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From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Robinson's acclaimed debut Housekeeping (1981) will find that the long wait has been worth it. From the first page of her second novel, the voice of Rev. John Ames mesmerizes with his account of his life—and that of his father and grandfather. Ames is 77 years old in 1956, in failing health, with a much younger wife and six-year-old son; as a preacher in the small Iowa town where he spent his entire life, he has produced volumes and volumes of sermons and prayers, "[t]rying to say what was true." But it is in this mesmerizing account—in the form of a letter to his young son, who he imagines reading it when he is grown—that his meditations on creation and existence are fully illumined. Ames details the often harsh conditions of perishing Midwestern prairie towns, the Spanish influenza and two world wars. He relates the death of his first wife and child, and his long years alone attempting to live up to the legacy of his fiery grandfather, a man who saw visions of Christ and became a controversial figure in the Kansas abolitionist movement, and his own father's embittered pacifism. During the course of Ames's writing, he is confronted with one of his most difficult and long-simmering crises of personal resentment when John Ames Boughton (his namesake and son of his best friend) returns to his hometown, trailing with him the actions of a callous past and precarious future. In attempting to find a way to comprehend and forgive, Ames finds that he must face a final comprehension of self—as well as the worth of his life's reflections. Robinson's prose is beautiful, shimmering and precise; the revelations are subtle but never muted when they come, and the careful telling carries the breath of suspense. There is no simple redemption here; despite the meditations on faith, even readers with no religious inclinations will be captivated. Many writers try to capture life's universals of strength, struggle, joy and forgiveness—but Robinson truly succeeds in what is destined to become her second classic.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Robinson's first book, Housekeeping (1981), remains an astonishment, leading to high expectations for her longed-for second novel, which is, joyfully, a work of profound beauty and wonder. Reverend John Ames of Gilead, Iowa, a grandson and son of preachers, now in his seventies, is afraid he hasn't much time left to tell his young son about his heritage. And so he takes up his pen, as he has for decades--he estimates that he's written more than 2,000 sermons--and vividly describes his prophetlike grandfather, who had a vision that inspired him to go to Kansas and "make himself useful to the cause of abolition," and the epic conflict between his fiery grandfather and his pacifist father. He recounts the death of his first wife and child, marvels over the variegated splendors of earth and sky, and offers moving interpretations of the Gospel. And then, as he struggles with his disapproval and fear of his namesake and shadow son, Jack, the reprobate offspring of his closest friend, his letter evolves into a full-blown apologia punctuated by the disturbing revelation of Jack's wrenching predicament, one inexorably tied to the toxic legacy of slavery. "For me writing has always felt like praying," discloses Robinson's contemplative hero, and, indeed, John has nearly as much reverence for language and thought as he does for life itself. Millennia of philosophical musings and a century of American history are refracted through the prism of Robinson's exquisite and uplifting novel as she illuminates the heart of a mystic, poet, and humanist. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh, there's balm all right,
This review is from: Gilead (Paperback)
This is a lovely, winsome, "restorative" kind of book. It was wonderful to share consciousness with the narrator of this book, who is such a gentle, well-intentioned individual that your heart wells up with pride that the human race could produce such a worthy specimen. Experiencing this book is like being given a warm coat when you're freezing, or a soft bed when you're exhausted, etc. -- it's nourishing or strengthening somehow. The creation of this character is amazing -- it never for a minute feels untrue, and yet a paragon such as this could never exist. It's several days since I finished Gilead, and I am only now struck by how artificially structured the story is (to create the contrasts of good and evil that the author is obviously interested in). It felt real and true throughout, and compelling. I want to read Housekeeping now, and also The Trail of the Lonesome Pine.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gilead is great,
This review is from: Gilead (Hardcover)
Certainly the "themes" of GILEAD are nothing new, but what the author does with them is astounding. We've seen the father-son relationship theme explored in novels and movies such as BIG FISH and certainly BARK OF THE DOGWOOD explored not only that, but the theme of religion and history as well. But this new novel takes things a step further. I absolutely adored this novel. When John Ames tells the story of his family he makes his abolitionist preacher grandfather come alive and makes the reader a part of his history. Ames' voice read so true that I constantly had to remind myself that this was fiction. I had to stop reading to ruminate on both Robinson's perfectly selected words and on what they conveyed. I felt like Robinson had distilled the entire Old Testament into one psalm of love and grace. VERY insightful and full of hidden meaning (if you look for it), GILEAD deserves its place among the bestsellers.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A journey through time,
By Sancho Mahle (Charlotte, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gilead (Paperback)
Gilead is a beautifully written book. Highly expressive and insightful, this story that spans four generations is centers on with John Ames, a preacher who upon realizing that his end is drawing near entrusts his son with the account of his an account of life and the lives of his forebears , an account which s more about ideas and that has at its core a mystery that is the source of inspiration in the story and that of course makes it so rich. The overriding idea behind the story is faith, courage, forgiveness, grace, friendship, solidarity and the lessons that should be learnt from human weaknesses such as self-indulgence, anger, hatred, and other blinding emotions. The softness with which this book is written takes away the serious nature of its message and of course makes it an interesting and worthy read. I recommend this book along with Disciples of Fortune, The Union Moujik, The Usurper and Other stories, Housekeeping
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