This time we began our evening together with light refreshments and small talks while listening to soft classical music with a spring theme. Indeed, delightful and peaceful moments of togetherness, camaraderie and settling cheer.
After that we continued with focused conversations and the novel discussed this time was “The Camino“, by Shirley MacLaine, unanimously voted by the entire group during the past season.
In essence, THE CAMINO is a book about a famous pilgrimage that has been taken by people for centuries called the Santiago de Compostela Camino, across northern Spain.
“The Santiago Camino has been traversed for thousands of years by saints, sinners, generals, misfits, kings and queens. It is done with the intent to find one's deepest spiritual meaning and resolutions regarding conflicts in Self - from the Introduction Shirley MacLaine is far more than a Hollywood legend - for the last three decades she has continued with her brave and public commitment to chronicling her personal quest for spiritual understanding. A truly inspirational woman, Shirley was prompted to take part in the annual pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain after receiving two anonymous letters imploring her to take the difficult trip. In her mid-sixties, Shirley managed to finish the nearly 500-mile trek in only thirty days - a phenomenal achievement. Throughout history, many illustrious pilgrims from all over Europe have taken up the trail, from St Francis of Assisi to Dante and Chaucer. Now it is Shirley's turn. With rich insight, humility and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us through the range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations that are revealed to her as she walked the pilgrimage.“
For your convenience, in the comments section below I’m including the brief summary that has been circulated by few publishing houses.
Without any doubt, this book presented us an interesting conversational theme, based on which lots of personal perspectives emerged during our evening talks.
At
the end, the thought we each were left with was that life is a precious gift and constantly we need to analyze ourselves, while adjusting as needed.
As usual, the time we spent together flew by very fast, and once again the commitment to continue with our gatherings was reinforced by the entire group.
Also, while at this page, I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation to these dear friends, who planned well ahead of time their agenda of the day, efficiently rescheduling a number of last minute changes and marched through several unexpected life situations so we all could meet for a few hours in order to have a pleasant time amongst books, while discussing interesting concepts. Kudos to each of them for their determination!
Until we meet again, I’m wishing you a wonderful rest of spring!
Warm regards,
Alice
As usual, the time we spent together flew by very fast, and once again the commitment to continue with our gatherings was reinforced by the entire group.
Also, while at this page, I would like to extend my most sincere appreciation to these dear friends, who planned well ahead of time their agenda of the day, efficiently rescheduling a number of last minute changes and marched through several unexpected life situations so we all could meet for a few hours in order to have a pleasant time amongst books, while discussing interesting concepts. Kudos to each of them for their determination!
Until we meet again, I’m wishing you a wonderful rest of spring!
Warm regards,
Alice
“The journey of a
lifetime starts with the turning of a page. “
10 comments:
The BRIEF SUMMARY that has been circulated by few publishing houses.
“THE CAMINO“, by Shirley MacLaine
It has been nearly three decades since Shirley MacLaine commenced her brave and public commitment to chronicling her personal quest for spiritual understanding. In testament to the endurance and vitality of her message, each of her eight legendary bestsellers -- from Don't Fall Off the Mountain to My Lucky Stars -- continues today to attract, dazzle, and transform countless new readers. Now Shirley is back -- with her most breathtakingly powerful and unique book yet.
This is the story of a journey. It is the eagerly anticipated and altogether startling culmination of Shirley MacLaine's extraordinary -- and ultimately rewarding -- road through life. The riveting odyssey began with a pair of anonymous handwritten letters imploring Shirley to make a difficult pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in Spain. Throughout history, countless illustrious pilgrims from all over Europe have taken up the trail. It is an ancient -- and allegedly enchanted -- pilgrimage. People from St. Francis of Assisi and Charlemagne to Ferdinand and Isabella to Dante and Chaucer have taken the journey, which comprises a nearly 500-mile trek across highways, mountains and valleys, cities and towns, and fields. Now it would be Shirley's turn.
For Shirley, the Camino was both an intense spiritual and physical challenge. A woman in her sixth decade completing such a grueling trip on foot in thirty days at twenty miles per day was nothing short of remarkable. But even more astounding was the route she took spiritually: back thousands of years, through past lives to the very origin of the universe. Immensely gifted with intelligence, curiosity, warmth, and a profound openness to people and places outside her own experience, Shirley MacLaine is truly an American treasure. And once again, she brings her inimitable qualities of mind and heart to her writing. Balancing and negotiating the revelations inspired by the mysterious energy of the Camino, she endured her exhausting journey to Compostela until it gradually gave way to a far more universal voyage: that of the soul. Through a range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations, Shirley saw into the meaning of the cosmos, including the secrets of the ancient civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria, insights into human genesis, the essence of gender and sexuality, and the true path to higher love.
With rich insight, humility, and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us on a sacred adventure toward an inexpressibly transcendent climax. The Camino promises readers the journey of a thousand lifetimes.
Inca o frumoasa intalnire cu "Alice and Friends". Discutii despre El Camino, o carte ce ne-a incitat, ne-a provocat la reflexie si auto-reflexie.
Randurile urmatoare nu au pretentia unei analize literare ci mai mult o modesta parere de citior. Shirley Maclaine, autoarea cartii, cunoscuta actrita pe platourile Hollywoodiene, este, in viziunea mea, mai curand o personalitate controversata, decat o fiinta neinteleasa in cautarea unui drum spre propria-i spirutalitate. In ciuda acestei viziuni, cartea are meritul prezentarii unei calatorii unde realitatea si fantasticul se impletesc, unde autoarea se dezvaluie ca pelegrin obosit pana la limita epuizarii, dar pe care suferinta-l ajuta sa se re-descopere. El Camino, un traseu cu profunzime, pe unde si-au purtat pasii Francisc D'Assisi, Dante, Rodrigo Diaz , Chaucher, alaturi de alte millioane de pelegrini. Calatoria autoarei este intermitent marcata de primejdii ce o obliga la gasirea unor solutii ce unori par a fi mai curand raspunsuri la propriile-i experiente din viata de acum sau de altadata. Cum sa te feresti de hartuiala presei, de cainii asmutiti, sau de sobolanii din refugiile murdare. Toate par mai curand invataminte cu valoare de symbol. Tot simbolice sunt si intalnirile cu personaje real-imaginare (Joan Scott) sau cu lucruri ce vor capata semnificatie de obiecte de cult (bratara, cruce). Calatoria dobandeste sensuri cu totul fantastice cand drumul se pierde intr-un alt timp si alt spatiu intr-o lume demult apusa in tinutul numit Lemuria Nu lipsesc intrebari cu esenta sexual-freudiana asupra psihicului.. In cele din urma cartea este o experienta personala, o introspectie si o incercare de a raspunde la intrebari existentiale ce ne framanta pe noi ca modesti muritori si ce i-au framantat pe filozofii antici: cine suntem? ce rost are aceasta calatorie numita viata ? de unde incepe si incotro merge drumul?
Inca o data multumim Alice pentru bucuria de fi impreuna, de a schimba idei si ganduri, hrana spirituala de care avem atat de mare nevoie.
Emilia
Mulțumim Alice că ai organizat din nou un eveniment plăcut care ne ajută să ne detașam de tumultul vieții cotidiene și care ne adună într-un grup în care putem întări relațiile de prietenie și putem să ne exprimăm gîndurile.
Iți doresc o vacanță frumoasă și aștept să ne revedem la evenimentul următor!
Dana
Aceeasi atmosfera calda si primitoare ca de fiecare data am avut si pe 24 Mai. Aceasta s-a datorat in mare parte subiectului discutat, dar si persoanelor prezente sensibile la frumos si nu in ultimul rand gazdei Alice care ne-a adus pe toti la un numitor comun. Personal nu citisem cartea, dar fiind inconjurata de persoane iscusite in arta relatarii evenimentelor mi-a dat prilejul sa imi exprim parerea despre trairile personajului principal al cartii.
Multumesc mult Alice si succes in continuare.
Otilia
lA INTILNIREA DIN 24 MAI, THE CAMINO , A ADUS IN FATA NOASTRA UN SUBIECT CARE NE-A FACUT SA IESIM DIN RUTINA ZILNICA SI SA INTRAM IN ADINCURILE SUFLETULUI, IN "INCAPERI" IN CARE , EU CEL PUTIN NU MAI INTRASEM DE MULT. PARTICIPAREA LA DISCUTII A TUTUROR CELOR PREZENTI, SCHIMBUL DE PARERI, PUNCTELE DE VEDERE ALE FIECARUIA, AU FACUT SEARA SI MAI INTERESANTA .AM PLECAT ACASA CU UN SENTIMENT PLACUT ; MULTUMESC DIN NOU , SI PE ACAESTA CALE DRAGA ALICE
PENTRU INCA O SEARA MINUNATA.
DORESC TUTUROR O VARA MINUNATA SI SA NE INTILNIM CU BINE.
IOANA
Cu multa placere, Emilia, iar la randu-mi iti multumesc pentru creionarea remarcilor personale!
A fost o reala bucurie sa reusim sa ne re-vedem si sa discutam pe o tematica asa de interesanta.
Sper ca subiectul sa inspire si pe alti cititori.
”El Camino” – acest drum spre capatul pamantului care initial se prezinta ca o provocare si care in general este parcurs de catre cei framantati de intrebari existentialiste da posibilitatea oricarui interesat sa afle raspunsuri noi la intrebari vechi. Exigenta traseului iti arata ca poti trai cu foarte putin si in acelasi timp prin stradanie si staruinta mintea se deprinde sa ”auda” si sa ”asculte” inima.
Pe de alta parte, in opinia mea, experienta dobandita pe parcursul unui asemenea pelerinaj pe ”El Camino” te invata cu siguranta importanta lui ”a fi” spre deosebire de societatea in care traim unde accentul se pune pe ”a avea”.
Pana la proxima re-vedere iti doresc numai bine!
Alice
Cu multa placere, Dana!
M-am bucurat sincer ca si tu si sotul tau ati putut veni.
Da, intr-adevar, discutiile pe tema cartii au fost foarte interesante.
Multumesc pentru urarile de bine!
Alice
Placerea a fost de partea mea, Otilia!
Ma bucur mult ca ai venit si iti multumesc pentru caldele randuri si ganduri!
A fost foarte interesant sa discutam deschis pe o tematica asa de ampla.
Cu mare drag o sa te astept si la viitoarele intalniri!
Alice
Cu multa placere, Ioana!
M-am bucurat sa putem discuta in liniste si pace pe tema acestei carti.
Este tare bine cand fiecare vine cu sufletul deschis si doritor de frumos.
La randu-mi iti doresc si tie o vara cat mai calda!
Alice
“The Camino” (link for the audio book): https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/camino-a-journey-of-the-spirit/153555
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