Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road
by Donald Miller
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 987)
Read in September, 2007
This is Don Miller's first book retitled and reprinted with, as I recall, some added content. It clearly prepares the reader for the style Miller's later books, which, while being slightly more "theological" in nature, are not quite as stream-of-conscience as this initial book. It is Miller's colorful, poetically descriptive musing that marks all of his books, and his casual demeanor when posing big questions about the nature of God, life, the world, and faith. I said this when I fi...more
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Read in July, 2008
Much to my disappointment, I found this book to be incredibly boring. I would have quit it after the first fifty pages had I not been driven forward by a sense of guilt for having given up on Searching for God Knows What as well as by my memory of having been deeply impressed by Blue Like Jazz. In consideration of these two previous encounters with Donald Miller's work, I pressed forward, hoping that the story would come around and actually become interesting enough to be worth my ...more
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Read in November, 2007
My friend Louisa recommended this book. I finally read it as a preparation for my upcoming road trip to Michigan from SoCal. The story is basically of a guy and his buddy driving across the southwest and up into Oregon. This book got me thinking about a few things, including the importance of THINGS in life. But on a deeper level, Miller describes God as being like light; you can't really understand it but it's seen clearly when it's reflected off of something. He also talks about asking more &q...more
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Read in September, 2008
This is a great, honest, truthful, nothing spared look at struggling with spirituality and Christianity and God and being early twenties on an amazing road trip from Houston to Portland and many places along the way. As is typical with Miller's writing, it is a stream of consciousness (many find this frustrating, most find it exhilarating) and is written in such a way that leaves you wanting more and more and more. You feel completely connected with him and the characters in the book and want ...more
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Read in February, 2002
recommends it for:
new believers
When I first read this book, it was called Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance. It was a great conversation starter at that point. More than that, this book helped me accept my growing faith and the concepts behind born-again Christianity. I bought it as Through Painted Deserts as a gift for the man I married and reread it about a year ago, and it held up remarkably well. I have grown a ...more
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Read in March, 2007
this was such a beautifully written book--to me, at least. i think that Miller is a writer that is a bit of a crapshoot as a recommendation. i recommended his first book to my friend, and he loved it. he told me about this book, and i loved it. so i told my wife about this book, and she couldnt get into it. i thought it was really cool, though. its an autobiography of sorts and really isnt about Christianity at all. maybe only as a metaphor. this takes place during the time that miller moved fro...more
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Read in May, 2008
Once again, Donald Miller does not disappoint. Being a traveler myself, I love most accounts of people's travel around the world - this was a great reflective journey across the U.S. culminating in a summer in Central Oregon, at a resort I've personally spent tons of time at, so could relate well with Miller's love of the Central Oregon Cascades. While rising gas prices have made the great American road trip something not as possible right now, Miller's writing made me want to hop in the car wit...more
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Read in November, 2006
If this book is in your hands, put it down and go read Kerouac's On The Road or something.
This book trips over Miller's overly detailed foibles on a cross-country road trip with a friend. One gag in particular late in the book is remarkably unfunny: Miller tries to embarrass his friend in front of their waitress at a diner, and the joke falls flat.
That'd be my one-word review maybe: flat. This book isn't necessary, nor was the retread to put it out again under this new title. (Previously...more
This book trips over Miller's overly detailed foibles on a cross-country road trip with a friend. One gag in particular late in the book is remarkably unfunny: Miller tries to embarrass his friend in front of their waitress at a diner, and the joke falls flat.
That'd be my one-word review maybe: flat. This book isn't necessary, nor was the retread to put it out again under this new title. (Previously...more
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While Donald Miller is known for most of his work on practical theology such as Blue Like Jazz, this for me is his best book ever. It is a remake of his first book that he ever had published. It reads like a fiction book, yet is really more of an autobiography of Donald Miller and his adventure as he makes his way into a new chapter in life, which includes moving from Texas to the great Northwest. You feel as if you know Donald and are right next to him throughout this story. I have read this bo...more
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Read in February, 2008
I did like this book a lot. It was a very relaxing and easy read. I loved the fact that the author was completely honest about his actions and feelings on this trip; it's rare that you see someone willing to be so open about their lives and willing to show the bad with the good, allowing the possibility for criticism. I respect and appreciate that trust.
Topics discussed are what led to the creation of Blue Like Jazz and Searching for God Knows What. It's neat to see how G...more
Topics discussed are what led to the creation of Blue Like Jazz and Searching for God Knows What. It's neat to see how G...more
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Read in August, 2006
I attempted to read this book in its original form, as Prayer and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I just couldn't get past his abuse of semicolons. (True story.)
I remained skeptical when it was rereleased as Through Painted Deserts. (I was REALLY mad about those semicolons, OK?!) But I finally picked it up and fell in love. It probably had something to do with timing, things going on in my life at that moment. Whatever it was, I really connected with this book.
I remained skeptical when it was rereleased as Through Painted Deserts. (I was REALLY mad about those semicolons, OK?!) But I finally picked it up and fell in love. It probably had something to do with timing, things going on in my life at that moment. Whatever it was, I really connected with this book.
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Nuggets of profundity and beauty at the onset made me think I was going to get a good spacey read (as in, "have you ever thought of..." in a spacey voice that gets you to think of the universe afresh), but the story gets caught in too-personal recollection that loses its universal appeal. It especially gets caught in remembrance of mild go-nowhere crushes. Anyway, I think my review is falling prey to the same phenomenon... trailing off....
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While still worth reading, it did not surprise me to learn that this was an early work that Miller scrapped and then revived once his other books were selling well. Still, there are enough moments in this book that I enjoyed for me to recommend it to others--though perhaps it should be placed further down the list of "need-to-read" books, so that if you get to it, you get to it, and if you don't, not too much has been missed.
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recommends it for:
Everyone
This book really helped me through a tough time in my faith. It enabled me to get a better grasp on who God is and what He needs to be in my life. In a time of so many questions about where I'm going in my life, this book guided me through some tough decisions and showed me that a simple life with God as my companion is the only way to live. That and with no shoes and a van... You'll understand when you read it. :)
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Read in August, 2007
This book, for me, is beauty. Written down, bound up, and published by another human being.
It is modern day pilgrimage, one mans thoughts of life in general. I am a Miller fan anyway, I actually like his blog style of narrative, something other dislike alot.
For any lover of America, any searcher of beauty and light and God, any dreamer, procrastinator, or [wannabe:] traveller, this book is a must read.
It is modern day pilgrimage, one mans thoughts of life in general. I am a Miller fan anyway, I actually like his blog style of narrative, something other dislike alot.
For any lover of America, any searcher of beauty and light and God, any dreamer, procrastinator, or [wannabe:] traveller, this book is a must read.
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Donald Miller is quite popular amongst people I know. In general from his other books I think they hit a lot of good things, but never go deep enough into the issue. This book doesn't have a ton as far as Christian Commentary on life... But it is an awesome story. I read it in 3 days and it is about a road trip he took with one of his closest friends. I really like the way he tells story.
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Read in August, 2005
I read this after I had read Don's other ones. I think that made me like it a lot more. I found that this one kept me wanting to actually take a road trip. I did appreciate how he would bring me into how the trip taught him about God. I liked how much he learned through his conversations with others as well. George Winston's music was brought up which made me excited.
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Read in January, 2006
Two guys in a beat up VW bus making a cross country trip from Texas to Oregon by way of the Grand Canyon. A look at spirituality, God, friendship and what it is like to "leave" all that you know and be on the open road of your life. This is by a Portland author and the author's note at the beginning is absolutley one of the most deep and beautiful things I ever read.
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It's Miller's first book and you can tell by the weak style of writing. He has definately come a long way since this, but this is still worth a read. In this book, Miller attempts to tell a story about traveling with a friend while weaving in vague ideas and lessons learned about God. It's a little muddled and amature, but chapter 3 really shines.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
Miller fans
I only enjoyed this book because I really like the author and feel like I actually know him as a person. Otherwise, this probably isn't a book I'd recommend. The positives are that Miller is just a very good writer, so he paints a lot of beautiful scenery on this road trip, and it ends really well, but overall it was just not his best work.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.85 (739 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.85 (739 ratings) number of reviews: 116
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"We live on top of the created world, I think to myself, not in it."
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