Gilead: A Novel | Marilynne Robinson

Gilead: A Novel | Marilynne Robinson | Worth the effort

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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

A masterpiece

This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. It is graced with passages that literally make you stop, reflect, and re-read them again and again. It is proof that God does indeed work through what, we call, "genius." Magnificent. Some reviewers speak of the book's pointlessness or its slow pace, but I think (and I am not being arrogant) they are not ready. One must be in a certain place in one's life, in one's development, to truly understand and appreciate a work of this magnitude.

Worth the effort

This book is not for everyone. The plot, if you want to call it that, is not fast paced. It could almost be said that the book is plotless. If, however, if you want to read a beautifully written novel featuring a powerfully written character, this book is worth the effort. If I had realized the type of book it was, I probably wouldn't have chosen it, but once I began it, I was so glad that I had. Since it's different than most contemporary novels, it takes a little more effort, but the results make it worth it.

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A little slow

Beautifully written, but very, very slow. One of the 'longest' short novels I've ever read.

Not My Style, but a Decent Book...

A father's dying letter to his son, Gilead is a moving recap of Reverend John Ames' life. I'm not a huge fan of this period or type of literature, but I trudged through it in a few days. The first part of the book deals with John's memories of his father and grandfather (also preachers) during and after the Civil War. In the second half of the book, John's focus is more on present circumstances; namely, the troubles of his namesake, John Ames "Jack" Boughton, the son of John's best friend. It is these conversations with Jack, and John's reflections on his son and wife that give heart to the book. I did not care for the "preacher-ly" ministry of it, or his recollections of a Depressed America. It was often tedious, but there were times when I was moved by it. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed "Grapes of Wrath" or other mid-America Dust Bowl type sagas.

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