Reviews matching “9781553653059”
 The Wisdom of DonkeysIt is too seldom that the Spiritual Living section of LJ has an opportunity to read and review a real love story, but this is such a book, the affecting and eloquent account of a man and a chocolate-colored donkey named Gribouille. Merrifield, author of important biocritical studies of Henri Lefebvre and Guy Debord, as well as Metromarxism: A Marxist Tale of the City, tells the tale of his wander through the Haute-Avergne in southern France, learning the ways of his patient, strong, and stubborn donkey companion, who gradually shows him that "real happiness comes in unforeseen places, through surprising twists and turns, through honesty." Highly recommended. Library Journal, Jan 15, 2008 Read more >> |
The Wisdom of DonkeysDonkeys are misunderstood. At least, that's the impression left by Merrifield's gentle meditation on life, art, and the meaning of beauty, which crucially involves journeying through the hills of southern France and "daydreaming in the open air" with floppy-eared Gribouille's faithful companionship. Merrifield's donkey recalls another, more famous member of the breed, Robert Louis Stevenson's Modestine in his Travels with a Donkey in the Cèvennes. Merrifield references Stevenson's travel classic often, also mentioning the work of other artists, including Cervantes, filmmaker Robert Bresson, G. K. Chesterton, George Orwell, and Anne Sexton, in which donkeys were important characters or the image of a donkey was an effective device. Even the Old and New Testaments and the Qur'an are cited. Watching donkeys graze in the middle of nowhere is, Merrifield concludes, a type of therapy. He discusses donkeys' habits and idiosyncrasies, especially their distinctive braying, and insists that when you're with a donkey, time slows down. Can a donkey be a philosopher? Merrifield believes so and, with this modest, lovely little book, makes us believe so, too. Booklist, May 18, 2007 Read more >> |
The Wisdom of Donkeys"In The Wisdom of Donkeys author Andy Merrifield takes a page from the Slow Food movement and goes on a Slow Journey - walking with a donkey along the picturesque roads and trails of southern France. This delightful travelogue recounts his physical wanderings and his mental meanderings as he learns to slow down enough to experience bliss." Body & Soul Magazine, Mar 1, 2008 Read more >> |
The Wisdom of DonkeysProfessor Andy Merrifield was chasing a dream when he moved from England to teach at a university in New York City, but, as he admitted recently, "things didn't work out so well, I felt very lost." So he went to live "somewhere totally antithetical to [New York]," moving into a farmhouse in France's Auvergne region, an area known for its sought-after green lentils from Le Puy. Intending to slow down the pace of his life, he borrowed a friend's donkey and set out on foot through the countryside of southern France. Maclean's, Mar 6, 2008 Read more >>Read more >> |
The Wisdom of Donkeys“Merrifield makes us feel the heat and dust of the road as well as the gentle breath of Gribouille on his shoulder as they walk. The pace is slow and Gribouille is furry, silent, and endlessly comforting. Whatever the ills of this world, it somehow begins to seem credible that a donkey can wash them away.” Christian Science Monitor, Mar 4, 2008 Read more >> |
The Wisdom of Donkeys“If you yawn at the idea of a 240-page meditation on donkeys, then steel yourself for an adventure of positively equine proportions. …Peppered with references to famous donkeys in literature… this book will give you a whole new appreciation – and respect – for these gentle, wise, and misunderstood animals.” Shared Vision, Sep 2, 2008 Read more >> |