Description
Book Synopsis★ Publishers Weekly starred review A Best Book of 2018 in Religion, Publishers Weekly Reading great literature well has the power to cultivate virtue, says acclaimed author Karen Swallow Prior. In this book, she takes readers on a guided tour through works of great literature both ancient and modern, exploring twelve virtues that philosophers and theologians throughout history have identified as most essential for good character and the good life. Covering authors from Henry Fielding to Cormac McCarthy, Jane Austen to George Saunders, and Flannery O'Connor to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Prior explores some of the most compelling universal themes found in the pages of classic books, helping readers learn to love life, literature, and God through their encounters with great writing. The book includes end-of-chapter reflection questions geared toward book club discussions, original artwork throughout, and a foreword by Leland Ryken. The hardcover edition was named a Best Book of 2018 in Religion by Publishers Weekly. "[A] lively treatise on building character through books.'"--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Table of ContentsContents
Foreword
by Leland RykenIntroduction: Read Well, Live Well
Part One: The Cardinal Virtues
1. Prudence:
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding
2. Temperance:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Justice:
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
4. Courage:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Part Two: The Theological Virtues
5. Faith:
Silence by Shusaku Endo
6. Hope:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
7. Love:
The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
Part Three: The Heavenly Virtues
8. Chastity:
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
9. Diligence:
Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
10. Patience:
Persuasion by Jane Austen
11. Kindness: "Tenth of December" by George Saunders
12. Humility: "Revelation" and "Everything That Rises Must Converge" by Flannery O'Connor
Discussion Questions
