There's a quiet sort of power about this book. And more than just being clever in the way the book explores that power, there's an undeniable fun to the unfolding of the story as well. And when all that--along with the animals and the quirks and the unique polish and the careful pacing--is put together, this book grows into something quite a bit greater than what it appears. An exploration of self-actualization and the difficulties of being human, and being social while wanting to be oneself, and allowing oneself to figure out how you, individually, must be in order to survive. (And did I mention the animals? All the animals? And the gorgeous writing? Well, there you go.)

Simply put, this book snuck up on me. The title drew me in, and the author's language brought me forward, and suddenly I couldn't stop. I'll be thinking about this one for quite a while, and I think I may be re-reading it sooner than later, despite not even quite being able to tell you why.

So, yes...I recommend it. To you. ( )

This took me nearly a year to finish, partly because I'm distractable but also because it has a heaviness that saddened and slowed. I think I technically read this 3 or 4 times, since I moved back and forth with my re-reading, to remember and to re-think. Not much activity happens in the story and if you outlined the events it would only be a few points long. But wow. How to describe this?

I once knew a misguided young man who talked incessantly about "connection" and sought to "connect" with the right woman. In the less than two years that I knew him, I saw at least 3 different women pass through his, uh, life. I don't think he really knew what he wanted, with the "connection," or maybe he didn't realize he meant just the one point. Ahem. But ostensibly he sought a heart/mind/soul thing. Also, remember that one Star Trek movie with the TNG cast, where Picard and some woman had that thing where when they were together, they slowed time, "stay in this moment with me," something like that?

This sort of "connection" or "moment" seems to be important in this book. Not really with one other person, but with the world and all living things, finding contentment and balance in your own life though everything may be blind and disintegrating about you. Sigh. I wish I read more so I could reference more intelligent, eggheadier things. The only other book I could bring up that I've read is super embarassing and terrible, but at the time I read it I thought it was just about the best thing I'd ever read like that. Aw heck, see my shame, it was this: [b:Shantaram|228378|Shantaram|Gregory David Roberts|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172886592s/228378.jpg|3174890]. It was okay. Overdone language, obviously based on himself (the author) and maybe more wish-fulfillment with all the adventures and such than reality (oh geez, and he seemed to have tried to promote his own philosophy or enlightenment...I cringe). I loved it when I read it (funny, how book feelings can shift over time). BUT. This seems to be a common theme in books? Like King Solomon, or Siddhartha? The man who blunders through life, unsatisfied, seeking, until he realizes something? And that something is difficult to put into words, but Ventura managed to do it a quarter of the pages that the other (my shame book) used, much more beautifully, relatably, and harder-to-obtainably since I guess he's now out of print.

And the book is so much better than this! I feel like this is more likely to turn people away from it. Maybe it would be better to delete everything and just say "read it!"? ( )