The Literary Essays of Thomas Merton (New Directions Paperwork, 587)

A Trappist monk and trailblazing prophet for a more tolerant and progressive Catholic Church, Father Thomas Merton's works stands up to the most virulent criticism even in contemporary times: one might even say that there are two kinds of Catholics nowadays--the Merton Catholics and the resolutely orthodox Catholics, and even the latter can't help but enjoy Merton's lifelong and fearless fidelity to truth. "The Literary Essays of Thomas Merton" gives a good window onto the man behind the traditional monastic mask and proves beyond a doubt that one can be a member of a strict religious order and have a very free, wildly poetic and intellectual mind at the same time. The breadth of Merton's interests vary with such intensity and enthusiasm that it would be well nigh impossible to include them all a single review. He certainly managed to keep with the times, there's no doubt about that: many of these essays appeared in "The American Benedictine Review", "American Pax", "The Catholic Worker", "The Catholic World", "Charlatan", "The Columbia Review", "Commonweal", "Continuum", "The Critic", "Jubilee", "The New York Herald Tribune Review", "The New York Times Book Review", and the "The Critic". In his relatively short time on earth, Thomas Merton made sure to fulfill one of God's most important vocations for him: the written word. In his first essay, "Blake and the New Theology", Merton attacks those would make nothing of William Blake but a crazed prophet who wanted to destroy everything save "pure vision": that was not the case, and though Blake's theology was certainly radical, there is no problem reconciling it with the Holy Trinity. Merton's ongoing fascination with Russian poet Boris Pasternak is given full expression in his lengthy essay "The Pasternak Affair", in which Merton expresses passionate admiration for the poet's refusal to make concessions to the Soviet Union and just narrowly escaping a horrible death at the hands of Stalin's thugs. Constructive rebellion, it seems, was always a concern of Merton's. The real meat and potatoes of this book are, however, "The Seven Literary Essays On Albert Camus". I was surprised, though I shouldn't have been, to find that the most perceptive and compassionate essays on this modernist agnostic (Camus was never a stated atheist, as Merton points out, though that is a literary myth which has replaced truth). He sees that a lot of Camus' problems with God emerged, as so many people's have, from his experience in France resisting the Third Reich (well, writing leaflets about them with a sharp note here and there, at least). Merton's "final verdict" on Camus and why this otherwise Christian man defied the notion of God is something ever Merton fan will want to find out for themselves. This is a weighty book, about 590 pages in total and Merton's crackling prose is so engrossing I almost read it cover to cover. Not just for Catholics: must read literature for everyone.

I guess not many folks have read this extremely intelligent book. Merton's close readings of many giants of literature from his Christian perspective are illuminating. My personal favorite is his reading of Camus. It would have been fantastic if these two could have sat down and spoken to one another! While I am not into orthodox or fundamentalist Christianity, I fully agree with Merton's perspectives, and he has nourished my spirituality with his writing. As an English major he has altered and illuminated my readings of these great authors. I think that this, along with "The New Man" and His "Asian Journals" provide the most in depth, intelligent, mature writings of Merton at the height of his powers. Incidently, "The New Man" is largely based on his reading of Camus and the Romantics, and he provides a perspective that is missing from the many critical perspectives that have been offered, even up til now.