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Breakfast with Buddha #1
Breakfast with Buddha
When his sister tricks him into taking her guru on a trip to their childhood home, Otto Ringling, a confirmed skeptic, is not amused. Six days on the road with an enigmatic holy man who answers every question with a riddle is not what he'd planned. But in an effort to westernize his passenger---and amuse himself---he decides to show the monk some "American fun" along the way. From a chocolate factory in Hershey to a bowling alley in South Bend, from a Cubs game at Wrigley field to his family farm near Bismarck, Otto is given the remarkable opportunity to see his world---and more important, his life---through someone else's eyes. Gradually, skepticism yields to amazement as he realizes that his companion might just be the real thing. In Roland Merullo's masterful hands, Otto tells his story with all the wonder, bemusement, and wry humor of a man who unwittingly finds what he's missing in the most unexpected place.
Listening Length: 9 hours and 34 minutes
Listening Length: 9 hours and 34 minutes
Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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10714 people want to read
About the author
Roland Merullo
39 books689 followersROLAND MERULLO is an awarding-winning author of 24 books including 17 works of fiction: Breakfast with Buddha, a nominee for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, now in its 20th printing; The Talk-Funny Girl, a 2012 ALEX Award Winner and named a "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Library Association and the Massachusetts Center for the Book; Vatican Waltz named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly; Lunch with Buddha selected as one of the Best Books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews; Revere Beach Boulevard named one of the "Top 100 Essential Books of New England" by the Boston Globe; A Little Love Story chosen as one of "Ten Wonderful Romance Novels" by Good Housekeeping, Revere Beach Elegy winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for nonfiction, and Once Night Falls, selected as a "First Read" by Amazon Editors.
A former writer in residence at North Shore Community College and Miami Dade Colleges, and professor of Creative Writing at Bennington, Amherst and Lesley Colleges, Merullo has been a guest speaker at many literary events and venues and a faculty member at MFA programs and several writers’ conferences. His essays have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Magazine, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Merullo's books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, German, Chinese, Turkish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Czech.
A former writer in residence at North Shore Community College and Miami Dade Colleges, and professor of Creative Writing at Bennington, Amherst and Lesley Colleges, Merullo has been a guest speaker at many literary events and venues and a faculty member at MFA programs and several writers’ conferences. His essays have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Magazine, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Merullo's books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, German, Chinese, Turkish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Czech.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,574 reviews
May 16, 2017
I cannot help comparing Breakfast with Buddha to a Mitch Albom book because of the juxtaposition of spiritual elements within an American cultural framework.
However, whereas Albom’s work tends toward the syrupy, Roland Merullo’s book eschews any magic realism and stays on the beaten path for a spiritual journey. And that is what this novel is, an introspective expedition that parallels an actual physical journey and put together as ably as a modern Joseph Conrad meditation.
Actually this reminded me more of Herman’s Hesse’s Siddhartha than a Conrad novel; and even more precisely, this is reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut’s essay about why American kids love to read Hesse.
Merullo accurately and poignantly describes a spiritual emptiness that eats at the heart of our nation and our culture just as Vonnegut discovered. Merullo’s protagonist finds himself at once led on a transcendent quest and at the same time experiencing denial and self-loathing for the need of the journey.
The author provides an exceptional situation for the self-discovery by putting together two dissimilar characters on a cross-country American trip. Otto Ringling is a modern day Everyman, an American who is not interested in the past but who is disappointed with our moral present who finds himself with a world famous spiritual guru as a traveling partner.
Thought provoking and entertaining, sometimes even funny, this is a good read for a comparative religion enthusiast as well as anyone looking for a theological home who has been left cold by the choices in the local yellow pages. If you display a “CoExist” bumper sticker, you may very well want to read this one.
However, whereas Albom’s work tends toward the syrupy, Roland Merullo’s book eschews any magic realism and stays on the beaten path for a spiritual journey. And that is what this novel is, an introspective expedition that parallels an actual physical journey and put together as ably as a modern Joseph Conrad meditation.
Actually this reminded me more of Herman’s Hesse’s Siddhartha than a Conrad novel; and even more precisely, this is reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut’s essay about why American kids love to read Hesse.
Merullo accurately and poignantly describes a spiritual emptiness that eats at the heart of our nation and our culture just as Vonnegut discovered. Merullo’s protagonist finds himself at once led on a transcendent quest and at the same time experiencing denial and self-loathing for the need of the journey.
The author provides an exceptional situation for the self-discovery by putting together two dissimilar characters on a cross-country American trip. Otto Ringling is a modern day Everyman, an American who is not interested in the past but who is disappointed with our moral present who finds himself with a world famous spiritual guru as a traveling partner.
Thought provoking and entertaining, sometimes even funny, this is a good read for a comparative religion enthusiast as well as anyone looking for a theological home who has been left cold by the choices in the local yellow pages. If you display a “CoExist” bumper sticker, you may very well want to read this one.
August 11, 2024
I am always searching for a book like this: funny, wise, philosophical, magical, but real at the same time. So much fiction that gets awards and rave reviews is so depressing! This book is great if anyone is open to what Buddhism can teach, and if they are skeptical, they will feel instant kinship to the main character who takes a guru (mainly Buddhist, but he incorporates some Taoism and Hinduism and others) on a roadtrip to North Dakota. I am changed just from reading it once, but I will again and again. Even if Buddhism doesn't appeal to you, the lessons in the book can benefit anyone: the benefit of even a few minutes of meditation and slowing your breathing; the wisdom of enjoying each thing in itself, and being in the moment; the sense that there is some harmony or direction or patterns in the universe that we are all part of.
June 30, 2008
What a wonderful surprise this book was! I came upon it by accident and found all of the secrets of life oozing out of the pages. It was funny, and tragic and overwhelming all at the same time. In the tradition of the great across-America reads, it offered little snapshots of our country as Mr. Otto Ringling and his sister's guru journey back to Otto's home to settle some necessary business.
I loved this book as much for the questions, as for the answers.
I loved this book as much for the questions, as for the answers.
March 29, 2009
Hmm.. slightly artificial. Maybe the problem I had with the book was that the spiritual journey of the main character was so short, he already lives around the block from Nirvana, he is sensitive, loving and committed. He did not have much to overcome. He already is infatuated with his wife, loves his teens with the adoration of a toddler dad and hasn't really suffered much. Anybody out there have teens? Oh, and did I mention he is not too rich but just rich enough not to need the hefty proceeds from his parents estate. His problems with life are that he gets angry at annoyances and rushes around a bit and this causes him to wonder what it all means. His parents died unexpectedly and their death is not so much an event to ponder but a means to fund the monk. I found the discussions about his parents Midwestern, farmer personalities to be very modernly indulgent. They clearly loved him, raised him well, but didn't speak to him with phrases from John Gray - the horror! It all felt contrived and artificial. The poor people he met along the way were pointed out to be already aware of many of the lessons he lacked. Ughh - suburban angst and slumdog psychology - yes, you were beaten and starved and headed towards nothing but aren't you SO happy? I did really enjoy the monk character. His lessons were lovely and instructional. It was a macaroon when I expected a bear claw, all cinnamon crusted, frosting drenched, weighty and memorable.
September 9, 2012
Sometimes, a book comes along just when you need it.
When I was twenty-something, I read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and it pushed me toward becoming a different kind of human being. I've read a lot of "spiritual guide" literature, since then, learning more or less about the eternal search for peace and meaning in living. But "Breakfast With Buddha" would sit near the top of the list, with "Zen" and a few others, a lovely tale that enlarges perspectives without beating you over the head with its own Truth.
The amazing thing about the book is that it feels like memoir. This is my first Roland Merullo novel, but skimming through reviews, it looks like he does this a lot--writing hyper-realistic, first-person fiction, revealing important things gently, letting the reader figure things out. One big plus of the writing: it's funny. The narrator, Otto, is self-deprecating and ironic, but carefully so--he is exactly the kind of person who could be open to enlightenment, if it didn't interfere with his plans.
Loved the book, beginning to end.
When I was twenty-something, I read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and it pushed me toward becoming a different kind of human being. I've read a lot of "spiritual guide" literature, since then, learning more or less about the eternal search for peace and meaning in living. But "Breakfast With Buddha" would sit near the top of the list, with "Zen" and a few others, a lovely tale that enlarges perspectives without beating you over the head with its own Truth.
The amazing thing about the book is that it feels like memoir. This is my first Roland Merullo novel, but skimming through reviews, it looks like he does this a lot--writing hyper-realistic, first-person fiction, revealing important things gently, letting the reader figure things out. One big plus of the writing: it's funny. The narrator, Otto, is self-deprecating and ironic, but carefully so--he is exactly the kind of person who could be open to enlightenment, if it didn't interfere with his plans.
Loved the book, beginning to end.
May 24, 2012
Shallow and trite pap (think New Age Nicholas Sparks), but at least it's quick reading. Ugh.
October 12, 2020
A little backstory on my choice of reading this book at this time:
Two of my coworkers and myself decided to start an informal bookclub. A book every few months then meet for coffee or drinks to talk. Since I own hundreds of books I asked if they minded my choosing books I already owned. I said I would choose books with highish ratings on GR and subjects I thought would appeal to all of us. They were fine with that decision.
So, I’ve owned this book for years, it gets good ratings, and it seemed like a good time for reading a book about finding some meaning in our lives.
I really enjoyed it! Sometimes it is a bit funny, sometimes it is a bit sad but in the end I think it delivered what I hoped, it made me think about what is truly important in my life, and to try and be thankful for what I have (not the physical belongings), and that hopefully when I leave here (which I hope will still be some time from now), I can do so peacefully.
PS - I’ve managed to recruit a few more to join our little book club. 📚
Two of my coworkers and myself decided to start an informal bookclub. A book every few months then meet for coffee or drinks to talk. Since I own hundreds of books I asked if they minded my choosing books I already owned. I said I would choose books with highish ratings on GR and subjects I thought would appeal to all of us. They were fine with that decision.
So, I’ve owned this book for years, it gets good ratings, and it seemed like a good time for reading a book about finding some meaning in our lives.
I really enjoyed it! Sometimes it is a bit funny, sometimes it is a bit sad but in the end I think it delivered what I hoped, it made me think about what is truly important in my life, and to try and be thankful for what I have (not the physical belongings), and that hopefully when I leave here (which I hope will still be some time from now), I can do so peacefully.
PS - I’ve managed to recruit a few more to join our little book club. 📚
January 1, 2009
1.5 stars. I wasn't in the mood for this book...
As a friend said, the author does too much navel gazing." I'm glad Merullo is a "seeker of enlightenment", but nothing happened in the book. The 2 main characters, the ordinary middle aged successful "author/editor" and the "guru" he travels with, are not very interesting. The guru's language skills are mediocre, as are all the conversations - and that's what makes up most of the book.
C'mon Novel Women book group, let's preview the books more carefully.
As a friend said, the author does too much navel gazing." I'm glad Merullo is a "seeker of enlightenment", but nothing happened in the book. The 2 main characters, the ordinary middle aged successful "author/editor" and the "guru" he travels with, are not very interesting. The guru's language skills are mediocre, as are all the conversations - and that's what makes up most of the book.
C'mon Novel Women book group, let's preview the books more carefully.
October 25, 2007
There are moments in this book that are great. The chapter when he stays at an inn where he went with his wife is touching and real. There are some sweet moments between the main character and his travel partner...the guru Rinpoche. I liked the idea of the book more than the book but it does have some moments that make it well worth reading.
June 19, 2012
This isn’t the kind of book I usually read, and when I first started I though it was going to hover dangerous close over the self-help line. It took less than a chapter for me to realize that wasn’t true. This book was not only refreshingly original on a “religious/inspirational” level, but it was refreshingly original for a fiction book. While it won’t appeal to you if you don’t have any kind of spiritual side (agnostics/atheists won’t be too amused), if you do have any kind of beliefs about spirituality, God, Buddah, karama, predestination, heaven and hell, good works, etc. you’ll find this a thought provoking read. Normally when I read a book I can make it through the whole thing and then sit and mull about it as a whole. But that wasn’t the case with this particular read. I found myself pausing after every chapter to think about what Merullo brought up and to think about how it applied to my life.
This is an incredibly thought provoking read, and you have to come to it with an open mind. If you’re dead set in the ways of one particular religion or way of thinking this is not the book for you. Merullo asks you to challenge what you’ve been told by your particular branch of religion and think about what you really believe. He asks you to compare what you believe to ideas that are considered opposite or different, and then challenges you not to make a connection there. His spirit guide character, Voyla Rinpoche, draws connections between all religions, and even though we’re to assume that Rinpoche is some form of Buddhist, he claims that he follows all religions, and that there’s no reason why you can’t. I found that to be a particularly intriguing section, and one I found to agree with. Just think of how much simpler the world would be if weren’t so convinced there was only one way to live.
This is an incredibly thought provoking read, and you have to come to it with an open mind. If you’re dead set in the ways of one particular religion or way of thinking this is not the book for you. Merullo asks you to challenge what you’ve been told by your particular branch of religion and think about what you really believe. He asks you to compare what you believe to ideas that are considered opposite or different, and then challenges you not to make a connection there. His spirit guide character, Voyla Rinpoche, draws connections between all religions, and even though we’re to assume that Rinpoche is some form of Buddhist, he claims that he follows all religions, and that there’s no reason why you can’t. I found that to be a particularly intriguing section, and one I found to agree with. Just think of how much simpler the world would be if weren’t so convinced there was only one way to live.
October 31, 2023
On The Road With Buddha
Novelistic road journeys frequently become spiritual journeys. So it is with Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" (1957)and "The Dharma Bums" and so it is as well with Roland Merullo's novel fifty years after Kerouac's: "Breakfast with Buddha (2007)." We don't have beats, mad sex, and the wildness of Dean Moriarty in Merullo's road novel from the American East to the Midwest. Rather we have a 44-year old successful New York City editor of books about food, named Otto Ringling, happily married, and the father of two lovely teenagers, who is tricked by his sister Cecelia into accepting her guru as his travelling companion on a trip to North Dakota.
Otto and Cecelia grew up on a North Dakota farm. Six months earlier, their elderly parents had died in an automobile accident. Otto and Cecelia, who fears flying, were to return to settle the estate and sell the farm. At the last moment, however, Cecelia backs out and substitutes the guru, Volya Rinpoche, instead. Otto is disconcerted with Cecelia's decision to give her half of their parents' estate to Rinpoche as a meditation center. While Otto has become a successful editior, Cecelia makes a precarious living telling fortunes and reading tarot cards. Unmarried, Cecelia has shared her favors generously over the years. Otto understandably regards his sister as flaky and refers to her affectionately as "nutcake."
Otto and Rinpoche's trip from New Jersey to North Dakota was to take three days, but it develops into six. Otto is at first annoyed with his companion and tries to show him up as a quack. Nominally Protestant, Otto is basically a skeptic; but he has been bothered since adolescence by questions about the meaning of life and by a vague sense of dissatisfaction. With the death of his parents in a meaningless accident, his questions intensify.
Much of the book involves the growing relationship between Otto and the Rinpoche and what each man offers to the other. When Otto loses his temper, the Rinpoche sits back in the car and smiles. Slowly, Otto becomes interested and Rinpoche invites him to ask one question a day at breakfast. When, on the first day, Otto asks the Rinpoche about the meaning of life, the Rinpoche replies by throwing some dirt into a glass of drinking water. He explains that this is the state of the ordinary, distracted mind, and that a concentrated, pure mind may become clear. The teachings become more elaborate as the journey proceeds, and at one point the Rinpoche exhorts Otto to think of the meaning of the Buddha's teaching to strive on and pursue one's own salvation with diligence. Otto, in turn, helps the Rinpoche with his English and also shows him something of the United States in a light that may be new to the Rinpoche, and perhaps to the reader as well.
In their time together, Otto learns that spiritual teachings cannot be mastered in days, and the Rinpoche learns that the United States cannot fully be appreciated in days. Besides showing a change in spiritual outlook, much of the journey, as is also the case with Kerouac's journeys, is a paean to the breadth and basic goodness of the United States. In their trip, Otto shows the Rinpoche, the Hershey chocolate factory, a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley field, the Great Lakes, and much else. He takes the Rinpoche on a brief cruise on the Chicago River. The two travellers play miniature golf and go bowling, to the Rinpoche's delight. In turn, Otto becomes an initially reluctant participant in yoga and meditation, reads the Rinpoche's book called "The Ultimate Pleasure", and attends several teaching sessions at Notre Dame and Madison, Wisconsin along the way. As the journey to North Dakota comes to an end, there is a suggestion that Otto, while not about to abandon his wife, family or career, has made a change in the way in which he understands and will pursue his life. "You have the good life." The Rinpoche says. "Easy life this time, Otto. Do not waste, okay?" (p. 147)
The book succeeds due to its ability to combine a serious subject with humor and with lightness of touch. Merullo avoids the tendency to didacticism or preaching. There is a great deal of emphasis of food and gourmandizing in the book. Otto, true to his profession, overeats as the road journey is punctuated by meals at many types of gourmet restaurants. He comes to see something of the limitations of over attachment to food. Otto and the Rinpoche also see and learn from some of the simple good people, an old man at a gas station, a seller of popsicles from a cart, and a clerk at the bowling alley, that help make the United States. This unpretentious, somewhat breezy little novel is both a spiritual and an American journey.
Robin Friedman
Novelistic road journeys frequently become spiritual journeys. So it is with Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" (1957)and "The Dharma Bums" and so it is as well with Roland Merullo's novel fifty years after Kerouac's: "Breakfast with Buddha (2007)." We don't have beats, mad sex, and the wildness of Dean Moriarty in Merullo's road novel from the American East to the Midwest. Rather we have a 44-year old successful New York City editor of books about food, named Otto Ringling, happily married, and the father of two lovely teenagers, who is tricked by his sister Cecelia into accepting her guru as his travelling companion on a trip to North Dakota.
Otto and Cecelia grew up on a North Dakota farm. Six months earlier, their elderly parents had died in an automobile accident. Otto and Cecelia, who fears flying, were to return to settle the estate and sell the farm. At the last moment, however, Cecelia backs out and substitutes the guru, Volya Rinpoche, instead. Otto is disconcerted with Cecelia's decision to give her half of their parents' estate to Rinpoche as a meditation center. While Otto has become a successful editior, Cecelia makes a precarious living telling fortunes and reading tarot cards. Unmarried, Cecelia has shared her favors generously over the years. Otto understandably regards his sister as flaky and refers to her affectionately as "nutcake."
Otto and Rinpoche's trip from New Jersey to North Dakota was to take three days, but it develops into six. Otto is at first annoyed with his companion and tries to show him up as a quack. Nominally Protestant, Otto is basically a skeptic; but he has been bothered since adolescence by questions about the meaning of life and by a vague sense of dissatisfaction. With the death of his parents in a meaningless accident, his questions intensify.
Much of the book involves the growing relationship between Otto and the Rinpoche and what each man offers to the other. When Otto loses his temper, the Rinpoche sits back in the car and smiles. Slowly, Otto becomes interested and Rinpoche invites him to ask one question a day at breakfast. When, on the first day, Otto asks the Rinpoche about the meaning of life, the Rinpoche replies by throwing some dirt into a glass of drinking water. He explains that this is the state of the ordinary, distracted mind, and that a concentrated, pure mind may become clear. The teachings become more elaborate as the journey proceeds, and at one point the Rinpoche exhorts Otto to think of the meaning of the Buddha's teaching to strive on and pursue one's own salvation with diligence. Otto, in turn, helps the Rinpoche with his English and also shows him something of the United States in a light that may be new to the Rinpoche, and perhaps to the reader as well.
In their time together, Otto learns that spiritual teachings cannot be mastered in days, and the Rinpoche learns that the United States cannot fully be appreciated in days. Besides showing a change in spiritual outlook, much of the journey, as is also the case with Kerouac's journeys, is a paean to the breadth and basic goodness of the United States. In their trip, Otto shows the Rinpoche, the Hershey chocolate factory, a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley field, the Great Lakes, and much else. He takes the Rinpoche on a brief cruise on the Chicago River. The two travellers play miniature golf and go bowling, to the Rinpoche's delight. In turn, Otto becomes an initially reluctant participant in yoga and meditation, reads the Rinpoche's book called "The Ultimate Pleasure", and attends several teaching sessions at Notre Dame and Madison, Wisconsin along the way. As the journey to North Dakota comes to an end, there is a suggestion that Otto, while not about to abandon his wife, family or career, has made a change in the way in which he understands and will pursue his life. "You have the good life." The Rinpoche says. "Easy life this time, Otto. Do not waste, okay?" (p. 147)
The book succeeds due to its ability to combine a serious subject with humor and with lightness of touch. Merullo avoids the tendency to didacticism or preaching. There is a great deal of emphasis of food and gourmandizing in the book. Otto, true to his profession, overeats as the road journey is punctuated by meals at many types of gourmet restaurants. He comes to see something of the limitations of over attachment to food. Otto and the Rinpoche also see and learn from some of the simple good people, an old man at a gas station, a seller of popsicles from a cart, and a clerk at the bowling alley, that help make the United States. This unpretentious, somewhat breezy little novel is both a spiritual and an American journey.
Robin Friedman
March 6, 2018
I was surprisingly taken by this book. It is an unusual story of a drive from New Jersey to North Dakota by car - the narrator and his sister's guru. I loved the descriptions of American life and "Americana" that were a part of the book. Otto, the narrator, wanted to show the holy man America. As they travel the skeptic Otto begins rethinking his life - his upbringing in North Dakota, and his center, his wife and children.
A delightful book!
A delightful book!
July 12, 2015
Philosophy laced with humor
July 30, 2023
5 traveling guru stars. Otto Ringling, a successful book editor, husband and father, reluctantly takes his nutty sister's spiritual
teacher, Volya Rinpoche, on a cross country trip to his parent's farm in the Midwest. The trip for him is mindchanging and a spiritual wake up call. I truly enjoyed this book, and the conversation's between Otto and Rinpoche. It's fiction but reads like a true account.
teacher, Volya Rinpoche, on a cross country trip to his parent's farm in the Midwest. The trip for him is mindchanging and a spiritual wake up call. I truly enjoyed this book, and the conversation's between Otto and Rinpoche. It's fiction but reads like a true account.
May 25, 2012
This is a wonderful book. I've read it twice and it impressed me in different ways each time. The story is about an upper middle-class man in a happy marriage with kids he loves. But when his parents are killed in a car accident, he begins to doubt that his comfortable life is all there is. He has to go back to North Dakota, where he grew up, to take care of the estate, and his “flaky” sister contrives to have her guru come along for the ride. The guru is a “Rinpoche” from Siberia. I had thought this was entirely made up: “Rinpoche” is a Tibetan title, and how would Tibetan Buddhism get to Siberia, I wondered. But, according to Wikipedia, in fact, there is a branch of Tibetan Buddhism there, and there was persecution in the Stalinist era, just as the Rinpoche describes.
The triumph here, though, is in the characterization. Both Otto, the protagonist and first person narrator, and the Rinpoche are likable, and the Rinpoche is also very funny. We get to see Otto change from a skeptical person to one who sees that the Rinpoche is offering him something of value. And when he has his first experience of “extinction” on a yoga mat (this Rinpoche does a bit of everything!), Otto finally understands that there is a realm of consciousness that the Rinpoche understands but he doesn't. And he is now ready to learn.
At the same time as the story is about Otto's inner journey, though, it is also about an outer journey. After a couple of days of verbal sparring, the Rinpoche and Otto make a deal: Rinpoche will show Otto the inner world and Otto will show Rinpoche the United States – at least the part they are traveling through. So we also have a travelogue. And since much of what is seen is through the eyes of Rinpoche, this gives Merullo the chance to present our country as though seen for the first time. For example, the one scene I remembered from my first reading is when the two take a boat up the Chicago River, and the announcer explains how they made the river run the other way in order that its filth wouldn't flow into the lake. Rinpoche mumbles, “They made the river run the other way.” Then he wonders why they didn't just clean up the river. “Too hard, I guess,” Otto replies.
There is so much more in this book, but I'll stop here and just say, Read it!
The triumph here, though, is in the characterization. Both Otto, the protagonist and first person narrator, and the Rinpoche are likable, and the Rinpoche is also very funny. We get to see Otto change from a skeptical person to one who sees that the Rinpoche is offering him something of value. And when he has his first experience of “extinction” on a yoga mat (this Rinpoche does a bit of everything!), Otto finally understands that there is a realm of consciousness that the Rinpoche understands but he doesn't. And he is now ready to learn.
At the same time as the story is about Otto's inner journey, though, it is also about an outer journey. After a couple of days of verbal sparring, the Rinpoche and Otto make a deal: Rinpoche will show Otto the inner world and Otto will show Rinpoche the United States – at least the part they are traveling through. So we also have a travelogue. And since much of what is seen is through the eyes of Rinpoche, this gives Merullo the chance to present our country as though seen for the first time. For example, the one scene I remembered from my first reading is when the two take a boat up the Chicago River, and the announcer explains how they made the river run the other way in order that its filth wouldn't flow into the lake. Rinpoche mumbles, “They made the river run the other way.” Then he wonders why they didn't just clean up the river. “Too hard, I guess,” Otto replies.
There is so much more in this book, but I'll stop here and just say, Read it!
November 25, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. 3.5 stars
November 4, 2011
Have you ever been stuck in a car with a middle-aged man having a mid-life crisis? Oh, and did I mention, he's got a famous guru along for the ride? That's about what Breakfast with Buddha feels like . . . not that it is all bad. In fact, the guru's explanation of life being like a glass of water with dirt stirred up in it might make the entire journey worthwhile by itself.
Overall, this was a light read with a few good tidbits of "Buddhist" thinking tossed in now and then. Those thoughts, illustrated throughout the book, mostly consisted of "slow down," "don't be so angry," "notice the good in life," and "worry less." I can't disagree with any of that, though I don't believe that Buddhists have a monopoly on such sentiment.
Aside from philosophical/religious differences, I have a few problems with Merullo's storytelling. He takes us through a few too many vignettes about food, includes an unnecessary and troubling romance, and, most irritating to me, he overuses the fictional guru's fictional prescience to establish the character's credibility. Of course he knows what's going to happen in the future . . . he's written by the same author who created the world he lives in.
So, all in all, I can't completely pan this book. It wasn't that bad. But I wouldn't recommend you pick it up unless you've nothing else on your list to read.
Overall, this was a light read with a few good tidbits of "Buddhist" thinking tossed in now and then. Those thoughts, illustrated throughout the book, mostly consisted of "slow down," "don't be so angry," "notice the good in life," and "worry less." I can't disagree with any of that, though I don't believe that Buddhists have a monopoly on such sentiment.
Aside from philosophical/religious differences, I have a few problems with Merullo's storytelling. He takes us through a few too many vignettes about food, includes an unnecessary and troubling romance, and, most irritating to me, he overuses the fictional guru's fictional prescience to establish the character's credibility. Of course he knows what's going to happen in the future . . . he's written by the same author who created the world he lives in.
So, all in all, I can't completely pan this book. It wasn't that bad. But I wouldn't recommend you pick it up unless you've nothing else on your list to read.
October 23, 2013
What a surprising gem this book turned out to be! I rolled my eyes when a friend placed it in my hands with an emphatic recommendation. I am not big on books with religious undertones, especially ones that seem like they're out to sway my beliefs. My first impression of Buddha was that it would be an attempt to do just that.
Well...book, judge, cover, etc...was I wrong. This book was hilarious, inspirational, thought-provoking and emotional. I felt like I was riding along in the car with Otto and Volya Rinpoche, and a part of every insightful adventure they happened upon. It also offered a refreshingly light taste of Buddhism without being preachy or coercive.
Breakfast with Buddha will surely go down as one of my all-time faves, and I will be reading this one more than once.
Well...book, judge, cover, etc...was I wrong. This book was hilarious, inspirational, thought-provoking and emotional. I felt like I was riding along in the car with Otto and Volya Rinpoche, and a part of every insightful adventure they happened upon. It also offered a refreshingly light taste of Buddhism without being preachy or coercive.
Breakfast with Buddha will surely go down as one of my all-time faves, and I will be reading this one more than once.
August 5, 2017
Malo filozofije,malo humora i eto zabavne price .😊😊
March 11, 2012
Credit to the author for allowing me to see past my own busyness, cynicism, egocentricity to find the true message in Merullo's book. I was so uncomfortable with Otto Ringling, I had to put the book down, take a walk and figure out what was bothering me. It was me. The snide humor, authoritarian posture and stiff-necked Midwestern Mr. Ringling made me irritable. Once I figured out it was because he reminded me of me, I succumbed to the lesson of the book. Volvo Rinpoche, his bohling and meditation wife is a good teacher. Pages 316-317 need to be posted on yoga center walls for those who are open to believing, and on gas station soda coolers for those who don't believe they can believe. Lessons we need to learn are not easy. If they were they wouldn't be called lessons. They'd be called I know that already.
July 31, 2016
I felt a little manipulated by this book, as if it was written to be a "book club book". Nevertheless, I was caught up in the story and related with the main character. I became completely engrossed and read it quickly. I like thinking about the things it made me think about and made me interested in reading some of the literature the author lists that he read. Also, it is true that the waitstaff at Siam are constantly filling your water glasses! I think the author would have much preferred Cambodian Thai, just right down the road... ;-)
May 18, 2023
If I was a white man going through a mid life crisis I would probably love this book
But unfortunately I am not- don't count this towards my reading challenge because I only got 30 pages in and every single one was a struggle
But unfortunately I am not- don't count this towards my reading challenge because I only got 30 pages in and every single one was a struggle
May 1, 2020
što dobiješ ako staviš klišejizirano uspješnog i sretnog sredovječnog amerikanca (suprug žene koju voli, otac dvoje djece -da, dječak i djevojčica koje obožava-, vlasnik psa, kuća s vrtom, uspješan u svom poslu, dobrostojeći, generalno zadovoljan bla) i budista iz rusije u automobil na sedam dana?
pa... dobiješ ovako jedno lakoprobavljivo, ali plitko štivo koje ti nabrzaka pokušava podmetnuti opće životne vrijednosti.
fabula je banalna: otto je na prekretnici, usprkos svom posloženom životu osjeća duboki nemir i, igrom slučaja, na putovanju mu se pridružuje rinpoche i kreće ottovo preispitavanje, otvaranje duha i uma i potraga za unutarnjim skladom i višim smislom. ukratko: pokušaj da se ono što radimo cijeli život (rast, sazrijevanje) ugura u sedam dana putovanja amerikom. ispresjecano je skečevima katolicizam-budizam, protestantizam-budizam, filozofija-budizam.. nevjerojatno je koliko su velike svjetske religije i učenja pojednostavljeni i podvaljeni kroz nekoliko općepoznatih rečenica.
pisano je krajnje simplificiranim jezikom i stvarno se lako i brzo čita (a smatram da se niti jedna knjiga o duhovnosti ne bi trebala niti smjela brzo čitati) i preporučujem kao okej štivo za prvi susret s budizmom - kroz knjigu ćeš dobiti mrvicu od toga, u najosnovnijim crtama: odnos prema hrani, prema seksu, materijalnim dobrima, prema smrti. da, i mrc joge.
ali ako si imalo razmišljao o svojoj duhovnosti, ako si se iole bavio pitanjima dobra i zla, razmišljao o ispravnosti svojih odluka, ako si ikad malo dublje zagrebao ispod svoje kože i razmišljao o svrsi svog postojanja i o životu nakon ovozemaljskog, onda će te ova knjiga ostaviti prilično praznim. nema koristi od rečenica tipa "morate pokušati postati takvi" ili "uvijek postoji izbor" - zvuče prežvakano i ispljunuto kao univerzalni recept za najdublje životne dvojbe.
jedino što si ostavljam kao uspomenu na ovu knjigu jest: "život jako brzo prolazi, otto."
pa... dobiješ ovako jedno lakoprobavljivo, ali plitko štivo koje ti nabrzaka pokušava podmetnuti opće životne vrijednosti.
fabula je banalna: otto je na prekretnici, usprkos svom posloženom životu osjeća duboki nemir i, igrom slučaja, na putovanju mu se pridružuje rinpoche i kreće ottovo preispitavanje, otvaranje duha i uma i potraga za unutarnjim skladom i višim smislom. ukratko: pokušaj da se ono što radimo cijeli život (rast, sazrijevanje) ugura u sedam dana putovanja amerikom. ispresjecano je skečevima katolicizam-budizam, protestantizam-budizam, filozofija-budizam.. nevjerojatno je koliko su velike svjetske religije i učenja pojednostavljeni i podvaljeni kroz nekoliko općepoznatih rečenica.
pisano je krajnje simplificiranim jezikom i stvarno se lako i brzo čita (a smatram da se niti jedna knjiga o duhovnosti ne bi trebala niti smjela brzo čitati) i preporučujem kao okej štivo za prvi susret s budizmom - kroz knjigu ćeš dobiti mrvicu od toga, u najosnovnijim crtama: odnos prema hrani, prema seksu, materijalnim dobrima, prema smrti. da, i mrc joge.
ali ako si imalo razmišljao o svojoj duhovnosti, ako si se iole bavio pitanjima dobra i zla, razmišljao o ispravnosti svojih odluka, ako si ikad malo dublje zagrebao ispod svoje kože i razmišljao o svrsi svog postojanja i o životu nakon ovozemaljskog, onda će te ova knjiga ostaviti prilično praznim. nema koristi od rečenica tipa "morate pokušati postati takvi" ili "uvijek postoji izbor" - zvuče prežvakano i ispljunuto kao univerzalni recept za najdublje životne dvojbe.
jedino što si ostavljam kao uspomenu na ovu knjigu jest: "život jako brzo prolazi, otto."
June 24, 2025
Hmm. I liked this one a lot. Thought a number of new thoughts. . . my favorite response to a read.
I will continue on this trip with Mr. Merullo. And Buddha. . . .or any other god/goddess/deities/higher power he's hooked up with, just to see where it goes. . .
Stay tuned. . . .
I will continue on this trip with Mr. Merullo. And Buddha. . . .or any other god/goddess/deities/higher power he's hooked up with, just to see where it goes. . .
Stay tuned. . . .
October 16, 2015
I have a few mixed feelings on this one. The road trip Ottis Ringling sets out on from New York to North Dakota is not so much what makes the novel's story; it is actually the vessel in which the author interweaves philosophical ramblings, the meaning of life ponderings, Christian sentiments, and Buddhist beliefs. I have the hypothesis that these are, moreover, his own beliefs.
Did I agree with some of these? Yes. But a lot of them were extreme, maybe making things a little over simplified. Yes, I can see the appeal of all of this to some individuals. I have always said that I truly envy some Christians / religious individuals out there . They have the security, the comfort that there is a purpose in life, that they have somewhere to go after this world, that there is a meaning to life that has been pre-determined: to serve Him. In the dark times (surprise- most Christians convert/begin really believing when difficult times begin), they can feel better with the comfort that there is a "path". Good loves them.
As an agnostic (not an atheist), I can appreciate the general beliefs in doing good in this world . I agree, like the Christian teachings, that we should love one another, treat others as we would like to be treated. I do not, however, agree with any of the Evangelicals whom insist on pushing this belief on all the world, often furthermore damning, condemning those whom refuse to accede to their religion and somewhat unbelievable, illogical religious beliefs. Religion is based on faith. No logic. Empty, pure, simple, straightforward faith. Therefore, not something you can force into others.
That being said, although there were many references to said teachings, for the most part, "Breakfast With Buddha" remained open-minded. Maybe it is me being defensive- I did, after all, choose to read this- but I felt like it was a subtle subliminal messaging the author was using. Fine overall, but definitely preachy more than a few times.
Next, Volya Ripnoche's admittedly "random" comprehension of the English language was an "annoyant". His stereotypically portrayed poor English was, very quickly, a pain to read. Especially when it was discovered that he could use it perfectly well at times, better during his sermons, near perfect in his published texts.
My favorite musings were actually those in which Ottis the skeptical questioned within himself why he was angry about let much what I have addressed above, as I could completely see myself in his words. It is true. They often see themselves as better than everyone else. As if they have the answer to life. That their approach to life is superior to ours. They often audaciously make these claims having been introduced to someone moments ago! Yes, Buddha says to best not be angered by others which you have no power over. Amen. Agreed. That is, until these "others" begin forcing their beliefs onto others. I have no issues with them having their ideas. I may not agree with them, but that does not mean that I am unable to respect them.
Other musings, such as life being a glass of water with dirt (Negativity in life is equated to a swirl the water. The water represents your mind. The dirt clouds the water; therefore, your mind. The more seriously you err, the more dirt is swirled in, the more your mind is clouded. Likewise, things like love have the power to clear the water) were actually a new way to look at things and a welcome perspective to ponder.
The road trip aspect was a lot of fun, as I have always been a great lover of them. Annoyingly taking advantage of this all the more, or the hidden gems mentioned that I have ventured to myself but a few years ago. These include the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio (not to miss The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Chef Michael Symon's Lola, & American Greetings' Headquarters, the creators to Holly Hobbie, Strawberry Shortcake, but- most significantly, of course- The Care Bears!), Pennsylvania Amish/Dutch Country, including the little town of Lilitz, Pennsylvania (not mentioned here, but adorable pretzel factory there, also a wolf sanctuary!), & Hershey, Pennsylvania (The Hershey simulation ride, the tour of the great Milton Hershey's legacy, his school built for disadvantaged youth, to which almost all his fortunes were left). Their time in Chicago also stirred some nostalgia into my evening, Cubs game @ Wrigley Field (against the Phanatic, the undisputed No. One Mascot ever!), the architectural your in The Chicago River.
Like I mentioned, mixed feelings. Enough good to be interested in the sequel? I shall leave that as a "maybe" for the day....
Did I agree with some of these? Yes. But a lot of them were extreme, maybe making things a little over simplified. Yes, I can see the appeal of all of this to some individuals. I have always said that I truly envy some Christians / religious individuals out there . They have the security, the comfort that there is a purpose in life, that they have somewhere to go after this world, that there is a meaning to life that has been pre-determined: to serve Him. In the dark times (surprise- most Christians convert/begin really believing when difficult times begin), they can feel better with the comfort that there is a "path". Good loves them.
As an agnostic (not an atheist), I can appreciate the general beliefs in doing good in this world . I agree, like the Christian teachings, that we should love one another, treat others as we would like to be treated. I do not, however, agree with any of the Evangelicals whom insist on pushing this belief on all the world, often furthermore damning, condemning those whom refuse to accede to their religion and somewhat unbelievable, illogical religious beliefs. Religion is based on faith. No logic. Empty, pure, simple, straightforward faith. Therefore, not something you can force into others.
That being said, although there were many references to said teachings, for the most part, "Breakfast With Buddha" remained open-minded. Maybe it is me being defensive- I did, after all, choose to read this- but I felt like it was a subtle subliminal messaging the author was using. Fine overall, but definitely preachy more than a few times.
Next, Volya Ripnoche's admittedly "random" comprehension of the English language was an "annoyant". His stereotypically portrayed poor English was, very quickly, a pain to read. Especially when it was discovered that he could use it perfectly well at times, better during his sermons, near perfect in his published texts.
My favorite musings were actually those in which Ottis the skeptical questioned within himself why he was angry about let much what I have addressed above, as I could completely see myself in his words. It is true. They often see themselves as better than everyone else. As if they have the answer to life. That their approach to life is superior to ours. They often audaciously make these claims having been introduced to someone moments ago! Yes, Buddha says to best not be angered by others which you have no power over. Amen. Agreed. That is, until these "others" begin forcing their beliefs onto others. I have no issues with them having their ideas. I may not agree with them, but that does not mean that I am unable to respect them.
Other musings, such as life being a glass of water with dirt (Negativity in life is equated to a swirl the water. The water represents your mind. The dirt clouds the water; therefore, your mind. The more seriously you err, the more dirt is swirled in, the more your mind is clouded. Likewise, things like love have the power to clear the water) were actually a new way to look at things and a welcome perspective to ponder.
The road trip aspect was a lot of fun, as I have always been a great lover of them. Annoyingly taking advantage of this all the more, or the hidden gems mentioned that I have ventured to myself but a few years ago. These include the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio (not to miss The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Chef Michael Symon's Lola, & American Greetings' Headquarters, the creators to Holly Hobbie, Strawberry Shortcake, but- most significantly, of course- The Care Bears!), Pennsylvania Amish/Dutch Country, including the little town of Lilitz, Pennsylvania (not mentioned here, but adorable pretzel factory there, also a wolf sanctuary!), & Hershey, Pennsylvania (The Hershey simulation ride, the tour of the great Milton Hershey's legacy, his school built for disadvantaged youth, to which almost all his fortunes were left). Their time in Chicago also stirred some nostalgia into my evening, Cubs game @ Wrigley Field (against the Phanatic, the undisputed No. One Mascot ever!), the architectural your in The Chicago River.
Like I mentioned, mixed feelings. Enough good to be interested in the sequel? I shall leave that as a "maybe" for the day....
December 11, 2018
Sabrıma beş yıldız vermek istiyorum, bu kitabı sonuna kadar okuduğum için. Nasıl ki Ertuğrul Özkök’ün köşe yazısını okumaya başlarsınız; cümlelerin akıcılığı ve basitliği size o yazıyı okutur, ama her zamanki gibi elle tutulur derin bir düşünceye rastlayamazsınız yazıda; sonuna vardığınızda yine okuduğunuza pişman olursunuz. Çünkü aklı başında, biraz dilbilgisine ve orta düzeyde genel kültüre sahip, yazmaya meraklı hemen herkes bu yazıyı akıl edip yazabilirdi, diye düşünürsünüz ya; hah işte bu kitap da tam öyle... Buyrun okuyun inanmazsanız.
February 10, 2010
This was a delightful book to read: smart, familiar, entertaining, and with a nice contemporary middle-class view of Buddhism. If you're looking for a book for the plane or the beach, this is a great choice.
June 15, 2019
Facile life lessons disguised as a buddy road trip novel. If you are looking for a formula for a bestseller this is it: fortune cookie wisdom in an easy to digest narrative. For good measure you may want to throw in a mentally handicapped person or whatever word is appropriate for that condition these days, or maybe a transgender person because they are all the rage. Once again, this is a book of answers for people who are terrified that there are no answers. I would wager that people who love this book believe in miracles and other hocus pocus.
I must preface this sometimes harsh review by pointing out that I have no belief nor desire to believe in any sort of afterlife. I don’t feel superior to those who do, but this doesn’t keep me from thinking that belief in an afterlife is farfetched and foolish, like searching for leprechauns. It just seems to me that Westerners attracted to Buddhism think themselves superior to garden variety Jesus freaks, but they are basically the same species.
First of all, if you are a middle aged man still desperately looking for a “meaning” to life, you have a pretty weak intellectual foundation. I’ve been an atheist since I was about five years old, so I’m not much of a sucker for homilies on “spirituality.” I’d much prefer to take a road trip with a biology professor who could school me on human evolution, or someone who knows a lot about cooking, or anyone who could teach me how to whistle really loudly. If I thought that the Dalai Lama could teach me how to whistle loud enough to hail a taxi, then I'd pick him up if I saw him hitchhiking.
Otto is sort of an asshole right out of the starting gate. He calls Rinpoche “presumptuous” to his face simply because he offers to teach Otto something. Jesus H. Christ, dude! Calm down. He already knows that the guy is from Russia and has spent time in a Russian prison so why would he think that he couldn’t learn a thing or two from this freak? Otto gets angry and throws “tantrums” over the most not-shit occurrences common in modern life. I’m nothing like this guy and never was, not even when I was a teen so I wouldn’t be much impressed over some hippie deadbeat who claims to be a guru.
The guy talks a about how perfect his life is and how great his kids are, yet he can’t even get his teens to accompany him on this road trip. I don’t remember my teen years being so much of a democracy. Otto also feels that he is positively entitled to the best life has to offer. He constantly bitches and moans about anything less than the best restaurants and hotels so I suppose that he would be impressed by a man who isn’t such a slave to consumerism, a man less angry than he.
The "philosophy" in this book isn't deep enough to wet your fingertips, so if that's what you are looking for I'd suggest that you look elsewhere.
I must preface this sometimes harsh review by pointing out that I have no belief nor desire to believe in any sort of afterlife. I don’t feel superior to those who do, but this doesn’t keep me from thinking that belief in an afterlife is farfetched and foolish, like searching for leprechauns. It just seems to me that Westerners attracted to Buddhism think themselves superior to garden variety Jesus freaks, but they are basically the same species.
First of all, if you are a middle aged man still desperately looking for a “meaning” to life, you have a pretty weak intellectual foundation. I’ve been an atheist since I was about five years old, so I’m not much of a sucker for homilies on “spirituality.” I’d much prefer to take a road trip with a biology professor who could school me on human evolution, or someone who knows a lot about cooking, or anyone who could teach me how to whistle really loudly. If I thought that the Dalai Lama could teach me how to whistle loud enough to hail a taxi, then I'd pick him up if I saw him hitchhiking.
Otto is sort of an asshole right out of the starting gate. He calls Rinpoche “presumptuous” to his face simply because he offers to teach Otto something. Jesus H. Christ, dude! Calm down. He already knows that the guy is from Russia and has spent time in a Russian prison so why would he think that he couldn’t learn a thing or two from this freak? Otto gets angry and throws “tantrums” over the most not-shit occurrences common in modern life. I’m nothing like this guy and never was, not even when I was a teen so I wouldn’t be much impressed over some hippie deadbeat who claims to be a guru.
The guy talks a about how perfect his life is and how great his kids are, yet he can’t even get his teens to accompany him on this road trip. I don’t remember my teen years being so much of a democracy. Otto also feels that he is positively entitled to the best life has to offer. He constantly bitches and moans about anything less than the best restaurants and hotels so I suppose that he would be impressed by a man who isn’t such a slave to consumerism, a man less angry than he.
The "philosophy" in this book isn't deep enough to wet your fingertips, so if that's what you are looking for I'd suggest that you look elsewhere.
August 23, 2017
I was a little worried when I picked up Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo at the library and saw above the title that he was also the author of Golfing with God. I thought my book group had picked something from a hokey theology-lite series designed to provide self-help of some sort. What would be next? “Shuffleboard with Shiva”? “Mumblety-Peg with Mohammed”?
I was wrong to worry. It may be part of a series, but it was not hokey. This was, perhaps, exactly the book I needed to read at this point in my life. It was easy to identify with the main character: a suburbanite dad living a highly comfortable existence in a big house with financial security, but nevertheless having a vague sense of dissatisfaction with it all. Take this man and all his skepticism; put him on a road trip to North Dakota with a Skovorodinian monk, and, on the surface of things, you have the makings of a typical metaphorical journey of self-discovery story.
Any concerns I had about this being a hit-you-over-the-head allegory were also unsubstantiated. Merullo’s writing is funny, engaging and sincere. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously or presume to be more than it is. How can anyone not laugh at the idea of a monk in a red robe bowling alongside tattooed foul-mouthed bikers? This is the sort of book a reader can enjoy and maybe learn something along the way, but not feel forced into some sort of spiritual redefinition. Merullo includes some suggestions for further reading: comforting to know that he didn’t make up the theology. For me, Breakfast with Buddha was affirming and, this is hard for me to admit, enlightening. I may just be dropping some of my own cynicism in response to reading this nifty bit of fiction.
I was wrong to worry. It may be part of a series, but it was not hokey. This was, perhaps, exactly the book I needed to read at this point in my life. It was easy to identify with the main character: a suburbanite dad living a highly comfortable existence in a big house with financial security, but nevertheless having a vague sense of dissatisfaction with it all. Take this man and all his skepticism; put him on a road trip to North Dakota with a Skovorodinian monk, and, on the surface of things, you have the makings of a typical metaphorical journey of self-discovery story.
Any concerns I had about this being a hit-you-over-the-head allegory were also unsubstantiated. Merullo’s writing is funny, engaging and sincere. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously or presume to be more than it is. How can anyone not laugh at the idea of a monk in a red robe bowling alongside tattooed foul-mouthed bikers? This is the sort of book a reader can enjoy and maybe learn something along the way, but not feel forced into some sort of spiritual redefinition. Merullo includes some suggestions for further reading: comforting to know that he didn’t make up the theology. For me, Breakfast with Buddha was affirming and, this is hard for me to admit, enlightening. I may just be dropping some of my own cynicism in response to reading this nifty bit of fiction.
January 1, 2015
I have suffered through the first quarter of this book, and I don't think I'll be able to force myself to finish it. The author constantly and flagrantly violates the first rule of fiction: Show Me, Don't Tell Me.
The narrator is a self-described Ordinary Guy who nevertheless has the self-awareness to describe his emotions in language straight out of a psychology textbook (or bad adolescent poetry). He goes on for pages about the "vague sense of emptiness and longing" brought on by the death of his parents. He clinically describes the anger tantrums to which he is occasionally subject, while supposedly having an anger tantrum. The guru is a cardboard caricature, spouting aphorisms and wise looks at appropriate intervals.
It's excruciating. Clichéd, flat, ponderous and transparently contrived.
The cover described this book as a "humorous road-trip story." The idea has a lot of potential, but it has been implemented by rote, without the slightest literary imagination. Humor is all about dialog and timing; the author executes both with a lead mallet.
Bottom line is, fiction with an agenda is not fiction. It's bad propaganda.
The narrator is a self-described Ordinary Guy who nevertheless has the self-awareness to describe his emotions in language straight out of a psychology textbook (or bad adolescent poetry). He goes on for pages about the "vague sense of emptiness and longing" brought on by the death of his parents. He clinically describes the anger tantrums to which he is occasionally subject, while supposedly having an anger tantrum. The guru is a cardboard caricature, spouting aphorisms and wise looks at appropriate intervals.
It's excruciating. Clichéd, flat, ponderous and transparently contrived.
The cover described this book as a "humorous road-trip story." The idea has a lot of potential, but it has been implemented by rote, without the slightest literary imagination. Humor is all about dialog and timing; the author executes both with a lead mallet.
Bottom line is, fiction with an agenda is not fiction. It's bad propaganda.
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