Sean Bala reviewed The seven storey mountain by Thomas Merton
Review of 'The seven storey mountain' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
"The Seven Storey Mountain" by Thomas Merton is a classic in twentieth century spiritual literature. Written in 1948, it inspired a generation of young American men and women to enter into monastic life. It is an autobiography of an aspiring writer who eventually finds the freedom he seeks within the Catholic Church and eventually within the Trappists, one of the strictest religious orders in the Catholic Church.
It can be read on three levels, depending on how a reader approaches the text. One level is that of a general spiritual quest of an intensely self-aware young man. On this level, anyone can read the book and find something that resonates with them, even if they are not religious, because the questions that Merton asks about how to live a rich life are ones that we all ask. It is interesting to consider this book in light on the later counter-culture …
"The Seven Storey Mountain" by Thomas Merton is a classic in twentieth century spiritual literature. Written in 1948, it inspired a generation of young American men and women to enter into monastic life. It is an autobiography of an aspiring writer who eventually finds the freedom he seeks within the Catholic Church and eventually within the Trappists, one of the strictest religious orders in the Catholic Church.
It can be read on three levels, depending on how a reader approaches the text. One level is that of a general spiritual quest of an intensely self-aware young man. On this level, anyone can read the book and find something that resonates with them, even if they are not religious, because the questions that Merton asks about how to live a rich life are ones that we all ask. It is interesting to consider this book in light on the later counter-culture movement of the 1960s. Indeed, entering a monastery is just as counter-cultural as entering into a commune.
Another level is that of a specifically Roman Catholic spiritual seeker. This may put off some readers. Merton is a Roman Catholic writer first and foremost and much of the book (written as a spiritual autobiography in the early years of his monastic life) is concerned with the development of his spiritual faith. In that way, the book is very akin to "Confessions" by St. Augustine of Hippo. To some readers, "The Seven-Storey Mountain" will seem polemical but I don't think it is any more polemical than a book with a strongly articulated faith position. And it is very clearly a product of its author and time (i.e., a Catholic convert within a strict religious community writing in a pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic Church).
A final level is that of literature. I don't believe the book would have nearly as much power as it does without its beautiful prose and beautifully crafted narrative. Worth reading for the prose alone.
