The Catholic Book Club discussion

7. The Seven Storey Mountain is about an obscure man who achieved no great fame, received no notable awards, accomplished no historic victories. Yet it has been called one of the most influential religious works of our time. What's the secret to its popularity and influence?

I've only read 125 pages, but so far I'm mystified. I have no sympathy for the author, his experiences, his boring descriptions or his superficial one-line judgments. However, I consulted a friend who read this book shortly after her conversion from a totally secular background like Merton's. She said it opened many many aspects of Catholic tradition to her (monasticism, Thomism, mysticism, desert fathers...). So I guess I'll hang in there. But I'm also suspicious because at the end of Merton's life he seemed confused about whether revealed Christianity was any different from man-made Eastern religions.

At page 125 I would have shared your view. Almost all of the passages I highlighted are in the last half of the book following his conversion.

I've also heard about Merton's fascination with Eastern religions. I think if you focus on the similarities, most religions seem to have aspects that compare well with Christianity, but when you focus on the differences, not so much.