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Rating: 
Summary: Not What I expected
Review: After reading the poetic, almost mystical, Cloister Walk, I was disappointed. In Cloister Walk, Norris consistently uses the Grail Psalms in her quotes of Psalm verses. So, I was disappointed to find that these Psalms were based on the KJV. Alas, the Grail translation is out of print! Too bad -- that would have been my preference.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing.
Review: Having just finished a long journey through "The Cloister Walk" I do not consider myself at all qualified to provide an objective review of "The Psalms". But the in-depth commentary on the Psalms, the saints, the Church, on liturgy and theology..and especially the people of the monastic world.. which was so very prominent in her "Walk" is missing. To compare is, of course, patently unfair. However, in my opinion a book's value is not in merely restating what has already been written, but in the creative contributions to and interpretations of what already is. This does not happen. Shame on the publishers!
Rating:
Summary: Not What I expected
Review: I was hoping that Norris, who wrote about being a Benedictine oblate in "The Cloister Walk" (oblates vow to pray regularly using the Psalms) was preparing an edition of the Psalms that could be used devotionally. But this version has a number of problems. For one thing, the translation used is the King James Version which, for all its literary strengths, is problematic for many readers. For another thing, Norris' "commentary" is limited to a single short essay, mostly explaining why she used the King James Version. But the biggest problem is that the book is too large (more than 8 inches tall) to be carried around easily, and its type is too small, like 9 point, with huge spaces between each verse. For the life of me, I can't figure out why they laid the book out this way, but it makes it extremely un-user-friendly. I got the overall sense that this book was prepared by the publisher mainly to give Norris' many fans, who were drawn to her practical yet poetic explanations of devotion in "The Cloister Walk," something else to buy for the holiday season. Mark Pritchard
Rating: 
Summary: A Place to Start
Review: It's important to remember that Kathleen Norris did not write this book. She provided an introduction to an ancient and venerable text. If you are one of the many people who are illiterate when it comes to the Bible, this is a good place to start. As a "slow-learning Christian" I found this book a comfort. I purchased my first copy and will be ordering many more. To give as gifts to those who are hungering for spiritual direction.
Rating:
Summary: A Place to Start
Review: It's important to remember that Kathleen Norris did not write this book. She provided an introduction to an ancient and venerable text. If you are one of the many people who are illiterate when it comes to the Bible, this is a good place to start. As a "slow-learning Christian" I found this book a comfort. I purchased my first copy and will be ordering many more. To give as gifts to those who are hungering for spiritual direction.
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