A review by kamrynharned
A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

fast-paced

5.0

Recommended by both Aspen & Helena, I knew I was going to fall in love with this book. Rather than fall short trying to explain all that this book accomplishes, I’ll try to list the things that made me feel, in the many senses and depths of the word:
  • The blissful ignorance of pre-married lovers made me laugh (“Of course, we’ve talked about everything that needs to be talked about!”)
  • The adoration of simplicity and beauty made me want to move to the country, lay in the grass and watch the clouds
  • The way the formed dreams and then made them reality was inspirational - they weren’t simply poets with their heads in the clouds. 
  • The incredibly moving conversion story of both Davy and Sheldon moved me deeply and satisfied a yearning that I think I’ve felt for a while - to know what it feels like to encounter God for the FIRST time, to make that step from darkness to light. 
  • The community they had in Oxford challenged me to broaden my hospitality and deepen my expectations for the kinds of conversations that can be had among friends
  • His letters from C.S. Lewis left me in awe - of his ability to speak directly and succinctly, but in such beautiful prose
  • The stories of Davy ministering to those in the hospital left me inspired 
  • The strengthening of their love through hardship and sickness made me want to cry
  • The death of Davy was exactly the way death SHOULD be - so for someone who has seen both horrible and beautiful deaths, I was incredibly satisfied, and oddly, the main emotion I felt wasn’t sadness. Perhaps that was the authors intent?
  • Sheldon’s reflections after death made me have to put the book down occasionally - not because I was bored but because I was processing. His thoughts on grief, the necessary death of love, the meaning of time, and the Severe Mercy of Death made me feel like I had just been bettered.  It made me feel thankful - thankful that I can face future deaths in my own life with hopefully the same voracity and wholeness of grief, and thankful that I have a love that will one day be so shattering to lose.
  • All of the poetry in this book was inspiring and stunning.  I wanted to sit and bask in the words, but I was so enamored with the story that I had to keep moving forward. I think my favorite poem was “Dying” (pg 167)
  • And finally, an honorable mention to every gorgeous sentence that made me feel the warm fuzzies. There were a lot of them.