But we'll get to that in a second. First things first:
I love to read. I love to read while traveling, and I especially love to read books about traveling. So that is why I was pretty excited when I came across The Lost Girls, and determined to hold off reading it until my next big trip. It took me a few years to arrange that (getting married and becoming a teacher kind of took precedence over really long trips) but when I booked my ticket to Nicargua, my next thought was Yes!! I get to read the book! Finally. (Did you actually think I was giving away humans today?)
Here is my very unprofessional (and slightly miffed at the end) book review.
First the synopsis. Three New York City girls quit their jobs with 30th birthdays looming and decide to step way out of the box and do something crazy and take a 'round the world trip. Leaving jobs and boyfriends behind, they book their first ticket to Peru. What follows is 500 pages of all three girls taking turns telling their story. The 500 pages is partly why I wanted to wait until I was traveling to read it-I knew that is when I would have long stretches of time where there would be nothing much to do. Several hundred pages is a long story to tell, unless you are War and Peace. As a result, I feel that at times, the dialogue was a bit overwritten. Since I am no literary genius/critic/expert, I was trying to think how I could describe these parts of the book and "overwritten" was the only word I could come up with. It was as if they were trying too hard to replicate their experience for us, trying to force the feeling of the reader being right there in the moment. Ehhh.
My other major issue is that they each came home at least once during their year of travel. One of them came home twice. Is it just me or is that cheating the definition of RTW if you come home? Twice even?! Because to me, that's just going on three really long trips, back to back.
And that is where my criticisms end. Here is why: Have I ever set out to travel the whole entire world in one specific amount of time? No. Have I ever written a book about that, or anything else? No.
Enough said.
It was an entertaining read, easily accomplished in about a week.
However, I might have been just a teeny bit more gushing in my review if I had not received the following reply when I posted a comment on their blog right before I left on my trip. (please note that it does say the message may not have been sent by them, so who actually knows?)
The Lost Girls lostgirlsworld@gmail.com to me
show details Jun 15
This message may not have been sent by: lostgirlsworld@gmail.com Learn more Report phishing
Hi Claire
Thank you for your comment at The Lost Girls (http://www.lostgirlsworld.com/). Be sure to come back soon.
Thank you,
The Lost Girls
You posted the following comment:
---------------------------------
Hi ladies,
I just got my copy, via Amazon, in the mail today. I am taking it with me on my month long jaunt to Nicaragua. Heard great things about it. Gave it a plug on my latest post ;)
*gasp* *clutching hands to heart*
A FORM REPLY?
Maybe I have high expectations in the blogging community, because we all have started somewhere, and that's usually at or near the bottom. Or are still at the bottom. But I am pretty sure this is the first form reply I have ever gotten. I think I would have rather just have gotten no reply at all.
Moving on.
Would you like to read this book? Because I am giving my copy away! All you have to do is leave me a comment with a recommendation on your favorite book that has to with a traveler, a journey, or anything travel-related, by September 12 at noon EST! I will choose the winner at random (i.e. my husband will choose your name out of a Ziploc bag) and announce it here next week. I will mail it anywhere, so if you live in a mansion in Massachusetts, that's cool. Or if you live in a hut in the Himalayas, that's cool too.
For two books that I absolutely love, go here.
I enjoyed reading this review. Very interesting. I've heard of this book, but have not read it. I've only read some of Eat, Pray, Love, by the way. Anyway, it's cool that you took the time to write this review to let others know about it.
ReplyDeleteAre you on Twitter? I just tweeted your post there. If you are on it, I'd love to follow you!
Thanks Lisa! That's awesome. No, I am not on Twitter, but feel like I should be. Like I am missing the party or something. I will let ya know if I take the plunge!
ReplyDeleteClaire - I have begun loving to read a bit more in the past year, but if I read this book, it would only remind me of the fact that in my younger days, I just wasn't gutsy enough to venture out into the world, leaving my other life behind. But glad to see you doing a 'giveaway' - someone will want it! Be sure to give Adam a drumroll when the ziploc bag gets open!! Gayle
ReplyDeleteOne of my fav books that I read right out of college traveling through Jamaica was "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance" by Donald Miller. It's a great book to read when you're young and you feel like you can do anything!
ReplyDeleteOkay don't give me the book (I've got a copy). Just wanted to comment and say I enjoyed it and thought it was a good deal better than most of the "travel memoirs" that come my way. I think it's because Amanda, Jen and Holly all have prior writing experience so they really know what they're doing. Plus they are REALLY nice in person (don't know whats up with that weird form email though)
ReplyDeleteInteresting review on the book. I do want to read it and find out for myself.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Ladd-maybe it's just what you need!
ReplyDeleteAbernard-I will need to check that one out. Thanks for passing along.
Steph-you have met them?! So cool!! Where? I don't know what's up with the weird email either. Odd.
Bobbi Lee-Thanks for stopping by. Def check out for yourself!
I recently read Wanderlust by Elizabeth Eaves (wrote a review about it on my blog). It's definitely an interesting read, and she goes to a lot of countries that not many females would venture to...such as Afganistan. Hope you check it out :)
ReplyDeleteI've had my share of frustration with form replies, but the book sounds pretty cool. I'll take my chances!
ReplyDeleteI recently picked up a copy of "From Heaven Lake", a book written by an Indian author, Vikram Seth. It's a travelogue of a year he spends studying in China, where while traveling, he manages the impossible feat of getting an entry pass to Tibet. He decides to hitchhike from China to Tibet, into Nepal and back to India. It's a beautifully written book :)
To me it has to be "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is one book you can read again and again during any travel, which describes a journey of a lonely woman across 3 geographically interesting countries in quest to discover more about life.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I haven't heard of this one, so I will def be sure to check it out on your blog. Thanks for stopping by ;)
ReplyDeleteShivya, your book seems like one I need to get my hands on! Sounds like a good find. Thanks for sharing.
Kalyan,
For sure! Great book, read it a few years ago. I couldn't put it down. I wasn't crazy about the movie though. Did you read her follow-up to it?-it's called "Committed." It's good, but not quite as good as her first.
I had some of the same feelings you did about The Lost Girls. I don't need your copy as I have it too, but I did think it was somewhat misleading to say they go around the world, but a few come back to the US here and there. I also thought some of the scenarios they got themselves into where just downright dangerous and stupid. It didn't make me admire them for what they did or how they traveled, but it was an entertaining read. I can't believe that form reply. I agree. No reply at all would have been better.
ReplyDeleteHey Claire,
ReplyDeleteI'm technically on blog vacation, so I've banned myself from commenting on blogs until it's over, however, I don't want to miss out on this giveaway.
Gotta say that the funniest travel book I've read so far is "Holy Cow" by Sarah MacDonald and the last travel book I read is "The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. M. Troost. Both are hilarious and they both bitch throughout the entire book....hmmmm, wondering if there's a theme with my reading habits??
p.s. love reading your story. Too bad about the auto comment. I never read Lost Girls. Crossing my fingers! :-))
Reese
Suzy-Yes! How is that a RTW, if you come home twice? I don't get it. I was so surprised when I came to that part of the book.
ReplyDeleteReese-I am quite honored that you broke your blog vacation to enter my giveaway ;) I have heard of your second book, but not your first. Now I will need to check them out a little further!
Wow! Looks like I stumbled here right at a perfect time ! :-)
ReplyDeleteI hear you about cheating on the definition but many people do that including me. ;) I go abroad for 4-5 months & have to come back, mainly because I have other responsibilities to take care of. But then I don't call it RTW. :-)
Claire, I've heard of this book, but have not read it yet. It is on my list. And your review is quite interesting.
My suggestion would be 'Into Thin Air' though I haven't been to Mt Everest myself! :P
It's a true story about Mt Everest disaster. It's something everyone dreams of, but few do.... with great adventure, but great danger. Loved learning about the technical aspects of climbing in the "death zone". Gripping.
Nisha - Le Monde-A Poetic Travail
We talked about this before Claire, but as a reminder, I read the book for the first time this summer as well. I enjoyed it but for me the obvious fact that these girls were partly going on this adventure to further their careers and write a book kind of ruined it for me. It wasn't hard to sniff through the PR/Marketing B.S. I still thoroughly enjoyed it though, but it is obvious that their "RTW" was half "press trip", half adventure. And yes, who in the "real world" can afford to come home twice in one trip, they obviously come from means that I can't relate to, and that's ok ... it's just hurt my ability to relate.
ReplyDeleteYes you sure did Nisha! I wouldn't call it RTW either, and I'm glad someone else agrees! Thanks for your suggestion. I have gotten a few good ones from this post!
ReplyDeleteScott-I would def be interested to hear more on your review. You should do your own! I hadn't considered that angle of it.
I am passed the due date (and I have read the book anyway:)) but I just wanted to say, what a great giveaway! I am all about giving away most of my books after I have read them and this is a great idea!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I SOOOOOOOO AGREE with you in your crit of the book. I had the same issue with the gals coming home! I was gone for two years, did I come home?! NO!
Exactly! How can you call it RTW if you come home in the middle of it? and then come home again?!! Thanks for stopping by Rebecca ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Claire, thanks for the book review. I've heard of The Lost Girls, but haven't read it. It's hard to believe they were unable to edit the book to fewer than 500 pages!
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, I agree. Coming home twice does not constitute RTW. The trip should start and end in the same place; otherwise, it's just three long vacations.
I'm a huge fan of reading travel narratives, and my bookshelf is cluttered with them. I'm currently mid-way through reading three. But my favorite travel book, so far, that I've read this year is "Little Princes" by Conor Grennan (set in Nepal).
I also agree with Lisa's recommendation for you to join Twitter. The travelers that tweet are so much fun!
cheers,
~Kelly
HipTraveler
Kelly-my point EXACTLY. I would love to check out your recommendation-thanks for sharing! More importantly, thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDelete