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Rating: 
Summary: Deep Insights
Review: Although this collection of essays covers a wide variety of subjects, from the roots of the Carmelite order to current (1960) political issues, it has an important connecting theme, the nature of the individual's relationship to society. My favorite selections were:"The Pasternak Affair" is a penetrating analysis of Pasternak's work and his poetic struggle to be human in a harshly dehumanizing communist society. In addition, Merton's commentary touches on how our own "free" society is in a much more insidious way nearly as dehumanizing. Clearly, Merton, who had some correspondence with Pasternak, dearly loved the man and his work. "The Power and Meaning of Love" is one of the most beautiful explorations of what it means to love and be loved that I have read. "Philosophy of Solitude" boldly asserts that we are all solitaries; the only question is whether we accept it or run away from it. Society, in a sense, is nothing more than a structure of distractions that enables us to ignore our intrinsic lonliness. However, if we turn and face our solitary nature, we can discover that we are not empty at all, but full of God. Merton explains with magnificent clarity how we should pursue this discovery, and how to avoid the pitfalls that can lead us, with the best of spiritual intentions, astray. Very hard to go wrong with this book!
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