The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence

Published by Librivox on 2006-08-18. Narrated by Kirsten Ferreri.
First published in French in the 17th Century.

This is a short and very well-known book, being a collection of conversations with, and letters from, Brother Lawrence, a 17th Century French monk. As the title suggests, Brother Lawrence believed in 'practicing the presence of God', seeking joy in every moment. This sound likes a very simple idea, and it is, but Brother Lawrence writes about it in such a way as to both challenge and encourage the reader to explore the idea further.

The translation published by Librivox includes only the conversations and letters of Brother Lawrence, while some other versions (including a physical book I have) contain other sections, but I didn't know this at the time of listening. I will probably read the physical book at some point, especially as I find it easier to recall individual elements when read as opposed to simply having heard them.

Kirsten Ferreri narrates the book well. She has a easy-to-listen-to tone and pace, and puts enough variety into her reading to emphasis the heart of the author. The only downside to the recording was that she recorded each conversation and letter (some of which are very short) separately, meaning that at the start of each new letter she repeats the Librivox disclaimer, which gets a little bit dull after a while.

Recommended.

Completed 19 April 2022.



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