The Rosary

by Garry Wills

A simple strand of beads and a crucifix, the rosary has been an aid to prayer, contemplation, and religious worship for centuries. In this superb book, Garry Wills looks at the meaning of the beads and at the mysteries, or events, in the lives of Jesus and Mary that the beads are meant to signify. In an age when self-help methods abound and meditation is increasingly popular, Wills reminds us that the rosary is a “timely and timeless” method for reconnecting with ourselves and with our faith. As he discusses each mystery, Wills guides us through the lives of Jesus and Mary, reflecting on Scripture passages and their teachings with his signature elegant, lucid prose.

With gorgeous full-color reproductions of paintings by Renaissance master Tintoretto illustrating the mysteries, The Rosary will be the perfect book for those who practice the rosary themselves or for those who are seeking a new and timeless form of contemplation.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Theology, History, Prayer

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Garry Wills is an American author, journalist, political philosopher, and historian, specializing in American history, politics, and religion, especially the history of the Catholic Church. He won a Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1993.
Wills has written over fifty books and, since 1973, has been a frequent reviewer for The New York Review of Books. He became a faculty member of the history department at Northwestern University in 1980, where he is an Emeritus Professor of History.

Reviews

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly undemanding read in the best sense. It is illustrated throughout by Tintoretto, no less, with interpretations of the paintings (which in turn represent the sequences of the beads making up the Rosary). Catholic historian (biographer of St Augustine) and journalist writes about the history and significance of the Rosary to Christians and people of other faiths.

After an introduction the book is comprised of 5 parts:

I Background
History of the Rosary
Elements of the Rosary
II. The Joyful Mysteries
Annunciation
Visitation
Nativity
Presentation in the Temple
Finding in the Temple
III. The Luminous Mysteries
Baptism of Jesus
Marriage at Cana
Sermon on the Mount
Transfiguration
Last Supper
IV.The Sorrowful Mysteries

Agony in the Garden
Scourging
Crowning with Thorns
Carrying the Cross
Crucifixion
V.The Glorious Mysteries
Resurrection
Ascension
Pentecost
Assumption of Mary
Coronation of Mary
Bibliography

[Dergrossest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably Wills' best piece of religious writing yet as his history of the Rosary is focused, illuminating and non-repetitive (which is my biggest criticism of his previous work). I particularly enjoyed his employment of the art work of Tintoretto to facilitate his exploration of the Rosary and its various related gospels. A must read for fans of the Virgin Mother.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wills writes a great book that is good for both Catholics and non-Catholics. He writes in an enjoyable and engaging style and has a nice chapter going into depth on each of the 20 mysteries. I have loaned it to a few close friends, one from an Anglican Background and one Mennonite. Both enjoyed the book and found it very useful. A book cannot not receive more praise than that.

[Dora · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a non Catholic who was to now unfamiliar with the rosary I found Wills' writing both accessible and enlightening. I appreciated the historical explanations, the coupling of the mysteries with works of art, and the theological care with which he explained this contemplative practice.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've recently taken up praying the rosary as a meditation. This book helped me understand a lot about the "mysteries". This Northwestern prof is still impressing me.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book led me to a greater understanding and whole new appreciation of the rosary.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is written in simple language and presents the devotion of the rosary well. Each of the mysteries are explained, thus fostering the rosary’s spirit of prayer and meditation. The author uses the paintings of Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti) to drive messages. He provides us with a short theological reflection of each painting which nearly corresponds to each mystery of the rosary.

In his introduction, the author presents the rosary as a timely and timeless form of prayer. Timely because people are longing for quiet and regeneration and timeless because it has alternative variations in other faiths like Hinduism and Buddhism and also because it has been used for ages to aid contemplation. The first chapter gives us the background of the rosary, comprising of its history and elements. The succeeding chapters are devoted to each set of mysteries, namely the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious. Each mystery has the authors reflection besides the pertinent text from the Bible and a reflection on Tintoretto’s painting. The reflections are lucid and appealing but what I liked best were the reflections on the paintings. The paintings are immensely beautiful. The coloured copies are inserted in addition to greyscale ones.

The book is worth reading and instructional. The paintings are a treat but cannot be enjoyed fully as they are spread over two pages and folded into the spine of the book. The author needs to be commended for his work. Those looking to understand the rosary and delve deeper into its mysteries will find wealth in this work.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. I wasn't expecting to have comparisons to works by Tintoretto but I actually enjoyed that component. Really interesting to see how the rosary has evolved over history and the theological connections to the Gospels.

I'd read it again because there's so much to unpack and absorb.

[Rachel Phelps Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great explanation of the rosary, especially if you’re Protestant. I also think this would be a great tool to use while praying and reflecting on the mysteries.

[robert schratz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had gotten the book from our local library with hope and intention of learning more about the mysteries of the rosary so that I would be able to have clear focus during my meditations.

Wills writings are not preachy, but more informative. Wills explanations with the aid of master artist Tintoretto iconic paintings are helpful guides.

It was a comfortable read that provided a brief history of the rosary, the elements of the rosary, and a brief dive into each mystery, again with the visual aid of Tintoretto’s art.

I believe the book is an excellent first aid to anyone with the desire to enhance their rosary experience, or just want to learn more about rosary devotion.

I did take a few notes; however I suspect I may read again.

[Israel Arellano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gary provides interesting historical insight on the formation of the rosary as a tradition. This book also helped me appreciate the Sorrowful Mysteries and introduced me to the artist Tintoretto. That being said, there are certain segments of the book, especially the Glorious Mysteries that are a mere 2-3 paragraphs. Given that the purpose of the mysteries is for meditation, it's strange the author gave us little to meditate on.

[Al Adducci · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an unexpected treat!

Besides history and incite into the rosary, we learn about Tintoretto and how he illustrated most of the mysteries!

Sign over Tintoretto’s workshop
Il disegno di Michelangelo ed il colorito di Tiziano ("Michelangelo's drawing and Titian's colour").

[Geo Forman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct explanations along with many color representations of paintings by Tintorreto.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most meaningful part of the book, for me, was the first part where Wills gives the history of the Rosary and how it got to its present form. I appreciated most these quotes:
"The Rosary is timely because people increasingly long for quiet and regeneration...--it uses an ancient and widespread aid to contemplation, the rhythmic repetition of prayers said on a string of beads.... The objection sometimes made to the Rosary, that it is a mechanical exercise, misses the point of such bead disciplines. Changing the rhythm of one's life, freeing the mind to move in a different way, involves slowing down the tempo of thought, entering a stalled state."

"In that sense, the Rosary is not an exclusively Catholic devotion. Only gospel mysteries are contemplated.... The Rosary should be an ecumenical prayer..."

[Melanie Rigney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garry Wills did a great job of sifting the fact from the fiction about this prayer practice. Catholics will find it instructional; non-Catholics may be surprised to learn more about the history of the rosary. Wills' writing style is authoritative yet conversational. It's a pretty quick, informative read.

[Jeanne Grunert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really wish I could have given this book a more favorable review. The best part was the introduction and the history of the Rosary. I learned so much about how this prayer and meditation practice began. I didn't like the illustrations chosen for meditation, and most were so dark in my book that I couldn't make out what Wills was talking about since I couldn't see the details.

[Tinika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives the historical development, explains the mysteries, dispels the myths and sentimentality attached while still treating the subject matter reverently. The book gave me a much better understanding of this prayer.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughful, easy to sit through set of reflections on the mysteries of the rosary. I especially enjoyed the analysis of historical settings and wording, as well as explainations of the prophetic tradition. One of my favorite reflections on the rosary so far.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a non Catholic I found this book extremely informative. While I still dont understand many aspects of the "ritual" I very much wish to adopt the rosary as a Prayer guide and incorporate meditation on the 15 Mysteries.

[Nichole Rottinghaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great reference.

[Dan Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

hey beautiful quick read on the mysteries of the Bible makes excellent pre-Lenten reading