Thoughts In Solitude

by Thomas Merton

Book Overview

Thoughtful and eloquent, as timely (or timeless) now as when it was originally published in 1956, Thoughts in Solitude addresses the pleasure of a solitary life, as well as the necessity for quiet... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374513252
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Length: 129 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.4" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Moving book about a man's love for God...

Moved by this slim volume by Thomas Merton, I found "Thoughts in Solitude" to be worth a second read three years after the initial purchase and first reading. Call this an accidental second reading, and a good accident for I had not planned on revisiting the title. To my pleasure, the book is good if not better the second time around. For I was moved by the love this man holds for God, or held, since he is now many years dead. In this book, he lives, and he is as well as a man of God who sought God, but a writer who has the writer's gift of telling us some of the journey of getting closer to God. Or as he might say, God allowing someone to get closer to Him. That is good news. Readable, and certainly quick going but the kind of book one goes through "easily," it is a book that allows for reflection. I wondered about humility, and I wondered how in the world could something like humility be available to a layman, especially one who has neither the desire for nor the means of holding and having solitude as did Thomas Merton. I think Thomas Merton held solitude, as one embraces something, as one would embrace God. As a man or woman comes to Christ. Intangible as that may sound, the writer brings the reader to come with him on the inner journey and the journey of desire to be with God in quiet and solitude. Not alone, but in a solitude that is like a solidarity with the Almighty. This is the having solitude that I mention. Or so I understand it by the book. But I did not come to the book, after reading a while, to admire Thomas Merton. Of course, I do. I did not come to the book to get secrets about God, but Thomas Merton says there are secrets available to those who read the scriptures. There is both the telling and the untelling of a relationship with God that explains to the reader, through inference and through his reflections, that solitude brings people to mystery. I want to believe that there is mystery in the relationship with Christ, that in God we find and feel things (called religious experience) that are not available to us other ways. Thomas Merton writes of religious experience in this book, and he does it very well. I'm sure you have heard that this is the second of his books that critics cite as one of his two best. The other is, "The Seven Story Mountain." I read that book as the first of his books I read. I am glad I did. Here I stop a moment to tell you I am not doing justice to his writing, for in both books he is a spiritual master. Here he writes of the spiritual life, and for me it is the beginnings of thought on considering spiritual life: "Spiritual life is not mental life. It is not thought alone. Nor is it, of course, a life of sensation, a life of feeling--'feeling" and experiencing the things of the spirit, and the things of God. Nor does the spiritual life exclude thought and feeling. It needs both." I like how he explains this explanation, saying, "Everything must be elevated and transformed by the action of God

A voice of peace that can be heard above our noise

To defend the spirit against what Merton calls "the murderous din of our materialism", we must learn to live in solitude. But true solitary life is not a withdrawal from society: on the contrary, it is the only way to become social in the fullest sense, because through solitude we come to comprehend God's profound love for us, so that we can love other men in imitation and reverence of Him. Of the many themes Merton emphasizes in explaining true solitude, gratitude and humility are perhaps the most important. To live in solitude is to be without attachment to material things, personal relationships, or even spiritual accomplishment. Therefore solitude is a life of utter poverty and humility: our entire lives are a gift to God. Through this act we discover that nothing is due us, and our lives become an ongoing prayer of gratitude for whatever gifts we receive. For the true solitary, actions are far more important than thoughts, because, as Merton points out, if our ideas are not reflected in our actions, we do not really think them. If we do not follow our true vocation our lives will be choked by internal conflict between what we are called to do and what we actually do. Or worse, we may avoid the problem by ignoring our spiritual condition. Merton's commentary is highly relevant to all who care about their spiritual condition, and all who seek God in the murderous din.

Very Nice Piece of Work

This is actually the first time I have FINISHED a Thomas Merton book- not to say I do not find him normally interesting- actually it's the opposite. When I had been reading Merton's "New Seeds of Contemplation" a few years back, I was very confused. Confused in a good way- because it forced a lot of deep questions to arise within me. So much so that I never seemed to actually get anywhere with the reading.But Thoughts in Solitude has a different flavor to it- do not get me wrong- it is still that extremely contemplative and philosophical Merton everyone loves. But it has a feeling about it that it's more- refined- or perhaps relaxed would be the word I am looking for. I think it is important to point out that I am actually a Zen Buddhist, but this sort of view on God that Merton has- is not to far askew from my own. Though I simply don't "make that word God" from the get go.But all in all, Merton shows us one of his best works in this book. The words simply jump out at the reader, they are alive with the food so many of our spiritual lives stomachs are craving for. So order this book. When it arrives, kick off them shoes, put on that REGULAR coffee, maybe run some bathwater- and relax! You will absolutely enjoy this book. The type of book that could be written actually nowhere else but a monastery if you ask me. It has an, "This was meant to be private"- kind of feel to it. But that's just Merton at his best-I doubt there is any real intrusion on our, the reader's part. Anyway I hope you enjoy the book;)

A reader from Richmond, VA

This book has much spiritual insight in that it is balanced. It strikes a balance between reality and the limitations of humanity and the struggle for divine relationship. It challenges one to go higher while accepting oneself right where that person may be, since God accepts one right where they are.