Scan barcode
floatwiththesticks's review against another edition
5.0
I love this woman and her mind. She gives me so much hope. Finding God IN the darkness is the most valuable thing we can do as flawed humans in a flawed world.
aliciagriggs's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.0
Really good book that explains a different perspective on darkness. Found it interesting and nurturing to read.
bookworm91's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
4.0
steffski's review against another edition
3.0
I can tell I align with BBT in a lot of ways and would be interested in reading her other works. This one had a few good lines/ideas that will stick with me but was a little bit both repetitive and all over the place.
tophat8855's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I think that when I shelved this book, it would have been a great book for me to read. However almost a decade later, I am less of the target audience so while it was certainly a nice Book to listen to, it wasn’t life changing or anything.
Would recommend to anyone strolling with faith and doubt and don’t want any more platitudes in their life. The author is coming from a Christian background, so its intended readers are probably Christian or should at least have a good understanding of Christianity.
Would recommend to anyone strolling with faith and doubt and don’t want any more platitudes in their life. The author is coming from a Christian background, so its intended readers are probably Christian or should at least have a good understanding of Christianity.
tmathews0330's review against another edition
3.0
Ephemeral. Poignant bits of truth were scattered throughout but it was hard to find anything to truly hold onto.
wanderingmole's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed this rambling record of the author’s exploration of darkness, physical, psychological and spiritual.
“‘darkness’ is shorthand for anything that scares me… either because I am sure that I do not have the resources to survive it or because I do not want to find out. The absence of God is in there, along with the fear of dementia and the loss of those nearest and dearest to me. So is the melting of polar ice caps, the suffering of children, and the nagging question of what it will feel like to die.”
“All these years later, I like to thing that I learned as much about human nature waiting tables at Dante’s as I did writing papers for my seminary professors. One happened in the dark and one happened in the light, but together they offered me a better education in the mysterium tremendum than I could ever have gotten by attending just one of them. Later, when I stood in front of an altar waving incense, I would remember standing in front of the bar at Dante’s waving cigarette smoke out of my face, and the exact same feeling of tenderness would wash over me, because the people in both places were so much alike. We were all seeking company, meaning, solace, self-forgetfulness. Whether we ever found those things or not, it was the seeking that led us to find each other in the cloud even when we had nothing else in common. Sometimes I wondered if it even mattered whether our communion cups were filled with consecrated wine or draft beer, as long as we bent over them long enough to recognise each other as kin”
“…sadness does not sink a person; it is the energy a person spends trying to avoid sadness that does that”
“…my sense of God’s absence can be a token of God’s presence if I let it”
“‘darkness’ is shorthand for anything that scares me… either because I am sure that I do not have the resources to survive it or because I do not want to find out. The absence of God is in there, along with the fear of dementia and the loss of those nearest and dearest to me. So is the melting of polar ice caps, the suffering of children, and the nagging question of what it will feel like to die.”
“All these years later, I like to thing that I learned as much about human nature waiting tables at Dante’s as I did writing papers for my seminary professors. One happened in the dark and one happened in the light, but together they offered me a better education in the mysterium tremendum than I could ever have gotten by attending just one of them. Later, when I stood in front of an altar waving incense, I would remember standing in front of the bar at Dante’s waving cigarette smoke out of my face, and the exact same feeling of tenderness would wash over me, because the people in both places were so much alike. We were all seeking company, meaning, solace, self-forgetfulness. Whether we ever found those things or not, it was the seeking that led us to find each other in the cloud even when we had nothing else in common. Sometimes I wondered if it even mattered whether our communion cups were filled with consecrated wine or draft beer, as long as we bent over them long enough to recognise each other as kin”
“…sadness does not sink a person; it is the energy a person spends trying to avoid sadness that does that”
“…my sense of God’s absence can be a token of God’s presence if I let it”
kpbake427's review against another edition
5.0
I loved learning about her study of darkness. I agree there is much to be gained from the dark night of the soul. Hearing her experience was enlightening and made me feel less alone in my doubt.