6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The World Is Too Much With Us, September 4, 2011
Clutter: A quotidian phenomenon resulting from the detritus of living. Each day almost all of us perform a cleansing to prevent this Hydra from swallowing up our physical and mental space, thereby winning a small victory against a seemingly dark and chaotic universe. We thus impose our human order and give ourselves the freedom to live another day...to create more detritus.
In this funny and endearing memoir, the author has a special relationship with her clutter. For decades she has been a spiritual seeker, a gentle soul who takes enormous comfort in cozy things like cups of steaming hot coffee, fluffy clean sheets, clean cotton clothing, and warm cookies. But somewhere along the path to God, the clutter has become a huge roadblock.
The author brilliantly chronicles the clutter around her in hilarious and loving detail. Who would have thought such junk existed, but here it is in all its ridiculousness, each item lovingly preserved and having a special place in the pantheon of the improbable, and each locking away an emotion, an event, a moment in time for its increasingly overwhelmed owner.
As all the stuff, papers, and unpaid bills begin to mount to stratospheric heights and personal catastrophes multiply, whatever the author thought of as God has become a distant abstraction, indifferent to her miseries. What to do? The clutter has become a shameful running joke, impossible to live with but impossible to live without. It's downright revolting!
Fortunately, Ms Dinnerstein is surrounded by a group of loving Holy Sisters. This loose association of insightful and artistic fellow seekers is a ready nuclear family to mentor her through her plight. Each member contributes to her "Project" of recovery. But it isn't until she joins Clutterers Anonymous and escapes to Israel from the latest catastrophe that genuine progress toward a personal and real relationship with God and with herself is made.
In addition to rendering witty, humorous, and insightful writing, Ms Dinnerstein presents stunningly beautiful descriptions of Israel. She shows tremendous promise as a travel writer if she could ever bring herself onto an airplane again.
As a bit of criticism, it has been impossible for the text itself to escape some clutter of words. And although a few details would have been fine to leave out, navigating through them will pay off for the understanding and patient reader. In the end, you will fly through the debris and be rewarded for your efforts.
Funny, insightful, and well worth your time, especially if you are a seeker and a clutterer. Highly recommended!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Transformative Book, September 9, 2011
This review is from: A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and My Missing Keys (Paperback)
This book is fabulous. It is written with depth and humour, while filled with clear inspiring jewels. For those people that struggle with the abundance of physical objects in the world, this book will help you live your life lighter and with more meaning and less frustration. It has the ability to transform your day to day life by accessing the highest part of yourself, if the reader is willing. I highly recommend this book.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Cluttered Life, September 7, 2011
This review is from: A Cluttered Life: Searching for God, Serenity, and My Missing Keys (Paperback)
Ms. Dinnerstein's book is insightful, deep, witty and brilliantly funny. You feel as though you are going on a journey with her...... and you are. She looks at the deeper meaning of the clutter in her life and the unexpected challenges that seem to constantly surround her - and illustrates how, with the help of friends and other guides, she is able to make changes on both the tangible and deeper levels. Ms. Dinnerstein's writing is beautiful and flowing and engages the reader fully. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in joining a wise woman on her journey and in better understanding and navigating their own clutter-related challenges, and having a few laughs along the way. A delightful read!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
