reading on the camino

[jujuaway]

Hello all,
Well i am almost ready to go. i leave australia on the 1st September and start walking from St j on 6th September... i'm now up to thinking about luxury items to pack and also thinking about what book i would like to read along the way.

I'm looking for suggestions on a GREAT READ.... something to read and reflect on that is worthy of the Camino... i don't want a trashy novel i am after something inspiring, something great, something fitting for this pilgrimage....... Any IDEAS??

suggestions appreciated and i hope i meet some of you along The Way in September, regards juju

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There is a lot to occupy your mind on the Camino that weighs less than a book!

 

[sharon w]

Dear Juju,
You probably won't have much time for reading and a book can be quite heavy. (Maybe you can have luxurious undies!) I took a book of Sudoku puzzles which was very light and ripped out the pages as I finished. If you have a guidebook, it might have some of the fantastic Camino legends in it. I know we all gained a lot of enjoyment from reading them.
Sharon

 

[sillydoll]

Whilst walking the Camino in June a pilgrim gave me her copy of "The Art of Pilgrimage, the Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred" by Phil Cousineau. It is a great read and you could pass it onto the next pilgrim when you have finished with it.

 

[Irlan]

On the albergues you usually find books to read (those left by the others pilgrims, tired to carry them !).

If you write a diary, after some weeks, you will have your own book to read !

 

[grilly]

juju, I just don't know what you're after, because I'm after that as well. I also want to take a book, a meaningful book... True, you may not have time to read, especially if you walk long stages. But if your stages are short, 20 ks and under, then you will definitely have time.

Phil Cousineau's The Art of Pilgrimage is a fabulous book. It's a great idea, Sil. I just don't have it here with me. On the Camino itself, in Eunate, one year, I found Fr Hurley's book. A priest who walked from Roncesvalles or SJPP, wrote 33 small chapters, each with a symbol from the Camino. A fabulous little book as well.

If you speak Spanish, the Benedictine Brothers in Rabanal also sell a light book of reflections on the Camino, but that's closer to the end of your Camino.

I am hesitating between Christine Valters Paintner's The Artist's Way (spirituality & creativity) and Joan Chittister's The Rule of Benedict, because I have been reading it for years and the more I read it, the more I find things in it.

It is also true that a good guide book is a fantastic companion, as I find I spend a lot of time reading the information in it, or planning the next days...

You will certainly find books in the albergues, left by other pilgrims, and so you continue the tradition of reading and passing on.

I also know that I have taken books with me that I left on the Camino as I found one better suited for me at that time there...

Let us see what others have to say about it.

¡Buen Camino!

 

[camino-david]

Last year whilst walking the Camino Frances, although I welcomed the opportunity to talk to other pilgrims, there were also times when I wished I had a book to read, so this year I am taking my ipod loaded up with some books. Generally when I see a person is wearing earphones, I assume he/she does not wish to talk, so I will not be listening whilst walking or when others are nearby at the refugios. Amazon and Audible are a couple of sites to explore for suitable books.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

I am tempted to say that the only story you should be reading is that told by fellow pilgrims.

Truly listen to what they are saying.

Keep a journal and let your own heart do the speaking.

But if you are really going to need to have some imput I suggest The Cokershell Pilgrim by Kathleen Lack which will take you into an English medieval pilgrim's experience.

If you leave the pages behind after you have read them, you might find someone stalking you in their chase for the latest installment until you've finished it.

 

[Portia1]

Not a solution for many I suppose but I took a kindle with me two years ago. I wanted a variety of books because I did not know what my time or energy levels would be like. There were a number of evenings when I was the only English speaker and after dinner (of hand motions and smiles), having my kindle meant I could at least pass the time doing a little reading. It was also helpful on the flights and waiting in the airport--all for 10 oz. and a small library available, including Camino books (Walk in a Relaxed Manner by Rupp was one of my favorites, as is Kevin Codd's book, Field of Stars).

Once on the Camino, I found I simply didn't have the energy for much intense reading. Something light that I could pick and put down without hesitation tended to fit the bill, especially when someone sat down and we could talk instead. Most books left in the alberques where I stayed were in languages I do not speak or read. I did see someone struggling through War and Peace.

If I was in a contemplative mood and wanting to explore the depths of the Camino, I journaled and/or wrote on my blog. These turned out to be so meaningful to me that I continue to turn to them. I also used my Brierley guide as an "on the fly" kind of journal--making notes about when I left, weather, what I saw along the way that I wanted to remember, and when I arrived, where I stayed, etc. It is amazing how quickly all that information becomes a blur. It also helped me keep track of the day of the week--another surprise that you lose track of time and days.

 

[vjpulver]

I am an avid reader and rarely go anywhere without reading material. But when I made my Camino, I decided to forgo the pleasure (or obsession) of bringing along a book.

I wanted to use my Camino as an opportunity to commune with the universe and pilrgrims and the people I would meet on my journey. I travelled alone and so it would have been easy to isolate myself behind the cover of a book. With no reading matter, I was more inclined to reach out and integrate with the wonderful (and even scary) world around me.

It was, in some ways, an experiement. I did not have my ubiquitous laptop nor did I have books or a phone or even a proper watch. I did not even take a proper guidebook - just two pages of notes extracted from many sources.

It was a wonderful 40 day walk from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela. I did break my reading fast on a couple ocassions. I found a novel at one of my stops and indulged in it for an hour or two on a very rainy day on the meseta, but abandoned the book when it was time to leave. And in Leon, I found myself feeling stressed and isolated and lonely and in need of comforts so I wandered into a bookstore and purchased a classic novel which I devoured in a matter of hours and left behind for some other pilgrim to enjoy.

It was a wonderful experience to forgo some of my own habits and to learn more about myself by putting myself in a situation so different from my ordinary life. I am grateful that I travelled so light and that, for the most part, I did not burden myself with material things. I enjoyed this experiement in letting go and changing my focus.

I wish you well as you venture off on your Camino. Life is good - if you pay attention and just live it.

"Ginn"
Peregrina Pulver (May 2009)
In Sunny SC

 

[newfydog]

Kindle

Michener's Iberia

 

[Jeff Stys]

I want to echo some of responses on the post. It is amazing how little time there is to read on the camino. I'm an avid reader and usually have a book in the bottem of my backpack. Yes, it is extra weight but I consider it a luxury (and maybe even a crutch!).

I have a fond memories of laying in a closet-sized hotel room during a rest day in Oviedo (after four very tough but beautiful days on the Camino del Salvador) with "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

Plus I like to have a New Yorker or two for emergencies. They once kept me busy for a few mandatory rest days due to an outrageous blister.

My advice is find something compact and, just like the entire experience, take the time to fully engage and enjoy whatever you are doing.

 

[newfydog]

I have no idea why so many claim there is no time for reading. It is your trip. Schedule it anyway you like. I've done trips where I made miles and socialized. I've done trips when I've read nine books. All were good. The nice thing about a kindle is that is is small, can carry guidebooks, novels, magazines and photos. I'd rather leave out the phone.

 

[Tia Valeria]

If you have a Kindle then you could download a copy of Tracy Saunders' "Pilgrimage to Heresy" and think about the places as you pass through some of them. The actual Kindle weighs less than the average book. (This assumes that you have an Amazon account. For extra safety on the Camino I would take my card details off the account after loading the Kindle, or if you want add a gift certificate and then remove card details.)

 

[jujuaway]

Wow, what a great group of responses. Thank you one and all. I'm not a great reader but i know i want to have the option of reading something fitting for the journey. I am planning to load it onto my iphone as i will be already carrying a journal to write in and i am extremely aware of the weight issue.
I really appreciate all the suggestions and will follow them up before i decide what book is the way to go.
cheers julie
ps i have already loaded up "pilgrim's progress" and "1984" as strong contenders...

 

[Tia Valeria]

I think you can get a Kindle app for the iphone. You can check it out under the Kindle store on Amazon. Then you can access not only 'paid for' books but also many free ones too. If space is limited you can archive them off the device, and also call them up from your account archive. This certainly works OK on the Kindle wi-fi model and 'Kindle for PC'
Buen Camino

 

[jl]

I found I had little time to read as I enjoyed talking to fellow pilgrims too much. However on the rare occasion that I was desperate to read somehing in English, and was alone, I had one of the penguin classics in my bag. These red covered books are very light - no frills - and I just selected a title that I knew that I could read a page or two and put it down. There is nothing worse than having a riveting book that one wants to get to at every opportunity!. The penguin classics are in most book stores such as Dymocks (can't say Borders or Angus and Robinson anymore!)and are usually in the price range of $A9.95. It therfore doesn't hurt too much if you leave it behind, when you have finished it, for another pilgrim to pick up. Buen Camino, Janet

 

[Kitsambler]

Kindle: Cutting for Stone

got me through a number of painful days on the 2010 walk

 

[johnBCCanada]

I am like many others who have contributed to this thread an avid reader and I know that recommending somethign for someone else to read is aproblem unless you know then well. What I will suggest is a book of essays. I like essays as they are usually a few pages and you can finish one in a shorter period and thenmaybe thnk about it.

The problem with a longer novel or history is the starting and stopping.

And I agree with the suggestion to write a journal. I almost always found time to write something in my journal which helped me remember some of the details of my trip that I might otherwise have forgotten.

john

 

[jujuaway]

thank you one and all,

i ended up with The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau

and Surprises Around the Bend - 50 adventurous walkers- Richard Hasler

i'm very happy to have a couple of options. i have them in my iphone, can't believe how easy it was and how easy it is to read on it.

i'll be winging my way toward the "path", this day next week...... not many sleeps now. Start the walk from St jpp 6th Sept.

bye for now, juju