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savaging's review against another edition
5.0
This book is not a novel. It is a philosophical treatise. Or maybe it's a gospel. But since it's a philosophy (or gospel) about embodied beauty and embodied love, it can only be told in embodied stories of a strange Utah-desert woman and her singing rats.
This book spoke to me. Eerily, uncannily, it spoke to me. It explores many of the things I think about daily, like: how can we rejoice over each object? And what IS an object? And what are humans? How are we to think of god(s)? Also: what about rats?
As I grew to love this book, I also grew distraught about sharing it with others. Who to recommend it to? Non-Mormons would be annoyed by the Mormonism. Mormons would be shocked by the heresy. And everyone would be disgusted by the rats and their vomit. That means it's a very brave book, an unapologetic book, that follows out its own heart and brain without bending. And that makes the surprise and joy all the greater if you are one of the very few varmint-loving para-pseudo-(ex)-Mormons who can instantly connect with Trillim's world.
Peck treats evolution as a deep universal truth. And this book evolves Mormonism into an entirely different creature. Almost thou persuadest me to believe in this wild new worship, Peck.
This book spoke to me. Eerily, uncannily, it spoke to me. It explores many of the things I think about daily, like: how can we rejoice over each object? And what IS an object? And what are humans? How are we to think of god(s)? Also: what about rats?
As I grew to love this book, I also grew distraught about sharing it with others. Who to recommend it to? Non-Mormons would be annoyed by the Mormonism. Mormons would be shocked by the heresy. And everyone would be disgusted by the rats and their vomit. That means it's a very brave book, an unapologetic book, that follows out its own heart and brain without bending. And that makes the surprise and joy all the greater if you are one of the very few varmint-loving para-pseudo-(ex)-Mormons who can instantly connect with Trillim's world.
Peck treats evolution as a deep universal truth. And this book evolves Mormonism into an entirely different creature. Almost thou persuadest me to believe in this wild new worship, Peck.
rachelhelps's review against another edition
5.0
This is a strange and delightful book about a woman named Gilda Trillim who wrestles with questions about how objects relate to one another and what her incredible religious visions mean. It is not funny like The Scholar of Moab; it is earnest and thoughtful and weird.
Why make this a work of fiction, when so many of the issues that Trillim deals with are the same as the ones that come up in Peck's essays? At first I didn't understand what the point was of having such an elaborate frame story, especially when so much of the "thesis" was "presented with no further comment." I couldn't tell if this was hasty writing or poking fun at scholarly commentary that draws attention to itself through its own "no comment." I also wonder if it's easier to deal with "weird" religious ideas through a fictional character. And why would Peck have his characters cite his own poem that hadn't been written yet? Peck doesn't care as much about the internal consistency of the citations as he does the story he wants to tell, which is probably for the better.
I feel like these are very minor quibbles compared to the spiritual insight I gained when contemplating the ideas this book brings up. The ending and the above-mentioned poem about the ant really puts into perspective how to God, or a god, humans must seem like a lower life form hardly worth caring for. There is probably a lot more going on that we aren't in a position to understand. But the love that God shows us and we Them; their relationship--is what makes our lives feel significant.
This book is especially significant to me because I have been wondering about spiritual questions that are similar to the ones Trillim addresses, like how scripture stories are actually more powerful to me as stories than as some kind of historical document, or how on some level, the details of apologetics completely intrigue/enrage/disappoint/confuse/bore me and I'm much more interested in hearing about and having authentic religious experiences. In the end of the book, the scholars' disagreement about if Trillim was crazy or not reminded me of arguments over the veracity of Joseph Smith's visions. People try to make it into an either/or question, when the truth is probably more complex.
I love how when Gilda is meditating on love and encounters other people that she has the hardest time loving them. I love the vision Gilda has of her existential questions represented by a paper wolf that she decides to run towards. I love Gilda's vision of Heavenly Mother. I love the metaphors about independence being like a chicken glad it is rid of its feathers and how knowing God by trying to understand His parts being like trying to understand a person by knowing how their liver works. I hope that I can continue to meditate on my favorite parts of this book and become more comfortable with my own religiousity.
Why make this a work of fiction, when so many of the issues that Trillim deals with are the same as the ones that come up in Peck's essays? At first I didn't understand what the point was of having such an elaborate frame story, especially when so much of the "thesis" was "presented with no further comment." I couldn't tell if this was hasty writing or poking fun at scholarly commentary that draws attention to itself through its own "no comment." I also wonder if it's easier to deal with "weird" religious ideas through a fictional character. And why would Peck have his characters cite his own poem that hadn't been written yet? Peck doesn't care as much about the internal consistency of the citations as he does the story he wants to tell, which is probably for the better.
I feel like these are very minor quibbles compared to the spiritual insight I gained when contemplating the ideas this book brings up. The ending and the above-mentioned poem about the ant really puts into perspective how to God, or a god, humans must seem like a lower life form hardly worth caring for. There is probably a lot more going on that we aren't in a position to understand. But the love that God shows us and we Them; their relationship--is what makes our lives feel significant.
This book is especially significant to me because I have been wondering about spiritual questions that are similar to the ones Trillim addresses, like how scripture stories are actually more powerful to me as stories than as some kind of historical document, or how on some level, the details of apologetics completely intrigue/enrage/disappoint/confuse/bore me and I'm much more interested in hearing about and having authentic religious experiences. In the end of the book, the scholars' disagreement about if Trillim was crazy or not reminded me of arguments over the veracity of Joseph Smith's visions. People try to make it into an either/or question, when the truth is probably more complex.
I love how when Gilda is meditating on love and encounters other people that she has the hardest time loving them. I love the vision Gilda has of her existential questions represented by a paper wolf that she decides to run towards. I love Gilda's vision of Heavenly Mother. I love the metaphors about independence being like a chicken glad it is rid of its feathers and how knowing God by trying to understand His parts being like trying to understand a person by knowing how their liver works. I hope that I can continue to meditate on my favorite parts of this book and become more comfortable with my own religiousity.
andrewhall's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. A fascinating, heart-breaking, beautiful book. My favorite parts were: 1. The "My Turn on Earth" poem, with its Mormon theology/evolutionary biologist retelling of the Pearl of Great Price creation stories. I especially appreciated the robot-building machinist satan, and the wide variety of poetic structures. 2. The Vietnam POW story, with the rats. Of course. 3. The vignette in New York with the lapsed Mormon avant guard minimalist composer, based on La Monte Young.
The novel structure, a collection of fragmentary documents, with some commentary by the dissertation writer, will be a difficult hurdle for some readers. We are allowed access to Gilda's soul only on occasion, often having to try to understand her through her literary works, or through the eyes of others. I liked it, it is realistic to how we can know anyone from the past. But it is sometimes disappointing to be so close to such an appealing character for a while, and then have to see her darkly, from the outside, for stretches at a time.
A landmark in Mormon literature.
The novel structure, a collection of fragmentary documents, with some commentary by the dissertation writer, will be a difficult hurdle for some readers. We are allowed access to Gilda's soul only on occasion, often having to try to understand her through her literary works, or through the eyes of others. I liked it, it is realistic to how we can know anyone from the past. But it is sometimes disappointing to be so close to such an appealing character for a while, and then have to see her darkly, from the outside, for stretches at a time.
A landmark in Mormon literature.
rebleejen's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
There was too much in this book for my brain to hold it all. But I'll be thinking about it for a while.
brosen's review against another edition
4.0
Gilda Trillim is an unusual and thought provoking book. I especially enjoyed the poem on creation, though I’m not a huge fan of poetry. Much of this book reminded me of Peck’s previous book Evolution of Faith, he covers many of the same ideas through a different genre.
savaging's review
5.0
This book is not a novel. It is a philosophical treatise. Or maybe it's a gospel. But since it's a philosophy (or gospel) about embodied beauty and embodied love, it can only be told in embodied stories of a strange Utah-desert woman and her singing rats.
This book spoke to me. Eerily, uncannily, it spoke to me. It explores many of the things I think about daily, like: how can we rejoice over each object? And what IS an object? And what are humans? How are we to think of god(s)? Also: what about rats?
As I grew to love this book, I also grew distraught about sharing it with others. Who to recommend it to? Non-Mormons would be annoyed by the Mormonism. Mormons would be shocked by the heresy. And everyone would be disgusted by the rats and their vomit. That means it's a very brave book, an unapologetic book, that follows out its own heart and brain without bending. And that makes the surprise and joy all the greater if you are one of the very few varmint-loving para-pseudo-(ex)-Mormons who can instantly connect with Trillim's world.
Peck treats evolution as a deep universal truth. And this book evolves Mormonism into an entirely different creature. Almost thou persuadest me to believe in this wild new worship, Peck.
This book spoke to me. Eerily, uncannily, it spoke to me. It explores many of the things I think about daily, like: how can we rejoice over each object? And what IS an object? And what are humans? How are we to think of god(s)? Also: what about rats?
As I grew to love this book, I also grew distraught about sharing it with others. Who to recommend it to? Non-Mormons would be annoyed by the Mormonism. Mormons would be shocked by the heresy. And everyone would be disgusted by the rats and their vomit. That means it's a very brave book, an unapologetic book, that follows out its own heart and brain without bending. And that makes the surprise and joy all the greater if you are one of the very few varmint-loving para-pseudo-(ex)-Mormons who can instantly connect with Trillim's world.
Peck treats evolution as a deep universal truth. And this book evolves Mormonism into an entirely different creature. Almost thou persuadest me to believe in this wild new worship, Peck.
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