Rating: 
Summary: A cloistered walk for open minds.
Review: Kathleen Norris has lightly lifted the veil from the world of the cloistered square in a book that has universal appeal. Like the inspiring "THE Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years" by Richard G. Patton, Norris does not patronize when dealing with profound concepts. She has a deft touch when sketching the Inner view of the Benedictine life and it's beguiling scriptures. Where Patton's wonderful book depicts Jesus' inner search for God OUTSIDE of Religion, Norris' finds deep comfort within the structure and continuity of Religion. Both these authors take us convincingly on an inner journey, constantly tested by dilemma. These two remarkable books present both sides of the same coin, joined by the common bond of revelation.
Rating: 
Summary: Really good writing
Review: Kathleen Norris is a writer's writer. She is fun to read and her imagery stays with you. This book is one of those rare books that change the spiritual formation of an entire generation. Those who are looking for a spiritual guide won't do better than Norris as she takes us along on her own spiritual journey and discovers the ancient tradition of Benedictine spirituality. If you're not interested in spirituality--read it just because she's such a marvelous writer.
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Summary: Inspiring (rjoc@aol.com)
Review: Kathleen Norris takes her readers on a splendid journey into the monastic life and hence into the self. Her deeply reflective prose quotes some of the desert fathers and mothers on prayer, monastic living, celibacy, psychology, etc. I especially appreciated her critique of virginity and virgin martyrs of the Church. Norris' experience of monastic living combined with the wisdom of that tradition makes her book a fine read.
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Summary: Baby Steps...
Review: Kathleen Norris' magnum opus, The Cloister Walk, has provided the entrance into monastic spirituality for almost as many people as any work in history, assuming, of course, that the people who purchased her book read, mark, and inward digest the meanings contained therein.It is a truly remarkable achievement--one born of contradiction and ambiguity. A woman has found such spirituality and insight in communities predominantly organised and lived in by men (I wonder how different or similar this work would be had Norris concentrated on visiting convents?). A protestant has found a home in her own soul for many of the most 'catholic' of practices. Where these insights and practices lead are different at different times, ever changing yet ever constant. Norris structures her book (and structure is very important for monastic types) in a similar fashion to a monastic day and year. She follows a liturgical calendar, and fills in the gaps with reflections and stories of experiences. She uses the daily cycle to great effect--for instance, on April 2, the day of Mary of Egypt, Norris incorporates the story of Mary into her narrative in much the same way that monastics incorporate such stories into their practice and contemplation: 'Monks have always told the story of Mary of Egypt to remind themselves not to grow complacent in their monastic observances, mistaking them for the salvation that comes from God alone. ... Repentance is coming to our senses, seeing, suddenly, what we've done that we might not have done, or recognising, as Oscar Wilde says in his great religious meditation "De Profundis", that the problem is not in what we do but in what we become.' Norris reflects on the difficulties she encountered on her journey, with the monasteries, with her family, with her career, with those who just couldn't understand what it was she was trying to accomplish or find. Much like anyone who tries to discern and follow a call to vocation in life, there are joys great and small, and difficulties great and small, fulfillments and doubts, and lots of reflection. She is frank about her struggles to believe, and finds solace in the doubts of others. 'I believe that Teresa became a uniquely valuable twentieth-century saint, a woman who can accept even the torment of doubt, as she lay dying, as a precious gift, who turns despair into a fervent prayer for others. I think of her as a saint for unbelievers in an age of unbelief, a voice of compassion in an age of beliefs turned rigid, defensive, violent.' Norris reflects on hospitality, prayer, study, work, community, solitude, silence and music. 'Music is serious theology. Hildegard of Bingen took it so seriously as a gift God made to humanity that in one of her plays, while the soul and all the Virtues sing, the devil alone has a speaking part. The gift of song has been denied him.' There is a true spirit at work in this book, that reaches out in many different ways to people of all backgrounds. This is true of monastic practice, which is essentially Hebraic in structure, Christian in intent, and universalist in outreach and hospitality. The issues which concern everyone in the world are present in the monastery in ways which give a new perspective. Take, for instance, time: 'In our culture, time can seem like an enemy: it chews us up and spits us out with appalling ease. But the monastic perspective welcomes time as a gift from God, and seeks to put it to good use rather than allowing us to be used up by it.' Time slowed down at the monastery, and that is a blessing to many in the world (and one of the blessings Norris particularly finds), but this slowing allows a recognition of the spiritual aspects of even the most mundane of daily practices. Finally, I am touched by the infusion of poetry, artistic imagery and wisdom literature throughout the text. Her quote from Emily Dickinson is one which I will take to heart. 'Consider the lilies,' she wrote to her cousins late in her life, 'is the only commandment I ever obeyed.'
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Summary: This is a Read-It-In-A-Night-And-Then-Read-It-Again-SLOWLY
Review: Like another reviewer, THE CLOISTER WALK was a book I intended to read and never got around to. I finally got around to it, and couldn't put it down. There are times, in writing about her life and her past, where I felt Kathleen Norris was writing for me, in my own life, and her prose is just lyrical. I was 1/2 way thru this book when I turned to my husband and said..."I can't wait to read this book again!". Highly recommended for anyone who is slogging thru the world looking for a little direction in the day to day, and a little comfort and joy!
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Summary: A smooth relation of the lessons of monastic life
Review: Norris lifts the veil from monastic life, discussinghonestly and gently the real heart of the matter. As aProtestant and a poet, she is uniquely situated to bring the lessons of the cloister into everyday life. She dwells at some length on such lessons as chastity, scripture, and the lives of the saints. She does spend what I took to be an unwarranted amount of time discussing claims of misogyny on the part of the church, but on the whole, the work is well- balanced, and well worth the time.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Blessings
Review: Norris' book was so highly praised that some disappointment was inevitable. There are some good insights, but they're mixed in with pompous, snobblish, quirky, cranky, and deliberately obtuse comments. Her language is frequently adolescent, with pointless vulgarity or slang. She is remarkably self-centered. Her model for this is Thomas Merton, but it's a pity she imitates all his worst habits!
Rating:
Summary: Mixed Blessings
Review: Norris' book was so highly praised that some disappointment was inevitable. There are some good insights, but they're mixed in with pompous, snobblish, quirky, cranky, and deliberately obtuse comments. Her language is frequently adolescent, with pointless vulgarity or slang. She is remarkably self-centered. Her model for this is Thomas Merton, but it's a pity she imitates all his worst habits!
Rating:
Summary: chronological, yet confusing geographically
Review: The chronology from dawn to night works well, and the seasonal journey from September through winter, summer, fall is meaningful--in the form of a diary only loosely. Since I have yet to read Dakota, I found the geography confusing. She seems to take for granted that we can place St. John's in a specific place, and she tells about Benedictine monasteries in various states. I enjoyed her account of Christmas in hawaii. Her accounts of South dakota sent me to the atlas, and I found Spencer in the lower southeast corner, but she frequently refers to "western dakota" and specifically to the northwestern corner. Perhaps I'm too much the reader who wants to have a sense of place--I often read with an atlas handy. Her descriptions of the virgin martyrs and nuns in their habits have been helpful as I prepare to discuss Chaucer's Prioress and other tales--for example, the Physician's tale. The book has been a stimulating read, and I look forward to DAKOTA.
Rating:
Summary: A Reflective Journal of Personal Discovery
Review: The Cloister Walk
by Kathleen Norris Calling to mind the writings of Thomas Merton and Henri Nouwen, Kathleen Norris writes a deeply personal journal of spiritual self-rediscovery. Although a lifelong protestant, Ms. Norris explores the cultures and traditions of a Benedictine Monastery as she searches for deeper meaning and communion with God in her life. This is a book of great reflection, a story of a soul's journey in the midst of contemporary doubt and turmoil. The book takes place within the context of monastic life throughout the Church's liturgical year. It explores the rituals, ceremonies, liturgies of this life as well as the everyday existence of monastic life. Ms. Norris is strangely drawn to the cloistered community, one which is at once both apart, yet deeply (if somewhat obliquely) connected to life in general. The themes of liturgical renewal, ritual, contemplation, meditation and prayer speak directly to the hearts of all of us. In that life, the author addresses the sacredness of all life and its ability for renewal and spiritual growth.
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