Long Life, Honey in the Heart by Martin Prechtel

Long Life, Honey in the Heart Reviews

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  Bénédicte Rousseau

  An essential read in these times of spiritual forgetfulness and modern violence. Written in an exquisite and colorful language, it's a book that connects the reader to the indigenous soul that is part of the human experience. It's one of the most important books that I've read, not because it offers a glimpse on a lost world, but because it shows what can be born again today. I actually warmly recommend each and every book written by Martin Prechtel.
• 
  Maria Trying to write my book Park

  A lyrically beautiful view into a spiritual journey. To say much more would spoil the experience of the reader. This is a must read for any spiritual seeker.
• 
  Lachlan

  A beautiful depiction of the lives and culture of the Maya of Santiago near Lake Atitlán in Guatemala - but not without flaws.
  
  Prechtel has a tendency to idealise the Mayan culture he has come in contact with. He is largely uncritical and accepting of the rituals and beliefs he is presented - the one exception being the brutal stoning of a man by the wider village. Even still, this incident is soon forgotten. I would expect he had more experiences in this vein - a few references are also made to domestic violence, but usually to highlight how rare these instances are.
  
  The book functions as Prechtel's love-note to the village, ritual and culture. As such, the darker side of village life remains largely unexamined. On the other hand Prechtel is content to present a particularly dark caricature of 'Western civilisation', which in his view is all violence and destruction. Certainly these elements are present and of immense concern - but do they accurately represent the entirety of Western culture?
  
  By my nature I'm wary of the idealisation of indigenous and native cultures, and reductionist explanations of the woes of the West.
  
  Prechtel talks in very general terms about the isolation, violence, apathy and depression of modern man, and for this makes a connection to our lack of initiation, and our disconnection with the female aspects of nature - an interesting idea, and certainly worth deeper analysis than is given in the few dozen pages of the afterword and parting essay. I would have liked to have seen his analysis and contrast with 'Western civilization' given more depth.
  
  As for the narrative itself: at times it drags, particularly in labored descriptions of rituals. Other times it feels rushed (compare the length of the courting and initiation rituals versus the violent political change that visits the village, or the few short pages of reflection on the experience of the book in the afterword).
  
  The pacing mightn't be perfect, but Pretchel has a powerful way of writing, and his experiences of Santiago are well worth reliving. At its best, 'Long Life, Honey In The Heart' is a powerful and beautiful demonstration of how ritual symbolic life can feed a community, and a valuable meditation on the spiritual imagination of humanity. He has done well to capture very atypical experiences and subject matter.
  
• 
  Diana

  This book was absolutely amazing. The language in it can break your heart and heal it in the same sentence. I really appreciated how we were let into a world that most people will never see. What a beautiful way to live and to view the world. I hope that I am able to read this book again and again just because I really felt GOOD reading it (I can only say this for a few other books in my collection). My only regret is that it took me so long to read it since I've been so busy, so I read it in little disconnected chunks.
  
  I also read this book since I'm currently living in Honduras and wanted to know at least about ONE particular sub-group of the Mayan people. I often gained some insights into central american culture (not sure if they took it directly from the Maya or not), but the way they described the cacophonous "resolution" of arguments sounded a lot like the way many of our Honduran staff meetings are run... everyone shouts out their opinion over each other and then miraculously things are decided... apparently everyone has this talent of simultaneously hearing and talking, which I don't think I have as a north american!!
  
  Anyway, HIGHLY fascinating book, absolutely BEAUTIFUL, HIGHLY recommended to anyone into anthropology, indigenous issues, or just the poetry and beauty of everyday life.
• 
  Anna Bromley

  A sequel to Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, this book is equally fascinating and beautifully written. It gives such insight into the living culture of the Mayans of Santiago Atitlan - a cualture that we could all learn so much from. It highlights the importance of giving young people something to strive for, something to aspire to, so that they are turned into heroes and heroines instead of delinquents.
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  Hope

  I love Pretchel's tales of his life with the indigenous Tzutujil Mayan in Guatemala... I've since heard, not surprisingly, that he is a very controversial figure. So be it. His story (embellished, biased, whatever) is a great lovely adventure, filled with magic, shamanism and spirit. Beautiful. I've read all his books and wish there were a dozen more...
• 
  David

  This book was great in that it was like an anthropological journey into the heart of Mayan culture. This book is the 2nd in a trilogy. It was important to read, I found it to be rich in knowledge and a little dry compared to his other books. I still recommend reading it because it is an important part of the trilogy.
• 
  Alli Lubin

  Martin Prechtel is an amazing writer. I began reading this book while experiencing a Mayan initiation ceremony first hand in Vermont this summer, then finished it after I got back home. What a great way to read this book. I can't imagine reading it cold without any idea what you were reading about.
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  Rachel

  So heart filled; the words are like honey to the soul and the stories so rich it is as if you are eating from a buffet of the most decadent storytelling. Prechtel is a master at weaving together a story that tears your heart apart, leaves you longing for more and fills your soul with beauty. The saga continues to pour from his pen and I cannot drink it in fast enough.
• 
  Jean

  Written about a time not so long ago but somehow like a thousand years ago, before the Maya of Guatamala were changes and removed from their ancient culture. Autobiographical. Lovely, such beauty. Sad, such loss.
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  Carah Naseem

  This book is so amazingly, heartbreakingly beautiful. I cannot physically wait to read his other work.
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  Clivemichael

  Brilliant story telling, amazing explanations, brought me a new understanding of effusive.
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  Igna

  Oh dear. The image of the writer and the participants being on some sort of drugs, come to mind throughout the book...