Customer Reviews

Leaping: Revelations & Epiphanies

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I really enjoyed this book. Brian Doyle has an ability to portray spirituality in a non-polarizing way. Many of his ideas, and the book as whole, are thoroughly Catholic but he manages to avoid ostracizing non-catholic readers without offering the vain attempts to consider all points of view that seem to have become a necessity when discussing religion in academic settings. It is refreshing because it is sincere. He doesn't attempt to proselytize with Catholic theology but he doesn't apologize for it either. He simply shares stories about grace, faith, family, death or God while acknowledging the fundamental role that Catholicism has played in shaping his perspective. I'm not Catholic and I didn't need to be in order to read, enjoy, and relate to his book.

My favorite section was about grace. It consists of a collection of short thoughts, epiphanies, stories, or explanations of grace. There was one in particular that I absolutely loved. I shared it with my roommates, my co-workers and even my mom because I liked it so much. I don't usually do that.

What is nice about Leaping is that it is light but worthwhile. His insight is sincere and applicable but it doesn't require strenuous contemplation. It is very genuine, everyday, run of the mill, inspiration. It is the type of stuff that helps you remember that miracles happen everyday if we chose to be observant enough to see them. With Leaping, Brian Doyle offers a book that just about anyone will enjoy and just about everyone can learn from.

Whether it is discussing the transcendence of witnessing a sublime performance, or teaching a young catholic sunday school class, Bryan Doyle enumerates the poignant moments of the human experience with depth, humor and eloquence. Doyle's collection of essays titled "Leaping" a coalition of works based on faith (although not necessarily always the catholic faith, as one essay addresses the visit of His Holiness the Dali Lama) is an exercise in belief in something greater. Here we see Doyle's own faith come under fire as he tries to explain the mysteries of catholicism to a a young group of devotes before they take their first communion, and perhaps his answer that "we don't know" how the communion changes to Christ's blood and flesh as they will eat it, is the work's saving grace (no pun intended). Doyle is more than open about the fact that he does not have all the answers, which saves these essays from becoming didactic or monotonous, however they do stress the importance of the fact that we do have some of the answers: hope, faith, and love.

Aside from the subject matter, the material is beautifully written. His humor creates a sense of camaraderie with the reader, and you feel as if the editor of Portland Magazine has turned the usual lecture hall into the combination of a confessional and a coffee shop. Whether or not you share this man's faith in explicit, dedicated terms, or instead center your faith around the shared resiliency of the human spirit, this collection is a touching and rewarding read.

When I first heard that I would be reading excerpts from nonfiction essays, I was a little bit skeptical since the word "essay" resurrects anxiety that I thought I had laid to rest when I graduated high school. However, I found that personal nonfiction essays are some of the most thought-provoking pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have read from a wide selection of different authors in the area of creative nonfiction and something always draws me back to Brian Doyle. There is some kind of sheen to his essays, an extra cup of light that he seems to add as he concocts his writings. I gobble down his words and I want more, but I also feel completely satisfied with what I have digested. Now that I have finished Leaping, I still have it somewhere nearby where I can just open it and re-read little snippets. I love how he invites his reader to see the world through his eyes and experiences. It is so refreshing to read about religious ideas and motivations when it seems like everyone else is trying to leave God out of everything. Nothing seems forced or preachy; everything is light, pure, thoughtful, and innocent, just like the children who inspire his essays. His humor and reflection bring me a hope and happiness that is deepened each time I peruse the pages. There is also a sort of strength that I glean from Leaping, and in the words of Brian Doyle, " I hold on to that."

While this book only had a brief chapter on the memories of this author and his experiences as an alter boy it brought back memories for me of similar early mornings full of dusty kneelers, bell ringing and fists full of hosts stuffed in your pockets. The true nature of this book is the spiritual journey a young man takes and how the things that were part of the formation of the individual shapes the man's belief system. As with all of us of that generation, as we age we become more aware of the really important parts of life. God, family and self are the relationships that are explored and defined through Doyle's eyes. His observations act as stimulus for further self examination of our belief system,

This is the third book that I have read by this author and would highly recommend them to anyone.

How do you judge the worth of a book? The value? By its entertainment? I think that's true of fiction and stories, but not of a book like this, not of a collection of essays about life. So what then? The times you were moved? The tears you shed? The things you learned? I believe this is how you would judge a book like this.

I first heard of Brian Doyle in my Reading Series class at Brigham Young University. He was a guest speaker one day and I was amazed by the thoughts and power of that man. I believe he is the most interesting man I have ever listened too. When I bought his book I wondered if I would feel the same power from the words on the page as I did from his mouth. To answer this I will answer the above questions.

The times I was moved.

I read every essay in the book. I was moved by his amazing mixture of confusion and insight in the world and in his religion. By the little things he seemed to notice like the cycle of dirt or the oddities of an Anchovy. By the amazing love I felt he had for his children and how he was able to express that love through words. I was moved for 194 pages.

The tears I shed.

I'm a very emotional guy. I try to keep my crying to a minimum, but in the case of this book I could not stop the tears at least on four occasions. When he discussed his son's illness and surgery, when he listed the people who died in the attack of the Twin Tours, when he played basketball with his 4 year old and twin 1 year olds, and when he taught a class of young children about their religion.

What I learned.

I learned a million things, and yet I learned only one thing. And that is love. This book is an incredible journey through the power of love. Love for the Earth, love for your family, love for the other human beings on the Earth, love for oneself, love for Christ and Heavenly Father, and the love that They give back to us. And isn't love the most important lesson of all?

I remember the times I would beg at my mothers feet and call out her name. I'd eventually receive a response. "Can I have that," I would mutter quivering impatiently pointing to the root beer barrel. When it was put in my hand I felt as though I had been given a trophy for winning an Oscar. I was thrilled. I didn't know whether to tear it open and fling it in the mouth or whether to carefully . . . gently cut the wrapper with scissors . . . place the remnant on the counter . . . and bring the bit of sugar-heaven out and put it also on the counter upright. Soon, after ridding the counter of plastic nothingness, would be the moment of mouth-watering melt-in-your-mouth madness.

That's kind of how I felt when I placed "Leaping" by Brian Doyle in my mouth, I mean in forefront of my being. "What should I do?" I thought. Will I survive if I just crack it open . . . a bit? I have sunglasses at home. That won't do, I'll have to get Grandpa Harmon. He's a welder. I'll use that big helmet that he puts on. I'll read the book once with that, then I'll move to the sunglasses. I'll probably have to use the sunglasses every time I read it the rest of my life after that. I fear the brilliance. It's engulfing, electrifying and will coddle the very fleshy material of your heart, and an instant later you may find you soul yanked through eternity. If you want to exhume every thought that's ever crept into your mind then crack open this book, and leap you will!

Brian Doyle is as fascinating a speaker as he is a writer. I decided to purchase his book and read it after I met him at a Reading Series workshop at BYU. What I found in Brian Doyle's book, "Leaping," was a treasure chest of exiting and thought-provoking experiences from his life. Brian Doyle has a unique way of finding the profound in the simple. His essays are often based on ordinary events that most people would overlook. Because Brian Doyle is so skilled at viewing the world as a writer he is able to capture and write about things in a way that few people can.

My favorite part of the book was his writings on September 11. I loved this because it was very relatable to any reader. It brought such visceral memories to my mind from that event that I felt strongly about the significance of that event. Many other stories moved me as well. I think that it takes a great deal of talent to write about your own life in a way that other people can relate to it. Oftentimes, writers tend to write about things in a way that only makes sense to the writer but this is not the case in Doyle's essays. I found each of them very engaging and relatable even though I don't share his Catholic roots or his position as a father and a husband. Last, but not least you'll find a lot of humor in Brian Doyle's essays. There are some lines and events that are so distinct they almost had me rolling on the floor with laughter. This is a book that I will enjoy over and over again in the future and I strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading or writing essays.

I picked up this book because the cover intriqued me, and ended up loving the book! This book is quirky, creative, and honest.

This is a book that brought back a great deal of memories for me. Brian's descriptions of his altar boy days, the priests, the tales of Garrison and Frank Rizzo sent me back to another day and time. I once again became that little girl in the fourth grade with an incredible crush (and a cracker jack ring). His own personal story of his pain as a parent dealing with his son's illness, to the joy of teaching a Sunday school class about faith, left me feeling that I wanted to hear more. Thanks, Brian, for reminding me of just what life is really all about! T.O'K.