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Product Description
Product Description
From one of Germany’s most beloved celebrities, a cross between Bill Bryson and Paulo Coelho.
It has sold over 3 million copies and been translated into eleven different languages. Pilgrims have increased along the Camino by 20 percent since the book was published. Hape Kerkeling’s spiritual epiphany has struck a nerve.
Overweight, overworked, and physically unfit, Kerkeling was an unlikely candidate to make the arduous pilgrimage across the French Alps to the Spanish Shrine of St. James, a 1,200-year-old journey undertaken by nearly 100,000 people every year. But that didn’t stop him from getting off the couch and walking. Along the way, lonely and searching for meaning, he began the journal that turned into this utterly frank, engaging book. Simply by struggling with his physical limitations and the rigors of long-distance walking, he discovered a deep sense of peace that transformed his life and allowed him to forgive himself, and others, more readily. He learned something every day, and he took to finishing each entry with his daily lessons.
Filled with quirky fellow pilgrims, historic landscapes, and Kerkeling’s self-deprecating sense of humor, I’m Off Then is an inspiring travelogue, a publishing phenomenon, and a spiritual journey unlike any other.
About the Author
Hape Kerkeling is a comedian and writer living in Berlin. This is his first book.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you, Hape, for taking me along!,
By Kat (Winnipeg, MB) - See all my reviews
This review is from: I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago (Paperback)
What a great book!One of Germany's most versatile and in my opinion most lovable comedians for decades, Hape Kerkeling is quite an unlikely fellow to picture on a pilgrimage, of all places... First, one has to come to terms with this strange picture (which you won't have to worry about unless you know his comedy - and most non-German speaking people unfortunately don't). I had never been interested in reading a book by any celebrity before. But after hearing that this one had ranked #1 on Germany's bestseller list for 100 weeks, I became curious and picked it up (the German version; I hadn't found out at that point that it had been released in English). I loved it! Partly, I loved it because of the many colourful characters he meets, the landscapes of the Camino he describes in such vivid detail, the many strange experiences/miracles/coincidences (pick one) he encounters. I loved it because he reveals so much of himself, his struggles and his quirks, that you can't help but adore him. But mostly, I loved it because it was very entertaining. Though on a spiritual quest, Hape couldn't turn off the comedian in himself.. and why would he even try, it's his gift. When I found out that the book had been released in English, I was thrilled! I immediately recommended it to everyone I know. I recommend it to anyone! And I mean ANYONE! You don't have to be religious to enjoy this book, nor do you have to know Hape - the comedian... You just have to like a good read. You won't be disappointed!
3.0 out of 5 stars
I'm off too,
By
This review is from: I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago (Paperback)
I purchased this book after going to the movie "The Way" with the thought that maybe, just maybe, doing The Camino would be desirable. After reading it, I have totally given up that idea. That's not the fault of the book so much as it is the idea that the last part had big crowds and traffic problems.The book itself? It is okay. It was entertaining enough to keep me reading, and I did gain some insights- or maybe just discovered the author's insights paralleled my own. If one wants to join in an author's sense of self-discovery, it is good. If one is looking for a book of humour, it is a bit wanting- or else I do not share the author's idea of what is funny. What the book is not is a travel guide to The Camino.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews) 30 of 32 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago,
By S. Brown - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago (Paperback)
I LOVED this book. As a Santiago pilgrim myself (2008, from St Jean), I've been awaiting the English translation of this famous German's camino book. Nearly every German I met on the Camino had read the book. For some, it was the reason they were walking the 800 km journey. I'd heard from some that they'd read it and were unimpressed, too.So I was very pleasantly surprised when I couldn't put it down. It's a page turner - mostly due to the humble, self-effacing style of Hape Kerkeling, but also due to his unfailing ability to describe with truth and pathos what his eyes see. A refreshing aspect of the book is that Kerkeling does include details about the camino itself. He clearly walked most of it (unlike our dear Paulo C) and endured the hardships (though he skipped all but a few albergues). His Camino starts in solitude, but as he walks he opens himself to the scenery and the people and you can feel his soul expand. I've recommended the book to all my Camino friends and would recommend it to anyone who's considering walking the Way of St. James. A thanks to the translator (though I'm still not sure what she means by a "Spanish biscuit." Hopefully she's not referring to the omnipresent Spanish tortilla - hardly a biscuit). For good measure I'm off to read this great book a second time. Thank you, Hape, and buen camino. 20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Memorable Journey for Armchair Travelers,
By Lynne Christen "Travel Wisdom" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago (Paperback)
I just returned from a most memorable 500+ mile long journey across the French Alps to Camino de Santiago and I never left my chair except to refill my wine glass. German comedian and author Hape Kerkeling took me along on his pilgrimage through the pages of I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago. Right from the start Kerkeling confesses to being an unlikely pilgrim...more of a couch potato than an adventurer. I too must admit that when I began this literary trek with Hape, I had serious doubts about whether or not I would stick to the journey. For me, a walk means circling the mall three times or a sunset stroll on the beach. I do not relish the thoughts of "roughing it." I was not at all certain that this was "my kind of travel book."I was wrong. As we traveled the pages across the snowcapped Pyrenees, through Basque country, Navarra, Rioja and all the way to Galicia, I discovered that this journey was really about self-reflection and self-discovery. The more I read, the more it reinforced my strong belief that when we travel with an open mind and an open heart, we quickly learn that different cultures, beliefs and traditions are not wrong...simply different...and we embrace the differences. We also discover that as human beings we are much more like our fellow pilgrims than we are different. And, as Hape point out: "Sometimes even the most annoying people mean well." I particularly enjoyed Hape's self-deprecating humor, his keen perceptions about the people he met and traveled with along the way and his pithy insights (some profound, some playful) the end of each chapter. My personal favorite; "Open your heart and canoodle with the day." (Looking up the definition, I quickly figured out that canoodle is a hip way to say "Make love to the day.") First released in German, I'm Off Then quickly became a best seller. No doubt, the English version will also reap awards and significantly increase Hape Kerkeling's fan club. Review by Lynne R. Christen Author: Travel Wisdom 13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling and engaging,
By I. Sondel "I. Sondel - lover of the arts" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago (Paperback)
I first read about this book a few months ago in Out Magazine [they named it, along with Terry Galloway's "Mean Little deaf Queer", as a book to look forward to] and promptly forgot about it until my friend Austin brought a copy to book group thinking I'd enjoy it. What can I say? Austin knows me pretty well; I loved it!Each year tens of thousands of people make the pilgrimage from St Jean Pied de Port to the Santiago de Compestela (or The Way of St James) in Northern Spain; this is one mans story. Never preachy or sanctimonious, "I'm off Then" is immediately engaging and compelling throughout. Hape Kerkeling is an internationally known German comedian, and he relates the experiences of his spiritual trek in a brisk and congenial manner. The whole is nothing more than a series of vignettes, each relating the day's events, the places and people encountered along the road. The author communicates no great epiphany, and yet the reader is moved to accept that the journey did have a profound and lasting effect on him. I suppose the highest praise I could give this volume is to say I enjoyed travelling along vicariously with Hape and his friends; I felt a part of, and would have been more than content to continue along with them a while longer. |
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