What do you think?
Rate this book
Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain
When Jack Hitt set out to walk the 500 miles from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, he submitted to the rigorous traditions of Europe's oldest form of packaged tour, a pilgrimage that has been walked by millions in the history of Christendom.
Off the Road is an unforgettable exploration of the sites that people believe God once touched: the strange fortress said to contain the real secret Adam learned when he bit into the apple; the sites associated with the murderous monks known as the Knights Templar; and the places housing relics ranging from a vial of the Virgin Mary's milk to a sheet of Saint Bartholomew's skin.
Along the way, Jack Hitt finds himself persevering by day and bunking down by night with an unlikely and colorful cast of fellow pilgrims -- a Flemish film crew, a drunken gypsy, a draconian Belgian air force officer, a man who speaks no languages, a one-legged pilgrim, and a Welsh family with a mule.
In the day-to-day grind of walking under a hot Spanish sun, Jack Hitt and his cohorts not only find occasional good meals and dry shelter but they also stumble upon some fresh ideas about old-time zealotry and modern belief. Off the Road is an engaging and witty travel memoir of an offbeat journey through history that turns into a provocative rethinking of the past.
Off the Road is an unforgettable exploration of the sites that people believe God once touched: the strange fortress said to contain the real secret Adam learned when he bit into the apple; the sites associated with the murderous monks known as the Knights Templar; and the places housing relics ranging from a vial of the Virgin Mary's milk to a sheet of Saint Bartholomew's skin.
Along the way, Jack Hitt finds himself persevering by day and bunking down by night with an unlikely and colorful cast of fellow pilgrims -- a Flemish film crew, a drunken gypsy, a draconian Belgian air force officer, a man who speaks no languages, a one-legged pilgrim, and a Welsh family with a mule.
In the day-to-day grind of walking under a hot Spanish sun, Jack Hitt and his cohorts not only find occasional good meals and dry shelter but they also stumble upon some fresh ideas about old-time zealotry and modern belief. Off the Road is an engaging and witty travel memoir of an offbeat journey through history that turns into a provocative rethinking of the past.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 1994
83 people are currently reading
1678 people want to read
About the author
Jack Hitt
19 books21 followersHitt was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, where he attended the Porter-Gaud School. He got his start in journalism as editor of the "Paper Clip," the literary magazine of Porter-Gaud's first through fifth grades. According to his biography, he published "some of the finest haiku penned by well-off pre-teens in all of South Carolina's lowcountry".
Since 1996, Hitt has also been a contributing editor to This American Life. He contributed a story about a production of Peter Pan in an episode entitled “Fiasco”. Other pieces include his life growing up with one of the earliest transgendered women (“Dawn”), an hour long program on a group of prisoners in a maximum security prison putting on a production of Hamlet (“Act V”, #218), a segment on voter fraud in the 2008 American Presidential election ("Cold-cock The Vote.", #276), another episode about his life in a New York apartment building in which his superintendent turned out to be the head of a death squad in Brazil (“The Super”, #323) and more recently a segment on the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay called “Habeas Schmabeas” (#331) This last program earned him the Peabody Award in 2007.
Since 2007, Hitt has been one of two regular US correspondents on Nine to Noon, hosted by Kathryn Ryan on Radio New Zealand National. Jack is currently performing in a one man show he wrote called "Making Up The Truth" about his childhood and the outlandish characters he's met in his life.[3]
Was also a consultant in the movie "Hackers" regarding techniques of cyber crime of that day and age.
Since 1996, Hitt has also been a contributing editor to This American Life. He contributed a story about a production of Peter Pan in an episode entitled “Fiasco”. Other pieces include his life growing up with one of the earliest transgendered women (“Dawn”), an hour long program on a group of prisoners in a maximum security prison putting on a production of Hamlet (“Act V”, #218), a segment on voter fraud in the 2008 American Presidential election ("Cold-cock The Vote.", #276), another episode about his life in a New York apartment building in which his superintendent turned out to be the head of a death squad in Brazil (“The Super”, #323) and more recently a segment on the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay called “Habeas Schmabeas” (#331) This last program earned him the Peabody Award in 2007.
Since 2007, Hitt has been one of two regular US correspondents on Nine to Noon, hosted by Kathryn Ryan on Radio New Zealand National. Jack is currently performing in a one man show he wrote called "Making Up The Truth" about his childhood and the outlandish characters he's met in his life.[3]
Was also a consultant in the movie "Hackers" regarding techniques of cyber crime of that day and age.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
August 2, 2024
The reasons for making a Camino, a long pilgrim's trek through Spain to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, NW Spain are as varied as the approaches to walking or the patterns of interaction with other peregrinos en route.
Jack Hitt's 1994 book, Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain represents a quirky, irreverent & episodic description of his walk from the border of France to Santiago at the age of 35, for "no reason in particular". Given the book's title, I naturally thought that it bore some witness to Jack Kerouac's On the Road, a madcap, boozy & bawdy car-journey across America.
When asked at the certification station at journey's end after showing his "pilgrim's passport" whether his pilgrimage was prompted by a religious, cultural or historical goal, he suggests "none of the above", which is disallowed. Later, he confesses that he could not recall which box he had checked in order to gain his certificate.
Having made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, I found much of this book steeped in what has been called a "waspish mockery" of the 1,000 year tradition, a seemingly obnoxious quality, at least for those many folks who view the journey more seriously. But then, sorting through the individual motivation of each pilgrim one encounters along the various pathways to the great cathedral in Santiago is definitely a fundamental part of the pilgrim experience.
Hitt's pilgrimage tale is quite interesting in its coverage of the historical vantage points of the pilgrimage tradition but it delves into lengthy forays on the concept of miracles, papal indulgences, the Song of Roland & especially the once-beloved Knights Templar and their eventual persecution & bloody elimination by opposing factions within the Catholic Church.
What is on short display are descriptions of scenic panoramas of mountains and farmers afield in small towns. And, there is little mention of the history, architecture & functioning of the many churches pilgrims intersect with, some still run by monastic communities that assist pilgrims, places usually of interest to most who walk across Spain, regardless of their religious stance, or lack of one. Whether Romanesque, Gothic or Baroque, the author merely suggests that Spain is "littered with churches".
Early on, we are told by Jack Hitt that:
However, to put it mildly, historical details serve but a very minor role for most who make a Camino, a pilgrimage within Spain. The fellow pilgrims one meets & befriends while walking are an essential part of a Spanish pilgrimage, particularly for more secular pilgrims. And, one of the consistent topics of discussion is often what constitutes an "authentic pilgrim", while being dismissive of all others.
The author falls in with a contentious, roistering, heavy-drinking group that include: a Welsh family; a Spanish banker named Javier; Willem, a Dutch Air Force officer; an old Dutch couple; Louis, a Frenchman who has made 11 pilgrimages; as well as the cast of a Flemish film + an often abused mule called Ultreia (meaning "farther" in Spanish), enlisted to carry their packs. A more fractious & discordant pilgrim family would be hard to imagine.
In the end, the author's quest ceases to be completely agnostic, even if he is not transformed by the effort of walking 500 miles amidst all kinds of dusty roads, inclement weather, often not know whether there will be an available bunk-bed & a pilgrim dinner at day's end. There is a sense of an important life-mission accomplished, this as the group reaches the ancient cathedral at Santiago de Compostela and then begins to splinter, heading off into many directions, likely never to meet again.
For Jack Hitt, examining the sculpted figures at the cathedral, carved centuries ago by a Master Mateo, the pilgrimage became at the very least mildly transitional if not transformative. Regarding a feeling of any hope for the future:
If you have not made or even considered making a Camino, a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in NW Spain, it is hereby recommended, for it is an experience unlike any other.
*Within my review are images of: the author, Jack Hitt; a "pilgrim passport" documenting stops en route to the cathedral at Santiago; small chapel en route to Santiago de Compostela; yellow arrows guiding pilgrims along the way; journey's end for pilgrims, with the great medieval cathedral in the background.
Jack Hitt's 1994 book, Off the Road: A Modern-Day Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain represents a quirky, irreverent & episodic description of his walk from the border of France to Santiago at the age of 35, for "no reason in particular". Given the book's title, I naturally thought that it bore some witness to Jack Kerouac's On the Road, a madcap, boozy & bawdy car-journey across America.
When asked at the certification station at journey's end after showing his "pilgrim's passport" whether his pilgrimage was prompted by a religious, cultural or historical goal, he suggests "none of the above", which is disallowed. Later, he confesses that he could not recall which box he had checked in order to gain his certificate.
Having made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, I found much of this book steeped in what has been called a "waspish mockery" of the 1,000 year tradition, a seemingly obnoxious quality, at least for those many folks who view the journey more seriously. But then, sorting through the individual motivation of each pilgrim one encounters along the various pathways to the great cathedral in Santiago is definitely a fundamental part of the pilgrim experience.
Hitt's pilgrimage tale is quite interesting in its coverage of the historical vantage points of the pilgrimage tradition but it delves into lengthy forays on the concept of miracles, papal indulgences, the Song of Roland & especially the once-beloved Knights Templar and their eventual persecution & bloody elimination by opposing factions within the Catholic Church.
What is on short display are descriptions of scenic panoramas of mountains and farmers afield in small towns. And, there is little mention of the history, architecture & functioning of the many churches pilgrims intersect with, some still run by monastic communities that assist pilgrims, places usually of interest to most who walk across Spain, regardless of their religious stance, or lack of one. Whether Romanesque, Gothic or Baroque, the author merely suggests that Spain is "littered with churches".
Early on, we are told by Jack Hitt that:
Like many my age, I effortlessly cast off the religion of my parents, like a pair of worn trousers sometime around college in the 1970s & this was done with the casual arrogance & glibness famous at that time.The reader is told after being beheaded in Jerusalem following an attempt to convert the Spanish, James was miraculously borne to the coast of Spain, then heroically transformed from Christ's disciple, called a "clumsy yes man" by the author, to the exalted Santiago Matamoros, or "St. James the Moor-slayer", responsible for killing 60,000 Muslims in a single afternoon in the year 845. Alas, most if not all religions are burdened with metaphors & myths they would rather not admit to.
However, to put it mildly, historical details serve but a very minor role for most who make a Camino, a pilgrimage within Spain. The fellow pilgrims one meets & befriends while walking are an essential part of a Spanish pilgrimage, particularly for more secular pilgrims. And, one of the consistent topics of discussion is often what constitutes an "authentic pilgrim", while being dismissive of all others.
The author falls in with a contentious, roistering, heavy-drinking group that include: a Welsh family; a Spanish banker named Javier; Willem, a Dutch Air Force officer; an old Dutch couple; Louis, a Frenchman who has made 11 pilgrimages; as well as the cast of a Flemish film + an often abused mule called Ultreia (meaning "farther" in Spanish), enlisted to carry their packs. A more fractious & discordant pilgrim family would be hard to imagine.
In the end, the author's quest ceases to be completely agnostic, even if he is not transformed by the effort of walking 500 miles amidst all kinds of dusty roads, inclement weather, often not know whether there will be an available bunk-bed & a pilgrim dinner at day's end. There is a sense of an important life-mission accomplished, this as the group reaches the ancient cathedral at Santiago de Compostela and then begins to splinter, heading off into many directions, likely never to meet again.
For Jack Hitt, examining the sculpted figures at the cathedral, carved centuries ago by a Master Mateo, the pilgrimage became at the very least mildly transitional if not transformative. Regarding a feeling of any hope for the future:
For a long time God was our belief & we furiously confirmed his existence. On every mile of this road, the proofs still stand, although sustained now by government funding. A thousand years ago, from this belief, the pilgrimage emerged as a journey to truth. What one finds on the road may not be what God wrought but it is what man wrought, and for a time, it was the best we could do.And so, having shaved, bathed, donned some new clothes, the pilgrim takes his place in line within the cathedral dedicated to Saint James. And as pilgrims have done since the 1170s, he places his hand into the well-worn stone near the reliquary of St. James & says a prayer.
If you have not made or even considered making a Camino, a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in NW Spain, it is hereby recommended, for it is an experience unlike any other.
*Within my review are images of: the author, Jack Hitt; a "pilgrim passport" documenting stops en route to the cathedral at Santiago; small chapel en route to Santiago de Compostela; yellow arrows guiding pilgrims along the way; journey's end for pilgrims, with the great medieval cathedral in the background.
December 15, 2016
This is my third account I've read on the pilgrimage but so far this is one of the best narratives I've read on the personal journey walking the Camino de Santiago. The novel is rich with history and background information, giving me much more insight into the story of Roland, and Basques, that region in Spain, and (new for me, as my other readings hadn't discussed this much) the Knights Templar.
When he's not delving into the history of the region, the author is entertaining his readers with his own hilarious episodes along the trail, as any 500+ mile journey can be assured to have. Many laugh out loud anecdotes, human experiences that made you feel you were there with the author and every experience was okay to have. I was especially interested in the author's perspective on what he calls his Homeric catalog, listing out the types of pilgrims during a debate with others on what type of pilgrim is "better."
Again, what I found refreshing about this novel was the author's honesty in his reasons behind making the pilgrimage: simply, he didn't quite know himself. Religious, cultural, historical, health? Didn't know... And that was okay for me. As someone considering doing the Camino, without being able to explain exactly why, it is a refreshing reminder that the desire to do it can be simply the reason in and of itself.
I walked the Camino with this author and was a bit sad when I had to turn the final page.
As an aside, after finishing this book I watched the movie The Way with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. As I watched the movie I thought how familiar some of the situations were to the book; I had NO IDEA there was the connection. It made me appreciate the movie that much more, so I suggest reading the book first then watching the film. Beautifully and brilliantly done.
When he's not delving into the history of the region, the author is entertaining his readers with his own hilarious episodes along the trail, as any 500+ mile journey can be assured to have. Many laugh out loud anecdotes, human experiences that made you feel you were there with the author and every experience was okay to have. I was especially interested in the author's perspective on what he calls his Homeric catalog, listing out the types of pilgrims during a debate with others on what type of pilgrim is "better."
Again, what I found refreshing about this novel was the author's honesty in his reasons behind making the pilgrimage: simply, he didn't quite know himself. Religious, cultural, historical, health? Didn't know... And that was okay for me. As someone considering doing the Camino, without being able to explain exactly why, it is a refreshing reminder that the desire to do it can be simply the reason in and of itself.
I walked the Camino with this author and was a bit sad when I had to turn the final page.
As an aside, after finishing this book I watched the movie The Way with Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. As I watched the movie I thought how familiar some of the situations were to the book; I had NO IDEA there was the connection. It made me appreciate the movie that much more, so I suggest reading the book first then watching the film. Beautifully and brilliantly done.
July 13, 2011
UGH. This is one of those books that I forced myself to finish so I could truly say I hated it. It gets one star for the genuinely interesting historical interludes, but every other aspect was horrible. I hate to say it, because he did accomplish an incredible physical/psychological feat, but the problem with this book is Jack Hitt. He is simultaneously one of the most smurfy and condescending writers I have come across. If it had been a straight-forward history I would have loved it; as it is, he comes off as incredibly unlikable and not someone you want to spend 250 pages with.
September 9, 2007
I REALLY want to do this walk, and this book was a great combination of modern day walking challenges and in-depth history about the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the people who built it, the people who walked it 1000 years ago, and the leaders who used the presence of such a holy pilgrimage to their political advantage.
The author was smart, funny, and knowledgeable but down to earth and likeable.
The author was smart, funny, and knowledgeable but down to earth and likeable.
October 1, 2012
A story by a 35 year old writer from NYC who, he says, is starting to have a mid-life crisis. At 35. For somewhat nebulous reasons, he decides to become a pilgrim and walk 600 miles or so of the medieval route across Spain travelled by many over the ages. As he puts it, he was simply "a guy out for some cosmically serious fresh air."
His story of his trek is pretty darn funny, but also pretty darn serious. He talks about the history of the route and the places he visits along the way, his religious beliefs (but it's not a religious book by any means), what a "true pilgrim" is these days, the problems faced along the 600 miles,and his dealings with the eclectic bunch of fellow trekkers he meets. And some mules.
I came across this book after watching "The Way", a movie about a guy who travels almost the same route for reasons different than Hitt's. But, parts of the book were adopted into the movie, and Hitt was sort of one of the charactors in the film.
Definitely worth a read.
His story of his trek is pretty darn funny, but also pretty darn serious. He talks about the history of the route and the places he visits along the way, his religious beliefs (but it's not a religious book by any means), what a "true pilgrim" is these days, the problems faced along the 600 miles,and his dealings with the eclectic bunch of fellow trekkers he meets. And some mules.
I came across this book after watching "The Way", a movie about a guy who travels almost the same route for reasons different than Hitt's. But, parts of the book were adopted into the movie, and Hitt was sort of one of the charactors in the film.
Definitely worth a read.
December 27, 2024
Overall— I loved hearing about Hitt’s pilgrimage. It’s making me excited to go on mine soon. I didn’t think so much about other pilgrims affecting one’s experience until I read this. He seems kinda arrogant in his writing but not so much that I couldn’t enjoy it. I loved the balance of theological, historical, and geographic information along with personal anecdotes, it was great.
His message at the end was basically— it’s about the journey not the destination. Cheesy, but for a pilgrimage seems pretty relevant.
His discussion of what it means to be a true pilgrim was especially interesting and it kept coming up throughout his whole journey. That issue is defiantly one I will be contending with as I get ready to go to Spain for Centreterm and complete only part of the pilgrimage, with most of my things being carried for me.
His message at the end was basically— it’s about the journey not the destination. Cheesy, but for a pilgrimage seems pretty relevant.
His discussion of what it means to be a true pilgrim was especially interesting and it kept coming up throughout his whole journey. That issue is defiantly one I will be contending with as I get ready to go to Spain for Centreterm and complete only part of the pilgrimage, with most of my things being carried for me.
July 6, 2010
I've walked the road to Santiago, so I can say this with absolute authority: the more ridiculous anything you read in this book sounds to you, the more emphatically I must assure you that it is TRUE.
Jesus Jato of Villafranca del Bierzo? As wild as the book reports, and as mystical and wonderful, too. He adjusted my energy, or healed my aura, or did something to make my knee go back to its normal size after it swelled along the road to O Cebrero.
I realize laugh-out-loud funny is quite the cliche, but really, that's what I found myself doing as I read this book.
Jesus Jato of Villafranca del Bierzo? As wild as the book reports, and as mystical and wonderful, too. He adjusted my energy, or healed my aura, or did something to make my knee go back to its normal size after it swelled along the road to O Cebrero.
I realize laugh-out-loud funny is quite the cliche, but really, that's what I found myself doing as I read this book.
May 17, 2014
What separates a realistic memoir about the Camino from a fictional account: how many metaphors one can use to describe the pain in one's feet:
"My feet are damp blocks of pain all day long and all night long, too. I haven't merely a blister or even a lot of blisters. I have constellations of them. They seem to have a life of their own, like cellular automata. Little blister outposts form and send inquiring tunnels to make contact with the others. Recent reconnaissance has scouted the tender flesh between my toes and cinched a few of them in blister bows."
The above quote was my favorite part of the book. Otherwise, this book was just okay. Everything in it, from his tales of his own pilgrimage, to the historical accounts about Christianity, knights templar and other details of the road, was interesting enough to want to read it, but it was not really a page-turner. Also, the author is actually somewhat insufferable, personality-wise. There is a lot of unnecessary contemplation about such topics as the definition of a "true pilgrim" that made me wish I could smack him and tell him to get over himself...
It felt more like a homework assignment. If Goodreads had half stars, I might not have given it the full three.
"My feet are damp blocks of pain all day long and all night long, too. I haven't merely a blister or even a lot of blisters. I have constellations of them. They seem to have a life of their own, like cellular automata. Little blister outposts form and send inquiring tunnels to make contact with the others. Recent reconnaissance has scouted the tender flesh between my toes and cinched a few of them in blister bows."
The above quote was my favorite part of the book. Otherwise, this book was just okay. Everything in it, from his tales of his own pilgrimage, to the historical accounts about Christianity, knights templar and other details of the road, was interesting enough to want to read it, but it was not really a page-turner. Also, the author is actually somewhat insufferable, personality-wise. There is a lot of unnecessary contemplation about such topics as the definition of a "true pilgrim" that made me wish I could smack him and tell him to get over himself...
It felt more like a homework assignment. If Goodreads had half stars, I might not have given it the full three.
July 31, 2014
I really enjoy Jack Hitt's work on This American Life. I am fascinated by his life, his perspective, and his style.
It's rare that I don't finish a book, but I just couldn't engage with this one. This is how I read it: "Hey, I'm kinda bored, and there's this thing I'm mildly interested in doing for reasons I can't exactly articulate. I got a book deal to bankroll it...so here it is. Enjoy."
I realize that this pilgrimage is an extremely old tradition, and perhaps this is an idiosyncratic, post-modern addition to its canon. But as a stand-alone work for someone without a pre-existing interest in the pilgrimage itself, I was supremely bored.
GIVE ME DAWN.
It's rare that I don't finish a book, but I just couldn't engage with this one. This is how I read it: "Hey, I'm kinda bored, and there's this thing I'm mildly interested in doing for reasons I can't exactly articulate. I got a book deal to bankroll it...so here it is. Enjoy."
I realize that this pilgrimage is an extremely old tradition, and perhaps this is an idiosyncratic, post-modern addition to its canon. But as a stand-alone work for someone without a pre-existing interest in the pilgrimage itself, I was supremely bored.
GIVE ME DAWN.
December 28, 2021
As a travelogue this is comparable to the ones Ibn-e-Insha wrote; and this, for me, is compliment enough.
April 27, 2023
I've read a lot of books about the Camino in Spain and this one was just so so. I did like the tie into some of the history from the route and some of the myths surrounding the walk. It just didn't have a great pace and some of the writing about the other walkers was annoying.
So not terrible, but not great either.
So not terrible, but not great either.
May 30, 2017
If you loved the movie "The Way," then read the book that inspired many of its stories within the story.
Written in 1994, "Off the Road..." recounts author Jack Hitt's pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago--a 500-mile or 800 kilometer journey from Saint-Jean Pied de Port in southwestern France, to Santiago de Compostela in the northwest corner of Spain; a pilgrimage that millions of peregrinos have traveled for more than 1,000 years. Not only does Hitt immerse you in the sights along the way, the struggles, the triumphs and the antics of his fellow pilgrims; he complements places of interest with historical yet surprising and sometimes irreverent facts, that at times left me either laughing or in awe of histories of Templars, relics and legends and lore.
Along the way of Saint James, Hitt meets a colorful company of pilgrims from all over Europe who not only share in his quotidian peregrinations but add a lot of humor to the story, some of those moments building on those before until hilarity breaks down even the most deadpan of readers.
But the most profound discovery that he and reader realize at the end of the Camino de Santiago is not about the revelations or epiphanies that one might expect from such a pilgrimage, but an inspiring sense of comradery in the community of new-found friends, each going about their day-to-day grind while contributing to the greater whole of their traveling procession.
Triumph prevails when Hitt and his comrades arrive at Santiago de Compostela cathedral but not without a tear-jerking moment of gratitude and humility. I say no more but of course, I cried. As all good things must come to an end, so too must the travels along the camino and alas, the community of fellow pilgrims that we have all grown to love parts ways, each returning to the life they led or to new roads ahead.
Buen Camino!
Written in 1994, "Off the Road..." recounts author Jack Hitt's pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago--a 500-mile or 800 kilometer journey from Saint-Jean Pied de Port in southwestern France, to Santiago de Compostela in the northwest corner of Spain; a pilgrimage that millions of peregrinos have traveled for more than 1,000 years. Not only does Hitt immerse you in the sights along the way, the struggles, the triumphs and the antics of his fellow pilgrims; he complements places of interest with historical yet surprising and sometimes irreverent facts, that at times left me either laughing or in awe of histories of Templars, relics and legends and lore.
Along the way of Saint James, Hitt meets a colorful company of pilgrims from all over Europe who not only share in his quotidian peregrinations but add a lot of humor to the story, some of those moments building on those before until hilarity breaks down even the most deadpan of readers.
But the most profound discovery that he and reader realize at the end of the Camino de Santiago is not about the revelations or epiphanies that one might expect from such a pilgrimage, but an inspiring sense of comradery in the community of new-found friends, each going about their day-to-day grind while contributing to the greater whole of their traveling procession.
Triumph prevails when Hitt and his comrades arrive at Santiago de Compostela cathedral but not without a tear-jerking moment of gratitude and humility. I say no more but of course, I cried. As all good things must come to an end, so too must the travels along the camino and alas, the community of fellow pilgrims that we have all grown to love parts ways, each returning to the life they led or to new roads ahead.
Buen Camino!
May 16, 2013
Every now & then I finish a book & say to myself, "I needed to read this!" Such is Jack Hitt's wonderful chronicle of his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. The pilgrimage has fascinated me for many years, and I only regret not being able to experience it firsthand while I was in Spain for a couple of weeks in 1998.
Jack Hitt is one of the most descriptive, as well as entertaining, writers I've encountered. It's almost as if you're right there with him & his companions each step on the trail. From start to finish the recurring question is, "What am I doing here?", "What am I supposed to learn from this?" He discovers that the answer lies in the whole complex of travel challenges, weather challenges, & people-relationship challenges that inevitably happen along the way.
I love his conclusion: "Every pilgrim's temptation is the need to encounter a brand new truth, preferably one that's panoramic, cinematic, and ecstatic." What, in fact, one encounters is: "The essentials really, food and shelter - milk and shit! In the midst of all that work, wrangling the details of life stripped down to that essence, some tiny thing appears. It might be a funny line, a moment, a chance encounter, a thought that gives you the power to see yourself as you really are, there in that awkward surreal place...It's the best one can ever expect from all revelatory experiences, whether it's taking hallucinogenic drugs, walking a pilgrimage, or having children. You want instant epiphany? Try war..." And who can doubt that each of our lives is a "pilgrimage"?!
Jack Hitt is one of the most descriptive, as well as entertaining, writers I've encountered. It's almost as if you're right there with him & his companions each step on the trail. From start to finish the recurring question is, "What am I doing here?", "What am I supposed to learn from this?" He discovers that the answer lies in the whole complex of travel challenges, weather challenges, & people-relationship challenges that inevitably happen along the way.
I love his conclusion: "Every pilgrim's temptation is the need to encounter a brand new truth, preferably one that's panoramic, cinematic, and ecstatic." What, in fact, one encounters is: "The essentials really, food and shelter - milk and shit! In the midst of all that work, wrangling the details of life stripped down to that essence, some tiny thing appears. It might be a funny line, a moment, a chance encounter, a thought that gives you the power to see yourself as you really are, there in that awkward surreal place...It's the best one can ever expect from all revelatory experiences, whether it's taking hallucinogenic drugs, walking a pilgrimage, or having children. You want instant epiphany? Try war..." And who can doubt that each of our lives is a "pilgrimage"?!
December 31, 2012
This is the fifth book I've read recently about the Camino. Compared to the others, this is less about the mystical experiences of the author and certainly not a guide book. Rather, it explains the history of the Camino written in an easy flowing style that is part novel and part journal. This is not a "how to" book but more like a "how I did it" and how others have done it over the centuries. I plan on hiking the 500 miles of the Camino, also known as "The Way," next year and found this book a worthwhile read as part of my research and preparation.
Read
July 17, 2017I've had this on my shelf since May 2007 to read. I just found out that this Charleston boy is married to one of my dear friends from high school. They met in NYC. Just goes to show that with regards to Charleston, you can run, but you can't hide...How was I supposed to know that the Lisa the book was dedicated to was my friend????
April 5, 2008
I learned a tremendous amount of sutff from this book, about the Bible, about religion, about history, about languages, about geography, about humanity and more. I highly recommend this book. Jack Hitt is intelligent, witty, earthbound and a fabulous writer.
March 26, 2010
Well-written, though I didn't find it as funny or insightful as others have.
May 18, 2015
Much like the walk itself the book starts slow and lags in places but as a whole a good read whether for the hell of it or as research material etc
September 4, 2017
Interesting book on the Camino. The insights in the last chapter and Afterword pulled the book together.
January 9, 2025
Not the worst read, but not a favorite... In my opinion, rambling and disorganized stream of consciousness in places and skimmed areas of interest where focus would have kept me interested in others.
March 14, 2020
This is probably a 3.5 stars, but goodreads doesn't give you that option. I wasn't sure how to review this book because I found some of it really insightful and some of it really condescending and annoying. Hitt complains a lot about his Camino traveling companions and yet I wonder why he doesn't ditch them. I guess his loyalty to them is admirable, but then why complain about them so much? He goes into long explanations about historical aspects of the Camino, but half the time trashes the spirit behind them. He constantly tells us he isn't religious but then he invokes St. James a great deal. I'm so glad the lady from whom he asked for pots and pans when he feigned belief gave him her pots and pans in St. James' name. Two things I really like which is where any stars come from. 1) his appreciation of the Romanesque on pp. 114-115 of the 2005 edition. He wraps that chapter up with the quote of a choir master, "the Gothic and the Baroque were built for amplification, the Romanesque for harmony."2)his final appreciation of St. James as the pedestrian saint, the one who walks with us, p. 254 in this edition, "James is the man of details, of the road, of gear, of schlepping through." St. James accompanies us on the Camino and in life. (P.S. I loved his characterization of Shirley MacLaine's book on the Camino,"eventually one wishes for nothing so much as the boredom of the road as relief from so many gigantic truths." Nice stab Hitt.
September 6, 2022
I got off on the wrong foot with this book in that I just didn't get the author's motives for going on the Camino in the first place- even though I re-read them. He didn't seem to fully understand them himself either, so I guess that's okay.
As the book progressed however, familiar landmarks appeared: blisters, heat, vertical climbs with backpacks, odd fellow travelers met with multiple times, roadside conversations about life and the pilgrimage, scuffling to get accommodations, crowded smelly rooms for the night and so on...
Not quite needless to say, I enjoyed the similarities and differences between the author's walk and my own, far shorter one taken years ago.
Side Note: There is a goodreads category devoted to the Camino and it contains 100 books, almost all with 4 star ratings, about peoples' experiences walking to the Cathedral of Santiago. -So there is plenty of scope for reminiscing there if that's what you're after. Too much, in fact.
I did find it difficult to identify with the author; he and I are very different people. He was adamant to deny God to the extent of un-capitalizing Him, but at the end he had as close an experience to religious as to make no never mind.
The Camino can do that to you.
As the book progressed however, familiar landmarks appeared: blisters, heat, vertical climbs with backpacks, odd fellow travelers met with multiple times, roadside conversations about life and the pilgrimage, scuffling to get accommodations, crowded smelly rooms for the night and so on...
Not quite needless to say, I enjoyed the similarities and differences between the author's walk and my own, far shorter one taken years ago.
Side Note: There is a goodreads category devoted to the Camino and it contains 100 books, almost all with 4 star ratings, about peoples' experiences walking to the Cathedral of Santiago. -So there is plenty of scope for reminiscing there if that's what you're after. Too much, in fact.
I did find it difficult to identify with the author; he and I are very different people. He was adamant to deny God to the extent of un-capitalizing Him, but at the end he had as close an experience to religious as to make no never mind.
The Camino can do that to you.
February 20, 2020
Second time reading, and really enjoyed it- again. I will repeat what I said in my first review- this book will probably not be for everyone. Many people will probably recognize the book as the inspiration for several scenes in the movie "The Way" with Martin Sheen- as one review I saw of the book says "You can imagine that this is the book the Irish pilgrim was writing." Off the Road is packed full of memorable characters, events and interesting snippets of history, conversations and the nature of pilgrimage in the modern world.
Jack Hitt covers everything- the physical aspect of the walk, architecture, what it means to be a pilgrim, traditional verses modern and the history of the Camino. The historical aspects and the whole what does it mean to be a pilgrim make up a large part of the book, but unlike some other authors who wrote about significant walks in their life coughBrysoncough the history is actually relevant. Five stars
Jack Hitt covers everything- the physical aspect of the walk, architecture, what it means to be a pilgrim, traditional verses modern and the history of the Camino. The historical aspects and the whole what does it mean to be a pilgrim make up a large part of the book, but unlike some other authors who wrote about significant walks in their life coughBrysoncough the history is actually relevant. Five stars
April 28, 2022
Jack Hitt wrote this book in 1994 after walking the Camino de Santiago through the basque region of Spain to the tomb of St James. He does not know why he started and does not have a clear answer when he is finished. This makes for a refreshingly honest and humorous Camino account. Along the way he shares a lot of history about The Way and people who made it a pilgrimage. This book was one of the inspiration for the Emilio Estevez film "The Way" staring Martin Sheen. Those familiar with the movie will recognize a number of the early encounters in the book. The audio version was recently done, read by the author himself and it is wonderful. This new audio edition will open this narrative up to many new fans.
June 17, 2018
A brilliant read. Well worth the money paid
August 1, 2023
Have mixed feelings about this book. Informative and well written, but at times, I felt that the author went into far too much detail about some things. Four stars
May 29, 2023
I believe the author gave us a true description what it is like on the road to Santiago with the history of the walk.
October 16, 2022
This is an entertaining story of a writer’s journey on the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that seems to have become more popular recently. Jack Hitt blends his day-to-day experiences on his walk with interesting digressions into the nature and business of miracles, who really killed Roland, and the history of the Knights Templar. He also describes the inevitable colorful cast of characters that he meets on the trip.
The book is well written, but doesn’t have much substance. From the beginning, Hitt dodges the question of why he was making the pilgrimage. It’s a natural question from people he meets along the journey, and there are two times when he is asked to choose among specific options on a form. He never does explain his rationale. At the end of the book it finally dawned on me: he wasn’t looking for spiritual enlightenment or to understand history, he was just looking for material for a book. That’s fine. Writers need to eat. But his motivation colors the story.
Throughout the book, Hitt also struggles with the question of whether he is a “true pilgrim” or a tourist, with the term tourist being an insult to pilgrims. Near the end of the book he writes:
“We pilgrims want to believe that we are not tourists. But by whatever definitions you want to use, pilgrims are tourists. Pilgrims are the lowest of lowbrow travelers, a subspecies of tourist, the most degraded hybrid there is. Our itinerary is a thousand years old. Our route has been walked millions of times.”
His first statement is simply wrong: “by whatever definitions you want to use….” The very first definition for pilgrim that I found on the web is: “a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons.” That makes sense to me. An online definition for tourist provides a useful contrast: “a person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure”. Those definitions may not be perfect, but they seem to be on the right track. I think Hitt struggled with the definitions so much because he was “none of the above”: he wasn’t traveling for religious reasons, and he definitely wasn’t traveling for pleasure, it was essentially a business trip. He was traveling like a pilgrim so that he could write a book.
If you are looking for a light travel story about Camino de Santiago, this is a good choice. If you are looking for a book with real insight into the pilgrimage, this is not the best choice.
The book is well written, but doesn’t have much substance. From the beginning, Hitt dodges the question of why he was making the pilgrimage. It’s a natural question from people he meets along the journey, and there are two times when he is asked to choose among specific options on a form. He never does explain his rationale. At the end of the book it finally dawned on me: he wasn’t looking for spiritual enlightenment or to understand history, he was just looking for material for a book. That’s fine. Writers need to eat. But his motivation colors the story.
Throughout the book, Hitt also struggles with the question of whether he is a “true pilgrim” or a tourist, with the term tourist being an insult to pilgrims. Near the end of the book he writes:
“We pilgrims want to believe that we are not tourists. But by whatever definitions you want to use, pilgrims are tourists. Pilgrims are the lowest of lowbrow travelers, a subspecies of tourist, the most degraded hybrid there is. Our itinerary is a thousand years old. Our route has been walked millions of times.”
His first statement is simply wrong: “by whatever definitions you want to use….” The very first definition for pilgrim that I found on the web is: “a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons.” That makes sense to me. An online definition for tourist provides a useful contrast: “a person who is traveling or visiting a place for pleasure”. Those definitions may not be perfect, but they seem to be on the right track. I think Hitt struggled with the definitions so much because he was “none of the above”: he wasn’t traveling for religious reasons, and he definitely wasn’t traveling for pleasure, it was essentially a business trip. He was traveling like a pilgrim so that he could write a book.
If you are looking for a light travel story about Camino de Santiago, this is a good choice. If you are looking for a book with real insight into the pilgrimage, this is not the best choice.
Read
February 13, 2017I loved this exploration of El Camino, which I read in preparation for my upcoming and shorter version of the trip, by bicycle, from Leon to Santiago.
Although after finishing it, I'm sad that I won't be able to do the trip with Jack--but I'm sure the words will remain with me and make it feel like I have his literary insights as I roll along.
Although after finishing it, I'm sad that I won't be able to do the trip with Jack--but I'm sure the words will remain with me and make it feel like I have his literary insights as I roll along.
February 5, 2013
In the 1990’s, the author walked the 500 mile pilgrim road through Spain to Santiago de Compestela, one of three major pilgrim walks in Europe. I loved the introduction – it ended up being my favorite part of the book. He talks about not really knowing why he wants to do this walk – he only knows it is not for religious purposes and he ends up deciding he wants to do the pilgrimage to discover why is is doing the pilgrimage.
Hitt has clearly an interest in both the historic and the mythic aspects of the pilgrimage and he provides a lot of information and stories, and although interesting at times, it often felt like he was writing a piece for a magazine and inserted it in the book. Much of the book is taken up with stories of the difficulties dealing with other pilgrims and the discomforts of the pilgrimage. I do need to give him credit – he wondered what he would find on this journey and what he found was more real life including a lot of difficult, unruly and self-important people. I did not enjoy hearing about them. For the most part, I did not enjoy the book. I wanted something more than history and ugly people. I think I may have been expecting too much after reading The Old Ways.
Hitt has clearly an interest in both the historic and the mythic aspects of the pilgrimage and he provides a lot of information and stories, and although interesting at times, it often felt like he was writing a piece for a magazine and inserted it in the book. Much of the book is taken up with stories of the difficulties dealing with other pilgrims and the discomforts of the pilgrimage. I do need to give him credit – he wondered what he would find on this journey and what he found was more real life including a lot of difficult, unruly and self-important people. I did not enjoy hearing about them. For the most part, I did not enjoy the book. I wanted something more than history and ugly people. I think I may have been expecting too much after reading The Old Ways.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews