I've started reading a thousand gifts, by Ann Voskamp, and I'm not 100% thrilled with it.
Yes it has reminded me to be grateful in the everyday, and to be mindful of giving thanks when talking to God. I am moved her awakening and discovery of "euchoristo", as the doorway to contentment and a full life.
But the style of writing is incredibly.......intense, and tiring to read after awhile.
Each sentence carries a great deal of weight, and I find the lyrical and descriptive style better suited for a blog, than a book.
I'm grasping, underlining, and appreciating, many of Voskamp's discoveries and antidotes...
However overall, I find the continuous imagery that she creates and spins, a bit distracting.
Disappointing.
Am I alone in this?
I am going to read it to the end, and perhaps my opinion will change at that point.
But until then, i"m curious to hear what others thought of the book-
Did you love it??
Were you disappointed??
p.s. i'm wondering if i'm put off because she can raise and home-school 6 children, and always seems to be making soup, bread or a quilt.... whoops, maybe those are just MY ugly insecurities/jealousies?.
6 comments:
I'm so intrigued..... I've wanted to read this book for the longest time but just haven't got around to getting it. It seems everyone has read it and raves about it. It's such a strange feeling to crack open a much-hyped book and then feel dissapointed or disalussioned. I will reserve commentary for after I've read it - but I totally get the "quilt-making/break baking/flour milling/fresh orange juice squeezing" thing. Totally. Just look at me! Then you won't feel so insucure! That's what I'm here for, friend!
InSEcure. I didn't mean to imply you were a sucker....
i've avoided this book and all talk of it (blogs - but not yours!) because ....well, i'm not sure why. i tend to read popular books a year or five after their peak.
i will say, that one thing i try and remind myself when reading about women who can accomplish things i CAN'T, is that I likely can do things they can't! their strengths seem like my weaknesses, and so i assume that they also have all my strengths in addition to theirs - or that i should add their strengths to mine... the tiring thing blogs in general, is that there's not a huge emphasis on the failures of life - though every blogger tries hard to be "real," we write what we know, (ie. our strengths). you know what i mean??
Christine, you are a good friend, a gifted listener and encourager.... i'm not saying the author ISN'T these things, but maybe these aren't her gifts (though i guess she has 1000 gifts? haha). i'm not trying to disrespect her, but i AM saying: don't sell yourself short, girl! :)
hug!
that is why i've been reading it bits at a time. i find myself underlining many great tidbits, but overall, my mind feels tired if i try to follow for too many chapters at a time. sometimes i have to read a paragraph multiple times because it is so darn poetic, that i can't understand it!!! (and sometimes even after reading it for the 5th time i'm still left thinking.. "what?") SO you are not alone in that. and i won't think any less of you if you stop reading it and/or throw it away ;) i find it best to read it little bits at a time. especially since i often don't feel like i have time to be quilting or soup making, and i have zero children.
i still value a lot of what she has to say, but i can only take it on bits at a time.
I stopped reading it halfway through...I don't know if I'll finish it. I think I threw it on the floor one time even. One thing I'm learning is that what is challenging or enlightening or encouraging for others might not be those things for me...and that's ok!
Hey Christine. I actually bought three books spur of the moment - after a friend said how much she appreciated it and it spoke deeply to her. I gave one to Ashley and one to Leah and kept one for myself. (I also gave one to my friend). Ash and Leah began reading it before I did, and I think we all agree that her way of writing is very poetic and also hard. I would agree with what each one says but I also have gleaned some special things from it (only on chapter 7). My friend and I meet every couple weeks and talk about things we read. I will be honest, it is not the first book I pick up - and I often feel like I am plowing through it. We are all so different - we all are impacted in different ways - and I think as the others do - and liked what Becky said about each of our gifting. I am moved by your blog Christine, and also Becky's and also Ashleys. I think that is how we learn and are affirmed in our lives as women - having friends who share similar but yet different things in life helps us grow but also appreciate how God made each of us so beautiful yet different. And each of our stories is unique - and a book in itself even if it isn't published!
Post a Comment