The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 [Paperback]

John Clarke (Author), St. Therese of Lisieux (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0960087699 | ISBN-13: 978-0960087693 | Publication Date: June 15, 1982 | Edition: Centenary Edition

Translated from the critical edition by John Clarke, OCD. Includes 4 pages of facsimiles of Thérèse's letters.
Letter writing at the end of the nineteenth century was an important activity for the people of France. Those who received letters from family and friends alike usually kept the hand-written texts sent to them as precious gifts. That is why this collection of letters by and to one of the greatest saints of modern times is so interesting to us today. No mere notes slapped together in distracted haste, the missives found in this volume reveal communications of warm personal sentiment along with expressions of lively spiritual development.
Thérèse's efforts as a fifteen-year-old to enter Carmel before reaching the required age appear in revealing detail. This tortuous course of a very subtle diplomacy is set out not only by the letters of Thérèse herself, but also by those of so many others who shared her hopes and eventual victory.
The translator-editor gives us 75 pages of introductory remarks to Thérèse's letters. This volume also includes 4 pages of facsimiles of Thérèse's letters.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A welcome piece; there is much to learn in it. --Christianity Today

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 688 pages
• Publisher: Ics Pubns; Centenary Edition edition (June 15, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0960087699
• ISBN-13: 978-0960087693
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a gold mine of detail about Therese's life as she lived it, October 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890 (Paperback)

One of the most underappreciated books of the century. A translation of the critical edition of Therese's letters and those written to her from her birth till age seventeen. In "Story of a Soul" Therese writes "I find myself at a period in my life when I can cast a glance backward," but in the letters we accompany her day by day, and read what she wrote at 14 on the day of her visit with the Pope ("the good Pope is so old, one would say he is dead") and at 17 of her disappointment that her father could not attend her veiling ("Papa is not coming tomorrow! Celine, my tears are falling as I write . .. ") The notes are a rich documentation of Therese's environment, of the character of the Lisieux Carmel, and of her life, and reading through them chronologically yields a unique window on Therese's maturing and development over time. If you read the letters, you need no longer depend on the interpretations of others; you will be empowered to interpret Therese yourself. Please don't miss it.