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The Terrible Speed of Mercy: A Spiritual Biography of Flannery O'Connor
“Many of my ardent admirers would be roundly shocked and disturbed if they realized that everything I believe is thoroughly moral, thoroughly Catholic, and that it is these beliefs that give my work its chief characteristics.”
—Flannery O’Connor
Flannery O’Connor’s work has been described as “profane, blasphemous, and outrageous.” Her stories are peopled by a sordid caravan of murderers and thieves, prostitutes and bigots whose lives are punctuated by horror and sudden violence. But perhaps the most shocking thing about Flannery O’Connor’s fiction is the fact that it is shaped by a thoroughly Christian vision. If the world she depicts is dark and terrifying, it is also the place where grace makes itself known. Her world—our world—is the stage whereon the divine comedy plays out; the freakishness and violence in O’Connor’s stories, so often mistaken for a kind of misanthropy or even nihilism, turn out to be a call to mercy.
In this biography, Jonathan Rogers gets at the heart of O’Connor’s work. He follows the roots of her fervent Catholicism and traces the outlines of a life marked by illness and suffering, but ultimately defined by an irrepressible joy and even hilarity. In her stories, and in her life story, Flannery O’Connor extends a hand in the dark, warning and reassuring us of the terrible speed of mercy.
—Flannery O’Connor
Flannery O’Connor’s work has been described as “profane, blasphemous, and outrageous.” Her stories are peopled by a sordid caravan of murderers and thieves, prostitutes and bigots whose lives are punctuated by horror and sudden violence. But perhaps the most shocking thing about Flannery O’Connor’s fiction is the fact that it is shaped by a thoroughly Christian vision. If the world she depicts is dark and terrifying, it is also the place where grace makes itself known. Her world—our world—is the stage whereon the divine comedy plays out; the freakishness and violence in O’Connor’s stories, so often mistaken for a kind of misanthropy or even nihilism, turn out to be a call to mercy.
In this biography, Jonathan Rogers gets at the heart of O’Connor’s work. He follows the roots of her fervent Catholicism and traces the outlines of a life marked by illness and suffering, but ultimately defined by an irrepressible joy and even hilarity. In her stories, and in her life story, Flannery O’Connor extends a hand in the dark, warning and reassuring us of the terrible speed of mercy.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2012
109 people are currently reading
1320 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Rogers
44 books306 followersJonathan Rogers grew up in Georgia, where he spent many happy hours in the swamps and riverbottoms on which the wild places of The Wilderking are based. He received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in South Carolina and holds a Ph.D. in seventeenth-century English literature from Vanderbilt University. The Bark of the Bog Owl has already found a receptive audience among Jonathan’s own six children. The Rogers clan lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where Jonathan makes a living as a freelance writer. The Bark of the Bog Owl is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
September 8, 2019
This is a brief (her life was brief) but thorough look at the life of Flannery O'Connor. I do not enjoy reading books by people I know anymore as it is very hard to judge the book fairly-- A prophet is without honor-- but this book surprised me by how well-written it was. It should not have because the author's Bark of the Bog Owl was a huge hit with one of my students last year.
The Terrible Speed of Mercy is a great introduction to Flannery O'Connor and a great prequel to reading her letters in The Habit of Being. I recommend it without reservation!
The Terrible Speed of Mercy is a great introduction to Flannery O'Connor and a great prequel to reading her letters in The Habit of Being. I recommend it without reservation!
April 16, 2025
Oh Lord, make me a bit more like Flannery.
April 24, 2013
I wanted a refresher about FOC after reading All the Rises Must converge after at least a decade, and reading The Violent Bear It Away for the first time.
She is an inspiring person for keeping her spirits and humor as sharp as she did through the ordeal of her last decade of life, ending before she hit 40. The book makes a point that the last thing she ever wanted was to self-dramatize over her illness(es). She always downplayed her fragile state/ or brushed the subject away with humor, and prayed more for her books than her physical health.
She was misunderstood when first published, and often still is. I can see why. A Roman Catholic writing in from the Bible Belt is going to confuse a lot of people. Many do not know their shades of Christianity these days, and as gruesome as some of her tales are, many church-going Christians avoid her. She put immense intensity into her work, and I think she did a good job of setting the stage for her electrifying revelations.
The irony is still there for me that hers are some of the darkest gothic tales ever, yet her views are so different, her goal so different, than they are often interpreted. And from other writers in the same genre.
Highly recommended quick read for anyone interested in basic clarity on where she is coming from. Flannery is a mystery to be contemplated for a lifetime, but this gives one a solid base to start from.
She is an inspiring person for keeping her spirits and humor as sharp as she did through the ordeal of her last decade of life, ending before she hit 40. The book makes a point that the last thing she ever wanted was to self-dramatize over her illness(es). She always downplayed her fragile state/ or brushed the subject away with humor, and prayed more for her books than her physical health.
She was misunderstood when first published, and often still is. I can see why. A Roman Catholic writing in from the Bible Belt is going to confuse a lot of people. Many do not know their shades of Christianity these days, and as gruesome as some of her tales are, many church-going Christians avoid her. She put immense intensity into her work, and I think she did a good job of setting the stage for her electrifying revelations.
The irony is still there for me that hers are some of the darkest gothic tales ever, yet her views are so different, her goal so different, than they are often interpreted. And from other writers in the same genre.
Highly recommended quick read for anyone interested in basic clarity on where she is coming from. Flannery is a mystery to be contemplated for a lifetime, but this gives one a solid base to start from.
March 19, 2023
A beautiful, succinct introduction to the writer and her often-misunderstood work— the two are inseparable, of course. I only wish this book were longer.
The many lines from Flannery’ correspondence over the years often had me hollering on the inside. What a lady.
*I now want to read and listen to everything Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson has produced on O’Connor. Especially exciting: she “recently signed with Brazos Press to publish her newest book, The Making of Flannery O’Connor’s ‘Why Do the Heathen Rage?.’ This text introduces readers to O’Connor’s third, final, and unfinished novel, which she was busy writing prior to her death. Hooten Wilson brings to light the final chapters of this seminal writer’s canon, divulging the story behind the story.” — Amazing.
*Beata Productions also has a documentary film on O'Connor —"Uncommon Grace"— which I have yet to see.
For now I will keep plugging along, enjoying her Complete Stories with new appreciation.
The many lines from Flannery’ correspondence over the years often had me hollering on the inside. What a lady.
*I now want to read and listen to everything Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson has produced on O’Connor. Especially exciting: she “recently signed with Brazos Press to publish her newest book, The Making of Flannery O’Connor’s ‘Why Do the Heathen Rage?.’ This text introduces readers to O’Connor’s third, final, and unfinished novel, which she was busy writing prior to her death. Hooten Wilson brings to light the final chapters of this seminal writer’s canon, divulging the story behind the story.” — Amazing.
*Beata Productions also has a documentary film on O'Connor —"Uncommon Grace"— which I have yet to see.
For now I will keep plugging along, enjoying her Complete Stories with new appreciation.
June 7, 2014
I do not know why this is called a "spiritual biography." A biography I imagine to be a story of one's life, from beginning to end, from infancy to maturity, old age and death. Flannery O'Connor, however, seemed to be as Catholic as she was born when she died not yet 40. There had been no ups and downs in it, or the swaying from belief to unbelief and back. No dark nights of the soul. Maybe calling this a "spiritual" biography was just an excuse for its brevity? So no one can criticize it as a haphazardly written biography proper?
January 13, 2013
I loved this and will read it again, but it took me a while to get into it. The first seven chapters read like a standard biography, not particularly insightful if you're already familiar with O'Connor's childhood and adolescence. The second half of the book is pure gold though, as Rogers delves into the spiritual nature of O'Connor's life as an author and the development of her prophetic voice through her work. He relies heavily on letters that were exchanged between O'Connor and several close friends as he weaves a unified picture of her faith, humor, stories, culture, personality, relationships and chronic illness - it gave me a new perspective on how these aspects influenced one another, and I gained a deeper understanding of how rich her interior life was. This also made me want to read The Habit of Being (the collection of O'Connor's personal correspondence) and her entire body of published work in the order it was originally written.
Flannery O'Connor is a marvelous example of a deeply faithful yet often misunderstood person, living with profound integrity despite so many physical, social and professional obstacles. Her life humbles and inspires me.
Flannery O'Connor is a marvelous example of a deeply faithful yet often misunderstood person, living with profound integrity despite so many physical, social and professional obstacles. Her life humbles and inspires me.
June 24, 2019
I really appreciated this book. A friend and I decided to read some of O’Connor’s short stories together. Neither of us had read her before or knew a lot about her. After the first story we read we were both a little unsure about what we thought. We decided to read Rogers book about her together alongside the stories. I am so glad we did it. Rogers gave us a clear and concise understanding of Flannery and her work. I really appreciated getting to know her better as we read. I will definitely continue reading through her works. I have this book to thank for that. This book and the great discussions with my reading buddy. 😊
December 29, 2025
Loved this much anticipated read. Cried a little. Probably didn’t do it justice as I read it while down with the flu at nine months pregnant. Remind me to come back and read again when less delirious and strange!
June 23, 2023
This skillful weaving of the facts of Flannery O’Connor’s life and context, her own journals and letters, and snippets from her published work combine to present a satisfyingly full image of this remarkable woman. This knowledge enriches the experience of reading her already-packed, unforgettable stories. A fuller understanding of her theology, especially, makes me experience her stories differently.
June 12, 2020
"O Raphael, lead us toward those we are waiting for, those who are waiting for us: Raphael, angel of happy meeting, lead us by the hand toward those that we are looking for."
This is the beginning of a prayer that Flannery O'Connor prayed everyday to the archangel Raphael, patron of happy meetings and healing. There's a story of Flannery O'Connor as a young girl hating the idea that her guardian angel was always looking over her shoulder. This odd, imaginitive little girl would try to corner her guardian angel in the closet, turning suddenly to swing a punch at her invisible lurker.
This anecdote sums up Flannery O'Connor's sometimes perplexingly orthodox theology: She never, ever questioned the Truth of the Catholic Church in which she was born and raised, but she also never failed to wrestle with this illusive, persistent God she professed.
This short but detailed book gives us an engaging, theologically-rich introduction to Flannery O'Connor and her art. Admittedly, I have never been wild about O'Connor's stories. Her "Christ-haunted" South, filled with mad preachers, drunkards, senseless violence, etc. was always a bit harsh for my taste. I appreciate it artistically but her stories never failed to leave me feeling a bit hollowed out inside. I do, however, greatly appreciate O'Connor's essays on faith and fiction. Her understanding of the Christian artist is probably the deepest, most honest, I've read in contemporary works.
O'Connor's life, from odd, disgruntled little girl, to a serious, wildly talented and original writer is gripping. Perhaps all the more interesting because the objective 'facts' of her life are so limited - most of her time was spent on a farm with her mother. Their routines didn't change much and no scandal, romantic or otherwise, ever touched Flannery's brief life. This writerly life, free of so much of the predictable dramas of the artist, is perhaps all the more compelling because of its lack of cliches.
O'Connor undoubtedly confused a number of her contemporaries, many of whom consistently misunderstood her fiction. They only saw the surface level (those things that, admittedly, irk me) - the violence, the poverty, the despair. They failed - in their lack of sacramental imagination - to see the 'terrible mercy,' 'the wise blood,' - that persistent, inescapable God that offers salvation to even the most despicable characters. O'Connor, a devout Catholic, saw the Protestant South stumbling through life - accidentally finding their way into Grace every now and then - consisently offered choices they do not understand - right or wrong, yes or no, heaven or hell?
This deep theology ran counter to the nihilistic, indulgent fiction of the day, offering a counterpoint to an increasingly secular and confused world. O'Connor's eccentricities - her chickens, her peacocks, her wry humor, her love-hate for the Southern culture that she knew so well - established her as utterly unique and singular. She died at age 39 from Lupus, having struggled with the illness for much of her adult life.
One of the most famous stories has O'Connor defending the literal presence of Christ in the Eucharist - "If it's a symbol, to Hell with it!" O'Connor's Art insists on the LITERAL, REAL convergence of mystical realities with the spoiled, death-ridden physical world. There are no symbols here. Just the terrible, awe-inspiring, entirely undeserved, entirely true, Redemption of the Human Story.
This is the beginning of a prayer that Flannery O'Connor prayed everyday to the archangel Raphael, patron of happy meetings and healing. There's a story of Flannery O'Connor as a young girl hating the idea that her guardian angel was always looking over her shoulder. This odd, imaginitive little girl would try to corner her guardian angel in the closet, turning suddenly to swing a punch at her invisible lurker.
This anecdote sums up Flannery O'Connor's sometimes perplexingly orthodox theology: She never, ever questioned the Truth of the Catholic Church in which she was born and raised, but she also never failed to wrestle with this illusive, persistent God she professed.
This short but detailed book gives us an engaging, theologically-rich introduction to Flannery O'Connor and her art. Admittedly, I have never been wild about O'Connor's stories. Her "Christ-haunted" South, filled with mad preachers, drunkards, senseless violence, etc. was always a bit harsh for my taste. I appreciate it artistically but her stories never failed to leave me feeling a bit hollowed out inside. I do, however, greatly appreciate O'Connor's essays on faith and fiction. Her understanding of the Christian artist is probably the deepest, most honest, I've read in contemporary works.
O'Connor's life, from odd, disgruntled little girl, to a serious, wildly talented and original writer is gripping. Perhaps all the more interesting because the objective 'facts' of her life are so limited - most of her time was spent on a farm with her mother. Their routines didn't change much and no scandal, romantic or otherwise, ever touched Flannery's brief life. This writerly life, free of so much of the predictable dramas of the artist, is perhaps all the more compelling because of its lack of cliches.
O'Connor undoubtedly confused a number of her contemporaries, many of whom consistently misunderstood her fiction. They only saw the surface level (those things that, admittedly, irk me) - the violence, the poverty, the despair. They failed - in their lack of sacramental imagination - to see the 'terrible mercy,' 'the wise blood,' - that persistent, inescapable God that offers salvation to even the most despicable characters. O'Connor, a devout Catholic, saw the Protestant South stumbling through life - accidentally finding their way into Grace every now and then - consisently offered choices they do not understand - right or wrong, yes or no, heaven or hell?
This deep theology ran counter to the nihilistic, indulgent fiction of the day, offering a counterpoint to an increasingly secular and confused world. O'Connor's eccentricities - her chickens, her peacocks, her wry humor, her love-hate for the Southern culture that she knew so well - established her as utterly unique and singular. She died at age 39 from Lupus, having struggled with the illness for much of her adult life.
One of the most famous stories has O'Connor defending the literal presence of Christ in the Eucharist - "If it's a symbol, to Hell with it!" O'Connor's Art insists on the LITERAL, REAL convergence of mystical realities with the spoiled, death-ridden physical world. There are no symbols here. Just the terrible, awe-inspiring, entirely undeserved, entirely true, Redemption of the Human Story.
March 9, 2016
"And if Southern writers have a tendency to write about freaks, O'Connor remarked, 'it is because we are still able to recognize one'." - p. 21
This is a beautifully crafted book. It was the most perfect orientation to the heart and mind of Flannery O'Connor and it gave me the confidence to meet her writing with the right openness of mind. I have long cringed at the name Flannery O'Connor presuming her work to be macabre and something unholy. As a Catholic and lover of classics I always puzzled over her name being connected with great modern Catholic writers but was too cowardly to meet her on her own terms. I credit Mr. Rogers with helping me to fall in love with this remarkable author and her important fiction.
"And more than ever now it seems that the kingdom of heaven has to be taken by violence or not at all. You have to push as hard as the age that pushes you." The Habit of Being, 229.
This beautiful biography has some spoilers in it for the new O'Connor reader - but I confess - those spoilers were a mercy to me. Knowing the fate of the grandmother prepared me and helped me to read the story with the right focus.
I think that Mr. Rogers must really love Flannery O'Connor. He worked very hard to let her tell her own self story by citing countless letters and essays. While he gave us the outline, he filled it in with her own words and ideas and did it in a way that felt relaxed, friendly and intelligent - like his subject herself. He showed profound respect for her theology and faith and worked hard to help the reader understand how those beliefs influenced O'Connor's attitudes and writing.
I genuinely feel like I have met and chatted with this remarkable soul thanks to Mr. Rogers. I sobbed at her death and appreciated his beautiful treatment of it.
"It is remarkable to think about this woman - who had made a name for herself with stories of earthly terror and grotesquerie - meditating every day on the province of joy, lest she be ignorant of the concerns of her true country. All that darkness was in the service of eternal brightness. All that violence was in the service of peace and serenity." (p 162)
This is a beautifully crafted book. It was the most perfect orientation to the heart and mind of Flannery O'Connor and it gave me the confidence to meet her writing with the right openness of mind. I have long cringed at the name Flannery O'Connor presuming her work to be macabre and something unholy. As a Catholic and lover of classics I always puzzled over her name being connected with great modern Catholic writers but was too cowardly to meet her on her own terms. I credit Mr. Rogers with helping me to fall in love with this remarkable author and her important fiction.
"And more than ever now it seems that the kingdom of heaven has to be taken by violence or not at all. You have to push as hard as the age that pushes you." The Habit of Being, 229.
This beautiful biography has some spoilers in it for the new O'Connor reader - but I confess - those spoilers were a mercy to me. Knowing the fate of the grandmother prepared me and helped me to read the story with the right focus.
I think that Mr. Rogers must really love Flannery O'Connor. He worked very hard to let her tell her own self story by citing countless letters and essays. While he gave us the outline, he filled it in with her own words and ideas and did it in a way that felt relaxed, friendly and intelligent - like his subject herself. He showed profound respect for her theology and faith and worked hard to help the reader understand how those beliefs influenced O'Connor's attitudes and writing.
I genuinely feel like I have met and chatted with this remarkable soul thanks to Mr. Rogers. I sobbed at her death and appreciated his beautiful treatment of it.
"It is remarkable to think about this woman - who had made a name for herself with stories of earthly terror and grotesquerie - meditating every day on the province of joy, lest she be ignorant of the concerns of her true country. All that darkness was in the service of eternal brightness. All that violence was in the service of peace and serenity." (p 162)
May 21, 2018
As a writer and Christian thinker and artist, Flannery O'Connor exhibited remarkable insight and observation. Whether I entirely agree with her or not I think she is fascinating. There is no one other than she who could have written many of her books. After having read this book, I am actually looking forward to reading some of her books again. I have started a Good Man is Hard to Find twice without being able to get beyond the initial violence. I'm hoping this gives me a greater understanding of what she is doing in her writing. Certainly I understand her better has a person.
April 5, 2024
Though I’ve read her stories, I knew little of the author. This biography did well at introducing me to the remarkable woman behind my favorite writer of short stories. Through frequent explorations of her extensive letters, the author connects O’Connor’s story to the time and events her in life in potentially helpful ways. For example, I was glad to learn that O’Connor wrote “Good Country People” during the time that she was dating a door-to-door book salesman.
The biography is accessible and usually has a pleasant style, but the author lapsed into some weird corporate speak idiom at the end that was more jarring than the ending of O’Connor’s stories.
The biography is accessible and usually has a pleasant style, but the author lapsed into some weird corporate speak idiom at the end that was more jarring than the ending of O’Connor’s stories.
April 25, 2023
Really nice introduction to the life and work of O’Connor. Just the high spots, but just the right high spots.
Highly recommend for someone hoping to get a leg up on her approach and/or her stories. It has some mostly helpful insights into specific short stories as well, which is a nice bonus. (I think Rogers gets Parker’s Back wrong, but who’s to say?)
Brief. Nicely written. I expected a more “spiritual,” as opposed to “literary,” biography, but the mix was just right. Besides, O’Connor herself would have denied any substantial division between the two as worked out in her life.
Highly recommend for someone hoping to get a leg up on her approach and/or her stories. It has some mostly helpful insights into specific short stories as well, which is a nice bonus. (I think Rogers gets Parker’s Back wrong, but who’s to say?)
Brief. Nicely written. I expected a more “spiritual,” as opposed to “literary,” biography, but the mix was just right. Besides, O’Connor herself would have denied any substantial division between the two as worked out in her life.
July 18, 2025
Where was this book when I was assigned Flannery O’Connor in school? I remember being totally baffled and put off by her stories, and being told that it was supposed to shock me. But I didn’t get it.
This book is a beautifully told biography as well as a truly helpful view into the mind of O’Connor through her own words and correspondence. The length made it very accessible to pick up, and still presented a robust account of the woman and writer.
I have not especially liked O’Connor’s short stories and have not attempted one of her novels, but this book makes me want to try again. I may never love her work, but I’m so thankful for the opportunity to understand it a little better. My appreciation for her as a person has certainly grown because I read this.
4 stars because I typically reserve 5 for works I think I will read again. But I’m between 4&5 stars because it was so enjoyable.
This book is a beautifully told biography as well as a truly helpful view into the mind of O’Connor through her own words and correspondence. The length made it very accessible to pick up, and still presented a robust account of the woman and writer.
I have not especially liked O’Connor’s short stories and have not attempted one of her novels, but this book makes me want to try again. I may never love her work, but I’m so thankful for the opportunity to understand it a little better. My appreciation for her as a person has certainly grown because I read this.
4 stars because I typically reserve 5 for works I think I will read again. But I’m between 4&5 stars because it was so enjoyable.
March 21, 2025
This is what I’m looking for in a bio—stay focused on a certain angle of the author’s life, be concise but not dry, and teach me something I can’t find out in a quick Google search. If you can hang with the patchwork job of the audio version, I recommend it—a quick five hours.
May 21, 2017
Since the "Close Reads" podcast discussion was on O'Connor's book "Everything That Rises Must Converge", I read the stories aloud each week to my husband. After finishing the book, my second time through it, I wanted to better understand her intention, the way her work was viewed at the time it was written, and how she saw God. This short book was a great way to learn more. Rogers covers her entire life but focuses on her spirituality more than the practical facts of her life. Instead, he gives some information about what was happening to her, especially in terms of where she lived, who her friends were, and what her physical condition was like through her life, as background to her thoughts on God. I enjoyed reading this and hope to read more biographies on her.
February 19, 2019
now that i understand her a bit better, time to reread her work!
September 15, 2024
Though I can’t boast and claim to be #1, I will say I’m officially a great ‘Flan Fan’ now 😁🍮🦚
A most fantastic read! Though she suffered being misunderstood in her writing, this book shows the genius and holiness that was Mary Flannery.
Her life was not necessarily relatable or ‘extraordinary’ in the eyes of society, but it was truly incredible. Her theology profound, and her insight invaluable.
I can’t wait to read her novels and shorts stories with this new perspective! Highly recommend. Easy read also, like a novel!
“She did not expect fiction to explain mystery, but to gesture to its unfathomable depths…’Dogma is the guardian of mystery…’”
PBJC!
A most fantastic read! Though she suffered being misunderstood in her writing, this book shows the genius and holiness that was Mary Flannery.
Her life was not necessarily relatable or ‘extraordinary’ in the eyes of society, but it was truly incredible. Her theology profound, and her insight invaluable.
I can’t wait to read her novels and shorts stories with this new perspective! Highly recommend. Easy read also, like a novel!
“She did not expect fiction to explain mystery, but to gesture to its unfathomable depths…’Dogma is the guardian of mystery…’”
PBJC!
March 22, 2025
I loved this book and think it should be a prerequisite for reading O’conner’s works. I’m from Middle Georgia, so O’Conner was taught with much love and adoration in my AP English class. Many years ago we took our newborn baby on a field trip to Andalusia farm, which while quaint, lacked context at the time. Several years later we would make our way into the Catholic Church. All that to say, books and authors find you (and find you again) when the moment is right. This book gave me a spiritual companion in Flannery O’Conner that I could not have appreciated all those years ago. I feel as I have met an old friend is this rediscovery - and shocked at how much I could not see and did not know. I see another trip to the farm on our next trip home - it will hit differently this time.
May 24, 2013
Great book about a fascinating person. The five star rating may have more to do with who the book was about than how the book was written. Not sure you could write a book about Flannery O'Connor that gets less than five stars!
I really enjoyed the organization of the book, and how he brought into the story her novels, short stories, letters, and other correspondence to tell us as much as he could about the character of this woman. This is a great book--especially if you are looking for an introduction to Miss O'Connor.
I really enjoyed the organization of the book, and how he brought into the story her novels, short stories, letters, and other correspondence to tell us as much as he could about the character of this woman. This is a great book--especially if you are looking for an introduction to Miss O'Connor.
January 21, 2022
I’ve been trudging my way through “The Complete Stories,” wondering if it’s worth continuing to read the violent and grotesque in order to understand the redemptive vision of Flannery O’Connor. This biography has convinced me it is. It doesn’t explain the stories, but it does explain the author. Her faith was her guiding light. Her focus on the ugly and macabre was in service to her vision of grace. I’m not sure I’ll ever like her writing, but I can at least appreciate what she was doing through it.
December 25, 2012
Now I really want to read The Habit of Being.
Two quotes:
"For O'Connor, the real horror was never violence or deformity, but damnation. Horror that awakens a soul to its own danger and prepares it to receive grace is no horror, but a mercy." (J. Rogers)
"I distrust pious phrases, particularly when they issue from my mouth." (Flannery O'Connor)
Two quotes:
"For O'Connor, the real horror was never violence or deformity, but damnation. Horror that awakens a soul to its own danger and prepares it to receive grace is no horror, but a mercy." (J. Rogers)
"I distrust pious phrases, particularly when they issue from my mouth." (Flannery O'Connor)
March 3, 2017
Interesting to read about Flannery O'Connor's life, I just didn't think this biography was particularly well-written. But now I need to read some of O'Connor's actual stories- I read a collection of her short stories in high school or college but I think I'd get a lot more out of them now.
December 31, 2025
I really enjoyed this. It was a relatively easy read, but as I'm currently reading her letters and it filled in some gaps/answered questions that reading only one side of a correspondence can create. Overall, it made me appreciate her mind and stores even more.
February 28, 2021
A wonderful overview of an amazing woman’s life. It was good to read and put a larger perspective over the letters I just finished.
July 30, 2018
This is a very enjoyable book. I have been reading, writing, and talking about Flannery O'Connor for many years now and never cease to be amazed at what she did. This book is a rich and yet short biography of Miss O'Connor. It is full of rich quotes from her letters which reveal her salty wit, her sufferings, the challenges she faced in writing, and her deep theological perspective.
It is hard to beat O'Connor when it comes to such categories as writer of short stories, or writer with a Christian worldview, or Southern writer. The only limitation to O'Connor was that she died rather young and left us with only a few books, some essays, and a host of letters. The Nobel Prize is only given to living authors, so she really was not in the running. I wish she had gotten that award, but I believe she got a greater reward upon her passing from this world.
As Rogers described her writing, rewriting, and reworking her short stories, I was reminded again and again of just how many fine works she produced by banging away on a manual typewriter on a lonely Georgia farm living with her mother and surrounded by pea fowl.
This is a great, funny, and delightful biography. But if you have not read St. Flannery herself, get thee to a bookstore immediately.
It is hard to beat O'Connor when it comes to such categories as writer of short stories, or writer with a Christian worldview, or Southern writer. The only limitation to O'Connor was that she died rather young and left us with only a few books, some essays, and a host of letters. The Nobel Prize is only given to living authors, so she really was not in the running. I wish she had gotten that award, but I believe she got a greater reward upon her passing from this world.
As Rogers described her writing, rewriting, and reworking her short stories, I was reminded again and again of just how many fine works she produced by banging away on a manual typewriter on a lonely Georgia farm living with her mother and surrounded by pea fowl.
This is a great, funny, and delightful biography. But if you have not read St. Flannery herself, get thee to a bookstore immediately.
April 13, 2021
This was a short yet fascinating spiritual biography of Flannery O'Connor. I remember the first time reading "A Good Man is Hard to Find" in college and being blown away at its irony, sarcasm, and shock.
Flannery's motives in her 'grotesque' writing was spiritual as she saw everything through the lens of redemption. I admire this approach to life as Christians have, as of late, tended to either wrap themselves in bubble wrap pretending nothing evil is out there. If there is, however, the response is to ignore and/or attempt to wrap it in positivity and Phillipians 4:8. Yet, Jesus and all of his disciples not only acknowledged demons and evil but faced it head-on to rid people of evil spirits AND tell them the way of Jesus..the way of light out of darkness.
Flannery approaches, head on, the evils that lurk within the human heart for the purpose of redemption and grace. I'd be remiss, though, if I didn't say she also pointed out the absurdity of some Christians as well as the embraced beliefs of racism and other man-made ideologies.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am now looking at books that contain her letters. Man! Was she witty!
Flannery's motives in her 'grotesque' writing was spiritual as she saw everything through the lens of redemption. I admire this approach to life as Christians have, as of late, tended to either wrap themselves in bubble wrap pretending nothing evil is out there. If there is, however, the response is to ignore and/or attempt to wrap it in positivity and Phillipians 4:8. Yet, Jesus and all of his disciples not only acknowledged demons and evil but faced it head-on to rid people of evil spirits AND tell them the way of Jesus..the way of light out of darkness.
Flannery approaches, head on, the evils that lurk within the human heart for the purpose of redemption and grace. I'd be remiss, though, if I didn't say she also pointed out the absurdity of some Christians as well as the embraced beliefs of racism and other man-made ideologies.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am now looking at books that contain her letters. Man! Was she witty!
December 12, 2017
Short Review: This is a good short introductory biography of O'Connor. I have previously read an edited edition of her grad school journal (A Prayer Journal) and one of her collections of short stories (A Good Man is Hard to Find). But I knew little about her and after reading the short stories thought I needed to know more before reading more by her.
My plan is to read A Subversive Gospel: Flannery O’Connor and the Reimagining of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth and then the Image Journal edition of her college journals and then her first novel, Wise Blood.
My slightly longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/the-terrible-speed-o...
My plan is to read A Subversive Gospel: Flannery O’Connor and the Reimagining of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth and then the Image Journal edition of her college journals and then her first novel, Wise Blood.
My slightly longer review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/the-terrible-speed-o...
June 24, 2019
I didn't know a thing about Flannery O'Connor a few weeks ago and even after reading one of her short stories, I didn't "get" her.
My friend and I decided to read this biography of her along with some more short stories and after learning who she was and what she was trying to achieve in her writing, we both appreciate her work. I even like her after being repulsed by that first story and I am no longer repulsed.
I listened to a podcast interview with Jonathan Rogers and he summed up this biography and O'Connor's writing mission best when he said: "she wrote about God for people who believed God is dead."
My friend and I decided to read this biography of her along with some more short stories and after learning who she was and what she was trying to achieve in her writing, we both appreciate her work. I even like her after being repulsed by that first story and I am no longer repulsed.
I listened to a podcast interview with Jonathan Rogers and he summed up this biography and O'Connor's writing mission best when he said: "she wrote about God for people who believed God is dead."
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