Gilead (Oprah's Book Club)

By: Marilynne Robinson

Narrated by: Tim Jerome

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Fiction, 2005

National Book Critics Circle Award, Fiction, 2005

In 1956, toward the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son, an account of himself and his forebears. Ames is the son of an Iowan preacher and the grandson of a minister who, as a young man in Maine, saw a vision of Christ bound in chains and came west to Kansas to fight for abolition: He "preached men into the Civil War", then, at age 50, became a chaplain in the Union Army, losing his right eye in battle. Reverend Ames writes to his son about the tension between his father, an ardent pacifist, and his grandfather, whose pistol and bloody shirts, concealed in an army blanket, may be relics from the fight between the abolitionists and those settlers who wanted to vote Kansas into the union as a slave state. And he tells a story of the sacred bonds between fathers and sons, which are tested in his tender and strained relationship with his namesake, John Ames Boughton, his best friend's wayward son.

This is also the tale of another remarkable vision, not a corporeal vision of God but the vision of life as a wondrously strange creation. It tells how wisdom was forged in Ames's soul during his solitary life, and how history lives through generations, pervasively present even when betrayed and forgotten.

Gilead is the long-hoped-for second novel by one of our finest writers, a hymn of praise and lamentation to the God-haunted existence that Reverend Ames loves passionately, and from which he will soon part.

©2004 Marilynne Robinson (P)2005 BBC Audiobooks America, Published by Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

" Gilead is a beautiful work: demanding, grave, and lucid...Robinson's words have a spiritual force that's very rare in contemporary fiction." ( The New York Times Book Review)
"The long wait has been worth it....Robinson's prose is beautiful, shimmering, and precise....Destined to become her second classic." ( Publishers Weekly)
"[ Gilead] is so serenely beautiful, and written in a prose so gravely measured and thoughtful, that one feels touched with grace just to read it." ( The Washington Post Book World)

A perfect reading

"Gilead" is one of the most profound, deeply moving novels of our time. Its portrayal of human nature and existence in a universe pervaded by God would perhaps have seemed natural a century and more ago; today, it is a revelation. More than once, this novel made me weep, something that no book has ever before done. How fortunate, then, that this blessed novel has been blessed with a great reader. His voice, intonation and pace are ideal for the character of John Ames, the story's ostensible narrator. A perfect reading of a perfect novel: what more could one ask of an audible.com offering?

Exquisite, humorous, though-provoking experience

In this collection of letters to his young son, the voice of Rev. John Ames, mesmerizes us. To this boy he leaves his last treasures .. the family story, the story of the town Gilead, his observations of life, friendship, society, history, rural life, the nature of love, jealousy, and friendship, the reconciliation of fears and disappointments.. and his steadfast faith in God, and the role that faith plays in Rev. Ame's life. Woven into all this are several amazing tales of adventure, and quite a bit of subtle humor.

The reason for the letter is Rev.Ames's failing health. He wants to leave an account of himself for this son who will never really know him. He is 76 and dying. His son is almost 7 years old. The boy and his mother have been a blessing in his later years, and his deep love for them both is painted in the gratitude he expresses for this gift from God. His hopes and dreams for the boy's future are the most poignant. Without mushy sentimentality, we feel the ache he feels anticipating his absence from the boy's growing up.

This is a wonderful story, beautifully written. Thought provoking and awe inspiring. I've listened to it once.. read it twice.. given it to several friends as gifts. It is a challenging book to read, rich and full of new discoveries with each new reading.

There is,indeed, a balm in Gilead.

A nice read

A nicely written, and narrated novel. The tempo I quite slow, but I found my self interested in the small and big thing In his life. Religion is a big part of the book and can be a bit to much for a godless European. It didn?t bather me to mush.

I loved the whole series

It met my expectations and gave me much to think about. I don't know why it was from Audible kids.

Deep subtext - best read in an immersive way

Admittedly I broke this book up into chunks many days removed from each other, but even so I have done that with other books and not had a hard time tracking. I think it is a story best immersed in a short period of time to get the full impact ot the book. I think it was well written and the characters were good, but something about the way it was presented made me miss a lot of the deeper subtext without havibg had the benefit of the immersion factor. I have considered rereading it because of this.

Give the Narrator Six Stars!

The narrator for "Gilead," Tim Jerome deserves as much credit and applause as possible for making this such a wonderful listening experience. I've recommended the listen many times now simply because Tim makes it such a fine piece of art. The story and writing are exceptional to begin with, perfectly understated. But really, for me, Tim's presentation brought it to life. Very well done!

One of the most beautiful books

And so beautifully read. I constantly rewound portions to hear again and internalize a lovely crafted phrase, idea, truth. My faith has both been shaken and challenged and propped. my heart is full!

Lovely and thought provoking

Good stuff, beautifully read. Skip this one if you like car chases and the like. This is a slow burn, but it has wonderful moments.

Impressive

I really enjoyed this book. It was very nostalgic and beautiful. It was like I walked into a person's journal and was reading everything they wrote. I realize that's most likely the point of this story. But yeah. That's how I felt. It was beautiful. It was very touching. I got an audiobook because I needed to read this for the book club and my first impression of the book was that I wouldn't like it at all. I figured an audiobook would help persuade me to like it a little better. I'm glad to say I was wrong. It is a very wonderful book! I'll be reading the other two.

Slow and deep

This book is gentle and psychological. I really enjoyed the depth and the gentle disentanglement of Ames' perceptions.

So many beautiful ideas in this.