Friday, April 25, 2008

Books: Enlightenment for Idiots

I received an ARC of Enlightenment for Idiots: A NovelIt was possibly bad timing to start this story just after listening to the Will Write for Wine podcast about goal and motivation. See, Amanda has sort of fallen into each job by accident almost (which I actually might resemble a bit). And Amanda grew up with a mother who got burned by her first love (Amanda's dad). So, finding a globe traveling commitment-averse guy for a boyfriend, is well, not a huge shock. I am a firm believer in a phenomenon Jodie Foster once spoke of: that the pattern of your life is often only visible in retrospect. However, I have my limits.
After two weeks (which is an insane amount of time for me, I am a fast reader), I am only halfway through.
See, Amanda decides to split (again) with the commitment-averse guy because, well, she really kinda wants commitment. Or at least monogamy. And she accepts a job to write a guide about enlightentment (hence the title) especially since it involves a trip to India. And she sort of picks up a scraggly guy in India (traveling companion only, so far). And she goes to places various people suggest - fellow travelers, taxi drivers, other yoginis. But, Amanda makes very few decisions or plans. She's blown by the wind a lot. And I recognize that this is her journey right now, but I am apparently not in the right frame of mind to read about a decision-averse character. It's a shame, because I really like the writing style. I just can't get into the story right now.