The Noticer – Andy Andrews

October 17, 2015 · 11:56 am

What does the univers want to tell me?

This book staied on my shelf for at least four years; my husband had bought it during a business travel to Canada in 2011. One week ago I decided to read a novel, just to compensate all the essays on self-help that I am reading in these months. And what do I discover? That this is not a true novel, this is a self-help book!

Well, not proper a manual. It is a story, a didactin one: actualy, I have not seen any particular literary attitude among these lines, but for the purpose of the book is to launch a message (or several ones) and, in this sense, it works.

I still wonder if Andrews really met someone like Jones when he was young (and if he really was in such troubles when he was young). Of course, not a misterious never-aging Jones, as the one in the story, but maybe someone who suggested to read as many biographies as possible? This is just out of curiosity, because here in Italy we do not worship big personalities memoires. Well, here you can well sell your autobiography if you are an actor, a soubrette, an anchorman, a famous sportman. But if you are the spirit of Lincoln, Mazzini, Garibaldi, Colombo... well, I am sorry for you, but your life is studied only during the few school months (and believe me, it is not a student's choice).

Anyway, the biography effect on Andrews' life, true or fake, is realistic. How the author says, opportunities and encouragement come from people. But... wich people? Maybe the worker who hecticly gesticulates to me showing that I must move my car to another parking place has something to teach me. But I think that a Martin Luther King or a Gandhi has something bigget to tell.

They are not dead, indeed. They are people that you can meet when you want. They just sleep on the paper, and you can awake them by taking that book down from the shelf!

Besides authobiographies, yes, do read The Noticer. You can get some suggetions about poverty, marriage troubles, happiness, sense of life, honesty, success and Death. But if you really want to get perspective on yours and other's life, believe me, do read the memoires of big people. Inspire yourself.