Listened to this audiobook while driving from Socal to Norcal, and the drive was the perfect backdrop for the narrative, which follows two twentysomething men on a roadtrip from Texas to Oregon. Miller is a decent narrator, though not as clear and crisp as others. ( )

Enjoyable view into a trip across country, wherein love, girls, food and friendship are opportunities to think on creation and God. ( )

Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road was written after Blue Like Jazz (my review) but the events in the book took place mostly before Blue Like Jazz. Whoever thought it was a good idea to make a movie from Blue Like Jazz must be the same person who thought it be a good idea to have Don read his own audio books. He has a monotone way of reading that puts you to sleep, but it's generally my preference to hear the author tell his own story.

Don and his friend Paul take a beaten up Volkswagen van from Houston to Oregon and encounter the kind of people you'd expect along the way: Strangers who help them fix their car, people who work in roadside cafes, old friends, etc. They hike and camp and talk about love and life. Nothing really insightful. Occasionally, Don will have an epiphany about God and write a few paragraphs about it. This book is basically his journal of that road trip, and I suppose his publishers would think people would find it interesting because his Blue Like Jazz journaling sold so well.

I listened to this book primarily on subway rides in Ankara. The first few chapters annoyed me because it was so self-centric of a couple of middle class, white Southerners to think the world revolves around them and their road trip idea. Eventually, I warmed to the book as their encounters led them places and they resolved interpersonal conflicts and such. At the end of the book when they're sleeping in a tent in the woods and working summer jobs at a nearby pool, Don as a janitor, I'm struck by how easy it is in Oregon to live like that. Don doesn't talk much about his janitorial duties, but I suppose taking on such dirty work gave me a respect for him I wouldn't have otherwise.

But much of this book is like a boring reality TV show where you're sort of a voyeur into these guys pretty tame lives. The fact that people look to this book for spiritual insight really disturbs me, there's really not much there. They don't seem to spend much of their time looking at Scripture much, so much of what passes as spiritual insights (only about 10% of the book) are Don's own opinions on how God runs His universe. That Don would be some sort of hero to some people for writing about the ordinary tells me that American 20 somethings must really be bored or worse. Maybe I should write a book, see how it sells. ( )

As with all authors there comes a time when even our favorites disappoint us and this is mine. Through Painted Deserts is Miller's version of a travelogue and as such is not bad but doesn't really go anywhere. To be honest most travelogues are not supposed to go anywhere, it is more about the journey than it is the destination, which Miller explores How and Why with his usual Christian snarkiness. Somewhere along the way this version has more whine than depth exploration and reminded me of a Philip Roth novel. By the way, in my opinion, Miller is the one person that could write a fabulous Roth style novel and out Roth Roth.
If you think this book sounds familiar, its original was Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance, which had some marvelous bits in it. He cuts some material and added some new and release Painted Deserts. This would have been a better read and write if he'd kept the original and just added the additional excerpts. ( )

It's not my favorite Donald Miller book, but it's awfully good. An "[b:On the Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21E8H3D1JSL._SL75_.jpg|3355573]" for the new age, with a conscience. ( )