Mary Frances Coady

Who knew Evelyn Waugh struggled with faith and his own converted Catholicism. The fact brings a new facet to his work. This collection of letters between him and Merton, an author and Trappist monk, was very enlightening from a spiritual perspective. But the collection's value is really in its comments on the writing life. Waugh offers lots of criticism and suggestions to Merton on Merton's writing; and Merton struggles with his art throughout. While you might come to the book for a look at faith, you'll go away with more on writing than faith - and that's not a bad thing at all.… (meer)

Much appreciation should go out to Coady for putting together this nugget of letters between Thomas Merton (inner spiritual perfectionist) and Evelyn Waugh (prose perfectionist). She also provides commentary equaling the panache of these men. Both men repeatedly write each other committed to an honest critique of their craft as exhibited by one of the early letters from Merton stating, “I need criticism the way a man dying of thirst needs water.” One can get glimpses that the authors do not pull punches as one letter has Waugh accusing Merton of pattern-bombing in his writing instead of precision bombing.

I’m so grateful to the gift Coady offers of a glimpse behind the curtain of these two giants.

this was a review copy… (meer)