I think you are being unfair towards GoF. GoF came out when Object Orientation was the rage and it provided a useful compendium of solution archetypes that can be used in response to (solved, recurring) problems. That is not to cast aspersions on your personal experience. It sounds like you had an encounter with an Architecture Astronaut and ended up in a bad place, but the fact that you are writing about it is a good thing, isn't it?
I also agree that "changed my x" is a bit of a stretch; perhaps it's hyperbole and should be taken as such. There are very few "things" that change one's life. Perhaps being in a war, or a natural disaster or some such, having an encounter with death but averting it or some such event could singlehandedly change one's life, but I doubt that reading a book or a set of books is one of them.
It's not a judgment of GoF per se, although I have some critique on the book as well, but of the impact it had. Unfortunately, a lot of people (mis)took it to heart, and GoF became just another book to learn by rote when interviewing.
Somehow related, Google right now demands interviewees to prepare using the Cracking the Coding Interview book. Pretty much it's like someone sells you a door and hands you a set of lockpicking tools instead of you using the key to enter.
I also agree that "changed my x" is a bit of a stretch; perhaps it's hyperbole and should be taken as such. There are very few "things" that change one's life. Perhaps being in a war, or a natural disaster or some such, having an encounter with death but averting it or some such event could singlehandedly change one's life, but I doubt that reading a book or a set of books is one of them.