If I had to narrow down the book I recommended to people the most this year, it would be The Dallergut Dream Department Store. It's rare for me to find a book that changes my mindset in such a positive way, but it has become my go-to book for recommendations for a light and fluffy book, magical realism, and short reads.
Now, it's very important to point out this is not a regular book. Instead of having a singular plot, it's a series of loosely connected vignettes that illustrate the highlights of Penny's first year working at the Department Store. And I think that is this book's strength, as each vignette highlights a different kind of dream, and highlights why they're important. From dream inspiration to nightmares, and everything in between, each kind of dream is valid.
So while I have already reviewed this book, I'm going to focus on what I learned from it and how it helped me in my day-to-day life.
1. Nightmares aren't all bad
I am someone who struggles with nightmares. In fact, I was having a conversation with my brother about this the other day, where I was mentioning how bad my nightmares can get and he was shocked I couldn't just wake myself up from them. However, something this book taught me was that repeated nightmares are a great way to learn how to face your fears. Even though it's terrifying at the moment, dreams have a way of making things more heightened. So if you're terrified of public speaking, using your dreams of being in your underwear during an important meeting is a great way to remind yourself it could be worse. And eventually, the things you fear, especially if they're small like this, don't feel so bad. Now if only I could figure out what my insane nightmares I have been having lately are trying to teach me about - though it's probably just don't read scary books at night.
2. Dreams have different purposes
One of the things that fascinated me the most about this setting was how the store had so many different types of dreams available. And each one was given to a different person. Some were given by someone about to pass on to a relative to help give their grief closure. Others were given to creative people who needed a spark of inspiration to do something extraordinary. There were also dreams to help someone start to follow their life goals and others that showed someone they were truly over their breakup and ready for love again. Each dream was given to the person who needed it most. And while we don't actually have a department store curating the perfect dreams for us, there are so many ways for us to reflect on our dreams and how they might inspire us to become better people. As a result, I've started journaling the dreams I remember, not to try and analyze them, but instead to remind myself there are so many ways my subconscious might be guiding me towards what is coming next. And I can't wait to find out what's in store.
3. Animal dreams are important
One of my favorite vignettes in the book centers around a dog named Leo. He's an elderly dog who loves his family, and his dreams are about when he was younger when he was able to take longer walks with them. I loved how pure his dreams were, and how his favorite thing was spending time with his humans. In addition, when his humans saw him running in his sleep, it showed how much they valued him as a member of the family. I looked at my dog, who happened to be napping at the moment and couldn't help but wonder what she dreamed about. It made me appreciate that dreams are an experience we share with our animal companions, and they are just as important to them as they are to us.
Overall, I highly recommend everyone reads this book. It's cute, it'll make you think, and maybe, like me, it'll make you learn something new about yourself.