Flannery O'Connor's Library: Resources of Being

by Arthur F. Kinney

More than just a bibliography, this catalog of Flannery O'Connor's library is an invitation to better understand the ideas, passions, and prejudices of the extraordinarily observant and creative author of Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away. Noting all the passages O'Connor marked in her books, transcribing many of the passages, and showing all references to specific books in O'Connor's published letters and book reviews, Arthur F. Kinney gives readers the opportunity to hear the intellectual dialogue between O'Connor and the authors of the books in her library--authors as diverse as Carl Jung, Henry James, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.A rich assembly of books on philosophy, theology, literature, literary criticism, and other subjects, O'Connor's personal library was collected while she lived at the family farmhouse near Milledgeville, Georgia. Now housed at Georgia College and State University, it shows signs of her frequent use. Passages that aroused such emotion

195 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[NDH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I visited Andalusia Farm a couple of years ago and noticed the books in Flannery O’Connor’s bookcases so I photographed some of them, curious about her reading and influences, with plans to track down some of them someday. I wish the “tour guide” had just told me about or sold me this book which I just spent about an hour going through, noting ideas for my own future reading. This is a useful resource, and I can only marvel at the amount of work the author, Arthur F. Kinney, must have put in to bring it to completion. I consider this pure scholarship, a labor of love I’m sure, and absolutely necessary. Thank you Mr. Kinney, and the University of Georgia Press.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chris says my choice of this book is evidence of my library geekery. Quickly skimmed to see what books she referenced in her home library. Heavy on religious, philosophical, and literary critical texts. Literature is mostly contemporary, so many books known to be used not remaining in her collection by time of donation to college. Probably read this elsewhere, but interesting to note that she said she hadn't read much literature until she went to Iowa, even though she wrote a great deal herself.