[Gocamino] Kerkeling's book "I'm Off Then"

[Rosina]

Hello you all,

Well, the German pilgrim’s book translated into English finally came.  I read it overnight and it is, indeed, simply wonderful (the key word being “simply”).

How  has it come to be that a very popular German TV celebrity (Hape Kerkeling is exactly that in the German speaking world, and his programs are dubbed into sundry North European languages and shown in many  countries as well), went to Santiago and wrote a book that is being read by millions and millions of mostly young people?

Well, it has been said that the ways of the Lord are mysterious. 

The book is a personal account of the experiences and observations of the author who went to the Camino on an impulse, almost, after a health scare. While there are hundreds of books covering pretty much the same ground, geographically and spiritually, this  one is not only immensely readable, but it is also different. It is light and profound, breezy and torrential, irreverent and knee-bent respectful.

The language and the descriptions are accurate and joyful. (“The Roncesvalles Monastery looks like Sleeping Beauty’s castle”; “this is the oddest trip” “a spiritual house of cards” and so on). The personal observations are something else: he gives the best definition of the functions of a church –page 171, top-, and the substance and structure of life –page 297, second paragraph- that I have ever read in language that is simple, diverting, comforting0and welcome. 

No wonder the book is such a huge success.

Those of us who have been on the Camino will not doubt, for a moment, that the author indeed, was there, step by step. The narration is too intimate and the deep-gut reactions will be recognized by all of us:  (“the more I hike, the less I think” “I am a pilgrim; on top of the world!” “as a pilgrim, you are always the same on the outside, but inside you change by the hour”;”I wonder what’s making me so happy” and so on.)

All this while bellyaching and bellyaching galore throughout the book, mostly about the albergues and a few pilgrims and some locals.

The book reads like an exciting and very human adventure which, in a way, it is; and I would expect that those who have not gone to the Camino would be drawn to it. All the characters (the fellow pilgrims who became friends and those who didn’t) are wonderful. And the fact that the author Is an unabashed animal-lover who grows to value human kindness above anything else, is simply the icing on the cake.

How marvelous that at a time of a dearth of spiritual inspiration among young peoples this book has come to be!

By the way, in the book the author mentions the “famous” valley of Cairns, past Navarrete by the Alto de San Anton pass, and the Real Monasterio San Zoilo after Carrion de los Condes. Both places made a huge impression on him, but I don’t remember reading much 
about them elsewhere.

While reading the book through my heart, and my mind, were constantly smiling, and towards the end, when the author and his new friends reached Santiago, the tears began to fall and wouldn’t stop.

Time to go back, I guess.

Hugs!

Rosina

Ps. I got the book through Amazon; for some reason they only charged me $10.00 plus NY sales tax, and no 
postage!  The translation is wonderful..... it flows very smoothly.