Ratings3
Average rating3.7
The bestselling author of A Wrinkle in Time contemplates the true meaning of faith in the third installment of her series of memoirs. Upon her death, the New York Times hailed Madeleine L’Engle as “an author whose childhood fables, religious meditations and fanciful science fiction transcended both genre and generation.” L’Engle has long captivated and provoked readers by exploring the intersection of science and religion in her work. In this intimate memoir, the award-winning author uncovers how her spiritual convictions inform and enrich the everyday. The Irrational Season follows the liturgical year from one Advent to the next, with L’Engle reflecting on the changing seasons in her own life as a writer, wife, mother, and global citizen. Unafraid to discuss controversial topics and address challenging questions, L’Engle writes from the heart in this compelling chronicle of her spiritual quest to renew and refresh her faith in an ever-changing world and her ever-changing personhood. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Madeleine L’Engle including rare images from the author’s estate.
Featured Series
4 primary booksCrosswicks Journals is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 1971 with contributions by Madeleine L'Engle.
Reviews with the most likes.
I love Madeleine L'Engle. But this was probably the first book of hers that I've read that I couldn't really get into. It's a deep meditation on faith, and there weren't certainly meaningful parts that made me contemplate. But in general, it was plodding and didn't connect with me.
Wonderful...like having a breakfast nook or walk through the woods talk with Madeleine–the talk began about the liturgical year as delineated in the Book of Common Prayer, but has delightfully swerved back and fro to physics then troublesome Bible stories to family politics then the place in our society for the very young and the very old...
The coffee grows tepid, the dog bashes ahead in the brush. The talk continues and weaves and braids. There is always more coffee, and the dog knows the way, and is only following his nature. All is well.
Short Review: I really love this series. It can be more than a little meandering. But the organization isn't the point. The point is the exploration of life and the wisdom that can be gained from it. This third book in the series of memoirs is roughly organized around the Liturgical year. It is very rough. Some of the connections are pretty tenuous. But again, that isn't really the point.
This also fits in with a lot of the resurgent thought recently about the liturgical year, the importance of repetition of the liturgy in general and the importance of regular seasons of grief, joy, celebration, introspection and ‘ordinary time'.
One more of the memoirs to go, the last one is on her marriage.
My fuller review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/irrational-season/