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Hermits: Insights of Solitude, by Peter France
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In an inspirational study, the author of Greek as a Treat traces the history of hermits, from the Greek Cynics, to the Desert Fathers, to more modern seekers of solitude, including Thoreau, Thomas Merton, and American poet Robert Lax. 15,000 first printing."
- Sales Rank: #968172 in Books
- Brand: St Martins Press
- Published on: 1997-07
- Ingredients: Example Ingredients
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: .94" h x 6.47" w x 9.60" l,
- Binding: Hardcover
- 256 pages
- Sociology and Society
From Library Journal
A former BBC personality, France (Greek as a Treat, Penguin, 1995) spends over half the year living in solitude on the Greek island of Patmos; his own taste of the hermetical life leads him to write this study of solitaries from the ancient Greeks to the present. France has chosen a representative group of hermits, and his simple discussions of such figures as Thoreau and Thomas Merton serve as good introductions for readers unfamiliar with their work. Chapters on lesser-known figures such as Charles de Foucald or groups such as the Russian startsy (spiritual fathers) are, likewise, excellent introductions, and a nice bibliography leads the reader to more in-depth sources. The final chapter highlights the contemporary poet Robert Lax in a fitting, parting interview. This well-written, rather personal exploration will entertain as well as inform. Readers interested in a more scholarly treatment would do well to consult France's bibliography. A good choice for public and academic collections.?Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
France gave up his high-profile career with the BBC to lead a contemplative life on a Greek island, a decision that inspired this engrossing history of hermits. Most solitaries left no record of the revelations they experienced, but others felt compelled to share the insights acquired through living a simple and meditative life, and it is those articulate hermits, those intent and spiritual-minded outsiders who have, curiously, taught the rest of us so much about living in the thick of things, that France so skillfully portrays. He begins with a masterful overview of the early Greek philosophers, who were "the first to discover the significance of the individual," a realization intrinsic to the hermit tradition, then moves on to St. Anthony of Egypt and other Desert Fathers, the forest-dwelling Russian Orthodox startsy, our own Thoreau, the Hindu hermit Ramakrishna, the Saharan explorer Charles de Foucauld, Thomas Merton, and the poet Robert Lax. France's supple commentary is augmented by piquant and affecting excerpts from various hermits' teachings, a blend that succeeds gloriously in illuminating and celebrating our species' "impulse to withdraw from society," an attempt at self-discovery that, wondrously, serves instead to define our profound commonalities Donna Seaman
From Kirkus Reviews
A lively, vivid, and moving history of hermits, religious and secular, and the instincts that drove them to embrace solitude. France (The Rape of Egypt, not reviewed), deeply attracted to the solitary life himself, began his investigation because he wondered ``if solitude confers insights not available to society.'' He traces the origins of a belief in isolation as part of a meditative life to China in the sixth century b.c., when the newly emergent faith of Taoism taught that ``it is by withdrawing rather than by asserting ourselves, through retreat rather than pursuit . . . that we acquire wisdom.'' This belief was similar to the ideas of the Desert Fathers, devout Christians who, in the centuries immediately after the rise of that faith, retreated to harsh landscapes well away from society, where they could wrestle with the meaning of their faith and the stubborn appeals of the flesh. France devotes a chapter to the Russian startsy, revered spiritual figures who spent years apart from society in an attempt to attain serenity--but who then often rejoined society to share what they had learned of the deeper instincts of faith. There are studies of, among others, Henry David Thoreau, the Indian mystic Sri Ramakrishna, and Thomas Merton, whose writings offer a contemporary insight into ``the nature of solitude, its risks and its benefits.'' The book concludes with a chapter on the poet Robert Lax, who has lived a largely solitary, reflective life on the Greek island of Patmos for four decades. Writing in a prose of great clarity, and drawing heavily on the precise, powerful reflections of solitaries and religious hermits, France offers a succinct survey of the forces that have drieven men and women to separate themselves from society to pursue their faith, and argues persuasively that solitude still can, in our relentlessly crowded, anxious, hustling age, offer unique spiritual benefits and insights. (Book-of-the-Month Club alternate/Quality Paperback Book Club selection) -- Copyright �1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Most helpful customer reviews
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful.
very peaceful
By A Customer
Too few books are available on the life of the contemplative. With that said, this book is already a rarity. It's quality is quite good, although the pages have yellowed in only three years, like most books in our "technologically advanced" culture.
The content of the book gave this reviewer a great sense of peace, as it is comforting to find that others hold the experience of solitude in high esteem. It seems that because of France's firsthand experience with this simple pleasure, he is able to describe the perspective in a unique and calming way, far from the usual deprecatory references to the Unibomber, etc.
It undoubtedly helped to alleviate some of this stigma, as well as piquing interest in the solitary life. We need respected hermits in this day and age, as an outside view of the inside is what keeps us balanced. I recommend it to everyone.
2 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
wonderful book
By Phoenicia
I never heard of this book and bought it on recommendation from a reviewer on the amazon site. I am so glad I bought it. It is a wonderful read, with lots of interesting bits and pieces on well known hermits in ancient times, without the book being superficial. Quite the opposite really. It is a good and insightful study on those who seek a life of solitude. I have only read about 15 pages of it, and glanced through the rest, but I already know that this will be one of my favourites.
It is a book to read and enjoy again and again. Highly recommended.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
Blow your mind
By J. Toth
A beautiful account of man's timeless search for solitude and truth, this book scours the great religious traditions and recounts the lives and writings of some of the coolest, wierdest and most sane people the world has ever seen. The chapter on Charles de Foucauld is itself worth the price of the book.
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