The View from the Monastery

Brother Tvedten is a Benedictine monk in the Blue Cloud Monastery in South Dakota, made known by Kathleen Norris through her writings. Tvedten addresses the growing public interest in monasticism that has been fueled, at least in part, by Norriss books. The reader will not find, however, that his writing style is similar to hers. While Norris is poetical and introspective, Tvedten is prosaic and straightforward. He demythologizes monastic life, mentioning his own misconceptions about the cloister when he decided to become a monk. Readers who imagine that monks are either prudish and uptight or walking on clouds of mystic holiness will discover their mistake when they read these stories. The monks he introduces are ordinary people, with the same occurrence of eccentrics as in the general population (which is to say, plenty). One interesting aspect of Tvedtens account is that he became a monk before Vatican II and has therefore observed its effects on the monastery. Many of his anecdotes are humorous; Tvedten is a James Herriot of Benedictines, showing the same affection for his life and the people in it while appreciating the funny side. (June)