Thomas Merton’s The Seven Storey Mountain presents the succinct autobiography of a Trappist Monk’s journey from a youth of worldly diversions to his blossoming into the Catholic faith. Merton’s writing is strong and enjoyable, if a little clunky at time. Comparisons to Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions are immediately apparent, and in no small way encouraged by Merton.
Seven Storey Mountain can be divided into two sections of approximately equal length, hinging around Merton’s conversion. The first half of the book is easily the weaker example of Merton’s writing. His desire to distance himself from his youth rings through every paragraph. It is clear from the get-go that Merton considered his life prior to conversion nothing more than preparatory fuel for the fervor with which his religious zeal burned.
From the religious position in which Merton was writing, this may have been decidedly useful, but it did not make for enjoyable reading. For the first half of the book I was almost flipping through the pages, waiting for Merton to get to the “good parts,” after his conversion. And it was almost precisely there that Merton’s prose made an about-face. From the very line where he first makes the change-of-heart towards Christianity to the end of the book his prose lightens, the mood improves, and the book becomes aggressively enjoyable.
It is worth pausing to mention that while the first half of the book is not enjoyable, it is effective. Merton’s clear purpose is to paint a picture of the life devoted to God and to cause his readers to desire that life. In this regard, the transparent negativity in Merton’s portrayal of his youth functions wonderfully. Enough time is spent dwelling on Merton’s youth that we can enter into his head rather well, leading to a sense of cathartic joy at Merton’s conversion.
Would I recommend The Seven Storey Mountain? Yes.
Score: 4.3/5
Would I keep this on my bookshelf? Definitely.
-Mr. Cheddar
No comments:
Post a Comment