Booknotes

Whenever I read a memoir, especially one which contains a lot of diologue and dramatic action, I tend to get distracted figuring out how much of the narrative is factual reporting and how much is invented by the author for the purpose of effective stroytelling. It's not that I object to the practice so long as the author remains true to the spirit of the events described. I mention this because I find my myself engaged in quite a bit of this kind of sleuthing through the pages of Karen Armstrong's The Spiral Staircase. Ms Armstrong is a former Catholic nun who has made her reputation as a scholar of world religions. The profile of her work has risen significantly since 9-11 as comparitive religion has become a more popular subject. Personally I can highly recomend A History of God which traces the origins of and relationships between the three major monotheistic faiths and Holy War which is a history of the Crusades and their lasting effect on the modern Mid-East. The Spiral Staircase is a sequel to Armstrong's earlier memoir Through the Narrow Gate about her experiences in the convent. This one is about her experience re-adjusting to secular society. Interestingly this is her second attempt at such a book. Her first, Beginning the World (1983) was in Armstrong's words, "The worst book I have ever written and I am thankful to say that it has long been out of print." She attributes this mostly to not being far removed enough from this period of her life to approach it from the proper perspective but also to pressure from the publisher to

... leave out any kind of learned reflection. There could also be no talk of books or poems, for example, and certainly no theological discussion about the nature of God or the purpose of prayer. I should stick to external events to make the story dramatic and accessible.

I find this extraordinary in light of the fact that The Spiral Staircase is nothing if not dramatic and accessible (almost to a fault as I pointed out above). This book, in fact, reads much like a novel. Armstrong struggles to find her place in the secular world. Despite being an excellent student, she does not find a home in academia for what appear to be personal reasons. The emotionally deadening effect of her convent experience makes it all the more difficult for her to overcome her awkwardness socially. She also suffers from a form of epilepsy which causes her periodically to hallucinate or blackout. Her condition, which goes undiagnosed for years, causes her superiors in the convent to accuse her of selfish attention mongering. Later, a series of psychiatrists attribute her fits to repressed sexuality. Armstrong's story will appeal greatly, not only to those interested in theology, but to anyone who has struggled to find a calling and piece together some meaning in a world that tends to leave them feeling like an outsider (in other words nearly all of us). I've been a fan of Ms Armstrong's work for a while. Now I am a fan of her too.