“I told you last night that I might be gone sometime and you said, Where, and I said, To be with the Lord God, and you said, Why, and I said, Because I’m old, and you said, I don’t think you’re old. And you put your hand in my hand and you said, You aren’t very old, as if that settled it.”Clear and concise, the first sentence introduces us, the readers, to the world of a pastor who married late and had a little boy. This book is his farewell to his son as well as his way of introducing himself to his boy. He doesn’t want to be forgotten, to not be known. And, that is probably why this book fits my soul. I want to be known, too. Most people do.
How would you pass on a life time of observations and learning to your child if you thought you might not be there to raise the one you love so much? How would I teach about anger, work, and attitudes as well as pass on family history and legends? You might write a book. Like this one that recounts so much while striving to teach, inspire, lead and guide from the grave.
Our story-teller, the pastor, husband, father, friend, seems to skip randomly from subject to subject as he tells bits and pieces his upbringing, his work, his philosophy of life. He tells of traveling in dust-bowl mid-America with his father to find his grandfather’s grave, of marrying young and experiencing death too close and personal. He critiques his sermons, “Sifting my thoughts and choosing my words. Trying to say what was true,” and confesses to cat baptisms and a brother who walked away from family and faith.
I grew up a PK and I raised MKs. I see myself over and over again in these pages—in the poverty, in the scrutiny of the community, of not always knowing how to teach what I want to pass on. I love how Marilynne Robinson writes—spare, clean, eloquent. If I was to grow up and be a writer, I’d like to be just like her.
In our posts this week, let’s share our first impressions of this book—Do you like it? Why? Does it say anything to you? What? I can’t wait to read your responses. And, may I just say—our book club will be as rich as each of us post—it will take all of us to make it great. So, please, post your thoughts—you will enrich us!
9 comments:
Like you, I appreciate Marilynne's writing style, "spare, clean, eloquent." She writes the way the old gentleman might think and write -- rambling from time to time -- but with such heart, such love, such concern for his young son. I have always loved to soak up the wisdom of older people. (And now that I'm an older person, I worry that perhaps my wisdom is lacking; I might not measure up to earlier generations.)
I have tried to picture this man (John? I think that's his name). Originally I envisioned him as being a bit heavy in the stomach but now I'm also trying to imagine him as slender. How do you picture him?
I read this book several years ago, but now I am reading it a second time. In the years in between, two interesting things have happened which I suspect will give me a different perspective on the book the second time around.
The first happening is that I've done a lot of research on ancestors who settled in (or tried to settle in) Kansas, where part of the story takes place, and I will gain insight into their lives from re-reading the book. I can also bring knowledge of my family into the book.
The second situation is that I recently moved to Missouri and am learning about the history of both my new state as well as neighboring Kansas--the Civil War's impact upon the people, the slave situation vs. the abolitionists views, etc., which are part of Gilead.
I've rambled long enough, but thank you for hosting this book club discussion.
Linda
I like it. I, too, found myself having a difficult time picturing the narrator... interesting that Linda wrote that... I like his rambling--- i do that! --- and I like his honesty. I was struck by a few things this first section: 1) p.21 "For me writing has always felt like praying, even when I wasn't praying, as I was often enough. You feel that you are with someone.". I loved this quote. I think this past year in my own personal journey with writing, I could relate. Maybe I wouldn't have been so bold as to connect it to prayer, but there is something here that rings true to my heart and mind. 2). p.8 "See but do not perceive, hear but do not understand, as the Lord says. It simply states a deeply mysterious fact. You can know a thing to death and be for all purposes completely ignorant of it.". This was a profound statement. I know God's love... but, sometimes I find I am completely ignorant of it--- for all true, practical purposes. I can know faith, grace, mercy, the sovereignty of God... and yet will never really get it. Loved this statement.
Anyhow, good read so far!
well I tried to post a comment and it got lost in space. So, I will try again and see if I can remember what I wrote.
I like this man. I like his honesty with himself. He rambles around on topics, but says some good things. I too liked his comments about writing being prayer. When I journal - on paper with ink- I feel like that is prayer even if I don't start with "dear Lord" and end with "Amen." I like that he baptized a cat. It wasn't just a dunking, but a real desire to give a blessing. He saw the mystery of the holy and wanted to share it.
I liked his comment about solitude being a balm for loneliness. That comment comes just before he talks about writing as prayer. As I think about it, I find that I find that to be true too. When I am lonely and spend some time in solitude I do begin to give up some of the loneliness. It has to do with spending time with God or contemplating his creation. In that quiet solitude I am drawn to acknowledge that no matter how lonely I may feel, God is here.
So, I am looking forward to reading more!
Thank you for posting this week, Linda, Lynn and Stephanie!I'm hoping others will post, too. I'm glad you are enjoying our main character. He sure has a lot to say--and I'm enjoying learning from his memories and insights.
If anyone is having dificulty posting, I would suggest using a different internet browser. I can't post on this site from mozilla--but I can from internet explorer. Please let me know if you are having issues. Remember we really do want to read your thoughts!
Great read so far. I picture the narrator as a very slender old man, with no excess to be found on him. He doesn't seem to be a man of excess, and I would venture to guess he lives on as little as he is able.
What strikes me is that in the midst of all of his hours he puts into studying, preparing, writing his sermons, he takes much time and thought to write in such detail to his young son. It speaks of his genuine love and concern for his boy, and shows him to be a genuinely humble man, who deeply values and treasures his family.
One quote that struck me was when he writes: "I do truly wish I had the means to spare you the slightest acquaintance with that very poverty the Lord Himself blessed by word and example...dear Lord, I think, spare them that blessing." This was profound. Knowing that Christ does indeed consider poverty a blessing, yet also realizing the hardships that they may encounter as a result. As a man who himself has suffered, he displays deep understanding in this statement. In the same way, though we know that trials produce such character in us, we would rather not go through them.
I love to hear elderly people speak. I love to hear stories of what they call "the good 'ole days." The days when character was valued over progress. The days when my grandparents were so poor, yet so deeply rich. The days when, though life was hard, people weren't so busy. People had time to value the things that really matter. Time to reflect, evaluate, ponder. Sometimes I wonder how much we really have "gained" in the past few decades of industrialism and progress. It seems to me we may have lost more than we've gained.
Looking forward to the next section!
Test...working on the trouble with posting issue. If you all have problems, please let me know: editor@womenoftheharvest.com
No guarantees that I'll know what to do, but I did make our comment settings a bit more open. I tested it on Internet Explorer and Mozilla. Sorry for the inconvenience. ~Cindy, your blog custodian.
Thanks for your thoughts Pam. I see our pastor the same way you do. This week on FB, some of my cousins were remember our grandparents. A very precious generation.
Thanks Cindy!
I hope posting a little late is okay :).
This is not a book I would normally pick up and read so Thankyou!
I too enjoy the ramblings of this reflective pastor. I can imagine being his child and receiving this letter and being amazed at the love and thought of my father.
I love finding bits and pieces of theology and philosophy mixed in with his stories and life. One that touched me more than the others was when he talked about laughter on page 5: "it's an amazing thing to watch people laugh, the way it sort of takes them over." Laughter is such a wonderful part of my life. Without it I would be such a sad soul.
Hi, Laura! Welcome! It is never too late to post. That's one of the beauties of our on-line book club. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It would be fun to laugh with you--maybe we will during our weeks reading this book!
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