Book Description
This riveting chronicle of an unimaginably difficult spiritual journey offers an unprecedented look inside a secretive world unchanged since medieval times
In 1960, five young men arrived at the imposing gates of Parkminster, the largest center of the most rigorous and ascetic monastic order in the Western world: the Carthusians. This is the story of their five-year journey into a society virtually unchanged in its behavior and lifestyle since its foundation in 1084.
An Infinity of Little Hours is a uniquely intimate portrait of the customs and practices of a monastic order almost entirely unknown until now. It is also a drama of the men's struggle as they avoid the 1960s-the decade of hedonism, music, fashion, and amorality-and enter an entirely different era and a spiritual world of their own making. After five years each must face a choice: to make "solemn profession" and never leave Parkminster; or to turn his back on his life's ambition to find God in solitude.
A remarkable investigative work, the book combines first-hand testimony with unique source material to describe the Carthusian life. And in the final chapter, which recounts a reunion forty years after the events described elsewhere in the book, Nancy Klein Maguire reveals which of the five succeeded in their quest, and which did not.
Customer Reviews:
Many are called but few are chosen.......2007-09-03
I have to admit to an historic link with Parkminster (the location of this book) and the monastery in Switzerland through professional work not religious in the 1980s. My dealings with one of the monks named (Dom Bruno Sullivan) entailed a one day visit to Parkminster and the memory still lives with me (the bus trip into the middle of forest land from Worthing after a train ride from Victoria station and the long walk from the bus stop to the Carthusian abbey gate to ring the bell to gain entry are exactly as depicted in the book). The photo contained of the two floor library with all its old priceless editions of religious books was one of my fondest memories during my visit.
But this book is much more than just story telling - it is a well recorded journey of how five novices in the early 1960s took the step close together in time to enter Parkminster to see if they had sufficient spiritual vocation to be able to remain for life in a virtually silent contemplative religious order where monks, brothers and novices spend most of their time in their private cells praying or involved in solo activity, mainly leaving their cells to only participate in set daily services with the rest of the Order. The repetitive daily routines little changed from the Middle Ages with no major routine changes except in diet and religious prayer when holy feast days arise, would be a test of anyone's spirit. The fact few made it through the five years to becoming a monk did not leave any of those failing as bitter - rather they saw it subsequently when the author contacted them recently as the high point of their lives.
What makes this book so exceptional is that in covering a very private and personal approach to religious life where the inward thoughts and emotions are everything, is all accurately captured by the writer, herself a lady married to one of the ex-novices. Over the nearly seven years writing the book she was surprised at the level of openess and honesty she encountered both with the ex-novices and the monks currently still at Parkminster. She also is able to balance the personal stories with the history of the Order, the Order's approach and administration in their chosen life and the wider context within the Catholic church.
Overall she writes lucidly and keeps your interest - never once in the 240 odd pages did I find the lack of action or her coverage of the simple repetitiveness of the lifestyle boring.
As with the almost contemporary film release "Into great silence" on the French monastery at Grande Chartreuse, one wonders why the Order has decided to open itself up in this way at this point in time but we are certainly the richer for the knowledge gained as a consequence.
Much food for thought.......2007-08-21
Reading this book is like finding an oasis in our hectic world. It moves the reader to look at the pace of his/her life and distinguish the "worthwhile" from the "not as important as I thought" - a fascinating study.
Interesting look into the lives of 5 young men.......2007-08-21
I found this interesting as I learned more about the monk's structured society and the types of men they enticed to join them. The five young men that rang the bell that day had a path that most wonder about. This book helped explain how a person's seeking to get closer to God can influence others as well. Nancy has done a lot of research and it paid off.
A life of simple, quiet contempation.......2007-08-10
I concure with many of the reviews posted and would also recommend both the movie and the soundtrack as means of having a little quiet conememplation added to our already hectic modern lives.
By the way, Amazon has the BEST price I've found on the hardcover edition, it's even CHEAPER than most people want for the paperback edition.
A Beautiful Sojourn.......2007-07-22
A nearly perfect book, AN INFINITY OF LITTLE HOURS is one of the best non-fiction works I've read on any subject in some time. Meticulously researched and beautifully written, the book serves as a guide to the austere, eremitic Carthusian life as it was experienced prior to Vatican II. As the author, Nancy Klein Maguire, notes, there's not a lot available for the layperson to read about this order of monks cut off from the world, and whose way of life has changed little since the 11th century. We are truly fortunate, then, to have Maguire as our host for this journey.
Maguire follows the lives of five young men who entered the Parkminster Charterhouse in England in the years 1960 to 1961: three men from the U.S. (Chicago, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn), one from Germany, and another from Ireland. That they do not all stay in the life quickly becomes clear, but wondering who stays and who leaves is part of the charm. (Warning: the photos are spoilers for the ending.) What's really wonderful is how Maguire gives the reader a chance to experience vicariously these men's lives from the point they literally approach the door of the Charterhouse and enter into its life to the time they leave or become professed. We are seduced by the life, but also acutely feel its physical discomforts. We grow with the men as the initial romance wears off, and the political reality of divisions between the monks becomes apparent. In the end, we are enchanted by the monks who persevere in the life, but also embrace the men who leave, fully sharing their relief. Maguire is a gifted writer; her prose is like freshly made butter, smooth and delicious. I think I could read anything she chose to write next, and plan to.
What profoundly struck me in reading Maguire's book was how these men, in entering the Carthusian life presumably to stay to the end of their lives, were essentially preparing for their deaths. At first I found the notion bewildering, even suffocating. I mean, our culture celebrates youth and fears death, doesn't it. Reading this book really made me think a lot about death. Could I forgo all that the world offers, close myself off forever within stone walls, and search for God while awaiting death under the same routine for decades? Happily married and middle aged (the Carthusians don't accept candidates older than 45), I know that the question is moot--but would I have been able to accept the life at 21? And am I ready now to look straight in death's face? How deep is my faith?
If you have any interest at all in the Carthusians or in monasticism, you will want to read this book. It makes a nice companion to the recently released, splendid documentary on the Grande Chartreuse, INTO GREAT SILENCE.
Book Description
When the Beatles spilt in 1970, John Lennon and Paul McCartney each created a new body of work as they defined their individual styles. This book examines their growing confidence and the highs and lows of their careers via a careful and entertaining examination of their every major record release from the 1960s to today. A must for every music student and Beatles fan, with lots of info for collectors (release dates, catalog numbers, credits, etc.). Includes cool photos throughout and a detailed index.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive but only somewhat compelling.......2007-08-04
First comment: I hate the hideous cover photo of Lennon and McCartney morphed together. Freakish. Fire the art director.
More relevant: this is a thick book, chock full of info, and accounted for an interesting afternoon or two. Part of the problem is that it discussed the relevance of particular lyrics, but doesn't include the songs' full lyrics. So I found that I had to go to Google to get the full stories behind the songs--which was why I bought the book.
The other unfortunate part--which the author can't do anything about--is that I obviously wanted to immediately hear the songs--or snippets of the songs--as I was reading about them, either to refresh my memory or because I hadn't heard them before. So you either need to read this next to your stereo--with a full McCartner & Lennon collection at hand--or while on Amazon (to hear snippets for free). That's not a fault of the book, simply the limitations of the medium.
Bottom line, a book about music is a tricky and not entirely fulfilling proposition. But on the whole it's a useful and interesting book; John Blaney has done a nice job.
A 'must' for any collection serious about a full representation of the Beatles' works........2007-07-08
The songwriting partnership of Lennon/McCartney is one of the most popular of all time and formed the foundation of the Beatles' sound and evolution: but this focus is on their independent songwriting after they broke up, and offers important assessments of their work both within and outside the Beatles. Collectors will appreciate the facts on release dates, catalogue numbers, composer credits and technical recording information, while Blaney's critical analysis and lively style peppers quotes from the songwriters along with insights. Sidebars of information accompany in-depth analysis of songs and the individual artists. A 'must' for any collection serious about a full representation of the Beatles' works.
An inexpensive alternative to his previous volumes.......2007-06-29
Mr. Blaney has previously written two excellent detailed song-by-song discocraphies, one on Lennon "Listen to this book" and one on McCartney "The songs he was singing". This new book "Together Alone" appears to be a slightly revised combination and abridgement of his two earlier titles, with somewhat less discographic detail. It is a cheaper, one-volume version, and as such is a very good buy. For those who already have the 2 earlier books, this new one is largely redundant.
Critical discography of Lennon & McCartney solo releases.......2007-06-23
Lennon & McCartney go together like peanut butter and jelly--they are complimentary but with distinct different flavors. John Blaney's critical discography will make fans both happy and mad--while he completely covers the duo's recorded output (to the time this was written after "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard")giving information on the recordings, trivia about the songs and how they charted, he also gives us his opinions some of which Beatles fans will disagree with. On the whole, though, Blaney is on the mark in his assessment of the strengths/weaknesses of their various songs and recordings.
For example, Blaney discusses Lennon's "Mind Games" assessing the final product as the type of bland music that Lennon thought fans and the record company might want. While that might be true of some of the material on "Mind Games" he also points to the stronger recordings/songs as well. Personally, I disagree with some of his critical assessments of the songs on "Mind Games" but he makes strong, valid points for his opinions. As with "Mind Games", Blaney is equally unforgiving of McCartney's "Red Rose Speedway" which he basically suggests is a half finished album lacking cohesion and capable lyrics. Again, his assessment is often on target although one could argue with him about some of the songs on the album. There are a number of opinions here that while informed a Beatles-Lennon/McCartney critical fan would disagree with. The only major flaw with the book is numerous proof reading errors aside from that, Blaney's book is well thought out, argued and intelligently written (even if you do disagree with his opinions).
Blaney has done his research and whether or not you agree to disagree with him he has written an impressive book on the post-Beatles careers both men had. Like Bruce Spizer's books on The Beatles Capitol and Apple recordings, Blaney tries to be as exhaustive and accurate as possible. He also includes bits of trivia that even I wasn't aware of for example that "Jamrag" which is credited to Lennon and Ono was actually a Frank Zappa song called "King Kong" that the two credited to themselves on the "Sometime in New York City" album. While Lennon and Ono appear on the recording itself they had absolutely nothing to do with the song which Zappa had written before their onstage collaboration.
He even discusses McCartney's side projects such as "Thrillington" (and points out that while McCartney attacked arranger Richard Hewson's over-the-top arrangement for "The Long and Winding Road" he collaborated with Hewson to create "Thrillington" commissioning him to write the orchestral arrangements of the songs from "Ram"), The Firemen and Twin Freaks.
The book comes separate discographies for both Lennon and McCartney as well as a list of collaborations that both men did with other artists as songwriters/producers/performers. You may disagree with Blaney's opinion (or not)but he's done a marvelous job of cataloging both Lennon and McCartney's post-Beatles careers and putting them into perspective by discussing the circumstances that helped create the variuos albums they made.
Oh, and I think the cover is kind of cool. I've often felt that Lennon & McCartney were a perfect compliment to each other as songwriters and this is a visual that suggests that as well.
Musical Juggernauts.......2007-04-18
This is a book that all will love, from people just becoming familiar with the Beatles to inveterate fans and Beatle scholars. John Blaney is a gifted writer with a perceptive mind. He has included in his work many little known facts about the world's best song writing duo, John Lennon & Paul McCartney!
In addition to recognizing the talents of these musical juggernauts, Blaney lists Paul McCartney's charitable performances. He analyzes the songs of these brilliant lyricists and Paul McCartney's spiritual side which is reflected in some of his later works. For many years, George Harrison was credited as the Beatle who wrote of spiritual matters; while true, this is not to overlook that accomplishment in Paul McCartney.
This is a book that will be cherished by all Beatle fans and people who are interested in their music.
Book Description
In this richly illustrated book, religious historian Eamon Duffy discusses the Book of Hours, unquestionably the most intimate and most widely used book of the later Middle Ages. He examines surviving copies of the personal prayer books which were used for private, domestic devotions, and in which people commonly left traces of their lives. Manuscript prayers, biographical jottings, affectionate messages, autographs, and pious paste-ins often crowd the margins, flyleaves, and blank spaces of such books. From these sometimes clumsy jottings, viewed by generations of librarians and art historians as blemishes at best, vandalism at worst, Duffy teases out precious clues to the private thoughts and public contexts of their owners, and insights into the times in which they lived and prayed. His analysis has a special relevance for the history of women, since women feature very prominently among the identifiable owners and users of the medieval Book of Hours.
Books of Hours range from lavish illuminated manuscripts worth a king’s ransom to mass-produced and sparsely illustrated volumes costing a few shillings or pence. Some include customized prayers and pictures requested by the purchaser, and others, handed down from one family member to another, bear the often poignant traces of a family’s history over several generations. Duffy places these volumes in the context of religious and social change, above all the Reformation, discusses their significance to Catholics and Protestants, and describes the controversy they inspired under successive Tudor regimes. He looks closely at several special volumes, including the cherished Book of Hours that Sir Thomas More kept with him in the Tower of London as he awaited execution.
Customer Reviews:
Marking the Hours Indeed.......2007-05-26
This fascinating and delightful book takes a different approach to most others on the subject of the medieval book of hours. Rather than assessing the books as art objects, it focuses on the very personal annotations and amendments that owners have made to the text, giving us an intimate glimpse at how the owners used and regarded their books. The books are no longer mere objects, but extensions of their owners. There is an academic movement currently examining readership, and this adds significantly to it as it examines the most commonly owned book of the middle ages.
The author is an important authority in historical studies of the English Reformation, but this work, derived from a set of lectures, is very readable for a more general audience interested in the history of books and literacy. The illustrations are of excellent quality (even if some librarians were mystified as to why he wanted to photograph pages covered in scribble!).
beautiful illlustrations.......2007-03-04
As always, a beautiful reflection of the depth of profound religious feeling of the late middle ages. Hopefully books such as these will allow us to understand the beauty of the art as well as thought that was dedicated to higher aspirations for life itself.
Marking the Hours: Illuminating the Times.......2007-02-02
As in his wonderful "Voices of Morebath," Eamon Duffy uses artifacts of daily living to illuminate the effect on real people -- great and not so great -- of the Reformation's massive changes at the top on everyday life. Names scratched out of prayer books, new prayers or names written in, sections and illustrations removed -- his use of " a librarian's nightmare" of "defaced" prayer books, books of hours and other devotional materials shows the filtration of changes on high down to society in general. The section on Richard III's prayerbook is particularly interesting.
Book Description
This beautifully illustrated book examines the whole of Hogarth's career, from his beginnings as a young and ambitious engraver in the 1720s to his rise to fame as a painter and printmaker in the 1730s and 1740s, and the crystallization of his aesthetic theories in the 1753 treatise The Analysis of Beauty. Where previous publications have concentrated on just a part of his career, this book examines every aspect; his remarkable canvases, ranging from elegant conversation pieces to salacious brothel scenes, his vibrant drawings and sketches, and the engraved works for which he is perhaps most famous are all included.
Book Description
Critically acclaimed classic lets Puritans speak for themselves in crucial documents covering history, theory of state and society, religion, customs, behavior, biographies and letters, poetry, literary theory, education, science, and more. Regarded by historian Samuel Eliot Morison as "the best selection ever made of Puritan literature, point of view and culture."
Customer Reviews:
Related Book.......2007-06-11
I have not read this book, but Perry Miller taught another Harvard Professor named Alan Heimert, whose book I just finished reading. Heimert is not a Christian, but is extremely sympathetic to the Puritans. His book was highly criticized by his secular colleagues because of the importance he placed on Calvinism in the formation of the American Government. It is an excellent history and provides a great deal of insight into the life and circumstances of America's most influential New Light Puritans, including Edwards, Whitefield, Bellamy, Davies and Parsons, and their struggle to maintain the purity of the Church against the challenges brought forth from an un-regenerate clergy, rationalism, and the rank capitalism of the Old Light Party.
A sidenote.......2005-05-09
I would certainly disagree with Mr. Richard's assessment that the Puritanism of this book no longer exists today. The very reason why Puritan literature and its history is so prevalent today is because so many Christians are reading and following the writings of the Puritans of three centuries ago. That is just not a proper assessment of "modern puritanism". Yes, much has changed in three hundred years, but not the faith of the Believers who are Reformed in their theology and life. And yes, the Puritans in this book have been dead for a long time, but their writings and the Faith that they passed on is not dead but living strong today.
A More Objective Review.......2005-03-18
Considering the only other review for this book currently available, I felt compelled to write a review that is actually about the book, not the subject of the book. A Harvard professor deserves at least that. Perry Miller's classic introduction to the New England Puritans remains an essential text for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of a much maligned and often misunderstood religious movement. An understanding of the New England Puritans is absolutely essential to an understanding of American History and American society. Miller does not espouse the doctrines of Puritanism; he provides a concise and helpful historical background and then guides the reader through some representative samples of their writing. This is not a book designed to convert someone to Puritanism. A sidenote: The Puritans referred to in this book have not existed for centuries, so I assure you no reviewer of this book actually left the Puritanism described in this book.
Book Description
The mystics of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were, writes Karen Armstrong, like "the astronauts of our own day. They broke into a new religion, blazed a new trail to God and to the depths of the self, a trail far from the beaten pilgrimage paths of Chaucer and Langland." Mysticism is a spiritual mystery shared in some form by all faiths; it has a supernatural quality that extends beyond the given boundaries of religious creed and may be experienced by any lay person. The thrilling intensity of a mystical experience, as represented in this volume by the writings of four mystics of the Middle Ages, can inspire other spiritual seekers with its insight into the limitless wonder of both human and divine experience. Dissatisfied by the strictures of dogma and a religion that failed to quench the human thirst for knowledge of a mystical order, these four mystics--Richard Rolle of Hampole, Walter Hilton, Dame Julian of Norwich, and the unknown author of The Cloud Of Unknowing --communicate an intense and passionate experience of faith rare in any time. Because of their unique beliefs and spiritual strength, their knowledge and writings have proved timeless, and in this beautiful volume show contemporary seekers important new insights into the nature of divine love.
Customer Reviews:
A light on the Western mystical tradition.......2002-04-13
The four medieval mystics discussed here bear witness to the depth and intelligence of English spirituality in the 14th century, and their work may show the way forward for a religion that seems to have become sterile, especially in its Protestant version. Armstrong discusses each of the four mystics in an introduction to selections from their major works that are reproduced here:
(a) The eccentric Richard Rolle of Hampole and his work The Fire Of Love
(b) The author of The Cloud Of Unknowing followed by this deeply moving text
(c) The sober Walter Hilton and his Ladder Of Perfection
(d) Julian of Norwich and her work Revelations Of Divine Love.
My favorite text is The Cloud Of Unknowing which is mentioned in Leonard Cohen's song The Window on his album Recent Songs (1979). It is very accessible in its gentle humor and its emphasis on the heart-felt spiritual experience but I can also relate to the more serious work of Julian of Norwich. Richard Rolle is a bit extreme and one-dimensional for my taste, while I found Walter Hilton to be not "mystical" enough. But all of them journeyed inward to the depths of the self and each in their own way created a personal faith that offers a more intimate experience of the divine. Armstrong's insightful introduction demonstrates how the mystical experience is similar in all religions and her interpretations of these texts are guaranteed to encourage modern seekers of spirituality and transcendence in the Christian tradition. Above all, in this book Armstrong has done much to restore the greatest voices of the long-lost Western mystical tradition to their rightful place. In this 21st century, many adherents of mainstream Christianity may rediscover the mystical experience and find it to be a more meaningful form of religious practice than the conventional and dogmatic expressions of faith.
Book Description
For this stunning new volume, photographer William Hubbell has turned his lens toward New England's ubiquitous stone walls. Beginning with the basic geology of the region and why New England has so many darned rocks, he presents a chronological overview of the varying styles and methods of wall building, and includes conversations with six contemporary wall builders. The result is a surprising and refreshing look at stone walls and at the history of New England.
Customer Reviews:
A rare, visual treat documents a profession that leaves behind monuments of wonder from its builder/artists........2006-12-14
GOOD FENCES: A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND'S STONE WALLS provides a lovely pictorial celebration of these walls accompanied by text surveying their history and construction. Six stone wall builders and their works receive in-depth focus, while photos provide close-up details profiling unusual walls. A rare, visual treat documents a profession that leaves behind monuments of wonder from its builder/artists.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Do Yourself a Favor and Read This.......2006-10-05
The popular saying is that "good fences make good neighbors." My thought is that the book "Good Fences" will make many of us more knowledgeable about what is around us. I live in Maine. Rural Maine. We have a lot of stone walls on the property. Some were from stones that cleared the fields so that cows could pasture. Others were moved to form a cow run to a pond so that the cattle could drink in an orderly fashion. They are large rocks for the most part. Not easily moved and majestic in repose.
I have always looked at stone walls with a sense of appreciation of why they were constructed in the first place. Especially when deer hunting and you think you are a long way from civlization and you come across a stone wall in the middle of the woods. It didn't just grow there. Someone built it and the "why and how" is the most interesting aspect of it.
William Hubbell has collected a number of such walls in the pages of this book and photgrahed them in a loving fashion and told their story in the the same way.
I have seen such walls constructed. It takes a special person to carry and fit the stones. They often have as much imagiination as one who weilds a paint brush over a canvas. The results can be stunning or simply practical.
In any event they are a phenominon worth dealing with and Mr. Hubble has done it in a most worthwhile way.
Customer Reviews:
For the person who wants to QUOTE Moz!.......2005-12-11
Great book full of wit and humor by the one we all admire from afar! Buy it and use it to spread his word!
Morrissey in his own words.......2000-06-24
Excellent book of quotes from the always witty singer of the Smith's Morrissey. This book sheds life on his opinions of topics raging from: his past, politics, sex, his lyrics, and Magaret Thatcher. This book Chronicles his visions of the band before they took off to stardom going as far back as May 1983 to 1988. Great book, I refer to it all the time.
If you are part of the Moz militia, read it!.......1999-03-19
Anyone interested in the beloved Morrissey will enjoy this book. I am a Moz and Smiths fan, and found that the topically divided quotes help to define his personality, point out how disparaging he is of himself, and that he is a true chameleon. It is fascinating. The only criticism I have is that the quotes are quite dated now, and as Moz is always ungoing rebirth, they may not represent him and his career now.
Average customer rating:
- Fascinating stuff.
- Wierzbicka's academic fluff chokes meanings.
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Understanding Cultures through Their Key Words: English, Russian, Polish, German, and Japanese (Oxford Studies in Anthropological Linguistics , No 8)
Anna Wierzbicka
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 0195088360 |
Book Description
This book develops the dual themes that languages can differ widely in their vocabularies, and are also sensitive indices to the cultures to which they belong. Wierzbicka seeks to demonstrate that every language has "key concepts," expressed in "key words," which reflect the core values of a given culture. She shows that cultures can be revealingly studied, compared, and explained to outsiders through their key concepts, and that the analytical framework necessary for this purpose is provided by the "natural semantic metalanguage," based on lexical universals, that the author and colleagues have developed on the basis of wide-ranging cross-linguistic investigations. Appealing to anthropologists, psychologists, and philosophers as well as linguists, this book demonstrates that cultural patterns can be studied in a verifiable, rigorous, and non-speculative way, on the basis of empirical evidence and in a coherent theoretical framework.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating stuff........1999-10-22
Contrary to the previous reviewer's opinion, I found this book fascinating. I don't have a Ph.D. in linguistics either.
Her claim is *not* that one cannot understand the key words of a culture without being immersed in the culture, only that one cannot understnad the key words of a culture by means of simplistic translations or definitions. She attempts to provide careful and precise definitions, given in what she calls the "Natural Semantic Metalanguage" -- an extremely restricted vocabulary consisting of words that, as far as she has been able to tell via research, have equivalents in every natural language.
I don't buy all of her "Natural Semantic Metalanguage" theories (for which see her other book _Semantics: Primes and Universals_) but it sure is a useful tool for the job she's doing here.
Wierzbicka's academic fluff chokes meanings........1999-03-16
I read this book for an athropology class at a western private university. I have to say that while Wierzbicka's domination of different languages is impressive, her "fluffy" explanations of the key words in the book tend to bore the reader, thus leaving him/her more confused about the meanings of the key words than before. Furthermore, her findings tend to undermine her own premise that a culture's key words cannot be understood except by understanding the culture itself. No one person can claim to explain--as she does--what certain words mean within their cultural realm without having been immmersed totally in that culture (usually born and raised). Thus, one is lead to believe that even she doesn't understand the "key words" totally, and her credibility is therefore undermined. I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone with less than a Ph.D. in Linguistics.
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