In 1956, toward the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son, a kind of last testament to his remarkable forebears. 'It is a book of such meditative calm, such spiritual intensity that is seems miraculous that her silence was only for 23 years; such measure of wisdom is the fruit of a lifetime. Robinson's prose, aligned with the sublime simplicity of the language of the bible, is nothing short of a benediction. You might not share its faith, but it is difficult not to be awed moved and ...
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In 1956, toward the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son, a kind of last testament to his remarkable forebears. 'It is a book of such meditative calm, such spiritual intensity that is seems miraculous that her silence was only for 23 years; such measure of wisdom is the fruit of a lifetime. Robinson's prose, aligned with the sublime simplicity of the language of the bible, is nothing short of a benediction. You might not share its faith, but it is difficult not to be awed moved and ultimately humbled by the spiritual effulgence that lights up the novel from within' Neel Mukherjee, The Times 'Writing of this quality, with an authority as unforced as the perfect pitch in music, is rare and carries with it a sense almost of danger - that at any moment, it might all go wrong. In Gilead, however, nothing goes wrong' Jane Shilling, Sunday Telegraph
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Although this beautifully evocative Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson has received many accolades, I was unfamiliar with it before reading some of the perceptive reviews from my fellow readers. These reviews made me want to read the book. Helping readers find new things is one of the virtues of online reader reviews. I hope to use this novel in my own turn for a book group which has several good readers none of whom, I suspect, will know this book.
"Gilead" is a book about American religious life. This in itself is not particularly unusual, but the book is distinctive because of the broad sympathy it shows to traditional American small town Protestantism. The book is also unusual because of the unabashedly positive way in which its major character is portrayed. (It is also worth noting that Ms. Robinson writes exclusively in the person of an aging man, as does an otherwise highly different and urbane current novel, "What I Loved" What I Loved: A Novel by Siri Hustvedt.) Set in a small midwestern town called Gilead, Iowa, the major protagonist is a 76 year old minister, John Ames, born in 1880. The time is 1956, during the middle of the Eisenhower administration, and a time many Americans view with nostalgia. The Reverend Ames has been told he is dying of a heart ailment. He wants to set down his thoughts in a letter for the benefit of his young son, slightly under 7 years old, the child of his old age. The book consists of this reflective, rambling and wise letter from Reverend Ames to his child.
As a young man, Reverend Ames had lost a wife and child in childbirth. For most of his subsequent adult life, he lived alone, reading extensively, writing sermons, watching baseball games, preparing simple dinners and tending to his congregation. Then, at age 67, Reverend Ames unexpectedly fell in love with a woman at least 30 years younger than himself, uneducated and of uncertain background. She began to attend the church and gradually encouraged the Reverend's attentions, leading eventually to the suggestion "You should marry me." With the disparity in age and background, the marriage proved peaceful and happy.
The book, and the letter, are wandering and formless. Portions of it are narratives of Reverend Ames's life and family. Ames was the third in a family generation of ministers. His grandfather had been an Abolitionist in Kansas and had served in the Civil War. He had a fiery, eccentric disposition. His son had been much more pacific and reserved in his opinions. Besides Reverend Ames, there was another son, Edward, who became a nonbeliever and an adherent of the thought of the German philosopher Feuerbach. Reverend Ames reflects a great deal on his minister forbearers and on their influence on him.
Ames also reflects a good deal upon the life and children of an aging minister and lifelong friend named Boughton. Boughton has a middle-aged son, John, who is a nonbeliever and apparently something of a wastrel. He returns to the book midcourse when is father is terminally ill. Reverend Ames does not trust the young man but has many strained discussions with him about theology, faith, and salvation.
Besides the gossamer-thin story line, Reverend Ames' letter to his son includes reflections of religion, faith, God, love, the good life, hope, and much else. Some of the book is in the form of aphorisms or paragraphs that might come from a sermon and that interrupt whatever narrative flow might be going on. The tone of the writing throughout is elegant, restrained and simple but with a great deal of life and thought underneath. The book is full of the love of the physical world, particularly the little town in which the story is set, the water, the fields and the people. There is a tone of forgiveness and acceptance of difference. With its in the main conservative tone, Reverend Ames has a great deal to say about American racial issues. Reverend Ames is an erudite small town pastor who wears lightly his substantial learning. Here is one passage taken from near the end of the book (p.245) out of many passages that might be chosen to illustrate the character of Reverend Ames's meditations for his son, for the reader, and for himself.
"It has seemed to me sometimes as though the Lord breathes on this poor gray ember of Creation and it turns to radiance -- for a moment or a year or the span of a life. And then it sinks back into itself again, and to look at it no one would know it had anything to do with fire, or light. That is what I said in the Pentecost sermon. I have reflected on that sermon, and there is some truth in it. But the Lord is more constant and far more extravagant than it seems to imply. Wherever you turn your eyes the world can shine like transfiguration. You don't have to bring a thing to it except a little willingness to see. Only, who could have the courage to see it?"
In its portrayal of what might be regarded as a form of traditional American religion, this book challenges current negative pictures in the culture. All the same, the book develops well the tension between religious belief and secularist alternatives. This is a quiet reflective story that needs to be lingered over. It will be enjoyed by thoughtful readers, regardless of religious persuasion.
Robin Friedman
Inge
Dec 12, 2012
Read Gilead for sleep aid
This book is an endurance test; the ramblings of a 76-year old preacher man, enlivened occasionally by small burps of humor or crankiness, culminating in a final chapter that delivers no major aha-moments, it felt like hard, but boring work. I read the whole thing because the reviews had been so positive, but now I kind of would like my hours back!
John M
Jan 27, 2011
Great Book
I loved this book the first time I read five years ago, and loved it just as much rereading it recently. Have recommnded it and the author to everyone I know.
Ellyb
Aug 23, 2009
A Masterpiece
Marilynne Robinson's "Gilead" is a beautiful, surprising work. The novel's structure is that of a letter written by an aging rural pastor to his young son. He knows he will be passing away before his son grows up, and wishes to write him his "begats," all those things which he would have imparted to his son as he grew up, had he lived. Throughout the novel, the narrator discusses his family's somewhat fraught political and religious history, and the schisms between fathers and sons that preceded him. Through these stories he tries his best to impart a sense of his faith and love to his young son, whom he holds so dear. However, sepulchral this is not. This is a rumination on joy, faith, and recognizing the sweet beauty of living. Savor the words in this novel rather than devouring or rushing through them. Give yourself the time and opportunity to be moved by Robinson's masterly depiction of real, pulsing, beating-in-the-arteries humanity. I am very glad that I did, because it's a rare book that can impart both a visceral sense of calm and a churning impulse to experience life.
JeffB
Oct 23, 2008
Wonderful heartfelt read
I picked this book when I learned the author had written another book (Home) which is a companion book to Gliead. This story is well-written and is basically a letter written to a young son, whose father is dying and will not be there as the boy grows up. Not sentimental, but plain beautiful words.
