Everything That Rises Must Converge

By: Flannery O’Connor

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot, Karen White, Mark Bramhall, Lorna Raver

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

This collection of nine short stories by Flannery O'Connor was published posthumously in 1965. The flawed characters of each story are fully revealed in apocalyptic moments of conflict and violence that are presented with comic detachment.

The title story is a tragicomedy about social pride, racial bigotry, generational conflict, false liberalism, and filial dependence. The protagonist, Julian Chestny, is hypocritically disdainful of his mother's prejudices, but his smug selfishness is replaced with childish fear when she suffers a fatal stroke after being struck by a black woman she has insulted out of oblivious ignorance rather than malice.

Similarly, “The Comforts of Home” is about an intellectual son with an Oedipus complex. Driven by the voice of his dead father, the son accidentally kills his sentimental mother in an attempt to murder a harlot.

The other stories are “A View of the Woods”, “Parker's Back”, “The Enduring Chill”, “Greenleaf”, “The Lame Shall Enter First”, “Revelation”, and “Judgment Day”.

Flannery O'Connor was working on Everything That Rises Must Converge at the time of her death. This collection is an exquisite legacy from a genius of the American short story, in which she scrutinizes territory familiar to her readers: race, faith, and morality. The stories encompass the comic and the tragic, the beautiful and the grotesque; each carries her highly individual stamp and could have been written by no one else.

©1956 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965; renewed 1993 by the Estate of Mary Flannery O’Connor (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“The current volume of posthumous stories is the work of a master, a writer's writer—but a reader's too—an incomparable craftsman who wrote, let it be said, some of the finest stories in our language." ( Newsweek)

“All in all they comprise the best collection of shorter fiction to have been published in America during the past twenty years.” ( Book Week)

“When I read Flannery O'Connor, I do not think of Hemingway, or Katherine Anne Porter, or Sartre, but rather of someone like Sophocles. What more can you say for a writer? I write her name with honor, for all the truth and all the craft with which she shows man's fall and his dishonor.” (Thomas Merton)

v well written. hard to face the racism of 1950's

subject matter very bleak. l do not doubt that the stories reflected the life and time of some, and hopefully not today though ignorance, poor education and poverty still exists. The prejudice in all the areas turns my stomach though I recognise it in myself re: trash people... I am honestly not sure it was worth the time though the writing and descriptions are spectacular.

Not my favorite Flannery

This collection of stories is not my favorite of Flannery O'Connor. Some stories were better than others, but those I liked least all seemed to be much too similar and drug out a simpler moral more than necessary.
I would have preferred a single narrator to the several included here and generally prefer a woman reading Flannery's work.

You Can't Just Scratch The Surface To Get O'connor

Had I simply listened to each story, this book would have been returned. But O'Connor is considered one of the most important authors in the last century for a reason. In each short story, hidden the droleness, violence and ugliness of every day life, is a moment of grace. By grace she means the grace of God.

A devout Catholic, she read Aquinis' Summa daily since childhood. I mention this because it reveals her intellect and spiritual depth. To better appreciate her work, I highly suggest reading Paul Elie's "The Life You Save May Be Your Own, an American Pilgrimage. Also, I have sat in a couple of lectures on her work.

So my point is, listening/ reading O'Connor should be like unravelling a puzzle or mystery. Where is the moment of grace and why is it often revealed in suffering. It's not pretty and often hard to listen to, but neither is life.

Are these all the same story?

What did you love best about Everything That Rises Must Converge?

Everyone's right. Oconnor is a great writer. She peers into the details of her characters with such detail and plausiblity you can't stay uninvolved. And her use of language is great.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's an anthology and I don't remember the titles. There was a story that takes place in a doctor's office and it was an amazing contrast of characters.

Any additional comments?

She falls back on killing those characters with traditional values, be they flawed values or not. You know who's getting snuffed by the end of the first paragraph.

Intense!

These are intense stories narrated amazingly! The voice changes for all the characters is so good, that, as soon as another begins to speak, you know right away which one is now speaking. The character building is such that you get to know them all on so many levels, peering into their souls.
Endings are so crucial for a great story and they are superb and surprising. I only wish there was a little more of a break in between the sections, to allow that ending to sink in and be appreciated. The reader quickly begins the next story, though. Even with that said, the stories are so memorable, they continue to haunt me.

Southern Drama

Great story but some of the fakey accents got old fast. It probably would have been better to keep the drama toned down.

insulting to traditional religious belief

Every single story is a jab at traditional Christian beliefs. That became clearly apparent half way thru the book, and by the end, I began to wonder if that was the author's raison d' etre.

Not all the happiest endings.

Amazing writing. She was unbelievable. I had a hard time with all the feeling of negativity and condescension towards black people in this. I feel that she was working on societal awareness. Enlightening and powerful. She really got into the mind of the ignorant.

Captivating

I am not a reviewer, but really enjoyed the stories. Not sure if it is O’Connors use of language that kept me engaged, or her descriptions. But, from a non-sophisticated listener, the stories were very enjoyable, and I look forward to listening to more of her works.

I think about Plath and Lee

A truly humbling read that addresses things like religion, race, and the human condition in America. Amazing performance!