Won't Let You Go Unless You Bless Me by Andree Seu

by Andree Seu

This is a book of collected essays from Andree Seu's articles in World Magazine. She's a pretty dense writer.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Essays

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 24, 2006

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays by a writer for World Magazine, Andree Seu. Each of her short essays is quite different, but each evokes the struggles and faith of the author. A compelling trait of these essays is their honesty. They are personal, but not self-absorbed. The writing, while at times mildly obscure, is almost always beautiful, and even when obscure, provokes the reader to think. The book is sometimes down to earth and … sometimes not. I can easily imagine returning to these essays in the future and taking something new from them each time. Here’s an intriguing quote from the book: “On Walden Pond we strolled upon an August afternoon, serene in the knowledge that it belongs to Him. And therefore it is ours, and we will not let them claim it. We listened for a voice and heard more than our own reflections — something breaking through solipsism, a better transcendentalism, an eloquence not blown off like chaff, a dream not washed away like footprints in the sand.”

[Sean Conley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very 'Blue Like Jazz' vibe. An easy read.

[Casey Sitze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great books of short essays on love and loss

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

17 years later, I still think this book of essays rocks.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband and I read this aloud together, and it was an awesome experience. Andree Seu's style of writing really lends itself to the book being used this way. I would highly recommend it, especially for couples. It's a good chance to be contemplative together.

There's something about a book of essays that sounds dry and boring. My mind conjures up a bland picture of tiny print, topics I don't care about, and words I can't pronounce. But after reading Andree Seu's book, I've changed my mind about essays. (I'm probably wrong about a lot of other essays, too.) At least in this collection, essays allow for a wide variety of topics, and juicy words and turns of phrase, because after all, you only have so much space to make your point.

I'm trying to figure out why Andree Seu so often strikes me in just the write place. I think it's because she has a gift for picking out common human emotions and experiences to write about. I felt like I had the same doubts and struggled with the same sins as she wrote about. There's something about her ability to take a common human experience and shift your perspective about it. It's the kind of essay that requires you not just to hear, but to digest afterwards.

I loved this book, and can't wait to read some of her others.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of short essays, a genre I've taken a break from for a while. The writing is spare, but that allows her to be very direct in what she has to say. I only read a couple at a time because there was much to think about. I think it's a book I'd like to own, to return to because sometimes I need to be provoked to think a bit more about issues related to my faith and how I lead my life both internally and externally.

[Paul Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not often that I read a book and say, "I can hardly wait to read this again." I will need to. Andree Seu is one of the most gifted writers that I have come across. Seu writes a column for World Magazine (which I also highly recommend) and this collection of essays gives emphasis to the struggle of dealing with her husband's death and finding that God is all she needs. Seu will challenge you to not settle for ordinary Christianity or ordinary faith. There is more!

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend gave me this a few years ago, and for some reason I never finished it. Which is pretty pitiful considering it's only 126 pages long. But I read the last 10 pages -- three brief essays -- last week. An encouraging little volume.

[Rebecca Waring-Crane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honesty and unexpected turn of phrase kept me reading this collection of short essays. Occasional flashes of insight offset some heavy-handed moralizing.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the essay "The Next Thing".

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andree is a fabulous writer. I have to admit I loved her brevity. She is deep, short and to the point.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

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