Enlightenment for Idiots may have single-handedly derailed my quest for enlightenment. If it's this boring, who the hell cares.It took me FOREVER to finish this book. And it's not that it's boring, it's just that the plot twist that happens about a 1/3 of the way into the book changed the premise entirely. If I had known that was going to happen I would not have started the book. Once that happened I knew what the main character was going to consider being enlightened and I'm too old to do that. (Trying very hard here not to give it away here, JIC). This just made all of her "oh no what am I doing with my life" stuff annoying.I didn't find this book at all compelling even though there are a few gems sprinkled in. But a few bon mots about life and longing don't make it a page-turner. This was a fun, light book. The author has previously written books about yoga and Buddhism, this is her first fiction. In this book she uses her extensive knowledge about yoga, etc., to tell a story about a young woman, Amanda, who writes books in the "For Idiots" series, and is chosen, due to her long time practice and teaching of yoga, to do a book titled "Enlightenment for Idiots". Amanda heads off for a tour of ashrams and yogis in India; at the same time she is trying to gain insight into her romantic relationship, with a man who is mostly never around. I really enjoyed the authors' humor, the light "tongue in cheek" look at those seeking answers.
What do You think about Enlightenment For Idiots (2008)?
A fun summer read. A good point at the end about being "enlightened."
—rupam
I had planned to give this three stars but I found the ending so trite!
—Jaynika
I was unsure about the book at first, but by the end, I loved it!
—Aja
Predictable, but the yoga references are fun.
—Mari
