Giose Rimanelli's 'Benedetta in Guysterland': a "liquid" novel of questionable textual boundaries.: An article from: World Literature Today

Book Description

This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on June 22, 1994. The length of the article is 5910 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Giose Rimanelli's 'Benedetta in Guysterland: A Liquid Novel' includes a For-a-word, a Post-word and an Appendix, all by the author but in different narrative voices. These three microtexts and the unusual narrative structure of the novel suggest a liquidity in interpretation. Benedetta narrates her story through the act of writing a letter, thus paralleling the author's act of creation. The reader is thus, drawn into the process of creation, rendering the novel's interpretation highly subjective.

Citation Details
Title: Giose Rimanelli's 'Benedetta in Guysterland': a "liquid" novel of questionable textual boundaries.
Author: Anthony Julian Tamburri
Publication: World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 1994
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: v68 Issue: n3 Page: p473(6)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Power of Two, Hamstrung by Bad Editing

Loved it!

Dont judge a book by its structure

Delightful.

Disappointing, Convoluted and just plain irritating
If I Pay Thee Not in Gold
Anthony & lackey
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Customer Reviews:

Power of Two, Hamstrung by Bad Editing.......2007-07-18

If it were possible to give this book three and a half stars, this is probably what I'd do.

Piers Anthony and Mercedes Lackey are two of my favorite authors. Many of Lackey's books grace my shelves, and I was a big reader of Anthony's Xanth series for years. This seemed to be a match made in heaven, and I was quite eager to read it.

First off, whoever wrote the summary on the back of the book needs to be fired. It makes it sound like a humorous feminist fantasy romp and only covers the first 30 pages of the book's plot. Lackey has had this problem before, so I don't know if this is a problem at Baen books or something else.

Overall, I like this book. It paints a vivid picture of the matriarchal society of Mazonia, its customs, architecture, laws, and rules, as well as the lands outside it. Our heroine, Xylina, is put through the wringer in several of the great classic plots. The first half of the book has woman versus herself and woman versus woman, while the second half contains a classic quest and a woman against the outside world plot.

In the first half, we are introduced to Xylina, a sixteen-year-old woman in the magical fantasy society of Mazonia. Here, women rule by the power of their magical conjurations, and all men are slaves. In order to become a citizen, a woman must fight a man in the arena, usually to the death, using her magic. This is where we pick up the tale, with Xylina, poor and alone, about to embark upon this savage rite of passage.

From there, Xylina and the slave Faro (her arena opponent she both defeated and spared) must contend with trying to struggle to prosperity amidst the rumors of her family curse and violent attacks against her. In a culmination of trying to save herself from bankruptcy and exile, the demon Ware steps in with a peculiar proposition that eventually propels her on a quest across the face of her world to find a powerful magical artifact.

The second half of the book, the quest half, shows some really lovely originality in how this fantasy world works. Instead of just walking from one land to the next, barriers of mist separate each land from the next, and the transition can be startling. You can be in the plains on one side of the barrier, and by the sea the next. And where the realms are in relation to each other can apparently change frequently. You may go through one realm, only to turn back and discover there's a whole new place behind you. The descriptions of the strange places of wild magic are delightful and original, as is the character's easy acceptance with such a bizarre kind of geography.

Xylina's growth from uncertain girl to more mature woman is fairly well done, as is her growth into love during her quest. The two halves of the book allow for easy growth in these two different areas. The quest half was ideal for allowing her to discover love, being out of the constraints of her own society. A very nice touch there.

There were several things that bugged me about the book though. I think this is both a consequence of there being two authors, and a very sloppy editing process. For example, in one place Xylina conjures water, and "made sure it was icy, not hot." Later, it is specifically spelled out that she can only conjure things at their ambient temperature. The laws governing ex-arena slave Faro seem inconsistent. At first they say if Xylina dies, Faro will be executed, unless he had been sold or traded. But in several cases, it Xylina despairs that she cannot run or take the easy way out without Faro dying, conveniently forgetting about being able to sell him to keep him from her own fate.

Another time is where she encounters a man outside Mazonia, one who had never been a slave. It's been clear, from the given descriptions of Xylina's childhood, that her mother (whom she idolized) never treated her slaves poorly. Xylina herself never seems to perceive slaves as faceless individuals, and aside from self-defense, never harms or slights a slave. Yet when she meets a man who meets her gaze squarely (something she had been encouraging in the slaves around her during her quest) she had to stifle an automatic impulse to punish him for insolence.

Excuse me? When have we ever seen Xylina punish anyone for insolence? By the given standards of Mazonia, and her friendship with her slave Faro, all the slaves around her should be equally as guilty of such "insolent" behavior. All this does is set up an extra edge of tension in an already awkward situation.

A fourth example is with a character called Pattée, a foreign woman who acts as a camp servant and follower to the men on Xylina's quest. When first introduced, it's said specifically that she cannot talk. ("Only in animal sounds.") Later, she makes a perfectly intelligible comment to Xylina regarding one of the disasters on the trip.

This kind of contradictions, clearly one of the hazards of having two people write the same book, should have been caught before sending the book to print. While some of it was apparently a disagreement about how magic works in this world, others was for plot purposes that can only be laid at the feet of the authors.

I think this is an interesting and unique book unfortunately flawed by its very birth as a duel-authored story. That and the editor needed more time to go over it properly. People, don't be intimidated by the author even if he/she is one of your big sellers. If you think they're full of bull honkey, please don't be afraid to say so!

Give this book a read, as I think it a great piece of escapist fantasy despite some problems.

Loved it!.......2004-04-19

I first read this book when I was somewhere around eight or nine, and read it off and on again a half dozen times over the next several years. I loved it! You really get a feel for who the characters are, except for the Queen, whose main personality trait seems to be evil ambition. I've read several readers' comments on how helpless and out-of-it Xylina is, but come on guys, let's not forget the girl's barely sixteen! Girls this age are not supposed to have the leadership skills and street smarts of an experienced adult. Chill out, folks! What sophomore in high school would be able to manage her own finances, dodge a politician's murder attempts, operate her own home business, and then lead an expedition across several countries, and not make a few brainless mistakes? Personally I think these characteristics of Xylina show reality ... not a lack of talent on behalf of the authors. I also liked how clear they drew the descriptions of the surroundings, i.e., Ware's home, the forest, etc. A few bad points, though; Faro seemed to warm to Xylina much too quickly, going from raw hatred to pity and compassion in what, less than a day? I was also disappointed on how sterotypically gorgeous they had to make Xylina, even if she isn't considered "pretty" by society's standards in the book. Why must it all be about big-breasted blondes? People need to get out more! Nevertheless, it's a general fun book with interesting characters and imaginitive surroundings. This is one of my all-time favorites.

Dont judge a book by its structure.......2003-07-17

If I Pay Thee Not In Gold by dynamic authors Piers Anthony and Mercedes Lackey is a wonderful read with many well formed characters and a storyline that will keep you reading. I have read some other reviews and have not found as much support as this book merits. Although this book is just shy of the normal structure of the average fantasy book, it makes up for it by taking the reader through a spectrum of emotions with the help of rounded characters and inspired wording. I have read and re-read this book many times and have not found it to be lacking in storyline or enjoyability. For any fans of the authors this book is a must read. You wont regret it.

Delightful........2002-06-20

I like Piers Anthony unactively, and Mercedes Lackey little at all (though I enjoyed her "Black Swan"), but this book was fun, entertaining, and a very in-depth fast read.

I'm more of a pleasure-reader than anything -- if something makes me think and cry, I'll never read it again. If something makes me smile and laugh and daydream -- and still think in the meantime -- then it's entirely worth my time.

I read to get away from the world -- and as a female, this book struck me as a terrific blend of girl-power, social issues, and romance. ^_^;; It's not as in-depth on the social issues as some more serious readers may like, it's not feminist in the sense that men are degraded, and it's not sickeningly sex-full.

No, indeed, it's a terrific girl-book for readers that like something light and entertaining.

Disappointing, Convoluted and just plain irritating.......2002-04-16

So, I read the back of a potentially good book co-written by an author I was fond of (Until I read Fractal Mode, anyway). Great! Then I read it. It started off so well. Descriptive and successful at portraying a different society, a different world. The Demon was even interesting to me as a part of the plot, until the relationships went into this odd three-way. Stupid plot twist, just irritating. Couldn't they make up their minds? What's it got to do with the story? But that's not why I didn't like the book. By the time it GOT to that plot point, I was already bored and completely unsympathetic with the characters. Don't waste your time, just go read Dune again, but if you have to have sex, Piers Anthony goes out of his way to have nubile pre-teens go after it with adult men. Guy's got problems.

Average customer rating:

IF I PAY THEE NOT IN GOLD

Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GPVWY2

Average customer rating:

If I Pay Thee Not in Gold

Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000H0YLO4

Book Description

A surreal, time-bending odyssey. A freak show owner sends Reuben Hecht-who has been stuck at age 17 for twenty years - and Edwina-who can switch age at will-to a mysterious Colony to recover androids. Stuck in a house that is not his home, Ruben is beaten by his mother for procrastinating on his homework for the Holy German Paintbrush Distance Learning Academy; his father has taken to his bed to hatch a dwarf. He goes to a concert by the rock group, The Flesh-eating Fetish Bitches, and decides to run away, pursued by the parish priest who wants to put him in a children's home, since he will never come of age.

Average customer rating:

Wookie cookies

Force Feeding

silly, but fun and tasty!

Great for Kids!!

This is a really good cookbook

Wookiee Cookies: A Star Wars Cookbook
Robin Davis
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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Amazon.com

"Consider, young Jedi: Why bake a plain old cookie when you can bake a super-Chewie Wookiee Cookie?" So begins the delightful Star Wars Cookbook. Aimed at young cooks, but fun for all ages, the cookbook provides recipes for treats such as Princess Leia Danish Dos, Twin Sun Toast, Tusken Raider Taters, Sandtrooper Sandies, and the Amazon.com house favorite, Boba Fett-uccine. (What better way to get young Jedi knights to eat their broccoli?) Author Robin Davis's directions are extremely thorough and safety oriented (as she notes, "the calm and perceptive mind of a Jedi warrior will enable you to prevent most mishaps in the kitchen"), and perfect for kids who are new to cooking. The spiral-bound pages are lightly plasticoated, so if you spill some milk while concocting C-3PO Pancakes, it's easily wiped off. The highlights of the book are Frankie Frankeny's terrific photographs of Star Wars action figures posing with the food--R2-D2 encounters giant frozen R2-D2 Treats that look remarkably similar to him, while Darth Vader raises his fist at Bossk the bounty hunter atop a wall of Bossk Brownies as Darth's henchmen look on. And who could resist a shot of Jabba Jiggle? There's Jabba the Hutt positioned on a pile of oozing lime Jell-O®. Whether you're a Star Wars fan or just looking for a way to get the kids to feel the Force in the kitchen, The Star Wars Cookbook is great fun, and tasty, too! --Rebecca A. Staffel

Book Description

Boba Fett-Uccine and Princess Leia Danish Dos are just the beginning when the Force is with you in the kitchen. Wookiee Cookies is your invitation to fine culinary experiences in the Star Wars frame of mind. From C-3PO Pancakes to Jedi Juice Bars, this intergalactic Star Wars cookbook features healthy snacks, delicious dishes, sweet treats, and easy main courses no Rebel can resist. With hilarious photos and safety tips for cooking on Earth as well as in most space stations, Wookiee Cookies even includes a sheet of shiny Star Wars stickers. Age is no issue when it comes to Star Wars cuisine-kids as well as adults will have a great time with this book. Whether you drove to your first Star Wars flick or just had your fifth birthday, there's no reason you can't whip up some Crazy Cantina Chili at near light speed.

Customer Reviews:

Wookie cookies.......2007-10-02

May be a fun novelty for anyone under 10. was expecting a bit more from this book.

Force Feeding.......2006-06-03

I gotta admit, when I picked this book up to review, it was right after I read another Chronicle Book called Stir Squirt Sizzle that I thought was the lamest, the absolute most mundane and probably worst kid's cookbook in existence, so I was skeptical.

But actually, this little spiral-bound coated pages number is quite cute with some really creative selections. There's breakfast, (I liked the twin sun toast, with two sunny-side up eggs put in a thick piece of toast), Beverages (a Yoda Soda--too cute!), Snacks and Sides, (Ewok Eats), Main Courses (Boba Fett-uccine) and Desserts.

This isn't a book that I would buy if I were looking to cook with my kids because I have a nine-year-old girl and a two year old boy. But if you have a Star Wars fan/finiky eater, then this is the book for you. It is also a good book to have if you are planning a Star Wars birthday party with its myraid of Star Wars-themed desserts.

The suppers in this book number a total of seven, and they are pretty standard fare, so this book is more about fun than real family meals. However, it is a great addition to your kitchen bookshelf if you are looking to inject a bit of fun into a Star War's fan's life. I mean, who can resist a book with Wookie Cookies?

For other family cookbooks, see my other reviews. I highly recommend several pantry friendly selections that will save you time, money, and effort.

silly, but fun and tasty!.......2006-03-20

I gave this cookbook to my young son the Star Wars freak as a birthday gift. I really wasn't expecting much from it, other than generating a few chuckles at the Star Wars birthday bash. Several months down the road, I am proud to report that we have tried a half dozen of the Wookiee Cookies recipes. My picky eater now enjoys Twin Sun Toast for breakfast, and we've had great success with Princess Leia Danish Dos. The "Leias" are my personal favorite! They are made with pizza dough and so are a bit heavier than most danish, but are nevertheless delicious and easy to make! Most of the recipes are typical foods given a SW name, but they are all kid friendly and simple to prepare and serve. My children have been asking to help in the kitchen much more often since this book came into our home! The book includes a few of each category: breakfast, beverages, snacks and sides, main courses, and desserts.

Great for Kids!!.......2006-03-03

My kids are huge Star Wars fans & they love to cook. This was perfect for them!! The instructions are easy to follow & many of the recipes can be made by them alone (with me close by, of course.) By doing it on their own & with Star Wars as the theme, they tried things they wouldn't have before & they loved it!! There has only been one thing they haven't liked (Mos Eisley Morsels--they were very dry), but the Bossk Brownies, Wookie Cookies & Greedo Burrito were the best to them. It was definately worth the money!!! We have only had it a few weeks & we've tried most of it & keep going back!! Can't say enough good about it!!

This is a really good cookbook.......2005-12-12

This is a great book!! When I got it, my mom was sick, but we made her Wookie Cookies and she felt better almost immediately!! (Maybe she just thought we were doing something special and felt gratitude). I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make some quick snacks or a full course meal. I really like this book.

Star Wars Cookbook Wookiee Cookies & Other

Average customer rating:

Star Wars Cookbook Wookiee Cookies & Other
Robin Davis
Manufacturer: CHRONICLE BOOKS @
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000Q33GPW

Book Description

The book that Entertainment Weekly called "hilarious," Publishers Weekly declared "a true pleasure," Booklist called "heartwarming," and the Dallas Morning News praised as "rich and funny" is now available in paperback.

When Bob Tarte bought a house in rural Michigan, he was counting on a tranquil haven. Then Bob married Linda. She wanted a rabbit, which seemed innocuous enough until the bunny chewed through their electrical wiring. And that was just the beginning. Before long, Bob found himself constructing cages, buying feed, clearing duck waste, and spoon-feeding a menagerie of furry and feathery residents. His life of quiet serenity vanished, and he unwittingly became a servant to a relentlessly demanding family. "They dumbfounded him, controlled and teased him, took their share of his flesh, stole his heart" (Kirkus Reviews).

Whether commiserating with Bob over the fate of those who are slaves to their animals or regarding his story as a cautionary tale about the rigors of animal ownership, readers on both sides of the fence have found Tarte's story of his chaotic squawking household irresistible--and irresistibly funny.

Customer Reviews:

If you've ever been a chew toy for a bird...you'll love this book........2007-07-29

Enslaved by Ducks is the story of how the author Bob Tarte (a bonafide city slicker) gave in to his country girl wife, Linda when it came to getting a rabbit named Binky. Binky ends up being a terror on 4 legs for Bob. Bob ends up getting attached to Binky despite his relentless testing of Bob's temper. Bob ends up allowing Linda to expand their "herd". Pretty soon they have ducks, parrots and turkeys. Soon Bob realizes he's at the very bottom of the pecking order in his own home. He ends up sharing his dinner with parrots, nursing ducks back to health in his living room, building perches for turkeys and being used as a chew toy for a parrot.

I really enjoyed this book and I'm now reading the sequel to it called "Fowl Weather" by Bob Tarte.

Delightful reading!.......2007-07-09

Having personally been 'Enslaved by Ducks' the title caught my eye! I very much enjoyed reading this book with a vast array of animal characters and a never-ending list of animal encounters, this book is a FUN read. Initially, it is a little slow getting going. I bought the book based on the title and wanted to read about Ducks; I was somewhat disappointed when the first few chapters dealt mainly with pet rabbits, so it was slow going for me. Once I got past the bunny, etc. stories and into the Ducks and Geese it was a really good time AND I learned LOTS about pet Rabbits, too! A definite Must-Read for any animal lover!

Sweet, sad, and outrageously funny.......2007-03-29

This is a terribly fun series of fowl events. I was tempted to call it 'light reading' but that wouldnt be accurate. It feels like light reading but every page is chock full with this couples' adventures while they try to save, raise, and adopt a variety of critters. Its a good book to put down and pick up later - if you're like me and an inconsistent reader - and not be lost in the process.

The writing is wonderful. The analogies and descriptions are so clever and witty that i have to shout and laugh out loud. The husband and wife have diferent ways of looking at things (one is generally more pessimistic and the other deliciously optimistic), which makes things even more interesting of course.

This book is a blast. Its a delightful read.

Why Do People Think This is Funny?.......2007-03-23

I keep getting suckered in by these "funny animal stories" with high user feedback. I slogged all the way through Marley and Me and was ready to shoot myself by the end. OK, I laughed 5 times, but I grimaced 25 and the story was just not that interesting.

With Marley under my belt, my tolerance was way down, so I did not finish this book. However, after about 50 pages, I had not laughed once. Again, the story was not that interesting

Enslaved by Ducks review.......2007-02-07

Slow but funny reading. I read it in spurts. It is a book of his columns that were printed in the newspaper.

Book Description

Over 770 images and meticulous research are uniquely combined here to bring to light Art Nouveau decorated porcelain table, tea, and decorative wares produced by the Prussian Reinhold Schlegelmilch Porcelain Factory. The beautiful early twentieth century wares displayed (also including children's sets, dresser sets, and vases) were originally exported to America during the first decade of the twentieth century. Tableware products are presented in chronological order by mold patterns. When they are available, original catalog copy accompanies items displayed. Decorative techniques used by the company are also explored including cobalt, gold, and other metallic colors treatments along with scenic and portrait transfers. The Hidden Image pattern is covered in detail in text and photographs alike. Rounding out the coverage is a detailed presentation of R.S. Prussia Art Nouveau porcelain products marketed under the Royal Vienna Germany trade name. Also included in this thorough chronicling are a bibliography, several appendices, an index, and values for the items photographed.

Customer Reviews:

Best RS Prussia Book out yet!.......1999-11-17

I picked the book up this weekend & it was love at firstsight! I have been a collector of RSP for 10 years & a club memberfrom the start of q collecting. I have used the RSP books as my guide for molds & authenticating unmarked pieces. This book has shown so many new molds, & has so many original catalog cuts included to add to interest. The pictures were clear,& I like the est. price being included with the description to save page filpping! Enjoyed "The Early Years" as well. Thanks for you time well spent on this! END

Average customer rating:
Captain Visual's Big Book Of Balloon Art: A Complete Book of Balloonology for Beginners and Advanced Twisters
Captain Visual
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Binding: Paperback

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Unique guide to modern design trends.......2001-05-23

While building our new home, i looked for a book that would cover most design aspects, and give me some professional decorating ideas. This book actually offered more than i ever expected. It is now my irreplaceable guide, covering a lot of subjects, from interior design (living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms) to terraces and lighting. I would recommend this book to home decoration enthusiasts and to design professionals.

the best in its price.......2000-07-30

it is a well designed atlas...fullfills the demands of any one who wants to work in the field of furniture or who wants to design his own home perfectly....but i think it was gonna be better if this atlas focused on the styles much more .

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Rainer Hascher , and Simone Jeska
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Atlas de Plantas de Viviendas. Casos Singulares

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H. Mehlhorn
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Atlas Du Monde Arabo-Islamique a I'Epoque Classique

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Atlas Du Monde Arabo-Islamique a I'Epoque Classique
G. Cornu
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover

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Atlas of Fossil Plant Anatomy in China

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Atlas of Office Interiors
Alex Sanchez Vidiella
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Atlas of Orogenic Processes And Three-dimension Litospheric Framework of Qinling Orogenic Belt

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Atlas of Orogenic Processes And Three-dimension Litospheric Framework of Qinling Orogenic Belt

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ASIN: 9067642185

Average customer rating:

a troubled view of a struggle

If You're Waiting on God

Hope is what "Listening for God" offers...

A wonderful validation of some of my own feelings.

An on-time, right now, tell the truth book for believers!

LISTENING FOR GOD: A Minister's Journey Through Silence and Doubt
Renita J. Weems
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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Binding: Hardcover

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Amazon.com

When a preacher has a crisis of faith, the ramifications can be terrifying. How can you lead a congregation to God, when God has withdrawn His presence from you? A few years ago, Renita J. Weems, one of the nation's leading black women preachers, hit a spiritual brick wall that she describes in her stark, lyrical, and often amazing memoir, Listening for God: A Believer's Journey Through Silence and Doubt. The book is a collection of prayers, journal entries, and meditations that discuss her initial anger at God's absence in her life and her gradual willingness to "[accept] the silence as a new way of communicating with the divine and [learn] to perceive God in my life in new, amusing, laughable, glorious ways." In contrast to the many spiritual memoirs that relate new believers' intoxicating experience of divine intimacy, Listening for God (like C.S. Lewis's A Grief Observed and Madeleine L'Engle's The Irrational Season) stands out as a careful and honest description of the spiritual desert in which many mature believers find themselves stranded, to their dismay and surprise. This book is further distinguished by Weems's frank observation that, as a wife and mother, she couldn't just up and meditate for an hour a day, or go on extended retreat. "If God was going to speak to me," Weems writes, "God would just have to do it amidst the clutter of family, the noise of pots and pans, the din of a hungry toddler screaming from the backseat during rush hour traffic, and the hassles of the workplace." God did, and Weems captures the divine noise with a near-perfect combination of wit, pleasure, and respect. --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

"No one is ever prepared to endure the long silence that follows a season of intimacy with God. It is the hardest thing to talk about, and it is the hardest thing in the spiritual journey to prepare for. The long silence between intimacies, the interminable pause between words, the quiet between epiphanies the hush after ecstasy, the listening for God."

So writes Renita J. Weems, one of this country's most prominent and respected ministers and biblical scholars. Throughout the past two decades, Reverend Weems has been noted and praised for her writing, galvanizing national speaking, and pioneering scholarship in the field of Old Testament studies. Few who know her or have heard her speak would have suspected that in the midst of her celebrated work, Reverend Weems was experiencing a profound spiritual crisis, one that was permeated by a hollow, painful silence that seemed, at times, to mark an irreparable rupture in her communication with God.

How does one who is supposedly an expert on prayer and spiritual disciplines admit that there are times when her own heart is unable to get through to the God she recommends to others? How does a minister admit that she hasn't heard from God in a very long time? In Listening for God, her deeply affecting spiritual memoir, Weems seeks to make sense of these questions and to address, by writing about her private travail, the believer's yearning for God in seasons of silence and spiritual torpor.

Weems writes of the lows following the ecstasies, the listlessness following the passion, in her relationship with God. Her experience is universal; she speaks to all who are beyond the first blush of the spiritual journey, who after a period of dramatic awakening feel as though they have hit a brick wall. Just as her spiritual disquietude is familiar to all who struggle to maintain a faith, the details of her daily routine are the shared responsibilities of all adults: negotiating with children and spouses, caring for ailing parents, living up to professional expectations, developing hobbies, managing finances, planning for the future. Weems explores how these myriad routines of daily life compete for energy with one's relationship with God. She discusses the strategies she has discovered for redefining mundane rituals so that they contribute to reverence and devotion.

Listening for God is as much a guidebook for others as it is a collection of private discussions with God. Weems's writing reveals both her intellectual acuity and her humanity as she links worship and spirituality to the workaday world and considers the practical and banal alongside the exalted and divine. Listening for God explores all of the seasons of spiritual development and offers a beacon of light to those who are languishing in winter.

Customer Reviews:

a troubled view of a struggle.......2005-12-06

After reading this book I see Renita J Weems as an intellectual, with an intellectual's ego, trying to reason her way back to God. While Ms. Weems has apparently left her faith to follow "godesses" she has trouble understanding why this has left her faith hollow. Christ told us if we were to follow Him, to understand Him, we were to do it as little children. If Ms Weems could get over her anxiety and aggression towards men, perhaps she could listen to what her husband has to say as a Baptist minister. God tells us in the Old Testament that one of the 7 things He hates is pride...snooty, condescending pride,...Sister, I say this in Love, you might try a little humility in your search for God. I would recommend she read Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind"

If You're Waiting on God.......2000-11-05

This is the book if you are waiting on a word from God. This is a powerful book. Dr. Weems has done it, yet again. This book makes a wonderful gift for Christian women. God Bless You, Dr. Weems.

Hope is what "Listening for God" offers..........1999-06-25

As a writer and one who has an ongoing inner dialogue (often chaotic debate), this book arrived in my hands like an angel to the dying. For a number of years I've been 'on hold' regarding taking action on a number of projects, believing myself to be an imposter when I have so many questions and so much doubt. Ms Weems, in her honest sharing, has offered me a new perspective. With humor, teeth gritting honesty, and a trusting soul, Renita Weems shares her struggle and doubt, offering in the end a gift of love and wisdom. What a wonderful gift to those of us stumbling along the path. Thank you.

A wonderful validation of some of my own feelings........1999-04-11

A brilliantly written book with humor which kept me glued to the pages. I could not put it down. It was just so uplifting to hear that others are experiencing the same "lost feelings" I have felt. To have those feelings validated has made a profound difference in my understanding of our wonderful God and this journey we are on.

An on-time, right now, tell the truth book for believers!.......1999-04-08

Only the Rev. Dr. Renita J. Weems-Espinosa could have written such a book with such gut-wrenching truth and honesty. Not every believer will experience all the levels of "silence" that she has been through but if you know God, there may be times when you will and I thank God that I ain't crazy enough to give up on God but to keep on believing, keep the faith, keep praying even when I think God is truly silent...He's not. I just started reading this book and I am overcome with the insight which she reveals and shares about the true and living God which I (we) serve. I enjoy the conversations that she shares during this silence-period (of God) with other people who question our faith and the why, the how, the what, that we believe...Her responses are so real into giving people what they want to hear about us but sometimes is not an indication at the time. This is a book that I know will be a reference and reminder whenever I think God is not listening, or not there for me, this book will remind me of His all listening ear and all seeing eye and Presence in my life at all times.

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