“I’m beginning to know myself.
I don’t exist. I’m the space between what
I’d like to be and what others
made of me. Just let me be at ease and
all by myself in my room.”
― The Book of Disquiet
― The Book of Disquiet
“In the morning
After taking cold shower
—-what a mistake—-
I look at the mirror.
There, a funny guy,
Grey hair, white beard, wrinkled skin,
—-what a pity—-
Poor, dirty, old man,
He is not me, absolutely not.
Land and life
Fishing in the ocean
Sleeping in the desert with stars
Building a shelter in the mountains
Farming the ancient way
Singing with coyotes
Singing against nuclear war—
I’ll never be tired of life.
Now I’m seventeen years old,
Very charming young man.
I sit quietly in lotus position,
Meditating, meditating for nothing.
Suddenly a voice comes to me:
“To stay young,
To save the world,
Break the mirror.”
― Break the Mirror
After taking cold shower
—-what a mistake—-
I look at the mirror.
There, a funny guy,
Grey hair, white beard, wrinkled skin,
—-what a pity—-
Poor, dirty, old man,
He is not me, absolutely not.
Land and life
Fishing in the ocean
Sleeping in the desert with stars
Building a shelter in the mountains
Farming the ancient way
Singing with coyotes
Singing against nuclear war—
I’ll never be tired of life.
Now I’m seventeen years old,
Very charming young man.
I sit quietly in lotus position,
Meditating, meditating for nothing.
Suddenly a voice comes to me:
“To stay young,
To save the world,
Break the mirror.”
― Break the Mirror
“Life hurls us like a stone, and we sail through the air saying, "look at me move.”
― The Book of Disquiet
― The Book of Disquiet
“I suffer from life and from other people. I can’t look at reality face to face. Even the sun discourages and depresses me. Only at night and all alone, withdrawn, forgotten and lost, with no connection to anything real or useful — only then do I find myself and feel comforted.”
― The Book of Disquiet
― The Book of Disquiet
Around the World in 80 Books
— 31416 members
— last activity 12 hours, 25 min ago
Reading takes you places. Where in the world will your next book take you? If you love world literature, translated works, travel writing, or explorin ...more
Great African Reads
— 4241 members
— last activity Jun 25, 2026 12:35PM
Here is an overview of the group reads & activities: Regional reads Nominations and Book discussions. Buddy Reads Find someone to read along with!. Sh ...more
The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group
— 32588 members
— last activity 48 minutes ago
“It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the ...more
Petra’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Petra’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Petra
Lists liked by Petra
















































