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A review by danielle_w
Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber
4.0
I hesitated on writing this review, because I'm trying to figure out what makes this a four-star read instead of a five-star. (Also, I now have a dream of becoming friends with Carolyn Weber and I don't want this review to come between us.) Was it my own subjective taste? Is it dialogue-heaviness? Was it my jealousy over Carolyn having a full scholarship to Oxford to get her graduate degree in literature (admittedly the dream)? Is it the level of detail that made it feel a little less memoir-y? These are things I'll never know.
This journey was an enjoyable one to go on. Carolyn truly is a pioneer in the publication of this book- I'm not sure Christiandom has seen such an intelligent, cohesive, lyrical memoir like this in decades. Some parts of her story I loved, and thought her quite a quirky character (like her throwing on her purple dress to take a jaunt around Oxford). The awkward stumbles around and after her conversion were relatable, and I enjoyed seeing her drawn the symbolism, tradition, and history of the Anglican St. Ebbes (what is it with English Romantics and the high church?!) Sometimes her literature references seems a bit affected, or perhaps more like an inside joke. I do wish we had seen more of her resolution with TDH and how she moves back to North America. But again, all of this is subjective and more taste than anything. Which is the nature of memoirs- being brutally vulnerable, sharing your story, and anyone with a pen or a handful of stars thinking they critique it.
The world is certainly made richer with this book being in it.
This journey was an enjoyable one to go on. Carolyn truly is a pioneer in the publication of this book- I'm not sure Christiandom has seen such an intelligent, cohesive, lyrical memoir like this in decades. Some parts of her story I loved, and thought her quite a quirky character (like her throwing on her purple dress to take a jaunt around Oxford). The awkward stumbles around and after her conversion were relatable, and I enjoyed seeing her drawn the symbolism, tradition, and history of the Anglican St. Ebbes (what is it with English Romantics and the high church?!) Sometimes her literature references seems a bit affected, or perhaps more like an inside joke. I do wish we had seen more of her resolution with TDH and how she moves back to North America. But again, all of this is subjective and more taste than anything. Which is the nature of memoirs- being brutally vulnerable, sharing your story, and anyone with a pen or a handful of stars thinking they critique it.
The world is certainly made richer with this book being in it.