When I Was a Child I Read Books

Essays

By: Marilynne Robinson

Narrated by: Marilynne Robinson

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
A New York Times Bestseller
A New York Magazine Best Book of the Year
An Economist Best Book of the Year
Pulitzer Prize–Winning Author of Gilead

Marilynne Robinson has built a sterling reputation as a writer of sharp, subtly moving prose, not only as a major American novelist, but also as a rigorous thinker and incisive essayist.

In When I Was a Child I Read Books she returns to and expands upon the themes which have preoccupied her work with renewed vigor.

In "Austerity as Ideology," she tackles the global debt crisis, and the charged political and social political climate in this country that makes finding a solution to our financial troubles so challenging. In "Open Thy Hand Wide" she searches out the deeply embedded role of generosity in Christian faith. And in "When I Was a Child," one of her most personal essays to date, an account of her childhood in Idaho becomes an exploration of individualism and the myth of the American West. Clear-eyed and forceful as ever, Robinson demonstrates once again why she is regarded as one of our essential writers.

©2012 Marilynne Robinson (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Brilliant . . . As the credo of a liberal Christian, Robinson's new book of essays stands on its own. But it is also an illuminating commentary on her novels . . . This collection is a rewarding reminder that the author's faith infuses every word she writes . . . Like every good preacher, Marilynne Robinson judges others while including herself--in theory at least--in the judgment.” —Andrew Delbanco, New York Times Book Review

“If there is any fear that the fast-moving world of the Internet and the iPhone has destroyed our powers of concentration, or our ability to think lucidly and beautifully, or to create surprising and powerful designs from philosophical concerns, that fear will be put to rest by Marilynne Robinson's new book of elegant essays . . . Robinson's voice is thoughtful and intimate, but she does some thundering, too, on ancient, complex and important subjects . . . Her ideas are unconventional, and she sees the world in surprising ways.” —Roxana Robinson, The Washington Post

“The Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist returns with a collection of essays that are variously literary, political and religious . . . Robinson is a splendid writer, no question--erudite, often wise and slyly humorous (there is a clever allusion to the birther nonsense in a passage about Noah Webster). Articulate and learned descriptions and defenses of the author's Christian faith.” —Kirkus

Thoughtful Essays Celebrating Faith, Science, and Humanity

In an age of reductionism yo the right and to the left, Robinson challenges us all to think deeply, read widely, and be open to the possibility of human surprise. Drawing deeply from our history, these essays provoke, reflect, and offer thanksgiving while calling us to be the city on a hill.

Great material, hard to process

The mistake was mine. The material from the author is extremely exceptional and causes one to think deeply, which makes it hard to keep up with in an audio version as opposed to reading it on the page and having time to think and process what has been said. All the same the author's defense of religion in the face of the supposed advances of science is strong.

Not all agile ad fans will love this.

Serious and thought-provoking reflections from a quiet and independent thinker. Perhaps not as finely honed prose as in her fiction, but still distinctively and delightfully her voice.