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A review by ninjakiwi12
Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Fun(ny) fact(s): I first heard about this story from Sam since a film adaptation was recently released within the past year (only in select theaters). It also seemed like a fitting read given my one year in the ~other place~.
Favorite quote/image: "Your time here has not only honed your intellect, but hopefully it has contributed to the shaping of your spirit, so as you now walk off your 'ledge of familiarity,' you will also be able to walk with those you meet every day, ranging from their own issues to grave suffering and social injustice. It's like sharing your last crumb of bread when starving in a concentration camp...people assume that our dignity only lies in our choices, in what we think we so powerfully will and wield. But it can reside in our reactions too, in our decisions about how to respond." (pg. 293-294)
Honorable mention: "A question mark is a good metaphor for the Christian life. Trusting even when it's hard. Appreciating the mystery and being surprised by the joy." (pg. 420)
Why: Weber's memoir of her year in Oxford and her eventual conversion to Christianity is quite moving and also deeply intellectual (she is a professor of literature, after all). While a touch over-romanticized, I smiled at many of the Oxford-isms that made her story so particular, grounded, and human, which ultimately keep the story meaningfully hers and not a generic argument for conversion.
Favorite quote/image: "Your time here has not only honed your intellect, but hopefully it has contributed to the shaping of your spirit, so as you now walk off your 'ledge of familiarity,' you will also be able to walk with those you meet every day, ranging from their own issues to grave suffering and social injustice. It's like sharing your last crumb of bread when starving in a concentration camp...people assume that our dignity only lies in our choices, in what we think we so powerfully will and wield. But it can reside in our reactions too, in our decisions about how to respond." (pg. 293-294)
Honorable mention: "A question mark is a good metaphor for the Christian life. Trusting even when it's hard. Appreciating the mystery and being surprised by the joy." (pg. 420)
Why: Weber's memoir of her year in Oxford and her eventual conversion to Christianity is quite moving and also deeply intellectual (she is a professor of literature, after all). While a touch over-romanticized, I smiled at many of the Oxford-isms that made her story so particular, grounded, and human, which ultimately keep the story meaningfully hers and not a generic argument for conversion.