Customer Reviews

The Book of Calamities: Five Questions About Suffering and Its Meaning

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have never read anything like this before on any subject. The author is highly intellectual, almost overly so, yet also profoundly emotional in his response to human experience. He can write about ancient philosophy and make it as immediate as pop culture without losing any depth or seriousness--he truly makes art and culture timeless and universally applicable whether he is writing about the case of child-murderer Andrea Yates or the Rwandan genocide, or two young women suffering from a rare and deadly disease. Many of the stories in this book are appalling; many are profiles in courage.

I am SO glad I read this book. Despite my initial hesitations (just wasn't eager to read about suffering), once I committed myself to the book, I couldn't put it down. Peter Trachtenberg does an excellent job of summarizing intelligent related work I would like to read directly but probably never will (Epic of Gilgamesh, Book of Job, Simone Weil)and interwtining it with engrossing narratives of people making sense of their own suffering. The author adroitly weaves these strands together leading the reader through important questions and answers without being intrusive. I plan to read it again (& some parts again & again as they will continue to intrigue me). I recommend it for thoughtful reading on universally relevant topics.

i could not put this book down. it proved novel and enlightening in so many ways. it is an exciting exploration of human suffering and god's place in the world. Trachtenberg is a tremendous writer and thinker and i can't wait for additional writings.

This book endlessly frustrated me. There were some parts that had really insightful commentary on the great canon of western lit in regards to the problem of 'suffering.' Oedipus Rex, Orestes, Gilgamesh, etc. & I thought that these were insightful. But the tie to the 'real-world' stories of misery seemed tenuous at best. What Trachtenberg undertakes is to look at the ancient world's approach to suffering and death and compare it with our own modern approach.

Sometimes the descriptions of war, death, and disease became so grisly that it was hard to keep interest in the book's narrative thrust. When the author goes into his experiences interviewing Vietnam war vets, it reads like a museum of anguish. 'homonuculus in a jar' is his metaphor. I could hardly bear to read on some of the descriptions. I had to put it down a couple of times.

A good read, but not for the faint of heart. Anyone interested in the situation in Rwanda should give it a look.

This is a thoughtful, well researched, extremely well written and vivid survey of the various natures of suffering--religious, philosophical cultural and psychological. Trachtenberg traveled and interviewed both perpetrators and victims, but the most alluring part of the book is his capacity for empathetic yet clear-eyed description. Bravo! Highly reccommended.

This book is both powerful and compelling and the beauty of its writing pulls you into these true stories of calamities. I couldn't wait to read more each evening after work, till I finished it all. Now I want to re-read it and re-visit the places and people Peter Trachtenberg has introduced to us. He's a fine writer (see 7 Tattoos) who is becoming a great writer.

I just attended a reading by Peter Trachtenberg, of the last chapter of this book, and it was breathtaking-- so compelling and smart and sensitive. The writing is superb and so interesting.

I am a hospice nurse assistant and I just finished a 36 hour shift. I began this book at Mon 8 am ish and finished it 30 minutes before leaving tues evening.
I felt the book offered a wide variety of both ancient and relevant examples the reader can relate to as well as numerous philosophical and literary queries to mull over.
A brilliant book it is.

Thank you~

Peter Trachtenberg has a deft, probing intelligence. His writing is beautiful. I was blown away by the depth and wonder here. Very glad I read it.