Customer Reviews

The Story of a Soul

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This is a lovely book by 'the greatest saint of modern times.' read any chapter and you will see the heart of Catholicism. You will learn catholic spirituality and the reason why Therese was a saint. Some men have said they are improved every time they read this book. It is true. Besides the Eucharist itself, St. Therese is the saint that drew me into the Church. Her Little Way gives me hope that perhaps we all have a chance of getting to heaven.

I read this autobiography with some misgivings, I thought it may be the usual Catholic orientated stuff.I must admit that after the full reading, I was moved to tears at the pain this lovely young novice experienced in her short life and the extreme love that she had,(at all stages in her life) for our Lord. Yes, I'm a practising Catholic, but I think that the reading of this book (I'm now slowly reading it for the 3rd time) has changed my whole life and I'd like to think her story has made me a better Catholic.

In terms of her ability to maneuver words in the written form, Saint Therese of Lisieux was not as established as other writers such as St. Augustine or Thomas Merton. For this trait, she often apologizes in her writing. However, her insight in developing a relationship with Jesus and her devotion to that relationship make a profound statement. Even in the littlest of sacrifices, she shows herself growing closer to Jesus. The message outweighs the writing style in terms of importance.

The product of three separate journals St. Therese kept during her short life, the book can be divided into these sections: The story of her life, the letter written to Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, and the notebook written for Rev. Mother Marie de Gonzague. While each of these writing tasks were given as an assigned task, they had a greater purpose and may have been the most important work of St. Therese's life. Even at a very young age, St. Therese showed strong devotion to the Lord. The story of her life makes up the greatest percentage of the book. Despite the death of her mother at a young age, St. Therese seemed happy and her devotion led her to pursue a devotional life at an unusually young age.

In her short life, St. Therese saw the unbelievable and was touched by the hand of God. She showed her devotion even in the smallest of sacrifices. Still I believe that nothing is more touching than the initial pages of the book. It is perhaps one of the best explanations of God's love.

"Story of a Soul" is an incomparable book composed of three autobiographical manuscripts written by Saint Therese of Lisieux, but the 2007 edition published by Bibliobazaar is not a translation of those manuscripts. It is an early translation into dated and stilted English of a version of Therese's manuscripts to which her sister Pauline, Mother Agnes of Jesus, made about seven thousand changes. In fact, the manuscript of which this Bibliobazaar edition is a translation was intended by the Carmelites to be a biography of Therese, containing the heavily edited version of her memoir with certain excerpts from her letters and poems (also not from the authentic manuscripts) and from the memories of Carmelites about her. In 1956 Therese's authentic manuscript was at last released, and in 1973 a team of French scholars produced a critical and complete edition of it. Fr. John Clarke, O.C.D.'s 1976 translation of it for ICS Publications, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, Third Edition, is universally acknowledged as the authoritative English translation. Critical editions of the original manuscripts of St. Therese's other writings are also available: The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. I: 1877-1890, Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. II, 1890-1897, The Prayers of Saint Therese of Lisieux, which includes the first critical edition of Therese's "Offering of myself to Merciful Love," and The Poetry of Saint Therese of Lisieux (Critical Edition of the Complete Works of Saint Therese of Lisieux) (Centenary Edition 1873-1973). I recommend them.

This is a wonderful book! It's St. Theresa's own story of her childhood, written at the request of her sister who was the Mother Superior of her Carmelite Monastery at the time. She tells about her mischievous activities as a charming little girl in the midst of her extraordinarily loving family. A most engaging story.

Reason for Reading: Our church has been run by the Carmelites for over 100 years. Our priests are Carmelites and we have a statutory of St. Therese in the building. I was much intrigued about her "little way' and after watching the recent 2004 movie about her life was ready to read her autobiography.

In truth, the book is really not an autobiography but more of a snippet of memoirs. It is divided into three pieces, the first, being the longest, was commissioned by her Mother Superior who also happened to be her sister. This is where Therese tells of her childhood up until she is accepted into Carmel. Therese was a sheltered child, raised along with 4 other sisters who also became nuns and devout Catholic parents who kept them from the worldly ways of life but raised them within a deeply loving family atmosphere. Therese was very much childlike her entire life of 24 years, never having experienced any of life's degradations and was a complete innocent in so many matters. Yet her soul belonged to the Lord from a very early age (three) and she knew she wanted to be a saint. Even though her mother died while she was still young her childhood seems to have been happy enough, with Therese preparing herself for a Religious life and a holy, saintly, Heavenly eternal life which may have taken some of the childhood fun out of her but her soul was content with this and she yearned to suffer for Jesus while she was exiled here on earth.

The second piece is a much shorter memoir written for another Mother of the Abbey who had requested Therese write of life at Carmel. Here we see Therese grow-up though she will always retain her childlike innocence. Here for the first time she will actually suffer from things the reader is more able to relate to rather than the childish sufferings in the first part. Therese met fellow Sisters who did not care for her because of her young age and the nepotism that seemed to be going on with her family within the Abbey. She was treated harshly by some, worked hard at back breaking chores, and never let her faith slip. She learned to put into practice what she called her "little way", making small, little efforts to please to the Lord. Over time these little things will add up to a greater good in the end.

Finally, the last piece is more of a letter written to Sister Marie (again her actual sister) who has asked for a small piece from her as she now lays on her deathbed dying of Tuberculosis. Here she writes of her most secret thoughts and desires and requests of Jesus. Her visions, dreams and then glories that await her when she reaches Heaven as she knows she will be gong straight there to continue her work of saving earthly souls from her place in Heaven.

A beautiful little book, with a powerful message between its deceptively short pages. St. Therese was not writing for anyone to read other than her intended singular audience and perhaps she knew other sisters would read her words. Thus she writes simply and childlike and again this can be deceptive to the reader especially as one goes through the first half of the book about her childhood but there are some very wise lessons about living, love and the pursuit of eternal life that came from this dear soul who died at the age of 24. She actually gives us a way to live our lives according to the Gospels, her "Little Way" is an inspiring way to lead one's life. She was not made a Doctor of the Church without reason. This is one of those books that every Catholic should read.

This is a beautiful autobiography of a beautiful soul which is very humbling to the person reading it. She presents situations that ordinary people would react in a very different way that makes you realize that she, from a very young age was destined to be a Saint and a Doctor of the Church. I would recommend this book to anyone.

only problem is that picture shown online for cover is not the cover on the actual book. But the book came in great condition.