The Seven Storey Mountain

Rating:
Summary: A deeply absorbing book in parts,less than superb in others.
Review: This is a great book for the first time Merton reader. The complete context of a life fought out on the spiritual plane, replete with stunning lapses into the secular world, permeate this book. We learn of Merton's early life, his father the painter, his mother the reticent matron who is not overly convinced of the devoutness of his devotion, who at times fears and does not understand him. Their idyllic existence in France, spotted by the failed relationship of his grandparents, who suffer each other like a crown of thorns, serves to move him away from family into the arms of intellectual pursuits at Eastern universities, where he does and does not fit in, depending upon his spiritual mood. He flails about the rectory of faith like a large mouth bass on a ten pound test line. Straining mightily torward the trappings of intellectual success, only to find it vague and empty. Fullness for Merton hinges on the rightness of faith within the mighty structure (and constricture) of the Catholic Church. Protestantism leaves him weak and he feels no righteousness in it. Only when conversing with the hierarchy of saints or humming tunes to the Divine Mother does he find the certainty he so desperately seeks. It is a courageous attempt of one man to lay bare the struggle of his spiritual life. A struggle he chooses to resolve in cloister, surrounded by what passes for religious structure. His brother's unexpected conversion to Catholicism and resultant death in a war Merton seeks to avoid serves to deepen his faith and devotion to the Catholic system. Merton's honesty in his writing is refreshing and smacks of truth. If one looks past his obvious prejudice that salvation in its purest form only lies within the Catholic framework, the book becomes a fascinating document of one man's difficult journey navigating through life's mysteries to arrive at conclusions he believes pleasing to God and himself: life as a Trappist monk. Merton has done his job well and this writing deserves a discerning look for the most part. A good autobiographical read, deeply reflective and sincere. Worth the effort, even if it falls a little short in some lengthy sections devoted to secular, biographical observations which do not really add to the depth of understanding Merton's battles within himself.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful and timeless
Review: Merton's book offers refuge and sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of modern life. Like the monastery to which he fled as a young man, this book is an island of peace and serenity in a world that often seems geared to over-stimulate us and make us forget what's truly important in life.

"The Seven Storey Mountain" describes Merton's life from birth to the beginning of his religious vocation as a Trappist monk. Along the way, the reader watches as Merton grows and develops, travelling across Europe, dabbling in Communism, educating himself at Oxford and, later, Columbia, seeking fame and fortune as a writer, and wondering at last if he might be called to the monastery.

Merton's true gift is an ability to describe his life while also transcending it. He writes not to explain his life, but to explain what he's learned about all life, about our relationships with each other and with God, about how we strive for spiritual development and how we sometimes fall short.

One major flaw with this book is its lack of frankness when dealing with Merton's college years. The book's vagueness about his decision to leave England and come to the U.S. leaves the reader wondering if Merton is making much ado about nothing. What many readers may not know is that Merton had gotten a girl pregnant and was told by his stepfather that he should leave the country and restart his education in the U.S. Years later, when writing the book, Merton had reportedly wanted to detail this episode of his life, but was overruled by members of his religious order. Because of this, the book suffers, and the uninformed reader loses some sense of the size of the mountains Merton climbed to reach his final destination.

In the end, though, flaws and all, this is still an indispensable book. It often seems to be speaking directly to the reader, offering insights and wisdom that linger long after the final page is turned.

Rating:
Summary: Literature, Theology, and Autobiography
Review: Part literary analysis, part theological speculation, and largely spiritual autobiography, this 467 page tome is a much easier read than one might initially expect. There were times when, as a non-Catholic, I got bogged down in some of the particulars of the tradition, but much of the book has a universal appeal. The Seven Storey Mountain tells of Merton's journey from agnosticism to Catholicism, from self-absorbed young man to contemplative monk. The work is well enough written to have captured the imagination of countless readers, and it has even been translated into 20 languages. The Protestant reader may be either annoyed or amused (depending on his personality) by Merton's jabs at Protestantism. He does, however, have the magnanimity to frequently compliment Protestants for having "at least that much of religion."

Rating:
Summary: A Thought Provoking Christian Classic!
Review: A true classic in Christian literature. The man was truly a saint and a sinner who knew his need of forgiveness. His life was shaped by many early experiences and he shares them openly in this extremely well-crafted autobiography. Deeply encouraging and inspiring, it left me wanting to read everything he ever wrote. A passionate, sensitive, and powerful autobiography.

Rating:
Summary: An Enduring Spiritual Classic
Review: Thomas Merton's "The Seven Storey Mountain" is one of the classics of Christian literature and was one of the best selling books of the twentieth century. It will last well into this century as well. There is something about a worldly man giving up so much of the promise that life has to offer to live the austere life of a monk. While the book somewhat echoes St. Augustine's "Confessions," we see more of the emptiness of Merton's life prior to his conversion to Catholicism than we would find in Augustine's work as well as the role that faith played in his life. Readers are fascinated with Merton's life, and even if it cannot be emulated by most of us, we admire Merton's willingness to enter a monastery and it helps us re-evaluate our own faith.

One of the things that I find interesting about "The Seven Storey Mountain" is the way it can speak differently to a person over the years. I first became acquainted with the book when I came across an old, dusty and mildewy copy of the book in our cellar. I was probably in the sixth or seventh grade and decided to read it but put it down after one page when I was told I was too young to understand it. This inspired me to one day read the book. I finally read it while I was in college and saw Merton as an adventurer, and could relate to the boldness of his actions and the reality of his faith. As I have gotten older and reread the book or passages of the book, I see his writings differently, yet they still speak to me. Merton becomes less of a bold maverick and more of a person seeing what our hearts are all seeking, but not necessarily finding it. He becomes less of a hero and more of a person whose flaws speak as powerfully as his insights and discoveries about faith. In this way he is very much like his literary ancestor, St. Augustine.

Over the years interested in Merton seems to grow. At the time this review is being written, his works are being republished and a biography of Merton using his actual journal is now available. This first book is essential for anyone who has even a casual interest in Merton. Readers with an interest in Merton may also find Paul Elie's "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" helpful as well. This book, which also looks at the lives of Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, and Dorothy Day, puts Merton in both a historical and literary context.


Rating:
Summary: Boring and Uninspiring
Review: I struggled through 350 pages of this book before finally giving up. It was extremely boring and as another reviewer aptly put it 'flat and wooden'. As a Catholic convert who has read a fair number of conversion stories (both ancient and modern) this book pales in comparison. I have read conversion stories which are 1/10th the length, but which pack 10 times the inspirational punch. The favorable comparison of this book with St. Augustines Confessions is absurd and insulting to this great saint. The chief problem seems to be that Merton is so self absorbed that he is really writing a book about himself instead of about God, or his relationship with God. This self centeredness fits in perfectly with modern society and probably explains why so many people are fond of it. For the well read Catholic looking to be inspired, steer clear of this mundane book and take a look at something like Saint Therese of Lisieux's 'Story of a soul', or G.K. Chesterton's 'Orthodoxy'. Please don't waste your time or money on this book

Rating:
Summary: Filled with anguish and guilt
Review: I reviewed this book a few years ago. It has, however, receded greatly in its importance in my life, as I am now married happily and have left all the guilt of my life as a single man behind. Yes, Seven Storey has some good commentary about the plight of modern mankind in it, but the guilt that Merton feels about his life it seems almost pathological, now that I look back on it. I believe that such a lack of relectiveness related to his own failures (and blaming himself for the evils of the world now seems very strange) within the framework of Catholic church teaching, one sees the darkness of the dogmatism of the time. Perhaps because I have myself become satisfied with my spiritual growth, and not torn usunder and anguished by it, I can no longer very well relate to this book. In many ways, it kept those dark days of guilt about sex and living a happy, fulfilled life as a man very much in the fore. I am glad I once knew this book, and it meant so much to me at one time, but on the whole, I believe that it appeals to people who are possibly WAY too hard on themselves. I think we should all lighten up a bit, in the end, and the world will be a happier place. Perhaps this means getting beyond the dogma of organized religion.