Reviews of Four Camino-Related Books

tjb1013 · May 10, 2022

Bogong said:
I say supposed deliberately as there are one or two references which suggest [Jack Hitt] may not even have walked the Camino at all.

He's the friend of a friend (which is how I came to read the book when it was released, and begin to dream of walking the Camino), and I can assure you Hitt did walk it.

Albertagirl · May 16, 2022

musicman said:
Paulo Coelho - THE PILGRIMAGE

I checked the above reference to see that you were referring to the first of the worst. I would have to agree, except that I don't have a right to an opinion on this book. I found it so bad that I couldn't get through the first chapter.

OnCamino · May 16, 2022

Shirley MacLaine's book is dreadful, as is that other pile of gobbledegook nonsense, Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage. Mystical daftness with not even the slightest grounding in the reality of the Camino, and I personally think it highly doubtful that either walked the route at all.

But I thought Jack Hitt's book pretty good on the whole. True, it's written in a way that might not appeal to all readers, but it's a solid effort which I have read twice. The Hemmingway is also interesting, although not directly Camino related.

I've read a fair number of Camino related books (some 2-dozen or so, I reckon) ranging from high profile authors to self-published releases, and as might be expected there is a full spectrum of quality in and amongst them. I enjoyed Buen Camino by Natasha & Peter Murtagh as well as Ben Nimmo's Pilgrim Snail, although they might not have universal appeal.

Whatever you preferences in writing, we can all agree to "each to their own" - except in the case of MacLaine and Coelho, for whom there are no redeeming features whatsoever!

Camino Chrissy · May 16, 2022

OnCamino said:
Whatever you preferences in writing, we can all agree to "each to their own" - except in the case of MacLaine and Coelho, for whom there are no redeeming features whatsoever!

I agree, although I have only read one chapter in Coelho's and heard enough about MacLaine's to spare myself the agony. Lol.
OTOH, I'm sure there are some "out there" who have enjoyed them both.

David Tallan · May 16, 2022

OnCamino said:
Shirley MacLaine's book is dreadful, as is that other pile of gobbledegook nonsense, Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage. Mystical daftness with not even the slightest grounding in the reality of the Camino, and I personally think it highly doubtful that either walked the route at all.

But I thought Jack Hitt's book pretty good on the whole. True, it's written in a way that might not appeal to all readers, but it's a solid effort which I have read twice. The Hemmingway is also interesting, although not directly Camino related.

I've read a fair number of Camino related books (some 2-dozen or so, I reckon) ranging from high profile authors to self-published releases, and as might be expected there is a full spectrum of quality in and amongst them. I enjoyed Buen Camino by Natasha & Peter Murtagh as well as Ben Nimmo's Pilgrim Snail, although they might not have universal appeal.

Whatever you preferences in writing, we can all agree to "each to their own" - except in the case of MacLaine and Coelho, for whom there are no redeeming features whatsoever!

I haven't read the MacLaine book, although I do own Coelho's. I picked it up at Livraria Lello in Porto, so it was in essence, discounted the 5 euros I paid for entrance. It didn't strike me as really rooted in the Camino as I experienced it, although it reminded me somewhat of the Carlos Castaneda books I read many years ago when I was in high school. I'll probably try the MacLaine book at some point, just to see what all the fuss is about.

I've read a fair number of Camino related books (somewhat more than two doze I reckon. I probably have more than two dozen on my bookshelf, not counting those on my Kindle or those I've borrowed from the library. That's why I ended up making a bibliography. I've certainly found with Camino memoirs that people's opinions will range widely on any given book. I remember enjoying Natasha and Peter Murtagh's Buen Camino, but I haven't read Pilgrim Snail yet. I did add it to the bibliography, though.

Matthew_SWilson · Jul 28, 2022

One Camino book which I really enjoyed was 'Two Steps Forward' by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion. I think what I enjoyed was the alternating perspectives of the two protagonists, each walking to Santiago for their own purposes. That's what my own Camino felt like; people from different parts of the world all walking to the same place for different reasons. This novel captures enough of the spirit of the pilgrim lifestyle, while also displaying lots of heart. Would recommend. And if you happen to enjoy it, Graeme Simsion's 'The Rosie Project' is also a great, non-Camino read.

stevepjq · Jul 28, 2022

"My Own Pace" by Bryan Steward is excellent. Just published in February, 2022 I think.

LisaWalker · Aug 23, 2022

mspath said:
C clearly,
I agree.
2004 my knees ached so much that I decided to spend extra time in Puente la Reina. Truly KO I dragged myself across the bridge and checked into the Santiago Apostol private refuge; by 9am I was fast asleep!
Later while literally crawling to the loo I found in the common room Shirley MacLaine’s account of her trek. I laughed at her description of 'typical ' pilgrims; the woman applying mascara (!!) while hoarding the mirror was particularly memorable.
...The idea of any pilgrim applying/wearing mascara still makes me laugh.

Strangely, on my camino in Sep 2015, I befriended a woman who was carrying two mini mascaras and decided I needed one. Though I didn't take my own, I was provided one. Not sure what she was saying about my camino style/look though. She also took an extra day in burgos to get her nails done. lol.

Camino Chrissy · Aug 23, 2022

LisaWalker said:
Strangely, on my camino in Sep 2015, I befriended a woman who was carrying two mini mascaras and decided I needed one. Though I didn't take my own, I was provided one. Not sure what she was saying about my camino style/look though. She also took an extra day in burgos to get her nails done. lol.

It sounds like another instance when the Camino provided.

C clearly · Aug 23, 2022

Camino Chrissy said:
It sounds like another instance when the Camino provided.

I am still waiting for a complete makeover!

gmarten · Jul 11, 2023

isawtman said:
Hi, I have recently read 4 camino related books and I though I would
relay my opinions about them.

The Camino by Shirley Maclaine: The Book starts out good enough but she starts having
dreams and in the later part of the book the dreams take over. It's a bunch of new aged
metaphysical gobblygook about Atlantis. One out of five stars

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway: Not a book about the Camino, but it involves
several locations on the Camino Frances. The novel follows former Soldier Jake Barnes
from nightlife in Paris to fishing in Burgette but mostly captures the San Fermin Festival
(Running of the Bulls) in Pamplona. Four out of five Stars

Off the Road by Jack Hitt: The book follows Jack's Pilgrimage from St Jean Pied de Port
to Santiago. Jack does meet up with an interesting bunch of people hiking the Camino.
Unfortunately, Jack veers off the Camino and spends some chapters on stuff that is only
barely related. Some of it is fairly gross. Jack should have learned from Hemingway
not to mention some things. For instance, Jake Barnes is a former soldier who was
injured in World War 1, but Hemingway never mentions what the injury is. I bought the
Jack Hitt book because the movie The Way is based on part of it. But I could only
find one or two scenes in the movie that may have been attributed to Hitt. Two out of Five Stars

Finding Santiago By Don Thomas: An amazing collection of stories about hiking caminos and also
volunteering at the Pilgrim's Office. There are 56 chapters and each one has a different story. Some
of the stories are funny, some are sad and others are inspirational. It's an easy book just to pick up
if you have ten minutes to spare and you want to do something. Most of the stories are just a few
pages long and the longest story is about 10 pages long. Five out of Five Stars.

Women may like the Shirley Maclaine book more than I did. But, starting at about Chapter 15 of the
book she goes full bore into the new age dreams, and when she isn't writing about the dreams she
is writing about avoiding the press.

That's all for now, Todd

Nope. This woman does not like new age stuff at all. This woman also does not like all that Hemingway male bonding stream of consciousness stuff. Sounds like Thomas is the the winner here. Thanks for the review.

Rick of Rick and Peg · Jul 11, 2023

gmarten said:
Sounds like Thomas is the the winner here.

He (@t2andreo) certainly is one of the winners here (on the forum).

Camino Chrissy · Jul 11, 2023

Rick of Rick and Peg said:
He (@t2andreo) certainly is one of the winners here (on the forum).

I've met @t2andreo on three occasions and I've read his book. Both he and his book are 5 out of 5 winners in my "book".

Bogong · Jul 12, 2023

Giving the Jack Hitt book two stars???. I’d give it minus 5. A condescending patronising bit of toss both toward other pilgrims and much that’s Spanish in general. And there’sca section in it which suggests he himself may not have walked the Camino at all, although I wouldn’t recommend you read the book again to find it.

Bogong

donjohannes · Saturday at 12:04 PM

Hi everyone, In the summer of 2022 I followed a new European Culture Route, the Columban Way from Irland to Italy. The resulting book is both a travel diary and an exploration of what the West...

Tinquiete · Saturday at 6:58 PM

I am heading on my El Camino this year and would like to learn more about the regions covered by the Camino Portugués. I plan to walk mainly along the Coastal and Litoral routes, with a potential...

MariaSP · 2025-01-15T13:57:09+0100

My new book is out. It's a collection of short stories, mostly legends and a few historical tidbits too. All the stories are about places along the Camino Portugués; many of them are directly...

Reviews of Four Camino-Related Books

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