When Words Fail Us: Truth beyond time

by Stan Grant

I am out of words at home. I have grown bored with my language, bored with my voice, bored with my writing. My words labour under the weight of Australia’s history. The land itself, as much as I love it, bears down hard.
Now in another place, I am finding lighter words. At times, I may not need to speak at all. I smile; I nod. I seek permission to speak. Please, do you mind? Will you allow me?
In an important book for our times, Stan Grant – one of Australia’s most prominent writers on identity, nationhood and belonging – reflects on how we struggle to speak to one another today, and the importance of listening, silence and philosophy, from Plato to Simone Weil to Radiohead.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

85 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2026

About the author

Stan Grant is a journalist and the Charles Sturt University Vice- Chancellor’s Chair of Australian/Indigenous Belonging.

Reviews

[Charlie Joyce]

A very rich book. Stan, with a theological language I am not used to in his writing, speaks of the futility of defining ourselves by and putting our faith in history. History the redeemer, history the oppressor. Implicit it is a rejection of the modern notion of time altogether. Interesting and challenging. The drama of history, of modernity, of creativity, of development, continues to compel. I fear the train has already left the station. But us passengers, what are we to do?

“Being and becoming are the twin poles of modern existence – a Scylla and Charybdis – on both sides there is danger: a totalitarian rootedness of being and a totalitarian nothingness of becoming.
Rilke calls us into the abyss between being and becoming to save ourselves. We must risk it all, confront our will that makes the human an object. The world we think protects us, gives up our unshieldedness – Iris Murdoch would have said to ‘unself’ – and turn to the open. Rilke’s open is not the air and sky and space; it is the vast innerness.”

[Sarah Clement]

This is a beautifully written book, with many great words to contemplate. It is also a book that feels a bit unfinished, like I am reading Stan Grant's journal entries or drafts of essays that could one day be a complete book. At times I feel like the book was written on the brink of an existential crisis, and we are witnesses to his thought process as he grapples with it. At times I felt like it was a Quarterly Essay published as a book, made to be complemented by interviews with the author, which would be ironic given he has left the media. I really loved many parts of this book, simply because they made me think and were beautiful to read. But there were times when I felt like he was giving the appearance of reflecting without reflecting adequately on the tensions in his own thinking. For example, he describes himself as an Indigenously Anglophile, and spends a significant portion of this short book describing the mythical version of England written about in literature, both claiming he knows it isn't real but writing as though it is a very real place that he needs to see (and left Australia to see as he wrote this book). He admits literary descriptions painted pictures of England that heavily influenced him despite the fact he never saw these places, which describes so many people and is fair enough...but then later when he talks about how Australians will have preconceived ideas of him simply because he is an Aboriginal man, without really knowing him, he doesn't grapple with the fact that he has done the same for an entire country. When he says he isn't being nostalgic, and nostalgia is a dangerous force, yet his own nostalgia is evident through the book. He spends a fair bit of time defending Christianity and the wisdom offered by Christian writers; and while he briefly mentions the link between colonisation and his faith, that's where the self reflection on that important aspect of his life seems to end there. I wouldn't be frustrated with these moments if he grappled with such tensions, and in fact these are exactly the moments where he could have deepened his analysis and more clearly woven a thread through the book. I really like Stan Grant's book, and there is a lot to love in this short book. There are profound points and wisdom to contemplate. But it feels like a draft, not a

[Christian]

I listened to a free version on audible, and there was a bug in my edition (not sure if in all Audible copies), wherein the first of three chapters got duplicated. And though I felt like something was off pretty quickly, it took me about 5 minutes before I fully twigged that I was listening to a whole chapter I’d just heard. In my opinion, this level of engagement from me should signify how irrelevant my opinions on Stans book should be, and I believe anyone who liked this book who reads this review should have that framing in mind and disqualify any feeling I have accordingly.

But. I just, didn’t click with this book. Stan has led a very interesting life in the public eye of Australia, as the honestly quite great foreword suggests, having faced a lot of very undeserved backlash for calling out racism. After a lot of soul searching, the general gist of argument being espoused in the first chapter is that we all talk too much and we should stop and listen and be open. Which, you know, super valid. But I feel this only goes so far and can, from one lens, be seen as a kinda privileged position to be able to have the option to take. That old joke of ‘oh you don’t care about politics? Your landlord does and your boss does etc etc’ The vibe I got from this chapter is of someone who has been subjected to some of the worst of the loudest bits of humanity, so I can definitely understand the position of we should listen more. But at some point, there are some appallingly awful voices out there that I just don’t think are worth giving our silence for them to take up space. I definitely get that’s not his point, but I just feel, as in all things, moderation, and while a bit (quite a bit) of listening is so incredibly valuable, it feels easy to take that idea too far. And my (again not as engaged as it should have been) perception was that his stance did.

The second chapter (once I realised ‘2nd chapter’ was a dupe of first and skipped) seemed to be a defense of the Christianity of some scholar I haven’t heard of and didn’t seem to get explained who she was (though it might have - see: my level of engagement). The third imma be honest I’m only getting around to reviewing this a week after I finished and I’ve kind of forgotten it (see: my level of engagement that undermines any credibility I have to talk on this book).

So although I found this book fine, and lovely to listen to Stans voice narrating, I feel like my low level of engagement and subsequent inability to retain much of what he wrote on speaks to my subjective (def not objective) enjoyment, so unfortunately rating accordingly.

[Sarah]

This is such a richly written book about the importance of words, and the consequences of losing our ability to listen to others. Stan writes, “we do not find a human in our words today. We find a subject”. He laments that the world compels us to speak, believing silence to be complicity, but our noise often drowns out vital qualities like compassion.

I’m going to continue pondering some of Stan’s musings on history - food for thought there.

[Penny Jones]

Stan Grant brings so much richness to this writing - philosophy, music, poetry, physics and of course his own frequently deeply painful lived experience. As a book it is uneven reflecting its beginnings as a series of lectures. However every page offers something to
ponder, a new connection or a challenge to engrained Western thought systems. This is writing that still manages to inspire hope in the face of so much that invites despair.

[Tessa Wooldridge]

‘I want words that mean something. I want words that, when we hear them, let us know it is a human speaking.’

Stan Grant is a Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man, familiar to Australian audiences through his extensive career in radio and television journalism. His views are deeply grounded in Christianity. In When Words Fail Us, Grant declares himself ‘soul sore’ and ‘out of words at home’. So he has gone wandering in and around Oxford. He slows down. He embraces silence. From that quiet space, he pitches his words ‘just below the volume of the news’.

The text of When Words Fail Us grew from lectures Grant delivered at the Australian Catholic University and Federation University in 2025. Grant uses his words to pose questions, a central one being what he terms ‘the holy question’ which asks, ‘what are you going through’.

‘We should meet people where they are, in their soft places where time does its work on them, we should let them talk as they do and there we should sit and listen.’

To frame his thesis, Grant draws on:
• the insights and musings of (mostly) European philosophers, including Simone Weil, Vladimir Jankélévitch, Theodor Adorno, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Martin Heidegger
• the ideas of authors Albert Camus, Iris Murdoch, C S Lewis and George Ewart Evans
and
• the compositions of Arvo Pärt and Johann Sebastian Bach, and the poetry of Tracy K Smith and Rainer Maria Rilke.

Grant is deeply unsatisfied by the workings of modernity and he has his suspicions about history.

‘History is an illusion. It is a fairytale to keep away the evil spirits of modernity.’

He is convinced that truth telling about history will not deliver justice. Terms like ‘reconciliation, rights, identity, sovereignty, recognition’ are, in fact, ‘modern shibboleths’. To reinforce this point, Grant declares: ‘When we talk about history, we need to know we are not talking about truth. We are talking about progress and politics.’
‘History as we know it’, says Grant, ‘is an Enlightenment project’. It is ‘humanity’s disenchanted answer to the mystery of time itself.’

* * * * * * * * *

It’s evident that the three sections of When Words Fail Us began as standalone lectures. For me, the book doesn’t quite form a seamless whole. That said, I found ideas to dwell on, reflections to consider, and avenues for further thought. Grant’s invitation to step away from time and enter into silence comes from a place of hard-won wisdom and his sharing of Indigenous cultural understandings is generous.

* * * * * * * * *

You can find more book reflections on my blog, Thoughts from an Idle Hour.

[Raz]

Spoilers I guess:

Man, I wanted SO much to like this....Talking To My Country impressed me so much that I went out and bought like 4 or 5 of his other books (which are still sitting on my eternally growing pile of books to be read), so when I saw this in my work library I grabbed it quick smart.

This book honestly comes off as hopelessly naive at best and mid-psychotic break at worst. It's a whole lot of 'suffering is noble, Christ is king' bullshit that I think is so irresponsible to publish in 2026.

In a time where multiple genocides are going on and civil rights are being stripped away daily, it's fucking insane to tell people to stop focusing on identity politics so much and you know, maybe just sit back in silence and consider the other person's position eh? Maybe put your ego aside while african american people are hanging from trees and palestinian babies are being murdered and trans people are having their right to even exist questioned...just get away from it all and have a think about how maybe we just shouldn't actually confront any of this stuff but just sit back in silence and let Jesus into your heart or whatever???

This guy's response to copping racist abuse in Australia was to fuck off to England chasing a Lewis Carroll fantasy and I don't begrudge him doing that because fuck knows we all want to remove ourselves from the real world sometimes, but presenting that like it's a valid option that all of us should consider just shows disgusting ignorance of his privilege.

I got 60 pages into this mess and I have at least 60 pages of ranting left in me about why I hate this book, but I will leave it there...Stan says we should "disagree with" and not "hate" but fuck that assimilationist bullshit and fuck this book.

[Lachlan A.]

An exceptional read. I admit, when I started reading When Words Fail us, I was sceptical. Grant's infallible certainty in God was, to me, confusing. I approach this book from the perspective of someone who does not believe in God, nor in the idea that humans innately need a higher power. Yet, Grant's ideas permeate. He argues that much of what is said today has no meaning. It is said simply to me said. His solution to this is silence. At first, I was confronted by this. Silence? In this age? An age of incomprehensible violence and injustice. Yes, silence. Not silence as complicity. Of course there are times for noble rage. Instead, silence for listening. Grant wants us to realise that we do not need to speak, despite how often we may feel compelled too. Surely, everyone must add their piece, right? He encourages us to ask permission--'may I speak?' 'If I may,'. Best not to assume what think to say wants to be heard.

There is a great deal else in this book to rant about, but the other point that touched me most was Grant's take on history. He says, 'history is about power and progress'. He points out that history can deliver us neither truth nor justice. This, I think, is obviously true. History is a worthwhile pursuit, but if we chase truth and justice there, we will find nothing. What we may find in history is stories. The stories of the everyman. We cannot know what is true or not in the past because it is the past.

All of this to say, When Words Fail Us has given me much to think about. I will probably change myself in light of it.

[Hannah-backwards-spells-Hannah.]

How to review a book struggling under the weight of all such labels and categories - of all publishing and marketing, all 'noise' of industry? In a fit of desperate homesickness for my heart's place, with my family and loved ones in the bright winter, in an airport hotel in London, with the planes roaring their noise overheard, after weeks spent in the cobbled streets and country lanes of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh.... Grant seeks 'a softer language in a softer landscape, down cobbled streets and country lanes' and of how 'my words labour under the weight of Australia's history' ('Lost in England'). So much modern writing is 'brittle' and political; Grant's has a different sort of fragility - one 'I cannot touch, because [it is] too near.'

[Nicole Murray]

Grant makes an interesting argument for how our world has weaponised words and removed the beauty from them. I resonated with this! However we come from different theological standpoints and his engagement with Christ seems entirely untethered from reality and Jesus is treated almost just as a philosophical idea than a real and risen saviour. The book was also not particularly expositional in its style which was kind of part of the authors point and intention, but I found it difficult to read as a result.

[Kelsey Attwood]

0.5 Stars

I saw Stan Grant, short and free on Audible and I was sold. I wish I had of read the synopsis more…

I’m sure from a philosophical pov it was good but the whole book seemed to be about CS Lewis and God?

Also one chapter repeated and at the end of one, they forgot to cut Stan saying “that was the one”. Seemed rushed for some reason and was not well executed

[Chloe Green]

I will read anything Stan Grant writes. He has the most beautiful writing style, and each word and phrase feels so carefully considered, underpinned by his observations of our world. When Words Fail Us is no exception. He sees us without motive or rose-coloured glasses; he simply tells it as he sees it, without trying to impress, or kowtow to anyone else’s opinion.

[Malcolm]

Stan is always worth reading. Often challenging. Sometimes hard to follow - a reflection of gaps in my education not a reflection on his writing! The worst thing about reading his books is that I never finish without having ordered another one or two books he references which can help me fill those gaps.

[Adam]

This short book is filled with ideas, philosophy and poetry. Though addressing very serious topics, Stan's writing is approachable and just beautiful to read.

[Hannah]

⭐️* 2.5 stars

[Hayley]

So well written. Unfortunately over my head. Happy to admit it.

[Mark Sanderson]

I liked the book; I thought it was short.

[kaitlyns_library]

This was quite interesting.

[Rachel]

Essay one and essay three were the standouts with some definite food for thought. A truly bright mind.

[Lex Seaman]

Audible audiobook version was glitchy, a chapter was repeated so had to skip, editing wasn’t great. If these weren’t an issue it would have been more enjoyable!

[Eoin]

This was a very moving book. It has opened up so many avenues of future enquiry for me due to the breadth of subjects & topics covered.

[Annie L]

whilst the book doesn't grab you with the flow, it is beautifully written...almost like listening to Stan after he's taken some mdma and he has so many thoughts and feelings to share

[James Woodrow]

This book is like listening to your uncle at Christmas. Except this time, you don’t cut him off

I enjoyed the theme but it read like incoherent thought

[Nathalie Bilinsky]

Words fail me.

[Gijs Limonard]

Ok I get it; some musings on life and how to go about living it in a meaningful way; nothing too original but the author does have a knack for deliciously phrasing his observations and insights.

[Sami Secret]

I wish I would have liked this book but it was rushed and shallow (just like this review)

[Katarina Suzannah]

“Why all this talk of stars, gravity, God and mystery? Because I am tired. Exhausted from a world of politics that has torn us from each other.”

Stan Grant has a unique ability to converse beyond binaries that would usually keep individuals rooted in their personal construction of the world. I spent much of this book in disagreement with Grant’s words. Yet, I continued to read because he made me think. There is real depth and intelligence to his thinking and he refuses to shy away from the confronting and ugly facets of what it is to be human. He is a brilliant writer whose work I both love and hate to read. I greatly admire his talent and intellect, yet I read each of his books with a lump in my throat. It is this willingness to hold a mirror against all facets of humanity that makes Grant’s work so special.