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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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Summary: Another Artists' Way
Review: This book is a singular resource for writers and, I presume, other artists and those "non-artists" who perceive their work as a vocation. Some of my favorite passages in the book explore today's insidious attitude that people who claim to be "called" to something are merely "self-indulgent" folks who shun their true responsibility to pursue as much wealth and "productivity" as possible. Norris' journey as a writer/poet and her immersion in monastic life are exquisitely interwoven to create (without directly posing) a question about whether "the monastic path" is much different than any mindful immersion into a meaningful life.
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Summary: The Author's Spiritual Journey Defined By Creative Thought
Review: This book received excellent reviews; I had to satisfy my curiosity and read it. I slowly read, hoping to discover some great truths I may have missed these past 6 decades.The book is unique in that the author explains how monks and nuns live, work, and worship together in communities and also how she had the freedom to come and go as she pleased, worshipping in her protestant church as well. This is a nice book for tolerant people of any faith. Everyone can benefit from quiet reflection, from reading scripture, from singing hymns, and from praying. We all have the freedom to worship God in different ways. Kathleen Norris was curious about the catholic faith, although she remains a protestant. Her experience within the monastery is beneficial to her soul and she describes how, as a poet and writer, the rituals, liturgy, and hospitality within the monastic setting further her own understanding of spirituality.
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Summary: Glimpse of Peace
Review: This book was a last minute grab from an airport newstand. Frankly, I expected to be disappointed. (Betty J. Eadie's "Embraced by the Light" and James Redfield's "The Celestine Prophecy" had similarly let me down on a long flight.) I find that much of contemporary spiritual literature, although frequently heartfelt and sincere, is glib and unsubstantial. "The Cloister Walk" was different. It was thoughtful and aware, but maybe better than that, it was smart. Although the author's preoccupation with her status as a tortured poet was less than riveting, I appreciated the context that Kathleen Norris' scholarly impulses provided and I found that I could agree with many of her various points of view. (That whole virgin martyrs phenomenon does have a wierd legacy.) As I read, I felt much of my self-generated tension drain away from me. Norris took me along on the journey with her, and I was glad to go. She offered me a sense of the peace I so desperately craved. Let me say this, I'm a voracious and consumptive reader. Few are the books I revisit. "The Cloister Walk" is still on my nightstand, two years after I first picked it up.
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Summary: Aimless and self-absorbed
Review: This book was one of the most boring books I've had to read in a long time. I found the writing to be unimaginative and felt like the book had no direction. I was very disappointed and had forgotten it before it was even finished.
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Summary: Christianity that you can relate to
Review: This is an incredible book that has helped me to reclaim my faith in God and His Church. Kathleen Norris's stream of consciousness approach to chapter content allows the soul to bathe in a myriad of emotions, thoughts, and experiences. With one topic lingering in my psyche I was moved into a new context and experience at the start of each chapter. In some cases I truly wished that the some chapters would never end. The beauty of this approach is that a rich spiritual tapestry emerges over the course of the book. The mind spends a great deal of time pulling themes together across a number of days of reading, with a number of lightning strike insights resulting. A second amazing achievement of the book is that she opens up the Monastic experience for all to relate to. I never appreciated the essential role of monastic people, in our time and through history, until I too lived day to day with the dedicated souls of Saint John's. Whether you relate to this level of spiritual dedication or not, you will at least understand and see the courage it takes to pursue God in such a single-minded fashion.
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Summary: This book is an opportunity to explore one's spiritual path
Review: This is not a book one gives away but rather one that is shared with new copies for others that they also might share in the wisdom of its pages. Holy reading is what this is and remnants of the spiritual guidance gleaned by Kahtleen Norris's walk among and with the monks serve us well in needed moments of reflection and meditation. Weaving Scripture into the chapters as the cornerstone of the discussions only serves to make us all a little less theologically illiterate. Human experiences of anger, pride, listlessness, love,gratitude, generosity emerge instructively through the liturgical explorations and the wonderful stories that abound in this reflective spiritual journey. For all of us who would be much improved by partaking in an opportunity to vicariously experience some soul searching questions on life's pupose and meaning, I heartily recommend this lectio divina
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Summary: Interesting, at times preachy & generally worth reading
Review: This is one woman's journey, sketching her life, her troubles, and her spiritual salvation through a Benedictine Monastery. Quoting the Bible extensively, Ms. Norris tells of her experiences with the Monks and Nuns. She is a writer, a searcher and a poet. Words are her vehicle to explain life and God. She sees the poetic in the mundane, and the special in the everyday. It is worth reading, even for people who are "non-biblical". I found it interesting. The cover blurb reads ". . .Strange & Interesting . . ." which is apropo.
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Summary: Must read for the disillusioned
Review: This is the most wonderful book on spirituality I have ever read, mostly because it was not a didactic. Kathleen Norris writes as a poet and a genuine soul, not someone looking to tout his/her 14 steps to peace with God. Her honest and beautifully written observations about the ups and downs of monasticism, and the revelation of the people who live as ascetics in the pursuit of God's love, provided a much needed reassurance to someone who has been abused and disillusioned by the contemporary Church that God loves us in spite of our best efforts and worst failings. I just finished it, and will be reading it again very soon.
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Summary: Poetry and Liturgy
Review: Through this well-crafted collection of essays, Kathleen Norris reminds the reader again and again that neither poetry nor liturgy is the domain of the chosen few. Liturgy--meaning the "work of the people" and poetry--meaning the art of revealing meaning through words and images--is a calling that is lifegiving to us all. Norris's simple willingness to share her experience launches the reader into a contemplative space where new connections between the sacred and the mundane can be enjoyed. It's a refreshingly slow read--a tall glass of water in a thirsty world.
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