences along the road to Santiago de Compostela, and much of those experiences are affected by her celebrity, so I wouldn’t recommend this to non-celebrities hoping this will help them prepare to walk the Way.
The start her to Camino is interesting, and I think it would have made for the start of an interesting read. It is challenging going (the hardest part of the whole hike), and she sounds honest when she writes about her soreness and anxieties. Someone her age engaging in something as strenuous as a 500(ish)-mile walk would definitely be worth checking out. It could have been really helpful and informative for the hundreds (if not more) of people over 50 who want to attempt the Camino.
But no.
We get some serious shifts in topic.
The problems she faces as a celebrity doing something unusual and beyond the normal protections that wealthy famous people can afford are mostly believable, although the quantities of paparazzi sounds exaggerated at various times. Plus, several times she wonders if she has imagined the presence of invasive photographers. They just wear thin—especially towards the end.
We end up literally, not metaphorically, talking about Charlemagne, aliens, the pyramids, Atlantis, and humankind’s androgynous pre-history. This is, like, 50% of the book. Definitely not my jam. And it just goes on and on and on. I want to respect other people’s beliefs, but how convenient that she “happens” to have had close relationships with famous historical figures in her past lives, that she “happens” to have been beautiful and brilliant in past lives. That she “happens” to have been (pre-)historically significant in her past lives. Details like that, plus the celebrity woe-is-me stuff, make her attempts at humility sound less sincere.
Also, her Spanish pronunciation (we listened to MacLaine reading the audio book) is awful and un acknowledged. Which makes me sound like a pedantic jerk, I know, but I feel like it highlights how disconnected she was from the place she actually walked through. And these are words that she repeats quite a bit, otherwise I could have ignored it. Did no one, during her entire Camino or her audio book recording, tell her how to correctly say “refugio” or the city/town names? It makes her sound more like an obstinate tourist than a humble pilgrim. If she had briefly said somewhere that she had trouble pronouncing things in Spanish, boom, problem solved. But the moment doesn’t come.
The ending is very frustrating because it seems like she spends most of the last 100 km in a car, dodging photographers, and she doesn’t engage in much (any) reflection about the ideas she brings up earlier, prior to the dream visions. Those would have been more satisfying for me.
I feel, because of thematic similarities and that these are the two most famous books about the Camino (in the Anglo world, at least), that I have to compare this book to Paulo Coelho’s account of walking the Camino. Both are only nominally about the Camino itself, and both emphasize the “spiritual discovery” element over day-to-day details of the hike. I prefer MacLaine’s book because, although the dream visions are insane, although her descriptions of her own physical abilities are unbelievable, she feels more earnest. She also has a sense of her own importance, but she doesn’t say it as directly as Coelho does, and she actually leans into explaining her spiritual revelations while also acknowledging that basically everyone else will think she’s crazy. I respect her willingness to put herself out there.
That being said, I found this book much more frustrating than engaging. I only stuck with it because of its brevity and my hope that it would return to a more interesting course.
The start her to Camino is interesting, and I think it would have made for the start of an interesting read. It is challenging going (the hardest part of the whole hike), and she sounds honest when she writes about her soreness and anxieties. Someone her age engaging in something as strenuous as a 500(ish)-mile walk would definitely be worth checking out. It could have been really helpful and informative for the hundreds (if not more) of people over 50 who want to attempt the Camino.
But no.
We get some serious shifts in topic.
The problems she faces as a celebrity doing something unusual and beyond the normal protections that wealthy famous people can afford are mostly believable, although the quantities of paparazzi sounds exaggerated at various times. Plus, several times she wonders if she has imagined the presence of invasive photographers. They just wear thin—especially towards the end.
We end up literally, not metaphorically, talking about Charlemagne, aliens, the pyramids, Atlantis, and humankind’s androgynous pre-history. This is, like, 50% of the book. Definitely not my jam. And it just goes on and on and on. I want to respect other people’s beliefs, but how convenient that she “happens” to have had close relationships with famous historical figures in her past lives, that she “happens” to have been beautiful and brilliant in past lives. That she “happens” to have been (pre-)historically significant in her past lives. Details like that, plus the celebrity woe-is-me stuff, make her attempts at humility sound less sincere.
Also, her Spanish pronunciation (we listened to MacLaine reading the audio book) is awful and un acknowledged. Which makes me sound like a pedantic jerk, I know, but I feel like it highlights how disconnected she was from the place she actually walked through. And these are words that she repeats quite a bit, otherwise I could have ignored it. Did no one, during her entire Camino or her audio book recording, tell her how to correctly say “refugio” or the city/town names? It makes her sound more like an obstinate tourist than a humble pilgrim. If she had briefly said somewhere that she had trouble pronouncing things in Spanish, boom, problem solved. But the moment doesn’t come.
The ending is very frustrating because it seems like she spends most of the last 100 km in a car, dodging photographers, and she doesn’t engage in much (any) reflection about the ideas she brings up earlier, prior to the dream visions. Those would have been more satisfying for me.
I feel, because of thematic similarities and that these are the two most famous books about the Camino (in the Anglo world, at least), that I have to compare this book to Paulo Coelho’s account of walking the Camino. Both are only nominally about the Camino itself, and both emphasize the “spiritual discovery” element over day-to-day details of the hike. I prefer MacLaine’s book because, although the dream visions are insane, although her descriptions of her own physical abilities are unbelievable, she feels more earnest. She also has a sense of her own importance, but she doesn’t say it as directly as Coelho does, and she actually leans into explaining her spiritual revelations while also acknowledging that basically everyone else will think she’s crazy. I respect her willingness to put herself out there.
That being said, I found this book much more frustrating than engaging. I only stuck with it because of its brevity and my hope that it would return to a more interesting course.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2024
I slutet av 1990-talet vandrade Shirley MacLaine den 75 mil långa pilgrimsvägen i norra Spanien till Santiago de Compostela. En månad nästan ensam, med möjlighet att gå inåt. Men tyvärr jagad av paparazzi, men där finns också andra pilgrimer som vill hjälpa henne att jaga bort dem.
Visioner uppstår, är det fantasi eller intuitiv kunskap? Citat:
"Skulle jag någonsin kunna berätta om mina drömvisioner för någon utan att få se honom eller henne himla sig? Jag var i grunden en mycket jordnära person med en skeptisk och analytisk syn på det mesta - så varför kom allt det här till mig? /.../ Det var kanske just för att jag var så jordnära som jag kunde höra jordens historia, hennes erfarenheter. /.../ Det var inte långtifrån att jag himlade mig åt mig själv."
Jag tycker om det jordnära, som alltid bryter mot 'visionerna'. Intuition tolkas alltid av oss själva. Mänsklig kultur skapar minnen via myter. Och allt kan man inte förstå, som hennes väninnan Kahtleen sa: "Du har alltid varit van att genast förstå. Eftersom du har ett skarpt intellekt är de här sakerna svåra för dig. Men du kan inte förstå allt, eller hur? Är det inte det som är läxan?
Jag hade själv visioner kring min egen graviditet 1989, ett årtionde tidigare. I denna bok som inte blivit läst förrän nu, hittar jag nycklar till dem. Även om jag inte tolkar allt likadant. Men ibland ryser jag ...
Visioner uppstår, är det fantasi eller intuitiv kunskap? Citat:
"Skulle jag någonsin kunna berätta om mina drömvisioner för någon utan att få se honom eller henne himla sig? Jag var i grunden en mycket jordnära person med en skeptisk och analytisk syn på det mesta - så varför kom allt det här till mig? /.../ Det var kanske just för att jag var så jordnära som jag kunde höra jordens historia, hennes erfarenheter. /.../ Det var inte långtifrån att jag himlade mig åt mig själv."
Jag tycker om det jordnära, som alltid bryter mot 'visionerna'. Intuition tolkas alltid av oss själva. Mänsklig kultur skapar minnen via myter. Och allt kan man inte förstå, som hennes väninnan Kahtleen sa: "Du har alltid varit van att genast förstå. Eftersom du har ett skarpt intellekt är de här sakerna svåra för dig. Men du kan inte förstå allt, eller hur? Är det inte det som är läxan?
Jag hade själv visioner kring min egen graviditet 1989, ett årtionde tidigare. I denna bok som inte blivit läst förrän nu, hittar jag nycklar till dem. Även om jag inte tolkar allt likadant. Men ibland ryser jag ...
May 28, 2020
Shirley MacLaine feels compelled to walk the Camino through Spain. It's a walk that is reputed to enhance the emotions. Along the way, she meets interesting characters and experiences a contrast of ups and downs. She dodges a rabid press and has visions and dreams that send her back to previous lives. Her revelations are astounding and seem a stretch, but I can't dismiss them as wild imaginings. Not when I've had spiritual experiences that have knocked my skepticism off the fence into acceptance.
Her revelations have meaning for those of us who seek spiritual truth, if they are indeed true. I don't know, but I am fascinated. Spiritual experiences are events that continue to teach, and I'm here to learn. So I enjoy spiritual sharing and applaud those who dare.
Her revelations have meaning for those of us who seek spiritual truth, if they are indeed true. I don't know, but I am fascinated. Spiritual experiences are events that continue to teach, and I'm here to learn. So I enjoy spiritual sharing and applaud those who dare.
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