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A review by jennyhubert
Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux by Thérèse de Lisieux
2.0
As a Catholic, I am sad to give this story 2 stars, as I highly anticipated learning the perspective of a woman who has made it to Heaven through her "little ways." Before I explain my review, I will acknowledge that I'm aware this book was not written to be read or marketed. I'm also aware it was not developmentally edited by a professional. I also do believe I am the intended audience, as a young adult cradle Catholic who has loved God deeply since a young age.
Something that is a crucial factor of a successful autobiography is relating to the subject, and unfortunately here, I could not relate to Therese at all. To me, her "hardships" and "sufferings" did not seem believable. While people can still certainly face challenges in a sheltered life, I did not empathize with Therese's journey to gain permission to become a nun or her social issues at the covent. This is probably because she lacks self-awareness of the low-stake consequences of these matters.
It seems like Therese's goal in most of the autobiography is death. This was another reason I couldn't relate to her. As a Catholic, I find there's too much to do on earth to desire to die. I have people to serve, to evangelize to, and when it's my time, I accept death. At some points, especially during her life at the convent, I was tempted to stop reading but continued because I figured I could learn at least something from a saint. While I did find this story quotable and I did admire her ability to deny her earthly desires, I'm left to wonder what else could she have accomplished on earth if she had taken care of herself better and not welcomed death so much.
I wish I had read the epilogue at the beginning, for it revealed how much physical pain Therese was in for most of her time at the convent. This might have changed the way I perceived her writing. I wonder if I might have enjoyed an unbiased biography of Therese better, but I'm not very encouraged to read one.
At the end of the day, I am happy Therese found her way to Heaven even though her time on earth was short and that her story is impacting others in a good way.
Something that is a crucial factor of a successful autobiography is relating to the subject, and unfortunately here, I could not relate to Therese at all. To me, her "hardships" and "sufferings" did not seem believable. While people can still certainly face challenges in a sheltered life, I did not empathize with Therese's journey to gain permission to become a nun or her social issues at the covent. This is probably because she lacks self-awareness of the low-stake consequences of these matters.
It seems like Therese's goal in most of the autobiography is death. This was another reason I couldn't relate to her. As a Catholic, I find there's too much to do on earth to desire to die. I have people to serve, to evangelize to, and when it's my time, I accept death. At some points, especially during her life at the convent, I was tempted to stop reading but continued because I figured I could learn at least something from a saint. While I did find this story quotable and I did admire her ability to deny her earthly desires, I'm left to wonder what else could she have accomplished on earth if she had taken care of herself better and not welcomed death so much.
I wish I had read the epilogue at the beginning, for it revealed how much physical pain Therese was in for most of her time at the convent. This might have changed the way I perceived her writing. I wonder if I might have enjoyed an unbiased biography of Therese better, but I'm not very encouraged to read one.
At the end of the day, I am happy Therese found her way to Heaven even though her time on earth was short and that her story is impacting others in a good way.