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Lorenzo Searches For The Meaning Of Life
One summer morning in 1977, nineteen-year-old Lorenzo Senesi of Aquilina, Italy, drives his Vespa motor-scooter into a speeding Fiat and breaks his forearm. It keeps him in bed for a month, and his boggled mind thinks of unfamiliar things: Where has he come from? Where is he going? And how to find out more about where he ought to go?
When he recovers, he enrols for a course in physiotherapy. He also joins a prayer group, and visits Praglia Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the foothills outside Padua.
The monastery will become his home for ten years, its isolation and discipline the anchors of his life, and then send him to a Benedictine ashram in faraway Bangladesh—a village in Khulna district, where monsoon clouds as black as night descend right down to river and earth. He will spend many years here. He will pray seven times a day, learn to speak Bengali and wash his clothes in the river, paint a small chapel, start a physiotherapy clinic to ease bodies out of pain, and fall, unexpectedly, in love. And he will find that a life of service to God is enough, but that it is also not enough.
A study of the extraordinary experiences of an ordinary man, a study of both the majesty and the banality of the spiritual path, Upamanyu Chatterjee’s new novel is a quiet triumph. It marks a new phase in the literary journey of one of India’s finest and most consistently original writers.
When he recovers, he enrols for a course in physiotherapy. He also joins a prayer group, and visits Praglia Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the foothills outside Padua.
The monastery will become his home for ten years, its isolation and discipline the anchors of his life, and then send him to a Benedictine ashram in faraway Bangladesh—a village in Khulna district, where monsoon clouds as black as night descend right down to river and earth. He will spend many years here. He will pray seven times a day, learn to speak Bengali and wash his clothes in the river, paint a small chapel, start a physiotherapy clinic to ease bodies out of pain, and fall, unexpectedly, in love. And he will find that a life of service to God is enough, but that it is also not enough.
A study of the extraordinary experiences of an ordinary man, a study of both the majesty and the banality of the spiritual path, Upamanyu Chatterjee’s new novel is a quiet triumph. It marks a new phase in the literary journey of one of India’s finest and most consistently original writers.
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Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2024
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About the author
Upamanyu Chatterjee
18 books207 followersUpamanyu Chatterjee is an Indian author and administrator, noted for his works set in the Indian Administrative Service. He has been named Officier des Arts et des Lettres (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters), by the French Government.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 5, 2025
The novel begins with this young Italian Lorenzo setting out on a spiritual quest to find the meaning of life, and decides to become a Benedictine monk.
A true story based on the life of an acquaintance the author met by chance in Colombo, Srilanka, it is not what the book is about as much as how well Chatterjee has written it.
This novel is a tour de force that includes imaginative prose, meticulous attention to detail and the author’s trademark wit. If someone tells me that the author lived as a monk in an Italian abbey for years and then spent a few more in Bangladesh amidst abject poverty, I would believe it. Such is the realism in the narration.
It’s a masterclass in literary prose, bringing characters to life, meticulous research and razor sharp wit.
A masterpiece.
A true story based on the life of an acquaintance the author met by chance in Colombo, Srilanka, it is not what the book is about as much as how well Chatterjee has written it.
This novel is a tour de force that includes imaginative prose, meticulous attention to detail and the author’s trademark wit. If someone tells me that the author lived as a monk in an Italian abbey for years and then spent a few more in Bangladesh amidst abject poverty, I would believe it. Such is the realism in the narration.
It’s a masterclass in literary prose, bringing characters to life, meticulous research and razor sharp wit.
A masterpiece.
June 5, 2025
No greater relief than finishing a book that you have been "reading" for nearly 7 months. While this one is not entirely hopeless—indeed it's an interestingly written novel of processes, from wine-making to cow-milking—but quite often it's simply insufferable. And in some weird ways (unless I am stupid and I missed the "wit"), often unnecessarily, vapidly mean to its South Asian/Bangladeshi characters.
September 23, 2024
English August was a rite-of-passage for college kids in the early 90s. Strangely, the twenty year old me could never go beyond the first few pages of that cult classic. And so I come to my first Upamanyu Chatterjee novel more than three decades later with Lorenzo Searches for the Meaning of Life.
“A monastic is not a special sort of person. He is simply what every person ought to be” is a quote Lorenzo is struck by and an adage he seems to live by. When, as a twenty year old, fresh out of a life-threatening accident, he decides to devote his life to look for meaning, it takes him through monkhood in a Benedectine monastery in rural Italy and then one in rural Bangladesh; through serving in a health clinic after renouncing monkhood; and then finally ending up married, a father, working in an aid organization, a far cry from the Benedictine vows of poverty. In a way, he lives life backward, coming to the 'householder' phase after the 'renunciation' one. He still remains the same person, though, still stubbornly searching for what is meaningful for him, as the circumstances around him change.
It's a somewhat strange book - one wonders what makes Chatterjee, a retired Indian bureaucrat, create an Italian protagonist and set his novel first in rural Italy and then in rural Bangladesh I do a bit of research and realize Lorenzo is a thinly veiled portrait of Chatterjee's friend Fabrizio Senesi, and that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction.
Chatterjee's tone is very matter-of-fact while describing both the monotony of life in a monastery and the harshness of third-world poverty - so matter-of-fact that you can call it wry. And that's really how I would describe this oddly engaging book - a wry look at how strange human life can be.
Perhaps I should re-visit English August?
“A monastic is not a special sort of person. He is simply what every person ought to be” is a quote Lorenzo is struck by and an adage he seems to live by. When, as a twenty year old, fresh out of a life-threatening accident, he decides to devote his life to look for meaning, it takes him through monkhood in a Benedectine monastery in rural Italy and then one in rural Bangladesh; through serving in a health clinic after renouncing monkhood; and then finally ending up married, a father, working in an aid organization, a far cry from the Benedictine vows of poverty. In a way, he lives life backward, coming to the 'householder' phase after the 'renunciation' one. He still remains the same person, though, still stubbornly searching for what is meaningful for him, as the circumstances around him change.
It's a somewhat strange book - one wonders what makes Chatterjee, a retired Indian bureaucrat, create an Italian protagonist and set his novel first in rural Italy and then in rural Bangladesh I do a bit of research and realize Lorenzo is a thinly veiled portrait of Chatterjee's friend Fabrizio Senesi, and that truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction.
Chatterjee's tone is very matter-of-fact while describing both the monotony of life in a monastery and the harshness of third-world poverty - so matter-of-fact that you can call it wry. And that's really how I would describe this oddly engaging book - a wry look at how strange human life can be.
Perhaps I should re-visit English August?
November 4, 2024
Lorenzo Searching for the Meaning of life was my final read from the 2024 JCB Prize shortlist. Contrary to the very positive reviews I have read elsewhere, I found it by far the least rewarding of the five finalists.
The novel is in fact a semi-fictional account of the life of an Italian friend of the author. The protagonist is Lorenzo who, aged just 22, enters the Benedictine monastery of Praglia to become a monk. After serving his apprenticeship and taking vows, he eventually travels to Bangladesh to form part of a satellite monastery there. The daily monastic life of Lorenzo covers about 85% of the story, without giving any spoilers.
Apart from finding the story extremely slow, it seemed to me that it brushed over those elements that could have made it an interesting read. The writer describes in detail how Lorenzo goes about washing clothes, praying, or restoring books, but fails to address the inner psychological story. There is no mention of any doubts that he might reasonably have had at times with regard to his faith, whether he might miss family and friends, questioning his abandonment of any romantic or sexual connections, his feelings towards fellow monks. Frankly, I felt that the result was just a tedious description of monastic life.
I myself failed to discover any meaning of life in Lorenzo’s journey. But perhaps this is down to of my age and because of my own personal journey, that has led me towards a far greater interest and faith in science and mathematics, or philosophy and sociology, than in a search for religious enlightenment.
The novel is in fact a semi-fictional account of the life of an Italian friend of the author. The protagonist is Lorenzo who, aged just 22, enters the Benedictine monastery of Praglia to become a monk. After serving his apprenticeship and taking vows, he eventually travels to Bangladesh to form part of a satellite monastery there. The daily monastic life of Lorenzo covers about 85% of the story, without giving any spoilers.
Apart from finding the story extremely slow, it seemed to me that it brushed over those elements that could have made it an interesting read. The writer describes in detail how Lorenzo goes about washing clothes, praying, or restoring books, but fails to address the inner psychological story. There is no mention of any doubts that he might reasonably have had at times with regard to his faith, whether he might miss family and friends, questioning his abandonment of any romantic or sexual connections, his feelings towards fellow monks. Frankly, I felt that the result was just a tedious description of monastic life.
I myself failed to discover any meaning of life in Lorenzo’s journey. But perhaps this is down to of my age and because of my own personal journey, that has led me towards a far greater interest and faith in science and mathematics, or philosophy and sociology, than in a search for religious enlightenment.
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January 18, 2025Slow an/ but amazing writing. Easily the best among the shortlisted books for JCB prize.
July 1, 2025
I picked this book only because it was a finalist for the JCB Prize for Literature and had been gifted to me. To be frank, I didn’t expect much for 2 reasons: the only other JCB nominated book I read this year was extremely disappointing and I never got through the last book by Upamanyu Chatterjee I attempted to read (Mammaries of the Welfare State). But this one pleasantly surprised me! The story itself isn’t extraordinary - it’s about an Italian monk who makes his way to Bangladesh and drastically changes the course of his life. Despite being inspired by real events, the story didn’t strike me as very unique. There certainly are numerous other inspirational stories along similar lines out there. What I liked about this one in particular, however, was its engaging style of storytelling. The reader is immediately invested in the characters, especially the very likeable Lorenzo. It’s also an easy and relatively fast-paced read. If you’re looking for an engaging book, give this one a shot.
May 5, 2024
Beautiful book and brilliantly written.
December 20, 2024
Rating 3.5 stars
And the 1.5 stars that I have taken away from the perfect rating is due to the excruciatingly painful attention to detail in the book. This factor can make or break the reading experience and I cannot shy away from admitting that the excessively descriptive writing slowed me down many times while reading the book.
Review -
On 20 Dec, 1980, at dinner time, Lorenzo Senesi, soon to turn 22, tells his parents & sister that he might go to Padua for Christmas & New Year. An accident he met with 3 yrs back has a bearing on this announcement, an accident that left him in bed for a month leaving ample time to contemplate his life, one he miraculously escaped with only a titanium rod fitted in his left forearm. A diploma in arts, a baking apprentice, Lorenzo pursues a physiotherapy course and attends catechism classes upon recovery. His trips to Praglia Abbey, a 1000 yr old Benedectine monastery near Padua, cement his decision to become a monk vowing to lead a life of prayers, labour and silence.
As we read this 300 pgs novel, we realise Lorenzo’s past always dictated his present, he never bothered about his future until it became his present, that when he made his mind to move, nothing could make him stay. So after 10 years in Praglia, when he meets Luca, he joins him and heads to a monastery, a dependent subsidiary of Praglia, in faraway Khulna, Bangladesh. From Aquilinia in Italy to Bangladesh, where languages, culture, culinary preferences, even air and water differed, Lorenzo switches roles from a monk to missionary who uses his art skills to paint a chapel and physiotherapy knowledge to heal people. He even renounces monkhood and becomes a family man eventually, all at a time he deems fit, considering everything around him ‘sacred’.
As we sail through this fictional biography, what grabs attention is the sophistication in writing, it’s amazing; the research into making the novel impressive and the attention to detail, immaculate !! Undoubtedly, hard work for the author & harder one for the reader for it’s the detailing that slows down reading menacingly. If one took notes while reading, a thesis dissertation on theology would be ready at the book’s end. As we cross continents & cultures, travel in time from 1977 to 2000, a lot of world history unfolds, scaffolding Lorenzo’s journey ‘inward’. And this journey definitely isn’t easy on readers, but a satisfying one after all the patience & perseverance it demands from us.
And the 1.5 stars that I have taken away from the perfect rating is due to the excruciatingly painful attention to detail in the book. This factor can make or break the reading experience and I cannot shy away from admitting that the excessively descriptive writing slowed me down many times while reading the book.
Review -
On 20 Dec, 1980, at dinner time, Lorenzo Senesi, soon to turn 22, tells his parents & sister that he might go to Padua for Christmas & New Year. An accident he met with 3 yrs back has a bearing on this announcement, an accident that left him in bed for a month leaving ample time to contemplate his life, one he miraculously escaped with only a titanium rod fitted in his left forearm. A diploma in arts, a baking apprentice, Lorenzo pursues a physiotherapy course and attends catechism classes upon recovery. His trips to Praglia Abbey, a 1000 yr old Benedectine monastery near Padua, cement his decision to become a monk vowing to lead a life of prayers, labour and silence.
As we read this 300 pgs novel, we realise Lorenzo’s past always dictated his present, he never bothered about his future until it became his present, that when he made his mind to move, nothing could make him stay. So after 10 years in Praglia, when he meets Luca, he joins him and heads to a monastery, a dependent subsidiary of Praglia, in faraway Khulna, Bangladesh. From Aquilinia in Italy to Bangladesh, where languages, culture, culinary preferences, even air and water differed, Lorenzo switches roles from a monk to missionary who uses his art skills to paint a chapel and physiotherapy knowledge to heal people. He even renounces monkhood and becomes a family man eventually, all at a time he deems fit, considering everything around him ‘sacred’.
As we sail through this fictional biography, what grabs attention is the sophistication in writing, it’s amazing; the research into making the novel impressive and the attention to detail, immaculate !! Undoubtedly, hard work for the author & harder one for the reader for it’s the detailing that slows down reading menacingly. If one took notes while reading, a thesis dissertation on theology would be ready at the book’s end. As we cross continents & cultures, travel in time from 1977 to 2000, a lot of world history unfolds, scaffolding Lorenzo’s journey ‘inward’. And this journey definitely isn’t easy on readers, but a satisfying one after all the patience & perseverance it demands from us.
April 6, 2025
Upamanyu Chatterjee burst on the literary scene with his English, August: An Indian Story in 1988. Agastya Sen, the protagonist, is an IAS officer from an English speaking privileged background who lands up in a mostly rural district and has to get used to dealing with people with a totally different background. In the present book the protagonist Lorenzo is an Italian with strong religious leanings who becomes a monk in the face of his family's opposition. Later he joins a branch of the Italian abbey in Khulna, Bangladesh and has to deal with the culture shock.
The culture shock that Lorenzo faces is bigger than what Agastya Sen faced, but he responds to it with greater empathy. Agastya has the typical upper class cynical attitude towards the masses and notes the peculiarities of their behaviour with a supercilious amusement. Lorenzo also finds many thing unsettling and unintentionally humorous, but he is keen to relate and succeeds.
Both protagonists are based on real people: Agastya Sen is Upamanyu himself. Lorenzo is based on Upamanyu's friend Fabrioso Senesi, as acknowledged by the author at the beginning of the book.
It is a relief to read a book by Upamanyu that is not laced with cynicism. However, he has gone to the other extreme in this book. Everything is perfect. The abbey at Praglia, where Lorenzo spends his initial years as a novice and then a monk, follows the rule of St Benedict perfectly. There are no monks indulging in practices frowned upon by the church. Everyone seems to be perfectly content doing what is expected. Same when the scene shifts to Bangladesh. The Italian members of the mission tolerate the heat and squalor stoically and dedicate themselves to doing good an spreading the God's word. The locals worship them for their dedication and respond positively.
Unlike the other books of the author, this one in not a difficult read. It is, in fact, quite engrossing. I read the last hundred pages at one sitting. The characters of the book came alive for me and stayed with me for a long time after I had finished the book.
The culture shock that Lorenzo faces is bigger than what Agastya Sen faced, but he responds to it with greater empathy. Agastya has the typical upper class cynical attitude towards the masses and notes the peculiarities of their behaviour with a supercilious amusement. Lorenzo also finds many thing unsettling and unintentionally humorous, but he is keen to relate and succeeds.
Both protagonists are based on real people: Agastya Sen is Upamanyu himself. Lorenzo is based on Upamanyu's friend Fabrioso Senesi, as acknowledged by the author at the beginning of the book.
It is a relief to read a book by Upamanyu that is not laced with cynicism. However, he has gone to the other extreme in this book. Everything is perfect. The abbey at Praglia, where Lorenzo spends his initial years as a novice and then a monk, follows the rule of St Benedict perfectly. There are no monks indulging in practices frowned upon by the church. Everyone seems to be perfectly content doing what is expected. Same when the scene shifts to Bangladesh. The Italian members of the mission tolerate the heat and squalor stoically and dedicate themselves to doing good an spreading the God's word. The locals worship them for their dedication and respond positively.
Unlike the other books of the author, this one in not a difficult read. It is, in fact, quite engrossing. I read the last hundred pages at one sitting. The characters of the book came alive for me and stayed with me for a long time after I had finished the book.
July 15, 2025
He's done it, finally! Took him 26 years to write a worthy successor to English, August, but he's done it. EA was so important to me (and a lot of my generation) that I have read pretty much everything he put out thereafter in the hope of seeing even a flash of the same smarts and insightfulness he showed then, but I was always let down. Hence my thrill, which might be making me a little generous with my commendation, but it's a very worthwhile read irrespective.
The book follows the arc of Lorenzo's life over a couple of decades and through various phases, with the bulk being devoted to his monastic period (but this is not a book about religion) across Italy and Bangladesh. Lorenzo's characted is detailed both very specifically, in that it is reflective of his time and place (s), and generally, in that it could be pretty much anybody in any place and at any point in time. This makes it really easy to both view him objectively as well as to relate to him. You see Lorenzo - as he goes about his praying, painting, laundry, but you're also in his head, thinking about God, society, and the self, and how he should balance them.
There's a really calm quality about the writing, befitting the story. Religion is the binding element but it's never overbearing; the Italian passion is kept in check, as is the subcontinent's chaos. Everything feels a little soft and gentle, like you were reading it through a filter that takes off all the edges.
This is a warm, lovely read. Pick it up whatever mood you are in and it should work.
The book follows the arc of Lorenzo's life over a couple of decades and through various phases, with the bulk being devoted to his monastic period (but this is not a book about religion) across Italy and Bangladesh. Lorenzo's characted is detailed both very specifically, in that it is reflective of his time and place (s), and generally, in that it could be pretty much anybody in any place and at any point in time. This makes it really easy to both view him objectively as well as to relate to him. You see Lorenzo - as he goes about his praying, painting, laundry, but you're also in his head, thinking about God, society, and the self, and how he should balance them.
There's a really calm quality about the writing, befitting the story. Religion is the binding element but it's never overbearing; the Italian passion is kept in check, as is the subcontinent's chaos. Everything feels a little soft and gentle, like you were reading it through a filter that takes off all the edges.
This is a warm, lovely read. Pick it up whatever mood you are in and it should work.
November 9, 2024
"A study of the majesty and banality of the spiritual path."
This book is based on the author, Upamanyu Chatterjee's friend, Fabrizio Senesi's life.
A post accident recovery period, spurs 21 year Lorenzo to ponder over the meaning of life and it's purpose. This existential quest leads him to join the Benedictine monks in Tieste, Italy. Adopting monastic life to the despair of his family, Lorenzo is unwavering in his resolve to embrace brotherhood, the pursuit of God to the exclusion of everything else.
Arguably the best part of the book, the author is in his element describing life in the monastery. The routine, skills, discipline, study, environs come alive, akin to a painting taking shape.
Lorenzo, inspired to expand his experience, moves to London and then to Khulna in Bangladesh to serve in a dependant monastery. Life comes full circle for him as he succeeds in defining to himself, what service implies and encompasses.
On quests, specifics are guaranteed non deliverables. They are missions of faith and demand surrender. The advice to Lorenzo is a life lesson.
"May you find what you are searching for. Or that what you're searching for is not what you want. Or that, it might not be where you expect it to be. Attune yourself, Lorenzo, to hear that voice in the most unexpected places. Sometimes that is more than enough."
This book is based on the author, Upamanyu Chatterjee's friend, Fabrizio Senesi's life.
A post accident recovery period, spurs 21 year Lorenzo to ponder over the meaning of life and it's purpose. This existential quest leads him to join the Benedictine monks in Tieste, Italy. Adopting monastic life to the despair of his family, Lorenzo is unwavering in his resolve to embrace brotherhood, the pursuit of God to the exclusion of everything else.
Arguably the best part of the book, the author is in his element describing life in the monastery. The routine, skills, discipline, study, environs come alive, akin to a painting taking shape.
Lorenzo, inspired to expand his experience, moves to London and then to Khulna in Bangladesh to serve in a dependant monastery. Life comes full circle for him as he succeeds in defining to himself, what service implies and encompasses.
On quests, specifics are guaranteed non deliverables. They are missions of faith and demand surrender. The advice to Lorenzo is a life lesson.
"May you find what you are searching for. Or that what you're searching for is not what you want. Or that, it might not be where you expect it to be. Attune yourself, Lorenzo, to hear that voice in the most unexpected places. Sometimes that is more than enough."
March 16, 2025
Lorenzo, an Italian citizen has decided that he wants to seek God and has decided to join a monastery. His journey in searching for the meaning of life leads him to Bangladesh at some point in his life. That’s all I will say about the story
What I loved:
1. I had no clue what practically happens when one decides to join the church. There is a chapter when Lorenzo’s family is saying good bye to him when he makes this decision and I had never ever thought about how it would be for the family remaining behind
2. The book is split between Italy and Bangladesh, I got to see both these countries from Lorenzo’s perspective. Amazing and new
3. The author does such a fantastic job of moving time using real life actual events, I felt like I was watching a movie
If the last 75 pages had been doubled, I would have put this book in the top 10 books of 2025. I mean it’s good, but at the same time a sudden turn in the story (no spoilers) is wanting me to stretch out the book. I wish the author had given it more pages and whatever followed after that. Regardless, highly readable and highly recommend !
What I loved:
1. I had no clue what practically happens when one decides to join the church. There is a chapter when Lorenzo’s family is saying good bye to him when he makes this decision and I had never ever thought about how it would be for the family remaining behind
2. The book is split between Italy and Bangladesh, I got to see both these countries from Lorenzo’s perspective. Amazing and new
3. The author does such a fantastic job of moving time using real life actual events, I felt like I was watching a movie
If the last 75 pages had been doubled, I would have put this book in the top 10 books of 2025. I mean it’s good, but at the same time a sudden turn in the story (no spoilers) is wanting me to stretch out the book. I wish the author had given it more pages and whatever followed after that. Regardless, highly readable and highly recommend !
January 30, 2025
I have quite enjoyed Upamanyu Chatterjee's previous works, and I was really looking forward to reading this one and maybe that is why my disappointment is multiplied.
The story is revolves around Lorenzo Sensei og Aquilina, Italy and his quest for meaning in his life.The author says in his opening note, “This is a true story. That is to say, like many true stories, it is a work of fiction. It is based, though, on the life of Fabrizio Senesi, a good friend of mine.”
We see his journey from Italy to Bangladesh and how he becomes a Benedictine priest to follow his quest and Chatterjee writes in great, and almost boringly laborious detail, about his life in Italy. The second half of the book in Bangladesh feels rushed and underwritten.
The common thing is that the writing is beautiful but it is neither moving or introspective because it's more about Lorenzo's surroundings and less about his inner journey which would have been a whirlwind of emotions, especially considering the trajectory his life takes.
Overall, a tale weighed down by its own presumptuousness.
The story is revolves around Lorenzo Sensei og Aquilina, Italy and his quest for meaning in his life.The author says in his opening note, “This is a true story. That is to say, like many true stories, it is a work of fiction. It is based, though, on the life of Fabrizio Senesi, a good friend of mine.”
We see his journey from Italy to Bangladesh and how he becomes a Benedictine priest to follow his quest and Chatterjee writes in great, and almost boringly laborious detail, about his life in Italy. The second half of the book in Bangladesh feels rushed and underwritten.
The common thing is that the writing is beautiful but it is neither moving or introspective because it's more about Lorenzo's surroundings and less about his inner journey which would have been a whirlwind of emotions, especially considering the trajectory his life takes.
Overall, a tale weighed down by its own presumptuousness.
June 30, 2025
This book sneaks up on you from a slow crawl to a sprint. We start the story with a 20-year-old Lorenzo in a quaint Italian town who is unsure of what lies ahead for him. But he finds his calling in the rhythm of prayer and simplicity through a church group. The descriptions of his serene life and surroundings, combined with his devotion to his service, made me consider abandoning my modern existence to join him in that sun-dappled cloister.
When Lorenzo's journey catapults him from his peaceful sanctuary to the vibrant chaos of Bangladesh, the book transforms along with him. He lives, learns, and meditates on what life was, is, and can be. His wish to be useful and find purpose and meaning in his life is what drives him from one project to another.
The book also highlights the difference between seeking religion for one’s own peace and seeking it to help others. It might feel like a slow read, but it is a good journey.
When Lorenzo's journey catapults him from his peaceful sanctuary to the vibrant chaos of Bangladesh, the book transforms along with him. He lives, learns, and meditates on what life was, is, and can be. His wish to be useful and find purpose and meaning in his life is what drives him from one project to another.
The book also highlights the difference between seeking religion for one’s own peace and seeking it to help others. It might feel like a slow read, but it is a good journey.
September 28, 2025
It's been awhile since I picked up a book by the author after English, August. Lorenzo's tale varies wildly from the former setting, the writing style remains in the similar vein, with the evolution the passage of time wrings.
A window into the Italian countryside, monasteries and ascetism. And the journey of a young man from seeking God within to in a community. The plot counterposes the spiritual journey and along the way the reader may have questions of their own.
I did feel the conclusion seemed hurried, Lacking the foundations for his decisions but Lorenzo had made decisions all along on a whim or an unexplained intuition.
An okay read made terrific only by the writing.
A window into the Italian countryside, monasteries and ascetism. And the journey of a young man from seeking God within to in a community. The plot counterposes the spiritual journey and along the way the reader may have questions of their own.
I did feel the conclusion seemed hurried, Lacking the foundations for his decisions but Lorenzo had made decisions all along on a whim or an unexplained intuition.
An okay read made terrific only by the writing.
August 21, 2025
I don't have much to say here. The "novel" is easily one of the best written works I have read recently. The construction of the sentences, the phrasing, the structure and tenor of dialogues, the gentle touches of humour and sarcasm--all underline a well-known truth, the fact that Chatterjee is a wonderful writer.
October 26, 2024
What a beautiful serene vacation this was!
Everytime I opened the book (or clicked open my Kindle) , it felt like a doorway to a Vipassana institution.
No strong emotions, no thrills and as everyday life as one can get, with choices at critical junctures changing the direction of the flight each time. An extraordinary story of an ordinary man.
Melatonin for your soul.
Everytime I opened the book (or clicked open my Kindle) , it felt like a doorway to a Vipassana institution.
No strong emotions, no thrills and as everyday life as one can get, with choices at critical junctures changing the direction of the flight each time. An extraordinary story of an ordinary man.
Melatonin for your soul.
November 19, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews