Saint Therese of Lisieux (Penguin Lives)

Rating:
Summary: Shallow, but a Tolerable Introduction
Review: A short biography about a Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis in 1897, this book is written, not by a scholar, but by a professional journalist. The result is a more readable-- if perhaps shallower-- book for the general populace, surprisingly devoid of much anti-Christian sentiments that hang onto academic works of today. I confess I knew very little about anything of the late 1800s, and enjoyed learning more.
Saint Thérèse's personal beliefs may be hard to fathom, especially for those not raised in a Christian tradition. The author does an amiable job of looking into possible psychology of the woman, and if it tends to degrade the spiritual experience in favour of more palpable explanations, one can only say that this book fits its time period. The problem with misinterpretation may lie more in the reader's worldview than the author's or of Thérèse herself.

Rating:
Summary: The Wrong Therese
Review: Although Therese Martin may be loved by millions and revered as a saint by many, the fact is she was a human being and subject to nature and nurture in her formative years as all human being are. In this exceptional biography, Harrison explores many facets of Therese's entire life and history and, in my opinion, gives a very compelling, fair and realistic presentation of who Therese was, what shaped her into the woman - and later saint - she became, and what motivated her personal sense of passion and purpose in life that is viewed by many as a model of religious piety, perfection and purity to this day. I emphasize though that the focus is on Therese Martin, not so much the "St. Therese" she would later become after death and upon canonization.

It is for this reason that I can see why some who wish to transcend Therese's humanity and see her only as an untouchable and iconic saint would be disappointed in this book. Harrison makes Therese very real to the reader and focuses on her humanity and the possibilities of what may have made her tick based on insightful and grounded interpretations of the numerous family letters, documented testimony given at Therese's beatification after her death by her sisters and surviving family members as well as others who knew her, and clues given as revelation to support Harrison's biographical portrayal of the inner person with the use of Therese's own words.

And yes, Harrison does view Therese's life through the lens of modern day research, logic, fact and psychology rather than the more superstitious or supernatural perception that contemporaries in Therese's day might have viewed similar - but I think that's what makes this biography so wonderful. I came away feeling I "knew" Therese in a way that I highly doubt I ever could just viewing her as a archetypal image of "Saint" - and I think that's the point. Therese didn't start out as a Saint. It was who she was and what she did in her 24 incarnate years that gave rise to the desire and official act of canonizing her as such.

In addition, historic context is given so that the reader can get a better sense of what cultural factors went into shaping her into the person she was. I found this exceptionally fascinating because, nowadays, I'm of the opinion that many teenage girls who exhibit similar behavior and attitudes Therese demonstrated to be unrealistically perfectionistic and whom would be deemed likely candidates for such behaviors such as cutting, anorexia, bipolar disorder, intimacy issues, extreme acting out, etc. and who wish to stay little girls forever for fear of embracing their own maturity, sexuality and autonomy. But in Therese's day and in Therese's view via her own words - as well as those around her who served to both influence and support her mentally, emotionally and spiritually - martyrdom and masochistic suffering was seen as supremely beautiful and holy and her purposeful intent on remaining childlike in so many respects seems to lend itself to the perception that she was and remained innocent, pure and virtuous. I'm not implying that Therese was anorexic or that she cut herself - nor does Harrison even remotely suggest this - but Therese did view physical self-mortification and self-injury in a psychic sense as proof and example of holiness and beauty and a way to demonstrate willing self-sacrifice to her beloved, Christ: did despise her own flesh; did take supreme joy in her own suffering and the illness that would eventually take her life; did push herself to embrace what she reviled, recoiled from and initially resisted; did expect a lot from herself and was merciless in her own self-expectations and self-criticism when she fell short in her own eyes; and did exhibit attitudes that, for a young woman in her 20's, were amazingly infantile, immature and the stuff of fluffy romance novels or fairy tales with an emphasis on courtly - but unrealistic - love with a religious flair. Also, I found Therese to be a bit of a paradox (but what person isn't?) and found myself wondering how conscious she was about much of what she did. Supposedly her aim was to be "nothing" but her focus on becoming nothing is exactly what drew attention to her and made her "something." It makes one wonder if this might have been her unconscious desire that, based on her values, she could not allow herself to acknowledge even to herself.

Some could view these as examples as exemplary religious behavior while others may see them as extreme, strange a perhaps a bit on the twisted side - but I feel Harrison lets the judgment of beauty or lack thereof remain in the eye of the beholder - the reader - without unduly attempting to bias or influence with opinions of her own slanted one way or another.

And while some may view Harrison's treatment of Therese to be too psychoanalytic and perhaps not reverent enough, it was this very reason that I gravitated to this book and found the biography thoroughly interesting. I do not think Harrison's analysis went overboard though, nor do I feel the approach detracts at all from the notion that there was something unique about Therese to warrant many to feel she had qualities in accordance with what I gather Catholics view to be saintly. However, not being a Catholic myself, yet fascinated by notable people in general - especially those who demonstrate or are revered as spiritual exceptionals no matter the religious or spiritual path they follow - I was very pleased to learn more about Therese in a way that made her real, tangible and human rather than viewing her at a idealistic distance atop an unreachable shelf of a pedestal. As I said, I came away feeling I "knew" Therese in a way that I would best be able to relate to her - human to human. And I suspect this is why I found the biography to be exceptional. I have no idea how to relate to St. Therese, but I can say that the reality of Therese Martin as a human being, based on what I gained from reading this book, is fascinating and thought provoking.

Rating:
Summary: The Wrong Therese
Review: Just what we wanted: Kathryn Harrison's criticism and psychoanalysis of St. Therese. A disappointing handling of a saint who is loved by millions. As usual, when it comes to Catholicism, anything goes.

Rating:
Summary: Story of a Woman
Review: Kathryn Harrison's biography of Therese Martin is a brilliant work from a variety of perspectives. It is meticulously researched based on pertinent historical documentation. The writing is poetic, and the narrative style is consummately exquisite. But of particular value are the keen insights that weave Therese's psychology into a spirituality rich in the human values of pain, loss, and ultimate transformation. Many know the saint, but few know the woman. Kathryn Harrison knows the woman, and perhaps the few will become more numerous as a result of this gem of a book.

Rating:
Summary: Distorted biography
Review: Sadly, the author clearly demonstrates through this book that she does not comprehend the simple, yet profound spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux, and yet although incapable of doing so, goes on to write a book about her life. St. Therese's insights of the Faith and her 'Little Way' that have been such a great help and blessing to millions of people through her autobiography 'The Story of a Soul' have here - in Ms. Harrison's book - been grossly distorted through the author's personal interpretation of a spirituality that she shows complete ignorance of and then adds insult to injury by twisting the truth of what motivated this young woman. I feel the book is not only an injustice to St. Therese herself, but also to anyone who is seeking to understand what the life of this saint is all about; and furthermore it completely misses the whole point that it was her love for God that compelled her to live the selfless life she did. Period. Please read her autobiography and not this book. I gave the book 1 star because the cover is truly beautiful.

Rating:
Summary: misses the point
Review: This is a beautifully writtten book and it certainly uses modern knowledge of psychology and historical and literary research to shed light on Therese and her times. The author's focus on Therese's ascetical practices (masochistic to the author) presents the saint as a very unattractive woman. Reading this book one is left in awe of Therese's self-discipline and love of suffering but one cannot fint her attractive or open one's heart to her. Nowhere in the book does one find the compassion of this saint for all "sinners"; nowhere does one find her words of solace to those who suffer from guilt and problems with faith;nowhere does one find her as a "little sister" who acts as an intercessor to God for those who tremble to approach Him.

A recent video highlights the tour of Therese's relics to churches in the United States. Everywhere the relics were presented tens of thousands of people caame merely to be able to see or to touch the glass cannister that contained her bones. Reader's of Bishop Ahern's, The story of a Love, would understand this outpouring of emotion. Readers of Ms. Harrison's biography would not.

Brother Michel Bettigole - [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: misses the point
Review: This is a beautifully writtten book and it certainly uses modern knowledge of psychology and historical and literary research to shed light on Therese and her times. The author's focus on Therese's ascetical practices (masochistic to the author) presents the saint as a very unattractive woman. Reading this book one is left in awe of Therese's self-discipline and love of suffering but one cannot fint her attractive or open one's heart to her. Nowhere in the book does one find the compassion of this saint for all "sinners"; nowhere does one find her words of solace to those who suffer from guilt and problems with faith;nowhere does one find her as a "little sister" who acts as an intercessor to God for those who tremble to approach Him.

A recent video highlights the tour of Therese's relics to churches in the United States. Everywhere the relics were presented tens of thousands of people caame merely to be able to see or to touch the glass cannister that contained her bones. Reader's of Bishop Ahern's, The story of a Love, would understand this outpouring of emotion. Readers of Ms. Harrison's biography would not.

Brother Michel Bettigole - [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: A strange saint and the ground that bred her
Review: While an excellent addition to the "Penguin Lives" series, those looking for a view of "The Little Flower" through a hagiographic haze will have to look elsewhere. Kathryn Harrison's brutally frank (though not unsympathetic look) at Saint Therese of Lisieux might be historically accurate but is bound to be a letdown for her most ardent devotees.

Harrison uses family letters and the documents of Therese Martin's canonization process to paint a portrait of the Martin family and the world they inhabited. Even by the conservative standards of late 19th century France, the Martins were unusual, even odd. Both parents, Louis and Zelie, were extremely devout Catholics, to the point that Louis insisted on a "Josephite" or celibate union for the first 10 months of their marriage. All five surviving children -- eventually and sometimes with difficulty -- fit themselves into religious communities. The Martins were extremely wary of secular society, keeping their daughters from "worldly" pleasures that others thought charming and innocent. The portrait shows the Martins as a close and loving family, though extremely insular and somewhat fixated on death. Therese was a strange little girl obsessed with the things of the Church -- creating little altars in the backyard and holding funerals for dead birds. Perhaps these were among the few amusements she was allowed. Early separations from her mother left her emotionally fragile, never quite capable of internalizing an image of "Mother" that was warm and nurturing. Harrison sees Therese's embrace of convent life as a lifelong attempt to find a permanent presence that would never fail her, as her own mother did. Her bloody, tubercular death was difficult to watch, though inspiring (in its own way) for the way that Therese turned every pain and discomfort into a new sacrifice for God.

There is much strength in Harrison's attempt to limn the psychology of this saint. Inasmuch as Therese fought her attachment to her body and sought to annihilate her personality, Harrison (ever the modern) works hard to reassemble a complete Therese -- emotional, social, psychological and even sexual. Sometimes, Harrison seems to overreach, attempting to discern sexual stirrings behind Theresa's concerns for "purity" and expressions of desire for a violent and rapturous union with Jesus. But better to err on the side of seeing Therese enfleshed than to imagine her as serenely unconflicted and untroubled by the impulses that all humans must deal with.

I can't say that I came away from this book desiring a devotion to St. Theresa. Her discomfort with the world was too extreme, and her family life too constricted and introverted. Her experience and achievement, evidently inspiring to those of her time and beyond, seem a bit out of place today, as we attempt to live religiously *through* our flesh, not by shucking the body as evil. In any event, Therese Martin will continue to be honored as a spiritual athlete who pushed the envelope of piety as understood in her time, and who retained her devotion to God through intense self-negation and a protracted and painful final illness.

Rating:
Summary: Painful
Review: You'd never expect it from the life of a saintly nun (especially one whose story you knew), but according to Ms. Harrison's interpretation the life of St. Therese was all about sex. Freud would be proud. Harrison does recognize that Therese's "Story of a Soul" is indeed a love story. Sadly, she seems to think that it as much about Therese's love for her father, combined with her sexual repression, projected onto her relationship with Jesus.

To be fair, I think the author really does try to discover what it is that draws us to the Little Flower, and to some extent she succeeds by spotting Therese's intensely passionate humanity. But this is so overshadowed by Harrison's seemingly complete lack of understanding of the spiritual life. More than once I just wanted to shout "Stop it!" as the author delved into arm-char psycho-analysis (the curse of modern biographers, it seems).

Toward the end of the book she seems to develop a bit more respect for St. Therese, no doubt in proportion to Therese's own maturing faith. A good bit of space is devoted to describing Therese's death, which is something you miss in "Story of a Soul".

Still, even (perhaps especially) if you just want to see Therese Martin the person, St. Therese's autobiography is a much better read.