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allisonjpmiller's review
5.0
An incredibly dense set of essays that need to be taken slowly, else you risk missing the full impact of Merton's wisdom. His words build, circle back, progress, and then hit a point of paradox that feels so true-to-life I sat there and reveled in the fact that someone had managed to express it with mere language. My favorite chapters were Silence, Being and Doing, and The Inward Solitude. I kept forgetting that I was borrowing a friend's copy of the book, so I would fumble for a pen to notate all the epiphanies I came across, only to be frustrated at the fact that I had to leave the pages blank! Definitely buying myself a copy; I know this is a book I will need ready access to in the future.
davehershey's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0
Thomas Merton’s writing speaks deeply to my soul. His book The New Seeds of Contemplation is one of my all-time favorites and his writings on the relation of Christianity and other faiths, such as his book on Chang-Tsu, are eye opening. This one is great, of course, but I kind of got bogged down after a while. I liked the first half more than the second. Maybe it’s me. Maybe he just got repetitive. Either way, spending the last month reading a few pages each morning offered plenty of food for my heart and mind.
nicolewrites's review against another edition
5.0
Wonderfully written and makes you think deeply about your spiritual essence. As someone with disabilities, I really enjoyed the chapters on Suffering and Mercy. Some parts of the book can be tough to read, but the message is great.
frahorus's review against another edition
5.0
Il Maestro Merton, con l'umiltà che lo contraddistingue, ci presenta la sua esperienza di vita monastica in questo capolavoro che ci apre le porte alla vera contemplazione religiosa cristiana. Egli ci prende per mano e capitolo dopo capitolo ci svela le chiavi per entrare in contatto con il Dio vivo e vero. E così apprendiamo le strade dell'ascetismo, del silenzio, della carità, dell'amore, della sincerità, ecc. Come dice Merton "la vita spirituale è orientata verso Dio, piuttosto che verso la soddisfazione immediata delle necessità materiali della vita. La vita ha un significato e Dio stesso è la sorgente della vita spirituale. Bellissimo testo da meditare e riprendere in mano ogni volta che vogliamo assaporare le giuste indicazioni per seguire il vero Dio, il Dio d'amore.
leelulah's review against another edition
4.0
A primer on the spiritual life in the Catholic faith. Very interesting reflections as well: on sincerity, silence, solitude vs. loneliness and prayer, and a good lenten read overall
jaytongue's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
2.25
Chapters 9-16 are decent, with 9-11 being some of my favorite. However, I found chapters 1-8 to be honestly skippable. Imagine if you bought a cook book, and the book spent the entire time describing ingredients and various techniques. I guess it'd be useful for someone, but not really for me.
carrlll's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I have ever read--full of rich insights and wisdom. Definitely a book to read multiple times.
ben_smitty's review against another edition
5.0
Succinct, precise, clear, yet intellectually stimulating. Merton is a rarity. He understands the paradox of the Christian faith and does an excellent job at articulating the knotty issues of orthodoxy. Still, he never departs from the practicalities, and reading him is nourishing because he gets at the heart of Catholic faith and its hope for the modern man.
He should be read slowly. Almost every sentence elucidates the inner life (that we are so good at ignoring) in a way that is humbling, revealing, and terrifying. My only complaint is that Merton is not very funny and is always so dang serious, but that's more of a personal preference than anything.
He should be read slowly. Almost every sentence elucidates the inner life (that we are so good at ignoring) in a way that is humbling, revealing, and terrifying. My only complaint is that Merton is not very funny and is always so dang serious, but that's more of a personal preference than anything.