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The Ethiopian Tattoo Shop
This collection of twenty-two challenging and intriguing parable-stories will take you on an adventure journey into the timeless realm of truth, self-discovery and growth. Parables are stories with numerous meanings-two, four, or many more. Once again Edward Hays unlocks a treasury of original parable-stories as traveling companions for those on the spiritual quest. Parables are unique because they are stories with silent spaces, using imaginative symbols to lead us toward answers to the great questions that surround our journey through everyday. Each parable holds hidden insights that point the way to happiness and happily to the Way. Open the cover and enter the magical world of the story through the door of the Ethiopian Tattoo Shop. Each story is accompanied by a brief interpretation, a key provided by the author which serves as a starting point for your own explorations. Intricately illustrated with a blend of Ethiopian and other ancient art, this book brings together a remarkable blend of beauty and insight.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1983
7 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 2, 2014
The Ethiopian Tattoo Shop is a collection of short stories told by author Edward Hays. The book's introduction is about a man traveling in Ethiopia who enters a tattoo shop. The tattoo artist tells the man a series of stories, the stories told in the book, as a way to numb the pain of getting a tattoo. The short stories all give a unique view of religion and a new way of looking at the world. My favorite stories were "The Magic Folger's Coffee Can", "The Mountain", "The Alien", "The Board Meeting", "The Medicine Man", "The Revolutionary", and "The Judgment Day". Overall, this was a great story collection.
April 9, 2020
Favorite is "The Board Room"
Easy reading to pick up and put down in a busy life. I bought the book at a monastery that is now ~10 years gone. I started it years ago and it got buried in the "to be read" pile. Cleaning out bookshelves during the corona virus days, I came across the book again. I'm happy to say I'm glad this one was in the keep pile
Easy reading to pick up and put down in a busy life. I bought the book at a monastery that is now ~10 years gone. I started it years ago and it got buried in the "to be read" pile. Cleaning out bookshelves during the corona virus days, I came across the book again. I'm happy to say I'm glad this one was in the keep pile
August 14, 2015
THE ETHIOPIAN TATTOO SHOP
BY EDWARD HAYS
A friend gave me this book, and said "be ready for different." What she didn't say was be ready for wisdom.
This book is no longer in publication, so you will have to find it at a used book store or at a book fair.
I'll tell you this, you must seek this book out. As it says in the bible "Seek and you shall find."
BY EDWARD HAYS
A friend gave me this book, and said "be ready for different." What she didn't say was be ready for wisdom.
This book is no longer in publication, so you will have to find it at a used book store or at a book fair.
I'll tell you this, you must seek this book out. As it says in the bible "Seek and you shall find."
April 16, 2021
The premise is a wonderful setting ... a pilgrim in Jerusalem finds a small Ethiopian tattoo shop in a back street market, frequented by Coptics from The Church of Holy Sepulcher and other pilgrims hoping for a Copic Cross to visualize their faith and devotion. He enters purely out of curiosity and is entranced by the artist, who uses stories (parables) to distract entirely from the pain.
A fine mystique.
Then a few stories in, the mystique fails as the stories all turn to predominantly stories based on American culture.
But that is only the dressing of the collection ... the stories themselves are enlightened and enlightening. Wonderful parables to question ... not your "faith", but any "practice" of religiosity that you may mistake as faith.
Most sin is complacency in just trying to do nothing evil, by doing nothing at all. These stories help reach beyond that and shine a bright (diamond refracting) light in the dark spaces.
A fine mystique.
Then a few stories in, the mystique fails as the stories all turn to predominantly stories based on American culture.
But that is only the dressing of the collection ... the stories themselves are enlightened and enlightening. Wonderful parables to question ... not your "faith", but any "practice" of religiosity that you may mistake as faith.
Most sin is complacency in just trying to do nothing evil, by doing nothing at all. These stories help reach beyond that and shine a bright (diamond refracting) light in the dark spaces.
June 17, 2019
There are some really intriguing stories in here, a few that I will be thinking about for days. While some of the stories were less interesting or powerful than others, there were enough really good ones to justify the time I spent with this one.
June 9, 2021
I don't know how this Collection of parables found its way into my shelves, but I am deeply thankful. Thought provoking, they stay with me. The author died in 2016, I'm going to track down other works by him. I encourage you to do so as well.
June 28, 2018
Very thought provoking and unusual stories. A good way to start the day with a short story to ponder.
January 1, 2022
A favorite of mine from high school times.
January 8, 2012
A precious book of 22 parables - presented as stories told by a tattoo artist in the city if Jerusalem to distract someone getting a tattoo from the pain.
Very engaging.
They nurture anyone on a spiritual quest and belong in that genre.
A keeper for me.
Very engaging.
They nurture anyone on a spiritual quest and belong in that genre.
A keeper for me.
July 6, 2007
I love this book and I am currently re-reading it.
October 3, 2010
Another enjoyable books by Edward Hays. He has a way with parables that just makes them a pleasure to read.
September 4, 2012
An extraordinary teaching tool offering unique insight into faithing and discipleship.
March 20, 2012
An interesting collection of parables can be reread and offer additional insight. There is a feeling of manipulation in some.
July 27, 2013
A great read. Moving stories and parables.
May 12, 2014
great Collection of short stories/fables/ spiritual up-lifting. My NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR
November 15, 2017
I read this with my Grandmother when I was around 8 years old. Reading with her is one of the best memories I have as a small child.
I decided to read this again for a book club. The topic was short stories written by the same author.
I really wish I had let this stay a fond memory from my childhood. I found it extremely heavy handed. And very very poorly constructed.
This was a book of parables. The point of a parable is that you are led by the story to examine things and arrive at your own answers for the takeaway. This wasn't even an example of being spoon fed the answers. It was more like being force fed the same boring oatmeal over and over.
My recommendation would be to skip the book entirely. If you do read it, I can recommend both "The Magic Folgers Coffee Can" and "The New God". They weren't quite as bad as the others. If I were in the right mood and separated from the rest of the collection, they may have been worth significant introspection.
I decided to read this again for a book club. The topic was short stories written by the same author.
I really wish I had let this stay a fond memory from my childhood. I found it extremely heavy handed. And very very poorly constructed.
This was a book of parables. The point of a parable is that you are led by the story to examine things and arrive at your own answers for the takeaway. This wasn't even an example of being spoon fed the answers. It was more like being force fed the same boring oatmeal over and over.
My recommendation would be to skip the book entirely. If you do read it, I can recommend both "The Magic Folgers Coffee Can" and "The New God". They weren't quite as bad as the others. If I were in the right mood and separated from the rest of the collection, they may have been worth significant introspection.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews