The Road to Joy: Letters to New and Old Friends - Hardcover

Merton, Thomas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374251231 ISBN 13: 9780374251239

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1989

Synopsis

The second volume of Thomas Merton's letters is devoted to his correspondence with friends -- relatives and family friends, longtime friends, special friends, young people he regarded as new friends, and circular letters addressed to groups of friends. They range from 1931, ten years before he became a monk, to 1968, the year in which he died at a monastic conference in Thailand.

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was born in France and came to live in the United States at the age of 24. He received several awards recognizing his contribution to religious study and contemplation, including the Pax Medal in 1963, and remained a devoted spiritualist and a tireless advocate for social justice until his death in 1968. The Sign of Jonas was originally published in 1953.

From Publishers Weekly:

Thomas Merton successfully lived an apparent paradox: a contemplative monk who wrote books, poems and essays and maintained a lively, voluminous correspondence. This collection of his letters, the second in a projected five-volume series, ranges from the mildly interesting to the truly inspiring. While too many fall into the former category, Merton's wit, vitality and intelligence animate the collections in flashes of wisdom and insight that are well worth the required sifting. Of his decision to take monastic orders, Merton writes about choosing " . . . between a world that belongs in a book by John O'Hara and one that belongs in a book by St. Theresa of Avila. . . . " Particularly charming are his letters to young people, in which he follows his first rule of good writing: never talk down to anyone. While not among the most substantial of his writings, this volume will find an appreciative audience among Merton enthusiasts. Daggy is curator of the Thomas Merton Center in Louisville, Ky.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0374251231
• ISBN 13: 9780374251239
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 383
• Editor: Daggy Robert