Saturday, May 26, 2012

Marilynne Robinson Week 3: Home is a Superb Novel

Marilynne Robinson's Home is the counterpart to her Gilead - the same events, told from a different perspective.  Gilead centers on an old Congregationalist minister in a small town in Iowa.  Home centers on his best friend, the old Presbyterian minister in the same town. The action turns on the return of the prodigal son of the Presbyterian minister, who is named for the Congregationalist minister.

The father has a strong faith in the sufficiency of grace, which is tested to the limits by the helpless self-destructiveness of the son.  And the son yearns for home, for his father and sister and namesake, for faith itself. Their serious problems are not resolved fully.

But I spoil nothing to say that the sister, Glory, concludes the tale with "The Lord is wonderful."

1 comment:

Kelcie said...

I just finished Home this week, and it was wonderful. Gilead is one of my favorite novels and I also have Robinson's essay collection "When I Was a Child I Read Books" waiting on my shelf. I'm so glad you're reviewing her here! I'm not sure she can write something bad.