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A review by _l__n_r
Holy the Firm by Annie Dillard
3.0
I first read this book in undergrad, a horrifyingly long time ago, and LOVED it. If this review were based solely on my memory of Holy the Firm, it would be an easy 5 stars.
The moth essay is a forever favorite, but the book got harder for me to read as it went on. It got more and more esoteric and obscure and odd. Dillard is a beautiful writer and Holy the Firm is a great example of that, but I just wasn't as into it at 37 as I was at 20, I guess. The Julie Norwich / Julian of Norwich allusion felt a little weird to me and I didn't enjoy the final section (the climax of Dillard's religious crisis where she wrestles with why God would allow suffering), but perhaps that's because I'm much clearer in my own religious beliefs now than I was when I read it the first time.
I wouldn't NOT recommend this book or Dillard in general, but it's a difficult read and definitely benefits from discussion.
The moth essay is a forever favorite, but the book got harder for me to read as it went on. It got more and more esoteric and obscure and odd. Dillard is a beautiful writer and Holy the Firm is a great example of that, but I just wasn't as into it at 37 as I was at 20, I guess. The Julie Norwich / Julian of Norwich allusion felt a little weird to me and I didn't enjoy the final section (the climax of Dillard's religious crisis where she wrestles with why God would allow suffering), but perhaps that's because I'm much clearer in my own religious beliefs now than I was when I read it the first time.
I wouldn't NOT recommend this book or Dillard in general, but it's a difficult read and definitely benefits from discussion.