Hermits; The Insights of Solitude [Paperback]

Peter France (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

In this lucid and inspirational book, Peter France provides engaging accounts of the lives of famous hermits and hermitic movements - from the Greek Cynics to the Desert Fathers to more modern seekers such as Thoreau, Thomas Merton, and the American poet Robert Lax. Viewed as possessing remarkable moral strength and mystical powers gained through an ascetic existence, hermits have been revered and scorned for their often odd behavior. Although the traditional life of a hermit has always been ascetic and antisocial, it has often been difficult for these truth-seekers to avoid people altogether. However, for the modern hermit, such as the expatriate writer Robert Lax, the pursuit of enlightenment involves finding a balance between interacting with society and finding solitude in which to work. Filled with the wisdom born of solitude, Hermits provides a body of spiritual knowledge that will inspire readers to meditate on the need we all have for a time of solitude in our lives.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A former BBC personality, France (Greek as a Treat, Penguin, 1995) spends over half the year living in solitude on the Greek island of Patmos; his own taste of the hermetical life leads him to write this study of solitaries from the ancient Greeks to the present. France has chosen a representative group of hermits, and his simple discussions of such figures as Thoreau and Thomas Merton serve as good introductions for readers unfamiliar with their work. Chapters on lesser-known figures such as Charles de Foucald or groups such as the Russian startsy (spiritual fathers) are, likewise, excellent introductions, and a nice bibliography leads the reader to more in-depth sources. The final chapter highlights the contemporary poet Robert Lax in a fitting, parting interview. This well-written, rather personal exploration will entertain as well as inform. Readers interested in a more scholarly treatment would do well to consult France's bibliography. A good choice for public and academic collections.?Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

France gave up his high-profile career with the BBC to lead a contemplative life on a Greek island, a decision that inspired this engrossing history of hermits. Most solitaries left no record of the revelations they experienced, but others felt compelled to share the insights acquired through living a simple and meditative life, and it is those articulate hermits, those intent and spiritual-minded outsiders who have, curiously, taught the rest of us so much about living in the thick of things, that France so skillfully portrays. He begins with a masterful overview of the early Greek philosophers, who were "the first to discover the significance of the individual," a realization intrinsic to the hermit tradition, then moves on to St. Anthony of Egypt and other Desert Fathers, the forest-dwelling Russian Orthodox startsy, our own Thoreau, the Hindu hermit Ramakrishna, the Saharan explorer Charles de Foucauld, Thomas Merton, and the poet Robert Lax. France's supple commentary is augmented by piquant and affecting excerpts from various hermits' teachings, a blend that succeeds gloriously in illuminating and celebrating our species' "impulse to withdraw from society," an attempt at self-discovery that, wondrously, serves instead to define our profound commonalities Donna Seaman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Griffin (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312194633
• ISBN-13: 978-0312194635
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet sounds of silence, July 14, 2000

By 

Tom Ralis (Oxford, Britain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hermits: Insights of Solitude (Hardcover)

Following on from 'The Rape of Egypt' and 'Greek as a Treat', Peter France has once more produced a book that is both informative and insightful. With his usual wit, discernment and sweet reason, France guides the reader through a selected history of human solitude. As an antidote to dissillusionment with the modern world the book both entertains and uplifts. Perhaps it was the first chapter - ' The Emergence of the Individual'- that I found most beautifully written, with a clarity of thought that sparkles. Being Orthodox, France's chapter on Russian hermits is also one that has called me back to re-read it. Illuminated by personal anecdote and informed by a broad knowledge of solitude through the ages, this book is a masterpiece. Along with France's 'Journey - A Spiritual Odyssey', it is one of my favourite books to read at night, alone, watching and waiting....

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very peaceful, January 22, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: Hermits; The Insights of Solitude (Paperback)

Too few books are available on the life of the contemplative. With that said, this book is already a rarity. It's quality is quite good, although the pages have yellowed in only three years, like most books in our "technologically advanced" culture.
The content of the book gave this reviewer a great sense of peace, as it is comforting to find that others hold the experience of solitude in high esteem. It seems that because of France's firsthand experience with this simple pleasure, he is able to describe the perspective in a unique and calming way, far from the usual deprecatory references to the Unibomber, etc.
It undoubtedly helped to alleviate some of this stigma, as well as piquing interest in the solitary life. We need respected hermits in this day and age, as an outside view of the inside is what keeps us balanced. I recommend it to everyone.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blow your mind, May 18, 2000

By 

J. Toth "Readasarus Rex" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hermits; The Insights of Solitude (Paperback)

A beautiful account of man's timeless search for solitude and truth, this book scours the great religious traditions and recounts the lives and writings of some of the coolest, wierdest and most sane people the world has ever seen. The chapter on Charles de Foucauld is itself worth the price of the book.