Product Details
A Book of Silence

A Book of Silence
By Sara Maitland

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Product Description

In her late forties, after a noisy upbringing as one of six children and adulthood as a vocal feminist and mother, Sara Maitland found herself living alone in the country, and, to her surprise, falling in love with silence. In this fascinating, intelligent, beautifully written book, Maitland describes how she set out to explore this new love, spending periods of silence in the Sinai desert, the Scottish hills, and a remote cottage on the Isle of Skye.

Maitland finds her experiences both euphoric and dark, mirrored in the accounts of others who have encountered silence — from explorers and mystics to long-distance sailors. And in a wonderfully confiding, witty voice, she delves deep into the rich cultural history of silence, exploring its significance in fairytale and myth, its importance to the Western and Eastern religious traditions, and its use in psychoanalysis and artistic expression.

Maitland’s journey into silence holds surprises and setbacks, but mainly reveals a deepening happiness. Her story culminates in her building a hermitage on an isolated moor in Galloway, and as she guides readers through experiences of silence in this new home, she evokes a sense of peace that includes the reader in its intimate tranquility.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #9774 in Books
  • Published on: 2009-09-29
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 320 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review
"* "A serious, important and deeply engaging book, describing with equal honesty the risks and the resources of silence. In describing her own exploration of these, Sara Maitland prompts some very uncomfortable questions about the fear, the shallowness and the lack of attentive listening that so effectively keep us prisoners." - Archbishop Rowan Williams * 'A timely and alluring exploration of the pleasures and powers of silence; Maitland writes with the serenity of one who has just returned from a place where I would very much like to go.' - Tim Parks"

About the Author
Sara Maitland is the author of numerous works of fiction, including the Somerset Maugham Award-winning Daughters of Jerusalem, and several non-fiction books about religion. Born in 1950, she studied at Oxford University and currently tutors on the Distance Learning MA in creative writing for Lancaster University. She lives in Galloway.

Customer Reviews

Engaging and thoughtful5
This is a book very similar to Walden by Thoreau. It is an expression of the connection between the earth and man, between spirit and soul. The evocative use of language that arises from Maitland's self-enforced exile is reminiscent of several 19th century transcendentalists and finds a parallel in Stephen R. Pastore's Alone in Eden--although this is a novel and Maitland's work is more of a memoir. This is a book for all those who need to escape our over-entertained and over-informed world--to escape from the cacophony of too much of everything.

Don't miss it5
This book was all but overwhelming for me. There were some slow parts (which probably just meant I didn't understand where she was going) but on page after page I had many moments of startling insights. This is a spiritual book. It's about touching and allowing yourself to be touched by God. Maitland's is a Christian orientation but she incorporates many other spiritual outlooks. One of her biggest dilemmas was how to go into her personal silence, meet God, dwell with him to the best of her ability and hear his word. That transcends all experiences of God I would think. She's also practical. She doesn't cut herself off from her loved ones or others she might happen across refusing to speak to them. She even states, I think rightly, that this isn't doable in Western civilization at this point in time. I loved joining her on her journey. The only real disconnect I had was when she, as a writer, felt by emptying herself and allowing more of God in she had little to write about, she'd let too much of herself go. Also, the experiences were ineffable. That hasn't been my spiritual experience. Yes I've felt the ineffable and yes I've felt myself blend more fully with God but, being human and still physical, we still have ego's, no matter how much we'd like to join with our higher power we're still (just?) us. The value for me is by becoming more alive to God and allowing him to be more alive with me, within me; I come back from the ineffable as more of myself, better able to reflect the sacred. And that gives me loads to think and write about, the only caveat being some experiences are so holy that they probably shouldn't be shared with your closest loves ones if with anyone. This was a life changing book for me. Thank you Sara.