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Listening Below The Noise: A Meditation On The Practice Of Silence (2009)

by Anne D. LeClaire(Favorite Author)

3.92 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0061353353 (ISBN13: 9780061353352)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Harper

review 1: Anne D. LeClaire's book on silence truly spoke to me. I had been thinking about the amount of noise in my life for some time--TVs, computers, people, cars, radios, iPods, etc. and when I saw this book at the library I was drawn to it. The book talks about LeClaire's almost 20 year practice of silence and how the practice has transformed her life and the lives of those around her. There are so many nuggets of brilliance that I wanted to underline, highlight and make notes about that I am planning on purchasing the book for myself so I can reread it whenever I want and highlight those sentences that speak to me the most. I also just finished my first 24 hours of silence and loved it . . . planning on having a day of silence every other week.
review 2: This bo... moreok was recommended by someone while I was on retreat. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed in it. The author gives her account of feeling the need for silence in her life and designates every first and third Monday as days of silence. What I found a little disturbing is that she does not fill the silence with God. It is almost like silence for silence sake. She quotes many good sources- the saints, Thomas Merton. She also quotes a lot of Sufi and Hindu teachers as well which sent up my New Age red flag alert. In the opening chapters she also gives her feelings about organized religion and God Himself. She seems to have some issues here~ perhaps angry with God for whatever reasons, and her view with organized religion is that she has not always felt welcomed. While I can agree with her on that to some small degree, I would also remind Mrs. LeClaire that religion, perhaps Christianity especially, is not about us, but about Christ. She separates religion from spirituality. On that I can only repeat with St Joan of Arc: "About Christ and His Church, I only know they are one and the same, and nothing else needs to be said." (paraphrased)My prayer for Mrs. LeClaire is that she will see that the reason for silence is so that we can fill it with God and listen to His voice. She does begin to allude to the fact that "empty silence" is not good, but in my opinion, she still does not quite get it.If you really want to read some good, solid material on silence and solitude, I would recommend Thomas Merton (Thoughts on Solitude, and Entering into Silence), as well as any number of the saints. less

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