Breakfast with Buddha

A Novel

By: Roland Merullo

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

When his sister tricks him into taking her guru on a trip to their childhood home, Otto Ringling, a confirmed skeptic, is not amused. Six days on the road with an enigmatic holy man who answers every question with a riddle is not what he'd planned. But in an effort to westernize his passenger---and amuse himself---he decides to show the monk some "American fun" along the way. From a chocolate factory in Hershey to a bowling alley in South Bend, from a Cubs game at Wrigley field to his family farm near Bismarck, Otto is given the remarkable opportunity to see his world---and more important, his life---through someone else's eyes. Gradually, skepticism yields to amazement as he realizes that his companion might just be the real thing. In Roland Merullo's masterful hands, Otto tells his story with all the wonder, bemusement, and wry humor of a man who unwittingly finds what he's missing in the most unexpected place.

©2007 Roland Merullo (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"The skillful Merullo, using the lightest of touches, slowly turns this low-key comedy into a moving story of spiritual awakening." ( Booklist)

Unsure at first, but very much enjoyed.

I was a little annoyed at first with the writer's meandering style of prose, but I got used to it as the book went on. I liked the narrator as well. He had a very lively, animated way of speaking, although his quasi Russian accent was patchy at times. Thoroughly recommend to anyone.

Words for deep thought.

Loved it! Didn't want to stop listening. The narrator was amazing! Ready for Lunch with Buddha!

Didn't realize it was a romance

Narrator was gpod. Story was great until last chapter. Pretty sappy finish undercut message

something wonderful this way comes.

Our book club read this book and before we were done, I bought the next in the series. Enough said.

Wonderful story of change and acceptance

This book comes highly recommended by my teacher, Ven. Thay Kozen of Mt. Adams Buddhist Temple. Great recommendation!

Beautiful book with wonderful spiritual journey

I enjoyed the spiritual journey of this amazing book. It is beautifully written, with a smooth narrative, a poetic description, and an on spiraling spiritual journey.

Dracula

The narrator uses an accent for the monk that sounds like a cartoon Dracula. The story was engaging. The narrator was trash. I’m returning this one since I couldn’t get through 2 hours of it.

beautiful life philosophy!

The story was told as a journey. If everyone read this book we all might take a different, better path!

great

great story it was very helpful thank you so much for thisj I have wrote all I wanted to write so please submit or I will not submi

a thoughtful and often hilarious journey

This audiobook was a real pleasure--one I plan to come back to again and again. One reason is I love the performance as well as the voice of the reader, Sean Runette. I found it soothing yet compelling--you know, the type where you don't want to get out of your car and turn it off. Even at the end of the story, the characters rest with me--I have shared the better part of a week with Otto and his travelling companion and felt as if I was there with them.

The plot is simple enough---a middle aged man travelling from his home NY to his childhood home, to the heartland settle the estate of his parents who were killed suddenly. However there is a rhythm to the book, a progression across geography, cultures and the thoughts of Otto--flowing out at first in a rapid stream of consciousness that had a bent to describe, label and judge, and eventually coming to a place of peace, home and family---and something more-- an interior voyage, to find his own heart, breath and soul.

The entire concept of this book appealed to me, but I was afraid it would not be so digestible to my own middle aged husband. However, he really enjoyed this audio book as well. The rich imagery, descriptions of food so vivid that could almost taste it, and the humor....lots of humor appealed to my own Otto-like husband and will hopefully set him on a bit of a journey of his own.

As for me, it gave me a lot of food for thought. I adored the Rimposhe's perception of the "real" America, his kindness even when in adversity, in fact, I loved loved how "stress" was dealt with in this story. So much to love in this book.