Through Painted Deserts
From Through Painted Deserts Author's Note:
Donald Miller, the author of the well-know book, Blue Like Jazz, tells the story of his road-trip journey from Texas to Oregon in this fine book, Through Painted Deserts.
Donald and his friend, Paul, ponder together deep life questions along their way...Is there more to life than dating and working, than the ruts in which the world seems so stuck? What is our relationship with God about? And most of all...Why? [Not How? but Why?]
I picked up this book because everyone and their dog has been reading Blue Like Jazz this year. I have this personal issue with jumping on bandwagons; I tend to subconsciously avoid, at least for a while, those books, singers, television shows which are on everyone's favorite list (someone else described me as "stubborn" when we talked about this - but we all know that that is a ridiculous accusation!). Hearing, though, that he writes with deep feeling about my beloved home, I was drawn to check out his work. So I compromised -- I picked up this lesser known, or at least lesser talked about, Miller book.
I was not disappointed. It was a nice, comfortable read -- kind of like being on a road trip with a good soundtrack playing with the windows rolled down. His messages regarding life and faith are subtle; he has you read four or five chapters of interesting road trip memoir before he slips in a simple life lesson he's been pondering along the way. It's a nice journey to be on.
****
September is perfect Oregon. The blocks line up like postcards and the rosebuds bloom into themselves like children at bedtime. And in Portland we are proud of our roses; year after year, we are proud of them. When they are done, we sit in the parks and read stories into the air, whispering the gardens to sleep.Ahhh...I deeply appreciate the treasure of when an author can pen the feelings that run deep within me. Donald Miller knows my Oregon; he loves my city of Roses. I love that about him. But that's not what this book is about!
I remember the sweet sensation of leaving, years ago, some ten now, leaving Texas for who knows where. I could not have known about this beautiful place, the Oregon I have come to love, this city of great people, this smell of coffee and these evergreens reaching up into a mist of sky, these sunsets spilling over the west hills to slide a red glow down the streets of my town.
Donald Miller, the author of the well-know book, Blue Like Jazz, tells the story of his road-trip journey from Texas to Oregon in this fine book, Through Painted Deserts.
Donald and his friend, Paul, ponder together deep life questions along their way...Is there more to life than dating and working, than the ruts in which the world seems so stuck? What is our relationship with God about? And most of all...Why? [Not How? but Why?]I picked up this book because everyone and their dog has been reading Blue Like Jazz this year. I have this personal issue with jumping on bandwagons; I tend to subconsciously avoid, at least for a while, those books, singers, television shows which are on everyone's favorite list (someone else described me as "stubborn" when we talked about this - but we all know that that is a ridiculous accusation!). Hearing, though, that he writes with deep feeling about my beloved home, I was drawn to check out his work. So I compromised -- I picked up this lesser known, or at least lesser talked about, Miller book.
I was not disappointed. It was a nice, comfortable read -- kind of like being on a road trip with a good soundtrack playing with the windows rolled down. His messages regarding life and faith are subtle; he has you read four or five chapters of interesting road trip memoir before he slips in a simple life lesson he's been pondering along the way. It's a nice journey to be on.
****
posted by Kristi at 3:34 PM
6 Comments:
Whaddaya know? I recently read this as well. I picked it up right after reading another American road trip book, Blue Highways, which described the places and people its author encountered in vivid detail. Through Painted Deserts made for an interesting contrast. Descriptions of places and people and scenery were limited; instead, we got colorful images of Don's inner landscape, and how his spiritual scenery changed as he crossed western America. Like you, I really enjoyed this introspective approach to the road trip narrative.
i haven't read this yet but i have read blue like jazz. i too am somewhat reluctant to jump on the bandwagon of popular books such as davinci code or freakonomics, etc. but usually end up reading them and loving them. i think i'm kind of a book elitist and sometimes feel like i don't want to read what everyone else is reading, i want to read new and interesting stuff and let other people know about it. its an issue i struggle with as i realize this is for me almost a form narcissism. i will say that blue like jazz is some of the best Christian thought i have read. its applications are at a level that can apply to almost anyone. i greatly enjoyed it and as i have only been to portland once, i really enjoyed the local info it gave.
I really enjoyed Through Painted Deserts when I read it. It is a much lighter read than Blue Like Jazz, though it's a light read in it's own way.
I love Don's meandering writing style. I think that he is very good at connecting with the post-modern generation.
I picked up Blue Like Jazz just before it became the big thing. It was definitely worth the read, and I would credit it for helping me to ask some deeper questions and leading me to really ask "why" as Don talks about in TPD.
Maybe that's another reason I have avoided BLK up until now - my impression that it is a little deeper read. I'm just not in a place to be able to focus enough on any type of really thoughtful topics! I wish I was, but that will likely come again once I am not hormonally challenged with pregnancy and not sleep deprived with waking kids. In the meantime, I swallow my intellectual pride and will enjoy some lighter fare.
See what I mean about being intellectually challenge right now?...What is BLK? It sounds like I'm writing about a Burger King meal. I meant BLJ, as in Blue Like Jazz.
I wouldn't call BLJ deeper, but it is not as flowing a narrative that TPD is. For the record I liked TPD more than BLJ. I liked that it spoke few points about life. My criticism of BLJ is that he covers too much ground regarding spirituality. I really enjoy his meandering thoughts and I really want to live in the forest in Sisters some summer!
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