The Cloister Walk

Although this is now 30 years past its original date of publication, the writing is as timely today as then. I loved this book, as all of Kathleen Norris's works. This is very special as it provides so much insight to the human components of the truly faithful, awe inspiring that the dedication of the Benedictine Monasteries have been so solid for over 1500 years. This book shares the current story so well. It is full of delightful realities, most heartwarming and very very real. Anyone questioning "religion"s place in this world, it is now 2017 as I write, would be amazed at its fruits. Thank you Kathleen.

Read this book slowly and savor it and reflect on it. Norris does not try to persuade you or convince you of anything. Instead, she details some portion of her spiritual journey and a lot of research lying behind what she encounters. If you feel any attraction to the spiritual life, explore it with her as she spends time both in retreat in a monastery and in the world of the Dakotas. The book is written in short chapters and thus is easy to read in bits and pieces, but after while this reader became so enamored of the reflective and the divine within these pages that she just wanted to live in the book.

The Cloister Walk - Excellent condition. Like new.

A RING OF TRUTH: Like Kathleen Norris, I am a Protestant who lives in a small town and have been heavily influenced by being a guest in a Benedictine Monastery many times. Like Norris, I have been invited into the cloister. Her account has the ring of authenticity. By the time I finished the book I realized I was reading while listening to the CD of chants prepared at the monastery I most often visit. WHO WILL LIKE THIS BOOK? Norris is a poet. This book is a collection of sketches from inside the monastery, from monastic history, from her own small town, from her vacations, and from the cities she has lived and worked in. Some chapters are long, while others are short. Her themes bounce from chapter to chapter. If you like poetic imagery written in prose and are interested in this theme, you will like this book. WHO WILL NOT LIKE THIS BOOK? If you like to read technical manuals and books with finely structured outlines, you will probably not like this book. You may feel that Norris rambles too much and doesn't stay with her main point.

Quality book .. hard to find. Usual terrific delivery quick and book arrived in great shape. Thx

This is a book that I thought I could read straight though and move on to the next novel on my TBR list, but it wasn't that simple. Norris has the poet's eye for insight and the material written here includes some beautifully written prose with keen observations on life and humanity. The reflective nature of the book caused me to pause between sections to let her stories and observations sink in. While she writes about monastic life, she doesn't romanticize it. Instead, we're drawn to examine our own rituals and religious practices through new eyes that add meaning and significance. If you're a fan of authors such as Thomas Merton I recommend giving this book a slow and thoughtful read.

Kathleen Norris is a terrific writer, and everyone says so, it seems. She has the poets gift for finding beauty everywhere, and makes you want to see Lemmon, S. D. which is no mean feat, I'm sure. Her account of her experiences with the Benedictine monks is wonderful, generally. And she has that great gift of seeming to write for all of us. My only objection to the book has nothing to do with style, or her lyrical prose, but with her use of obscenity-twice- about a third of the way through. It is just so unnecessary--even if you don't see it as wrong--for this to be found in a book on Christian Spirituality. To me, it keeps me from recommending the book to some who might otherwise really benefit from seeing the world through Kathleen Norris' eyes. Which is a real shame.

I enjoy many of the chapters in this book but sometimes the thread to weave them together was lost. I learned from her extensive study of topics and I am thankful I read this book. I look forward to reading another book I purchased from this author to see if there is a better movement of topics between the chapters. Highly recommend this book.

A good read, good service, decent price. Many thanks

I feel like Kathleen is one of my dear friends. She has helped me deepen my connection to myself and my journey with God.

A very poetic, insightful book on her stays in a Benedictine Monastery.

I bought this book some years ago, but was so glad to find a copy in large print. Love this book - interested in Benedictine monasticism - this is a very good read, written by an oblate.

A must-read for anyone with a close friend or relative in a religious order - written from a Roman Catholic perspective but containing much wisdom which will resonate with other faiths