The captivating and spiritually illuminating tales of the Holy Man continue in Susan Trott's wise and witty follow-up to her national bestseller. In The Holy Man's Journey, the beloved man on the mountain undertakes a pilgrimage of his own to find his old teacher. Accompanying him is his student successor, Anna, who learns life lessons along the way. Intimate and revealing, this is a tale of friendship and love that shows the human side of the holy man while never ceasing to instruct and enlighten the reader.
I listened to this audible book which is not an exact replica of this written book. But it follows along the same lines.
A man somehow gets a reputation as a holy man and people come to see him and he attracts a small group of supporters who live alongside him. As he grows older he selects a person to replace him when he dies.
There is a certain amount of fantasy and miracle to this story. I listen to it because it was a free offering from Audible and it was relatively short. I am not attracted to the concept of holy people and did not find this story especially intriguing or motivating.
Vermakelijke tijdschriftfilosofie, maar helaas niet meer dan dat. Het tegenvallende niveau zou ook te wijten kunnen zijn aan de naar mijn idee zwakke Nederlandse vertaling.
This time we follow Joe along for a final visit with his former teacher. Alongside him, the Holy Man brings his reluctant, but soon to be, successor, Anna.
It's more of the same, from the previous book, which isn't to say it is unnecessary or lackluster. It's satisfying to spend more time with Joe, and to have more tries at seeing the ways in which each of us gets stuck in our "ego," trapped in samsara. I still recommend this book for the same reasons as the first. It's very accessible, warm, and provides a gentle reminder that "each of us is holy."
Trott presents Buddhist wisdom as wisdom, without making the characters into Buddhists. Her use of Buddhist wisdom is subtle; one not educated in it would not be aware of its presence. She never refers to anything as Buddhist, the life-philosophy is interwoven into the storyline and always in the background (cf. Buddhism's 'three poisons').
The book and Holy Man share a like trait - being holy as living wisely, not holy as being of a religion or morally superior to others. After the common, delusional image of "holy beings" as elitist and infallible, it is good to read of a Holy Man and Holy Woman, his successor, in an unpretentious, realistically-human manner.
Although at times the pacing lagged, I enjoyed this book because it gave me a chance to think about the spiritual issues I've been considering recently. Refreshingly, it was a work of fiction with a parable feel. Each story concerning the Holy Man was a chance to see how values like awareness and compassion can fit into our daily lives.
Also, FYI, it's the perfect length book on tape for a roudntrip drive from Reno to Sacramento, with a stop at the In 'N Out in Auburn, of course.
Primero con "El Santo" y ahora con esta preciosa novela, Susan Trott nos lleva por un viaje apacible y nutritivo a través del género de la Fábula Moral (creado por ella). A través de este género, la autora nos transmite un mensaje universal, no importa la religión que profeses o si no profesas ninguna, si tienes la mente y corazón abiertos a la escucha y aprendizaje, este libro te hará sentir renovado.
En esta novela, Joe (el Santo) emprende un viaje para visitar a quien fue su maestro, pero durante el viaje entregará importantes enseñanzas a su discípula y por supuesto al lector (a)
Ahora, resulta muy complejo leer esta novela sin leer "El Santo" antes, ambas novelas bailan una danza armoniosa que te transporta al entendimiento de un todo. Ambas son livianas de leer pero abundantes en enseñanzas, y las recomiendo a todo tipo de lector
Avevo grandi aspettative per questo libro e sono state tutte deluse. Mi è stato presentato come uno scrigno di saggezza invece quello che ho trovato è stata una brutta copia del " L' alchimista " di Coelho e del " Profeta " di Gibran. Un racconto pieno di luoghi comuni, ovvietà e filosofia spicciola spacciata per profonda saggezza. Unica nota positiva è che si legge in fretta e la sofferenza almeno è durata poco.
Unlike the first book, which was a short simple parable, this one tried to develop the characters more, and tell a more complex story. It was quite a bit longer, and came off as preachy and tiresome. I think less is more when it comes to inspirational fiction!
Better for me than the first book! The holy man takes a pilgrimage with the woman who will succeed him and teaches her as they encounter dangers and challenges (opportunities?) together. Full of parable-style significance and wisdom, hope, and heart-warming friendship.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Holy Man's Journey. Susan Trott continues to offer paradigm shifting views of our world and guidance of how we can act within it. I will be reading more of her words.
The first in the series, the Holy Man was a collection of sweet parables, sort of like Aesop's Chicken Soup for the Soul. The Holy Man's Journey takes Joe and Anna away from the mountain to find Joe's teacher, Chen, who has built a cult to shut out aging and death. Anna faces pressure from her husband to leave the mountain, to go back to Ireland and her life as a housewife. The second in the series seemed heavy-handed and not as polished as the first.
Wow! I thought "The Holy Man" was great, but this second book in the series really puts the finishing touches on the lessons presented in both books. Another MUST read! I'll warn you, though, if you loan these two books out, it is tough to get them back--people want to re-read them over and over again (as did I).
Awesome little book that I will re-read as it is gentle and it's wisdom and truth profound. It has had a great significance in my life when I have chosen to see it's message and truly informed me. This is in my top 20 for sure as is the Holy Man
A recommended chapter-a-day, devotional kind of book. Both the Holy Man and it's counterpart, The Holy Man's Journey are short but thought inspiring. They will likely cause the conscientious person to look closely at her/himself, and possibly to adjust their world-view.
What a disappointment after The Holy Man. Did her publisher press her to do this? Did she have an outstanding mortgage payment due? Just not up to her standards.