Thomas Merton

A Life Inspired

De: Wyatt North

Narrado por: Robert Grothe

Thomas Merton is one of the most famous American Catholic authors of the twentieth century. A prolific writer, Merton published 36 books and collections of poems over the span of 27 years, and has 38 posthumous publications that bear his name. Even more impressive than his voluminous output, however, is his deep spirituality that enraptured generations of people seeking intimate union with God. This is the story of a man who sought God throughout his life and dedicated himself to a life of holiness.

©2016 Wyatt North Publishing, LLC (P)2016 Wyatt North Publishing, LLC

overview of Merton's life

This is a very brief overview of Merton's life so if you just want some headlines this may be perfect for you, but if you want something deeper I suggest you go elsewhere. A good starting point nonetheless.

This is a dreadful reading

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend it. It is written at a level appropriate for a child and the narration is dreadful.

What other book might you compare Thomas Merton to and why?

You would be much better off reading Seven Storey Mountain.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator has difficulty pronouncing simple words and names. For example, he cannot pronounce Bermuda or Cicero. This is just painful to listen to.

Was Thomas Merton worth the listening time?

It is very short so I suppose so.

Any additional comments?

Didn't anyone listen to this before they put it up for sale? Good grief!

Narration left a LOT to be desired

The content and story was very informative for a short biography but reading left a lot to be desired. It was more than obvious when the reader came across a word he had trouble pronouncing and there were emphasis on words where it was completely out of context. It was as if he sat down and recorded the book without ever looking at the text ahead of the time.

Read by a early version of Siri

I was disappointed with this book and do not recommend it at all. The narration was terrible. Really bad sounding punch-in’s and mispronouncing of words and names, which completely distracted from the middle school like outline structure of the biography. All around a bad purchase on my part.

Disappointing

Would you try another book from Wyatt North and/or Robert Grothe?

The information is fine if limited, but the narrator makes listening a frustrating experience. He mispronounces some common words.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Disappointing. This was the information I was interested in, but the writer glossed over it. He shared much information about Merton's youth and rakish behaviour. I wanted to know more about his spiritual life and his time studying other religions.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Any additional comments?

This is a snapshot rather than a satisfying biographical piece.

Robert Grothe--narrator, is a real live robot!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This narration was so clumsy and awful that it almost totally made me want to stop listening. So bad I honest to gosh don't believe it was done by a human but a clumsily computerized robot. Not one, not one name or word that a fairly educated Catholic would know was pronounced correctly...just impossible! However, it is SO terrible that it would almost make it worth the price to listen to it, laugh at the stupid mis-pronunciations, and have a contest with a friend determining what the "narrator" attempted to say.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Obviously, Thomas Merton.

Would you be willing to try another one of Robert Grothe’s performances?

On April Fool's Day, yes. If it was free

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

over maybe six months...

Any additional comments?

This is my very first review. I want my money back!

Interesting Life Summary, very Poor Presentation

A clear, interesting summary of Merton’s life. The presenter ‘s mispronunciations were frequent and distracting. This book should be recorded again.

Wasted Space

Not worth the money or time to download. Don't waste your time. Of all the bios I have read this is the weakest bio of Merton. Not a good presentation or version.