Thomas Merton

A Life Inspired

By: Wyatt North

Narrated by: Robert Grothe

Thomas Merton is one of the most famous American Catholic authors of the twentieth century. A prolific writer, Merton published 36 books and collections of poems over the span of 27 years, and has 38 posthumous publications that bear his name. Even more impressive than his voluminous output, however, is his deep spirituality that enraptured generations of people seeking intimate union with God. This is the story of a man who sought God throughout his life and dedicated himself to a life of holiness.

©2016 Wyatt North Publishing, LLC (P)2016 Wyatt North Publishing, LLC

overview of Merton's life

This is a very brief overview of Merton's life so if you just want some headlines this may be perfect for you, but if you want something deeper I suggest you go elsewhere. A good starting point nonetheless.

This is a dreadful reading

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend it. It is written at a level appropriate for a child and the narration is dreadful.

What other book might you compare Thomas Merton to and why?

You would be much better off reading Seven Storey Mountain.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator has difficulty pronouncing simple words and names. For example, he cannot pronounce Bermuda or Cicero. This is just painful to listen to.

Was Thomas Merton worth the listening time?

It is very short so I suppose so.

Any additional comments?

Didn't anyone listen to this before they put it up for sale? Good grief!

Read by a early version of Siri

I was disappointed with this book and do not recommend it at all. The narration was terrible. Really bad sounding punch-in’s and mispronouncing of words and names, which completely distracted from the middle school like outline structure of the biography. All around a bad purchase on my part.

Disappointing

Would you try another book from Wyatt North and/or Robert Grothe?

The information is fine if limited, but the narrator makes listening a frustrating experience. He mispronounces some common words.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Disappointing. This was the information I was interested in, but the writer glossed over it. He shared much information about Merton's youth and rakish behaviour. I wanted to know more about his spiritual life and his time studying other religions.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

This is a snapshot rather than a satisfying biographical piece.

Narration left a LOT to be desired

The content and story was very informative for a short biography but reading left a lot to be desired. It was more than obvious when the reader came across a word he had trouble pronouncing and there were emphasis on words where it was completely out of context. It was as if he sat down and recorded the book without ever looking at the text ahead of the time.