La ciudad de la alegría
by Dominique Lapierre
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 409)
Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
everyone
This book inspired by true story. To write this book, Dominique Lappier had to live in slum area in Calcutta, India for about two years. So that this slum area became the setting of the book.
The book told about the story of epic in a place called Anand Nagar or City of Joy. For Brother Stephan - a priest from Poland - came to this place made him to a suprise. He had to live in such filtry condition: a few water to share, bad sanition, etc. But, here, Stephan found the light of God that he se...more
The book told about the story of epic in a place called Anand Nagar or City of Joy. For Brother Stephan - a priest from Poland - came to this place made him to a suprise. He had to live in such filtry condition: a few water to share, bad sanition, etc. But, here, Stephan found the light of God that he se...more
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Ok, so I know they made some movie based on this book with Patrick Swayze, but that is irrelevant. This book tells the story of life in India and the struggles of a family forced to leave their country home and migrate to the crowded city of Calcutta if I remember correctly. I'm pretty sure that it is not a true story, but based on real events-maybe it's historical fiction. Anyway, I thought it was great.
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Read in January, 2000
This book was given to me a few years ago. I cannot remember all the stories, though reading other reviews brought it back. What I do remember is the vivid picture of poverty. Maybe you cannot travel to another country or live in a slum, but by reading this book, you will get a picture of what life is like for millions of people... it's a world very different from America. Life in pursuit of survival is described, as opposed to life in pursuit of meaning. The pathos, the sense of life's devasta...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in May, 2008
As cliche as it sounds, this book is truly life changing. Unless you see it or live it, I really don't think we can understand what extreme poverty exists in our world. This book is the closest I have ever come to even understanding what the word "poverty" really means. I was amazed at the perseverance of these amazing people in Calcutta. Their entire lives are filled with suffering, and yet they have joy and they give and they love. Their story is inspiring. It made me feel so gratefu
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
Bleeding Hearts
This book is the story of a Catholic priest who goes to live in Calcutta and decides to suffer along with the very poor. It's deliberately sentimental, heartwrenching, and written in a basic journalistic style. It was certainly an awakening, and was deeply motivating as well as being frequently very sad. A wonderful kind of crusader book with very clear heroes, villains, and saints.
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This was one of the most amazing books I read; it changed my life! What sticks out in my mind to this day was reading about the poor giving the very last of their food to another who was even more poor and had less.
I finished this book in the Denver International airport between flights and cried my eyes out! Such a beautiful book, I recomend everyone to read it!
I finished this book in the Denver International airport between flights and cried my eyes out! Such a beautiful book, I recomend everyone to read it!
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Read in January, 1995
It is a beautiful story of Calcutta. For anyone who knows me - there's a scene with a Nestle poster in a clinic which reads "Nestle will make your baby healthy" which resonated with me and highlighted the frustrations felt by the doctor working in the slums. But also a really nice story of family and hope.
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Menyedihkan, tetapi bukan berarti harus disembunyikan. Karena bisa menjadi bagian tak terpisahkan pada sebuah pelajaran akan kehidupan yang tak pantas dilupakan. Pengungkapan fakta tanpa harus dilebih-lebihkan terkadang bisa lebih dramatis. City of joy menceritakan semuanya, India, eksotisme budaya, kemiskinan, religiusitas yang tak terbatas, dan satu lagi, manusia dan hasratnya.
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
anybody
Amid terrible poverty, you'll share the joy and pain of everyday men and women who abandoned affluent and middle class lives to dedicate themselves to the poor. You'll be moved also by the people of city of joy themselves, by their tragedies, their faith, generosity and most of all their boundless love that will touch you and possibly change your lives.
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probably my favorite book ever. I read it in 1999 whilst i was in India, and perhaps the fact that i was there made the scenes more vivid and real for me. Its an amazing depiction of how joy love and kindness can exist in povery, squalor and hardship.
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Read in January, 2007
This book was required for my cultural anthro class last fall. It was made into a movie with Patrick Swayze at some point, but from what I hear they really messed it up. It's a beautiful, eye-opening book telling a true story that sounds so impossible you want it to be fiction.
You'll never think of India, or poverty, the same way again.
You'll never think of India, or poverty, the same way again.
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Easy to read, easy to come back to (I, for example, have been reading this for the past 10 months with a lot of interruptions to read other things). It is a very descriptive book that gives the reader a good idea of what life in a crowded Indian city is like for a laborer. I have cried at the end of almost every chapter.
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Read in January, 1999
Loved it - read it - then went to Calcutta where I got to ride past THIS ACTUAL PLACE in a bus after hugging the second largest Banyan tree in the world and - wow...powerful story and even more powerful city.
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
People with big hearts
This book was really long and got a little slow at some points. However, it was very inspirational. I probably wouldn't have liked it as much if I didn't have a slight knowledge of India and its religions. I would deffinatley suggest a little bit of research on Hinduism and Islam before you read this.
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Read in August, 2001
This is a thought provoking book about living in a slum in the big city in India. I found it interesting to see how other people live, think and die.
For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book. There was a chapter I ended up skipping because I found it inappropriate.
For the most part, I enjoyed reading this book. There was a chapter I ended up skipping because I found it inappropriate.
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Read in January, 2002
This book tells the true story of a Catholic priest who becomes a missionary in Calcutta, India - the land of Mother Teresa. He lives and works with the poorest of the people, and spends years among the leper colonies. An incredibly sad but inspiring book.
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Read in July, 1990
recommends it for:
Travellers to India
I read this some years ago b4 travelling to India , even though I never got to Calcutta the vivid descriptions reminded me of Bombay and I caould almost imagine meeting Mother Theresa.. A must for anyone going to India..
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Brillante narración de valores humanos y humanitarios. Pálido reflejo de la realidad de las "bidonville", y de la dedicación de las personas que trabajan por los demás. Literariamente, no ofrece grandes novedades.
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
many friends
I learned a lot, because you have the opportunity to realize that there are a lot of poor people without money, but with many love for the life. The attitute to face the life in really incredible!
Myli
Myli
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LaPierre's got his formula down for writing history and making it feel like you're taking in guilty pleasure read, like a murder mystery or a trashy true crime novel. But backed by exhaustive research.
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