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on July 27, 2002
I think this shall be one of my all time favorite books. It speaks to the risk of love versus the acceptance of a safe, yet solitary existence. It speaks to the risk of one exploring and accepting another versus that of one gliding from one superficial entanglement to another, precluding real intimacy. One wants the happy ending... but is it worth all the pain that accompanies the risks?
This is a story that grips you immediately. The story is about a single mom who fixes up the in-law apartment of her house so as to increase her income. Funny thing, the person who shows up has no money and no furniture. He is a monk who has recently left the monastery. However unsure, once she sees the interaction between the monk and her six year old daughter, Mary Martha, her decision is affirmed.
As the friendship develops, Rebecca waits for the proverbial shoe to drop. She has conceded that she is to remain alone for the rest of her days, but Mike, the monk, captures her imagination providing her a healthy dose of giddiness followed by a pervasive topping of fear of what may be too good to be true. This story captures the emotional risks we all take when we open to love again. It is that fear that rests in the gut.
This is also a story that invites the reader to explore his/her own relationship with a "God" whose message isn't always crystal clear. Again, it is about acceptance and risk.
Rebecca and Mike are surrounded by a group of wonderful people. These people are not too neurotic, not too "over the top". Their assortment of idiosyncracies are reminders of the real people who surround us: wishing for our happiness, fearing for our hurts.
Perhaps my only disappointment is the fact it is cigarettes that provide the initial sensory connection for Rebecca and Mike. So it is not a perfect world after all.
This is a story that grips you immediately. The story is about a single mom who fixes up the in-law apartment of her house so as to increase her income. Funny thing, the person who shows up has no money and no furniture. He is a monk who has recently left the monastery. However unsure, once she sees the interaction between the monk and her six year old daughter, Mary Martha, her decision is affirmed.
As the friendship develops, Rebecca waits for the proverbial shoe to drop. She has conceded that she is to remain alone for the rest of her days, but Mike, the monk, captures her imagination providing her a healthy dose of giddiness followed by a pervasive topping of fear of what may be too good to be true. This story captures the emotional risks we all take when we open to love again. It is that fear that rests in the gut.
This is also a story that invites the reader to explore his/her own relationship with a "God" whose message isn't always crystal clear. Again, it is about acceptance and risk.
Rebecca and Mike are surrounded by a group of wonderful people. These people are not too neurotic, not too "over the top". Their assortment of idiosyncracies are reminders of the real people who surround us: wishing for our happiness, fearing for our hurts.
Perhaps my only disappointment is the fact it is cigarettes that provide the initial sensory connection for Rebecca and Mike. So it is not a perfect world after all.
on October 17, 2002
The set up intrigued me, and indeed, the story was quick to pique my interest. Unfortunately, about halfway through, the plot slowly dissolved into a very common love story. The "twist" of the main character being an ex-monk only realized it's true potential within the letters he was writing to one of his former colleagues at the monastery that were cleverly woven into the narrative. Indeed, these letters were by far the best part of the book...very well-written, heart felt monologues about his struggles with his faith and the subsequent conflicts with his new secular life.
The book reads very quickly and is an enjoyable distraction for a few hours. It just seems that it could have been much more than that.
The book reads very quickly and is an enjoyable distraction for a few hours. It just seems that it could have been much more than that.
VINE VOICEon October 18, 2002
The Monk Downstairs is an extremely charming novel, a love story that stays clear of sappiness and cliche. Rebecca Martin is a single mother who rents out an apartment in her San Francisco home to Michael Christopher, a man who has just left the monastery after 20 years. Rebecca has an irresponsible ex-husband, a wonderful daughter, an independent and nosy mother and is pursued Bob, a man who desperately wants to marry her. Rebecca is an extremely likeable protagonist, sympathetic and believable. Her relationship with Michael is believable and her story is a pleasure to read. It's compelling and will keep you up at night until you finish. Enjoy.
on July 31, 2002
This was such a joy to read. It is about a single mom who is struggling and loosing faith in men, and a monk who has left the fold and renting an apartment from her.
These two unlikely people form a friendship that is so touching and hopeful. It restores faith in love. It is also a very witty book. Terrific writing. I would read another by this author.
Loved it!
These two unlikely people form a friendship that is so touching and hopeful. It restores faith in love. It is also a very witty book. Terrific writing. I would read another by this author.
Loved it!
VINE VOICEon August 12, 2005
"The Monk Downstairs" is one of the dearest novels I have on my shelves. It is so far beyond ordinary romance; the spiritual doubts and hopes of the monk, and his clumsily trying to assimilate into his landlady-love's very new agey crowd and bring something of his more orthodox faith to it is very moving. He's a deep character, somewhat anguished, but to Rebecca he expresses only a gentle humor, saving the rest for his letters to a fellow monk in the monastery where he had had his profession. He clashes marvelously with Rebecca, who is a harried single mom who wonders if she'll get sick from her few cigarettes and "have to fit a life-threatening illness into my schedule" -- the quote is off, because I am writing from memory. I am also a professional novelist ("Marrying Mozart" from Penguin is my latest) and when I am tired from writing and the world I have a shelf of maybe 25 novels I return to which inspire and comfort me, and whose writing I admire with all my heart and which contain gentle humanity and a real grace. This is one of them. I simply love it.
on December 25, 2014
This book is a real wonder. It precisely and achingly captures the vicissitudes of two people with significant baggage finding each other and finding love-- the real kind, flaws and baggage and crises and all. The most remarkable thing about this book is how Farrington describes the intricate thoughts that live alongside life's throwaway moments. His descriptions, if sometimes a little too plentiful, are almost always spot on, the kind that lead the reader to exclaim "yes, that experience is just like that!" I heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves a slow motion love story that delves deep into all the psyche of two flawed and engaging characters.
on January 18, 2016
I raced through this book in one day -- not because it was slight, but because the prose was so graceful and easy to read, the characters so engaging, and the spiritual aspect so deft but satisfying, that I simply could not put it down.
Mike, a monk who has fled his monastery after eighteen(?) years, rents a basement apartment from Rebecca, a divorced single mother disillusioned by life, but fiercely loving toward her daughter and mother. Mike is a contemplative who spent more than a decade in conflict with this activity-focused abbot, and Rebecca a busy woman with no sense of an inner life. Each is a modern archetype of the New Testament figures of Mary and Martha (not-so-subtly referenced by the daughter's name: Mary Martha), and as they fall in love, Mike learns what it's like to be lovingly engaged in the world, and Rebecca begins to experience the inner peace of spirituality. Not because either explicitly teaches the other, but as a natural outgrowth of their experiences together.
Which sounds hideously heavy-handed -- but it's not. Mike and Rebecca are more than their archetypal roots: lovable, flawed, earnest, and striving. Their spiritual challenges are explicit, but arise naturally out of their personalities and their lives. This isn't "Christian fiction" as I would usually characterize it. The characters' spirituality is understood within a Christian context, but there is no formal "redeemed by Jesus" arc. I found what I consider to be very wise theology throughout the book, theology which transcends Christianity, in my opinion as a former Christian.
This is a really, really good book for anyone who enjoys romance between grown-ups and who appreciates the pervasive presence and significance of spirituality in life without a preachy tone.
Mike, a monk who has fled his monastery after eighteen(?) years, rents a basement apartment from Rebecca, a divorced single mother disillusioned by life, but fiercely loving toward her daughter and mother. Mike is a contemplative who spent more than a decade in conflict with this activity-focused abbot, and Rebecca a busy woman with no sense of an inner life. Each is a modern archetype of the New Testament figures of Mary and Martha (not-so-subtly referenced by the daughter's name: Mary Martha), and as they fall in love, Mike learns what it's like to be lovingly engaged in the world, and Rebecca begins to experience the inner peace of spirituality. Not because either explicitly teaches the other, but as a natural outgrowth of their experiences together.
Which sounds hideously heavy-handed -- but it's not. Mike and Rebecca are more than their archetypal roots: lovable, flawed, earnest, and striving. Their spiritual challenges are explicit, but arise naturally out of their personalities and their lives. This isn't "Christian fiction" as I would usually characterize it. The characters' spirituality is understood within a Christian context, but there is no formal "redeemed by Jesus" arc. I found what I consider to be very wise theology throughout the book, theology which transcends Christianity, in my opinion as a former Christian.
This is a really, really good book for anyone who enjoys romance between grown-ups and who appreciates the pervasive presence and significance of spirituality in life without a preachy tone.
on January 24, 2016
The use of letters written by a disillusioned monk to begin sections of the book reveals his initial bitter attitudes toward both himself and the recipient of his letters and gradual mellowing brought about by his relationship with the single mother from whom he rents a small apartment. The premise of the book is one I've not seen before, and it speaks to the universal doubts experienced by many who seek deeper meaning in life. Although there are frequent references to the Catholic Church, this is not an overtly religious book. It does deal with issues common in parenting children of divorced parents, but with wry humor. I particularly appreciated the well constructed story line and evidence of proper editing. I admit to being a member of the grammar police. If you're looking for a story that embraces love in its many forms, I recommend this one.
on January 23, 2016
I have a soft spot for books about people who are "God haunted" so I was of course drawn to a book about an ex-monk. This book is not so much about religion and it's disillusionment it's about more. It is a love story but also this thoughtful meditation about what it means to live "in the world" and balancing living a life with being contemplative. The tone is meditative and thoughtful. The writing is rich, and descriptive. I read it slowly and savored every well crafted sentence. My favorite parts are the letters he writes to his friend in the Monastery. I find myself wanting to read everything this author has ever written.
on April 19, 2016
I loved this book. It made me laugh out loud in some spots. This author is every bit as good as Somerset Maugham. The characterizations are excellent, the dialogue and prose are witty, the story is heartwarming, and yet he tackles huge spiritual implications for all of us, so it delivers sustenance for the soul as well. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to sink into a book, heartily enjoy themselves and come away with some profound realizations.
