Customer Reviews

The Genesee Diary

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The Late Henri Nouwen ,of blessed memory, was a Dutch Catholic priest who was able to put his spiritual longings[and lackings] into print and a level that I do not think has been matched in the past century.Certainly, Thomas Merton was a better writer and more influential, though Nouwen gave us his doubt at an unprecendented depth. In this duiary, first published in the mid-70's , he went to Piffard , NY to live with the Trappists of the Genesse for 8 months[he later went back, and produced another book of meditations]It was fortuitous that he met the abbot, Fr John Eudes Bamberger, and found a man to whom he could pour himself out. The abbot [he is still abbot,by the way,and has his own website}is an MD, psychaitrist and a man of deep prayer. Much of the book is the the conferences of Nouwen and the Abbot, though a greter portion is Nouwens musings on life, his frustrations, his enthusiamims[wich were many and childlike in thier intensity] and his prayer.His descriptions of back breaking manuel labor,of sorting raisins{the monks produce a regionally famous bread, called,of course, monks bread]and of normal, everyday fears and phobias are wonderful, insightful and inspiring. The Late Fr. Nouwen wrote scores of books, though thisis in my estimation his finest.

A highly stimulating account of Nouwen's experiences as a "temporary Trappist" (itself a contradiction in terms which he explores with sensitivity). Nouwen is brutally honest in his self-analysis without becoming maudlin or pompous, and his struggle to learn to pray in the midst of distractions from within and without should resonate with people (like me!) who find themselves too often consumed with busyness and the monologues of an undisciplined consciousness. Best of all, Nouwen acknowledges that his time with the Trappists does not solve his problems; rather, it teaches him the rudiments of praise in the midst of problems.

Nouwen takes us behind the walls of a Trappist Monastery, a place one rarely gets to travel. We not only get a glimpse into monastic living, but we are invited to travel deeper into the heart of Henri Nouwen. Nouwen shows us his humanity and struggles. He brings forth the wisdom of community and the comfort of ritual. This book, for me, became my own retreat. The monastery is not a place of escapism, but rather a place that confronts you at the depths of your soul.

Have you ever wondered how a monk deals with everday life? This book is written in diary format and is very easy to read. Henri speaks honestly from his heart of the joys and tribulations of monastic life. I found that I'm not alone with alot of the thoughts I have...Henri has had them too.
Once I started reading this diary I couldn't hardly put it down!
Definately one of the better books I have read in a long time.
Also very profound remarks in this book. I'm sure I'll be reading it again.

i am still reaping the benifits of reading this book. i understand many more people because of this, but most importantly i am seeking God more diligently. the simplicity of the life lived, the simplicity of the lessons learned, and the simplicity in which journaling is established is amazing. God blessed this book for nouwen.

Henri Nouwen's diary recounts his 7-month stay at the Abbey of Genesee in New York. His diary is a personal account of his search for peace and total committment to God. It accurately depicts the regimen of life in the monastery - a life of work, prayer, and liturgy - and describes how he became a member of the monastic community.

Through his time there, Nouwen discovers that the monastery is not built to solve problems, but to praise God in the midst of them.

This book is helpful to the Christian. To read one of the great spiritual writers of our time journal on his spirtual journey, with all of its struggles and joys, brings us to a quick reminder of our own need to stop and reflect and examine our faith. A great book for a group study.

For the Catholic Priest and writer, Henri J.M. Nouwen, writing about visiting a Trappist Monastery is more than a diary, a visit to a monastery, it is a statement of insight and inspiration by a writer who starts his book with the simple words, "Thanks be to God that I am here!" Like the report on his visit, his words are heartfelt. The title is descriptive and straightforward, like the book itself: "The Genesee Diary: A Report from a Trappist Monastery."

A sincere, remarkable memoir by the writer, I was taken with his willingness to seek God and in his seeking come to terms with his life and relationship in Christ. Although it is a religious book, no doubt, the light hand of the well-known Henri J.M. Nouwen will not disappoint a wide readership. After all, this popular and well-regarded work has stood the test of time since it was first published, and, happily, is available again to a new generation of readers.

In his honesty, Nouwen says at one point about his conversations of spiritual direction with the Abbot John Eudes, "If I allowed no one but the Lord to determine my identity, would I know the Lord? Or is it a fact that even in my meditation I relate to the Lord as I relate to people--that is--by manipulation and projection."

Please don't be misled; this is a good man telling of his struggles, a brilliant man, even. Once a professor at Harvard, his time at Genesee brings him to say, "...I can slowly detach myself from this need for human affirmation and discover that it is in the relationship with the Lord that I find my true self, an unconditional surrender to him becomes not only possible, but even the only desire..." We journey with Father Nouwen as this unfolding reveals what he hoped for by staying at the monastery, not only for reflection and meditation, but also a coming to himself.

It is fair to say this book is about God and man; as part of his explanation, the writer states how the means to that end is prayer: "Speaking about prayer, I asked John Eudes a question that seemed very basic and a little naïve: `When I pray, to whom do I pray?' `When I say `Lord,' what do I mean?" In his quiet way, almost unnoticed by the ease of manner in the writing, the book addresses many most important questions. That is what Abbot John Eudes calls this particular insight about prayer, "...[a] most important question."

I found this book a book about love. "I would like to think a little more about love," he says, and he writes of how the monastery is a place of relationships. We learn how the monks live out their lives in Christ. We learn how he joins them, and they especially offer a hospitality that is one in Christ. Henri J.M. Nouwen comes to find this love, which teaches him, aids him in his ruminations and self-appraisals of his relationship and life in the world. After all, this is a book about a retreat. An admirable and readable hardback title published by Doubleday in my copy, certainly an asset to anyone's need for spiritual direction in the form of a report, and an asset as a book that fills the need for a just plain good read.

--Peter Menkin, Pentecost 2007

The Genessee Diary is a much more difficult Nouwen read than any of his other books. BUT it is an important read for those of us who have found Nouwen to be such a prolific writer. TGD allows us to see his journey and experience it. If you have not read any other of Nouwen's works---read one or two or three of them before you dive into the Genesee Diary. No other contemporary author captures the true Christ as simply and magnificently as Henri Nouwen. For any person in postmodern ministry, Henri Nouwen books are a must have. Be warned. Nouwen will have a life-changing effect on you.

I first read Henri Nouwen's THE GENESEE DIARY some thirty years ago, shortly after its publication, and was very much taken with it. Nouwen's descriptions of monastic life during his seven-month sojourn at the Abbey of the Genesee, a Trappist monastery in New York State, gave the reader a privileged, vicarious experience of a distinct and ancient way of life in the Church. I think I was also moved by Nouwen's notes on his spiritual journey as he was forced to confront his personal failings in an environment where one has very few distractions to encourage one to overlook or ignore them.

Upon re-reading it, I found I had considerably less patience for his litany of complaints. When he would complain about the boring daily work routine at the monastery--baking bread and gathering rocks for the church construction, for instance--I just wanted to tell him to get over it. Likewise, when he would complain that while he was in the monastery his many outside friends and acquaintances seemed to forget him, I wanted to tell him to get over himself. When I first read this book, I was college student; now, I am living in the "real" world with all of its demands and challenges. I am now somewhat annoyed by Nouwen's introspection and complaining.

When I read this thirty years ago, the references to Watergate and to the peace movement were news; now it's history, and those references make the material seem dated, even if the general themes of war and hunger haven't changed over time. Moreover, Nouwen's protestations against the injustice of hunger in a world of plenty seem hollow coming from a man on a monastic vacation. The monks, at least, were in it for life.

However that may be, there are still spiritual insights in the book that salvage the book for me. First of all, it took guts to put one's failings on display to the extent that he did. He confronts each of those weaknesses in his prayer and with his spiritual director, John Eudes. His spiritual director does not let him off the hook. What a luxury it is to have a guide like John Eudes on one's spiritual journey! What I also admired about Nouwen's book is that, in the end, despite modest progress on his spiritual journey, he admitted to having changed very little as a man. Nonetheless, his memory of his days and months at Genesee would be, he believed, a refuge, a place of light, during the difficult, dark times of his life ahead.