Matt McAvoy Book Review

A beautifully written book, if not about anything specific, but then, simultaneously, about everything.  Ritch Gaiti takes us on one man’s hugely personal journey of enlightenment, across the unnamed wilderness and through his own spiritual realm.  For the most part, it is difficult to tell if the narrative of The Strawberry Road is a metaphor for his whole life journey, a particular life challenge the narrator is facing, or if he actually is simply walking, with no purpose but to see where the path takes him.  The book comprises, almost in its entirety, of philosophical analogy, as he shares the challenges he faces in true metaphorical fashion: the ups and downs; insecurities and doubts; uncertainties over the past and the future; path choices and wrong decisions.

This book is for those who like to live, or experiment with life, on a metaphysical plain.  Gaiti’s character reads like either a 60s child, a 90s one, or perhaps some ancient, indigenous wanderer.  His writing is stunning – eloquent and beautiful - as he lays out the 40,000 or so words in pure, unrelenting prose.  The book is itself, perhaps, a little too metaphorical for my preference, but that doesn’t mean it was not a simple delight to join Gaiti’s creation on his journey through the earth, elements and cosmos of his own private universe, and the context of both his insignificance and huge significance in his wider plain.  I wouldn’t buy a book like this, but for those who try to face the inequities of life with a philosophical and/or spiritual eye, this work is craftsmanship, and you’ll love the author’s dedication and energy.  To others, the self-enlightenment may be a little laboured, but whatever your personal tastes, it is a wonderful book to read.  Gaiti has a truly outstanding way with words, wonderful vocabulary and, above all, a deep love and respect of nature, from the microscopic to the supermassive, and our symbiont concentric circles – and that can never be wrong. 

Published in an endearing cursive font, this book isn’t about the narrative, the narrator, or even the journey – it is all about the prose; the words and the language.  The poetry alone – which I always like, particularly when it is this good - would make a worthy standalone book, and The Strawberry Road is liberally interspersed with it, including a noteworthy appendix filled with wonderful additional verse.  Gaiti is a talented, profound, philosophical wordsmith, and his work is a true pleasure to read.

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