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Devi
Fresh from a painful divorce, Rodrigo Arroyo boards a plane for India where he plans to spend his one-year sabbatical writing his long-dreamed-of first novel, a work of historical fiction set in India that he hopes will finally launch his quest for artistic immortality. He finds the perfect place to a clean, quiet ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas where no one will bother him as he sends his thoughts into the clear mountain air. He soon finds out, however, that the goddess has other plans for him. A chance encounter with an Indian holy woman and the unsought-for company of seekers and yogis soon transform his artistic quest into a journey of spiritual awakening, and his search for personal redemption into a tryst with the laughing eyes of the goddess.
506 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 17, 2014
Although the narrator is male, Devi takes place in female time, as suggested by the title, which means "goddess" in Sanskrit. It is set in Rishikesh, the world capital of yoga, where Rodrigo, a literature professor and aspiring writer, is spending his sabbatical to write a novel. While he is there, he undergoes experiences that radically transform his understanding of life, love and the literary arts. This is a special book that has the potential to broaden our perception of our own lives.
Apesar do narrador ser homem, Devi acontece no tempo do feminino, como não poderia deixar de ser pelo título, que quer dizer “Deusa”, em sânscrito. O cenário é Rishikesh, a capital mundial do Yoga, onde Rodrigo vai passar um sábatico para escrever um livro e viver experiências que transformam radicalmente o entendimento que ele tem da vida, do amor e da literatura como atividade artística. Um livro especial, que tem o potencial de ampliar a percepção das nossas próprias vidas.
Apesar do narrador ser homem, Devi acontece no tempo do feminino, como não poderia deixar de ser pelo título, que quer dizer “Deusa”, em sânscrito. O cenário é Rishikesh, a capital mundial do Yoga, onde Rodrigo vai passar um sábatico para escrever um livro e viver experiências que transformam radicalmente o entendimento que ele tem da vida, do amor e da literatura como atividade artística. Um livro especial, que tem o potencial de ampliar a percepção das nossas próprias vidas.
April 1, 2017
The first thing that caught my attention about this story was the author's prose -- rich, flowing, and truly beautiful. As much as I loved this story just for the quality of the writing, what I enjoyed most was the profound spiritual teachings that come through it. I would find myself thinking about them long after I put the book down.
The story itself is very good or, I should say, the three stories are very good (we get three for the price of one). Besides the main story that focuses on Rodrigo's spiritual awakening, we are privy to the story Rodrigo is writing in his novel and the story that haunts his dreams. All three are compelling, but it is Rodrigo's personal story that stands out. Rodrigo is just another lost soul like so many of us. He ends up in India to try to write a novel. But despite the fact that he is a professor of literature, he is flailing in his attempts to turn anything out. Though he is not spiritual, he gives himself over to the spiritual culture which surrounds him as a sort of distraction from writing. In doing so, something ignites in him. For anyone engaged in their own spiritual journey, Rodrigo's experience will resonate with them, that is, right up to the point that he becomes really good at meditation. For some of us, that still feels like a distant dream. :)
The story itself is very good or, I should say, the three stories are very good (we get three for the price of one). Besides the main story that focuses on Rodrigo's spiritual awakening, we are privy to the story Rodrigo is writing in his novel and the story that haunts his dreams. All three are compelling, but it is Rodrigo's personal story that stands out. Rodrigo is just another lost soul like so many of us. He ends up in India to try to write a novel. But despite the fact that he is a professor of literature, he is flailing in his attempts to turn anything out. Though he is not spiritual, he gives himself over to the spiritual culture which surrounds him as a sort of distraction from writing. In doing so, something ignites in him. For anyone engaged in their own spiritual journey, Rodrigo's experience will resonate with them, that is, right up to the point that he becomes really good at meditation. For some of us, that still feels like a distant dream. :)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews