On Reading Well
What do the literary classics have to say about living as a Christian? In On Reading Well, Karen Swallow Prior helps readers find the good life through great books.
A Guided Tour Through Works of Great Literature
By taking readers on a guided tour through works of great literature, Prior showcases three categories of virtues: cardinal, theological, and heavenly. These are broken down and explored over 12 chapters, with each virtue corresponding to a particular book.
While I was familiar with some of these great works and their authors, I was also eager to be introduced to more. Prudunce is explored in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (by Henry FIelding), Faith is explored in Silence (by Shusaku Endo), and Chastity is explored in Ethan Frome (by edith Wharton).
Themes and Classics
What Prior does especially well is show you the themes that are clearly in the books, even when you might not have recognized them at first. And then she shares with you how they relate to God and godly living. Gatsby and the virtue of temperance is an example. “The judgments made by our own limited perspectives must be tempered against he all-seeing eyes of God.”
Prior takes on the classic Pilgrim’s Progress, revealing diligence as a major theme. She teaches how allegories can be deceptively simple, but closer reading often reveals deeper truths. “Allegory requires and assumes the exercise of diligence by readers.” Cultivating godly desire demands applying diligence to our own spiritual lives.
Building Christian Character
It’s clear that Prior is a scholar when it comes to knowing these stories. But as a true teacher, she shows and share what she knows. And she broadens your horizens, helping you see how you can see more in stories. This is a book to read slowly and carefully. It’s ultimately, a book about character -- character shown through characters. And it will go a long way in building Christian character. For lovers of stories and storytelling, this book will help you read God’s story in your life with joy -- seeing and believing in worship.
I received a media copy of On Reading Well and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.