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I chose to give this book 3 stars because I am only comparing it to her novels and I enjoyed those more. This was an interesting work and for me it was worthwhile because of one essay, Psalm 8 and that boiled down to one paragraph. There aren't many paragraphs that I would consider merit reading 263 pages just to be able to experience one thought, but for me this is one of those. I'll quote it here and hope that Marilynne Robinson isn't offended that I cite the whole paragraph. See what you thin...
Maybe it is wonderful; I have been awfully cranky lately, refusing to finish all kinds of books, and it might be that in two or five or fifteen years I come back to this shaking my head at my earlier blindness.But right now I am just *so annoyed* by this book, and I will explain three reasons why for my future edification and then stop:1. An important historical “proof” very current among us now is that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence unconscious of the irony of the existe...
There is a measure of success for a single author collection of essays that is subtly different from simply averaging the overall quality of its compositions; an aspect over and above the intent behind the writing that pushes it beyond mere academic effort. It is difficult to define this quality - but the cumulative effect is similar to the sense of 'humanness' I might perceive from someone after a long conversation. There are moments when the conversation's subject fades into the background, an...
Summary: A collection of eleven essays taking modern intellectual life to task for its cynicism toward its intellectual antecedents.Anyone who has read Marilynne Robinson’s fiction discovers a view of life framed in older, theological modes of thought that trace back to the Reformation and beyond. Her appreciation for that framework is evident in this collection of essays that takes modern intellectual life to task for its cynicism toward, and often uninformed rejection of these older modes of t...
I found this today at the thrift store, and instantly started weeping into a slightly chipped Flushing Fairgrounds commemorative mug. Reading this will be my reward if I somehow manage to produce two papers by Wednesday.I looooooove you Marilynne Robinson! I can't wait to find out what it is that you have to say.Booksters will have to wait breathlessly and see if I emerge at the other end a confirmed Calvinist.
A sharp collection of essays. The introduction calls them contrarian and they are. Robinson never bows to consensus, is never cowardly in her choice of topics. If those choices do not always seem timely (especially the focus on Calvin), they certainly engaged me. Aside from Calvin she also addresses the Puritans (a favorite topic of mine - her discussion of modern priggishness as opposed to the Puritan vision of life is a delight), the loss of the humanities, and the modern rule of economics (fr...
This was a beautiful book. Marilynne Robinson uses such beautiful language to express herself. I was amazed by these essays. She has a talent for expressing in poetic words ideas that I feel deep down inside but have no idea how to formulate or write down or even explain to others.This book is a series of essays written at different times, many of them with a theological theme. In this book, she explored the life and writings of John Calvin (which she actually read, contrary to almost everyone -...
A dissenter's point of view of the modern world, and the uncriticized assumptions and biases that it possesses. Robinson's flawless prose doesn't hurt either. Plus, her basic methodology is this:1) I am a relatively intelligent person,2) I consider myself capable of reading and understanding those thinkers and authors who have shaped the world3) rather than reading the partisans who either deify or malign those thinkers, why don't I read them myself, and decide for myself what to think about the...
Marilynne Robinson is a gift. The common thread through all of these diverse essays (ranging in topic from Darwinism to Maguerite de Navarre with many nods to John Calvin) is her loyalty to them. Its rare for a writer to so fully know their own mind and speak about what is important to her with such authority. She knows her subjects well and she knows the biases that the reader (me) carries with them. After reading this book I felt like I had met many historical figures for the first time. Becau...
Reading a book that isn’t written by Marilynne Robinson is like watching a golf tournament that Tiger Woods isn’t playing in. Is there even a point?
