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Rating: 
Summary: Not from the Latin, really
Review: Intrigued by the listing title with its statement that it comprises "Translations from the Latin" I ordered this book only to find that save for the first selection from St. Jerome (originally written in Latin) all of the selections are indeed translations from the Latin but the Latin translations from which Waddell translates are translations of other authors from the original Greek. The Desert Fathers are much more appropriately presented by Faber & Faber in their series of volumes entitled Philokalia which comes in a three or four volume paperback edition and a one volume abridgement and is translated to English directly from the original Greek. I believe.
Rating:
Summary: Not from the Latin, really
Review: Intrigued by the listing title with its statement that it comprises "Translations from the Latin" I ordered this book only to find that save for the first selection from St. Jerome (originally written in Latin) all of the selections are indeed translations from the Latin but the Latin translations from which Waddell translates are translations of other authors from the original Greek. The Desert Fathers are much more appropriately presented by Faber & Faber in their series of volumes entitled Philokalia which comes in a three or four volume paperback edition and a one volume abridgement and is translated to English directly from the original Greek. I believe.
Rating: 
Summary: You Can Do Better
Review: Richard Foster (author of The Spirit of Disciplines and other contemporary Christian works) recommends that for every contemporary Christian book you read it is important to read another one more than at least 400 hundred years old. One way to access such older Christian worlds is through the Vintage Spiritual Classics series that makes classical Christian works accessible to believers who often haven't read anything written prior to currently-living Evangelical writers.This is arguably a good introduction to the thoughts and beliefs of early Christian monastics, both male and female. This is a period all Christians should study since it reflects the origins of most early Christian theology and practice derived from men and women who were sometimes just a generation or two removed from the Apostles. It helps Christians get in touch with their spiritual roots and offset some of the spiritual nonsense that occupies much of the shelf space in most Christian bookstores. However, I found this relatively thin (221 page) book a disappointment. First, although it's a first edition for this publisher in 1998, it's actually a reproduction of work translated by a woman who died in 1965 at the age of 76, so who knows when it was actually prepared. Then, it's a translation of source documents for the stories and sayings, but they're sometimes less than easy to follow or "pithy" in this format. One really needs to dig for the most compelling and enlightening material. There are a number of more contemporary, extensive and more usefully translated books on the Desert Fathers, a number of which are listed in this book's two-page "Suggestions for Further Reading", virtually all of which post-date by 10-20 years this book itself. I suggest consulting Orthodox Christian WEB sites and publishers for good summaries, explanations and references for the philosophy, beliefs and practices of the Desert Fathers since the Orthodox denominations are arguably the Desert Fathers' direct descendents in today's world.
Rating: 
Summary: Blooming in The Desert
Review: Sayings of the early Christian monastics and stories of their lives of austerity and prayer in the Egyptian deserts have appeared as "flavoring" in books like Norris' Cloister Walk. This sturdy volume gathers up many of these tales and wisdom teachings in a clean, readable translation that also sports an encellent introduction which frames and contextualizes this ancient part of our Christian heritage. Waddell calls her book "a case book of spiritual direction, ironic and wise" (p 24), and indeed it can encourage and inspire the reader today. The abbess Matrona could be speaking to our modern urges and contradictions when she says, "It is better to have many about thee, and to live the solitary life in thy will, than to be alone, and the desire of thy mind be with the crowd" (page 72). If other stories strike the modern ear more harshly ("The abbot Arsenius said, "It sufficeth a monk if he sleep for one hour: that is, if he be a fighter" [p. 74]), they still provide the modern reader with the traditions and cultures that developed shortly after the Christian gospels were written. These stories also formed the backdrop for the moderation and carefulness of St. Benedict's Rule--still being followed by monastic orders like the Benedictines and Trappists today.
Rating:
Summary: Austerity of the cell
Review: These earliest of monks take Christ's admonition "to sell everything and follow Him" to heart. With deep austerity, and prayer they follow a path utterly dedicated to a spiritual life. Despite their austerity, there are at times a surprising expressions of personality, and even community among the solitaire cells and companionship of the monks. There are stories of hermits with lions as companions, of sustainment of a few herbs or palm leaves, of them helping thieves stealing from them, or selling Gospels to help the poor. However these monks are humble in their faith, and a lesson often repeated in these stories is humility and compassion for temptations that they themselves feel. The temptations of women, and even a monks' expression of Pelagia "the harlots" beauty was surprisingly sensuous. It may seem impossible for us to be isolated like this, but we can quest for solitude as abbot Antony said "Who sits in solitude escapes from three wars: hearing, speaking, seeing"
Rating:
Summary: Austerity of the cell
Review: These earliest of monks take Christ's admonition "to sell everything and follow Him" to heart. With deep austerity, and prayer they follow a path utterly dedicated to a spiritual life. Despite their austerity, there are at times a surprising expressions of personality, and even community among the solitaire cells and companionship of the monks. There are stories of hermits with lions as companions, of sustainment of a few herbs or palm leaves, of them helping thieves stealing from them, or selling Gospels to help the poor. However these monks are humble in their faith, and a lesson often repeated in these stories is humility and compassion for temptations that they themselves feel. The temptations of women, and even a monks' expression of Pelagia "the harlots" beauty was surprisingly sensuous. It may seem impossible for us to be isolated like this, but we can quest for solitude as abbot Antony said "Who sits in solitude escapes from three wars: hearing, speaking, seeing"
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