Great fun to read. Time travel, Victorian romance, detective themes, and speculation on the nature of free will thrown in just for fun! I can't wait tGreat fun to read. Time travel, Victorian romance, detective themes, and speculation on the nature of free will thrown in just for fun! I can't wait to read more by this author....more
Henri Nouwen set out to write this book at the request of a close friend, with the intent of perhaps exRead as part of my August Project reading list.
Henri Nouwen set out to write this book at the request of a close friend, with the intent of perhaps explaining or motivating a spiritual life for those who had not so far found reason enough to embrace such a life. From the response of his friend to this book, Nouwen realized he had failed, and was perhaps too deeply spiritual to be of assistance to the more secular person. (As an indication of his wisdom and humility, he considered this a shortcoming to the extent that he determined to get more in touch with his secular side!) At the enthusiastic response of believing friends who read the resulting book, however, he was encouraged to find it was considered very helpful to searching Christians, and saw in the whole story "...the mystery of God using his secular friends to instruct his disciples."
I too find this book to be helpful and nurturing, although it takes a certain amount of concentration, or attentiveness, to follow his meaning and to catch his sometimes quite deep revelations. Nouwen says we are the Beloved of God, and like bread, we are taken (or chosen), blessed, broken and given.
I like the words "...a conscious desire to waste our time..." as a description of going against society's dictates and consciously choosing for ourselves, here specifically referring to meditation and prayer (p. 66). I love the universal empathy in the words "...each human being suffers in a way no other human being suffers..."(p. 71). And I was encouraged by the affirmative words "The spirit of love...will blow where it will, even when few will hear its coming and going." (p.100)...more
Of course I give it five stars: it's Henri Nouwen. It's a quick read, but a deep read, and therefore a must re-read.Of course I give it five stars: it's Henri Nouwen. It's a quick read, but a deep read, and therefore a must re-read....more
This book gave me the heebie jeebies for the first half, so dark and death-filled. The seemingly endless famous-last-word quotations of historical peopThis book gave me the heebie jeebies for the first half, so dark and death-filled. The seemingly endless famous-last-word quotations of historical people were depressing, to say the least. But I never considered giving up on the book; the characters were so engaging, and the topic so unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. The story swept me along until its fascinating end at 3:45 a.m. I gasped a number of times while reading. I closed the book and walked around the room to relax the tension and suspense I was feeling. It’s been a long time since I’ve found a book so very hard to put down. The only frustrating part of reading this book was the main character's lack of ability to feed herself. She seemed unable to pack a sandwich in her bag for the day, and subsisted on snacks from coworkers' pockets. This is what came to mind as I was reading- Q: Is there an afterlife? A: I’m dying to find out....more
"Belief isn't always easy. But this much I have learned-- if not enough else-- to live with my eyes open." P. 63"Belief isn't always easy. But this much I have learned-- if not enough else-- to live with my eyes open." P. 63...more
Very helpful. When it comes to tragedy, though there may not be an answer as in "explanation", perhaps there is an answer as in "response".Very helpful. When it comes to tragedy, though there may not be an answer as in "explanation", perhaps there is an answer as in "response"....more
Only Daphne du Maurier's second book, written when she was in her early twenties. Impressive. I enjoyed it for the beautifully descriptive passages, tOnly Daphne du Maurier's second book, written when she was in her early twenties. Impressive. I enjoyed it for the beautifully descriptive passages, the believable but not quite likeable characters, the evocative existential anxieties and the fleeting nature of life's moments, the rush of so-quickly passing time in everyone's life....more
This book gentled my life, calmed my day. After several attempts at reading recently-written fiction, with its shallow crowd-pleasing storylines, flat This book gentled my life, calmed my day. After several attempts at reading recently-written fiction, with its shallow crowd-pleasing storylines, flat characterization, and weak writing, I began this book about a twelfth-century hermit, and breathed a sigh of relief. An amazing use of language, a wealth of profound insights and experiences, along with imaginative...um, what? theological fiction?, or perhaps fantasy? Well, I want more of it. For it is in fiction we can loose our imaginations to see God in fresh ways, or very old ways we have moved beyond, and see God working in people's lives. A very human man, Godric, filled with failings, but persistent in his conversation with God. "So ever and again young Godric's dreams well up to flood old Godric's prayers, or prayers and dreams reach God in such a snarl he has to comb the tangle out, and who knows which he counts more dear." (P. 40) "Our Lord would never speak so cruel." (P. 116) "Seek not saints to ease thy spirit's pain that thou mayst better serve. Thy pain itself's thy service." (P. 143) And to think I finished the book just hours before May 21, the feast day of Godric, who died on that day in 1170....more
I enjoyed this collection of short stories so much that I rationed out the stories to just a few per day, hoping to draw out my virtual time on a smalI enjoyed this collection of short stories so much that I rationed out the stories to just a few per day, hoping to draw out my virtual time on a small Finnish island in the company of a wise and ageless grandmother and a precocious and somewhat adventurous child. Each of whom I could identify with. I was sorry to be done, and will look for more books by this author....more
Oh my goodness, this is just the best book I’ve read in a long time. Great world creation, colourful and detailed descriptions of places and characterOh my goodness, this is just the best book I’ve read in a long time. Great world creation, colourful and detailed descriptions of places and characters, intriguing “alien” creatures and social structure, and all with an old woman as the main character. This book has much to say about powerlessness, attitudes of superiority, and the difficulties in overcoming such attitudes in the minds of others and oneself....more