A DELICATE FADE

A 20-something son of evangelical Christian missionaries to the Netherlands, DeVries employs a stream-of-consciousness style to describe the precariousness of his faith amid postmodern angst. Like a journal entry, the writing fades from impression to impression, interspersed with song lyrics and quotes. Authors cited include John Donne, Thomas Aquinas, Albert Camus, Søren Kierkegaard and Leo Tolstoy, reflecting the breadth of DeVries's search for answers. He doesn't find many: "The dark night of the soul may be more than just one night, and it might even be more than the different traumas coming together with my inability to cope with them, but it could be my own self falling apart." Too many such observations approach self-pity. The author finds comfort in God's presence, but even the comfort is questioned; he fights doubt for every inch of assurance. The book maps DeVries's inner life without tying it to specific events, and this vagueness will undoubtedly frustrate some readers. Still, it reflects the intense feeling that believers of DeVries's age and disposition know all too well. This slight book will appeal to them and those who wish to understand them. (May)