Gilead: A Novel | Marilynne Robinson | An Uplifting, Gem of a Novel ... and a Celebration of Fathers

Gilead: A Novel | Marilynne Robinson | Only for those who can see it for what it is

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Gilead: A Novel

	Gilead: A Novel Marilynne Robinson, 2004 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 304 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

An Uplifting, Gem of a Novel ... and a Celebration of Fathers

Gilead is a novel of generations, and the stories, experiences, and life blood which tie them together when passed from grandfather to father to son. If only the memory of all of our momentary impressions, all of our spiritual wanderings, and all of those individuals with whom we have crossed paths in our lives could be so completely and delicately encapsulated as it is in John, we would all be much better individuals for it, because retaining impressions and remembering is in itself such an important act. Robinson's writing is absolutely amazing; I have never experienced such exquisite prose. It's true I'm only 20, so you might say I may not have read as many novels to make such a comment, but I think it is safe to say that there are few books like this which have or will come along. One need not be a Christian to appreciate this novel, but one must possess a spirit that is open to reflection. I finished the novel feeling grateful for my own father, whom I love and who himself carries the memory of the many wonderful people in his own young life, all of whom I believe are preserved in some small part of myself.

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Only for those who can see it for what it is

This is an impossible book to write a reaction to, polarizing as it appears to be. In any case, if this book did not touch you, than I wonder about you.

There is as much philosophy and wisdom (including plain-language explanations of some of the most mystifying aspects of Christianity) as in any text book or holy work you will read. I challenge those who've found it boring and monotonous to maybe return to it at random pages to find these gems of insight and the peace that they promise to bring. This is a story about fathers and sons, and I have never read such a beautiful account of such a relationship. It is also about the Lord and all of us, and you'd be challenged to find a more graceful rendition in making real this relationship. It is written as a letter, it is written as a memoir, it is written like a diary. Don't expect fast-paced prose and a riveting plot-development--this is not what is intended by this novel!

If you are uninterested in reading a creative and eloquent story on spirituality/faith, relationships, forgiveness/resentment, and love, do not pick up this book. Otherwise, don't miss it.

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One side of a passionate conversation

A good sermon is one side of a passionate conversation. The narrator of the story is John Ames, born 1880, of Gilead, Iowa, a minister. He believes he is dying and he is writing to make a record of stories and family history for his young son. The book contains the solution to a mystery, also, the events in the life of his middle-aged namesake, John Ames Broughton.

Reading this book brings to mind how important religious practices are to people in terms of giving their days and lives structure. John Ames wants his son to have his Feuerbach treatise. His older brother Edward, an accomplished scholar who had studied in Germany, had given it to him. Edward had ceased to believe in God. John Ames, doing the math, thinks that he has written as much as St. Augustine. There are boxes of his sermons stored in the attic. He had felt the influenza epidemic had been a biblical plague. Fearing public distress, he had destroyed his sermon on the topic.

John Ames's grandfather had moved from Maine to 'bleeding Kansas' to participate in the abolitionist cause. His father hated violence and had been disappointed in the U.S. role in World War I. Facing a conclusion to his existence here, John Ames comes to feel that we never know the value of experience. Trumpet vines attract humming birds and that is why his neighbor and oldest friend, Old Broughton, has them. Ames and his wife are both reading THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE.

The story of Hagar and Ismael supports Ames, since he fears he has not made adequate provision for his young wife and their son. He states that Calvin taught that each individual is an actor on stage and God is the audience. John Ames prefers Karl Barth to Jack Benny. It is said that President Grant called Iowa the shining star of radicalism.

If the rating system permitted a five and a half or a six, this work would receive it. One of the notable characteristics of the book is that it is not ironic. To have created this work is a great achievement.

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magnificent, virtuoso performance by a contemporary master!

Known for rich and poetic prose, Robinson's Housekeeping won her a PEN/Hemingway award and became a modern classic. Her second novel, Gilead, written some 23 years later, deeply questioned the quick or glibly transactional conception of Christianity proffered by American media during the intensified debate over morality in the contemporary political scene. This story of the elegant sacredness of the illumined mind in the context of transcendent love garnered the Pulitzer Prize and helped restore our understanding of the nature of faith and dignity.

Sermonette

Thinking of writing a journal to leave to your children? This book might inspire you. The writer is a preacher who has plied his trade in the fictional Iowa town of Gilead. The town's name is of some significance. According to the bible, Gilead is a place where one can always find respite. The Gilead of our story may or may not be such a place. That's one of the questions that adds tension to the narrative. The others have to do with faith, redemption and predestination. If you believe in predestination---as a Congregationalist, our preacher should---can you expect a sinner to change? As he writes, our preacher shares his thoughts as he sorts out his beliefs and, more important, his doubts about himself and his religion. At the crux of the problem is Jack. Years ago, while baptizing young Jack, our preacher was distracted; as a result, he always sensed that Jack had received an inappropriate or incomplete blessing. Jack has returned to Gilead. From all we know, this prodigal son was a rotten guy when he left, and he's not so swell now, unless you want to give him credit for having a black wife and an illegitimate child in another town. The preacher is torn. He does not trust Jack; he even fears that Jack is after his own wife. But, he also blames himself for Jack's failures in life. What should he do? Predestination or redemption? His narrative is transforming. In the end, he makes the right choice; at least, that is what he tells himself. Spirituals in Concert

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