Review: Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
MCL.
Somehow, Berry makes you feel affection for all mankind, even those who aren’t likable and maybe even those who are wicked but especially for those who are foolish — which is each one of us.
If you ever want to get a sense for what it should be like to be the Body of Christ, a true community knit together by love despite each one’s various faults and failings and frictions, I have read nothing that demonstrates it better than the two Port Williams novels I have read so far: Jayber Crow and Hannah Coulter. “Membership” with one another is the underlying thread in them both, and these novels have given that word much more depth and richness than I had ever seen in it.
Now I just need to ask the library to purchase more of his novels. I didn’t connect with the one book of essays by Berry that I checked out. However, I put it back in the return pile after only two pages worth of effort, but I have thoroughly enjoyed his novels.
I agree, I really loved this book. It’s funny because I too have read Jayber Crow and Hannah Coulter and one book of essays which I only read partway and then returned; I obviously checked out the same books you did from the same library! Which reminds me, awhile back I noticed on your sidebar that one of your sons was reading Centerburg Tales. I wondered if you had just checked it out, because we had it checked out and I tried to renew it but I couldn’t because someone had requested it. Right after that I noticed it on your sidebar and thought…that’s funny, maybe they were the ones that requested it!
Amy, how funny! That very well could have been us. :) I always request the books I want to check out, even if they’re on the shelf at the library, so I don’t have to try to hunt down the books with three (now four) little ones in tow. :)
Maybe if we both start requesting Berry’s novels, they’ll be quick about it. :)