From Publishers Weekly
"I am a descendant of angry men," Episcopal priest Keizer tells readers at the outset of this wise and beautiful reflection on anger. With that, we are lured into a book that is both intensely personal and achingly universal, for Keizer's confessions of and ruminations about his own anger will strike a chord with many a reader. This memoirish and erudite study is best read as apology in both senses of the word: a request for forgiveness for unwarranted anger and a defense of anger as something that has a legitimate place in the Christian life. Keizer addresses righteous anger at social injustices, domestic anger toward family members, anger within local parishes and anger that defensively masks harder feelings like grief. One of the most original and invigorating chapters tackles gender. Keizer suggests, ingeniously, that one of the reasons men and women deal with anger differently is that "traditional `women's work' serves as an antidote to the forces that make men enraged." The book is deeply Christian, suffused with images of crucifixion, Holy Eucharist and the Sermon on the Mount but it is hardly parochial, and practitioners of other faiths will find capacious truths in Keizer's perfectly particular reflections. The book is distinguished, above all, by its prose. What might have been merely a spiritual "how-to" on anger management is transformed into a literary achievement by Keizer's way with words, from the opening description of a sugar maple tree to the concluding ode to Samuel Johnson.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Episcopal priest and author Keizer examines anger within the church, in the Christian tradition, at home, within a person, and as it is manifested in the world. When is anger good? When is it appropriate? How should we react when it becomes destructive? Keizer seeks not to dispel the need for anger or diminish its often considerable impact. Indeed, as a self-proclaimed "descendant of angry men," he has nothing but contempt for meliorating self-help movements that view life as a series of problems needing to be solved or dismissed out of hand because of their complex, seemingly intractable nature. He believes anger is a natural part of the human condition. If it is used judiciously and fairly, it can serve a purpose and actually be constructive. The wise person, he suggests, knows when to avoid it and when to express it. Given the amount of rage that exists throughout all levels and strata of modern society, The Enigma of Anger couldn't arrive at a better time. June Sawyers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
“Given the amount of rage that exists throughout all levels and strata of modern society, The Enigma of Anger couldn’t arrive at a better time.”--Booklist
“If you want to consider anger with a congenial (but not comforting) man of God who has sharp eyes and ears, read Keizer’s book.”--Guy Davenport, Harper’s Magazine
“A passionate and profound meditation on the nature of a greatly maligned emotion. This is a splendid book.”--Ron Hansen, author, Hitler’s Niece
“The Enigma of Anger is a thoughtful, principled, and honest interrogation of a disquieting subject. . . . The result is useful and humane.”--Phillip Lopate, author, Portrait of My Body
“This book is clearly a masterpiece.”--Noel Perrin, author, Giving Up the Gun: Japan’s Reversion to the Sword, 1543-1879
“There is enough edgi ness in this book on anger to convince you that Garret Keizer knows what he is talking about; there is also enough grace to make you think about anger—both human and divine—in a whole new way.”--Barbara Brown Taylor, author, When God Is Silent
“A timely book about the uses—good and otherwise—of anger and about what it truly means to be human, by one of the finest and most courageous writers at work in America today.” --Howard Frank Mosher, author, The True Account
Book Description
Rage, resentment, envy, jealousy, and hatred— these emotions seem to dominate our times. They rule our highways, our workplaces, our homes, and our hearts. In this provocative book of essays, writer Garret Keizer considers anger in all its baffling forms. Poignantly aware of his own temper, and of his ties to a religion that glorifies meekness, the author looks at anger as a paradox in our struggle to remain human in the midst of an infuriating world. Interweaving personal anecdotes, mythological stories, sacred texts, and Keizer's insightful observations, The Enigma of Anger will prove a welcome companion for anyone who has ever wrestled with wrath-or wished to make better use of it.
From the Publisher
"It is no small irony that Garret Keizer's essay on anger is so thoughtful and graceful. Here is writing that triumphs over an emotion that otherwise, so often, defeats reason and frustrates love." Richard Rodriguez, author, Brown "In the Enigma of Anger Garret Keizer offers a passionate and profound meditation on the nature of a greatly maligned emotion, illustrating in scripture, history, literature and his own life experiences its intensity and variety as well as its practical necessity for justice and change. This is a splendid book." -- Ron Hansen, author, A Stay Against Confusion "The Enigma of Anger is a thoughtful, principled, and honest interrogation of a disquieting subject. Keizer sensitively balances personal self-examination with a wide range of cases drawn from culture, politics, and daily life, to draw a complex assessment of anger, his and others'. The result is useful and humane." -- Phillip Lopate, author, Portrait of My Body "Garret Keizer's The Enigma of Anger is a highly entertaining and illuminating examination not just of a 'sometimes deadly sin' but of his wonderfully fascinating life as a husband, son, teacher, clergyman, neighbor, and friend. In the end, it is both a timely book about the uses-good and otherwise-of anger, and about what it truly means to be human, by one of the finest and most courageous writers at work in America today." -- Howard Frank Mosher, author, The Fall of the Year "This book is clearly a masterpiece." -- Noel Perrin, author, Giving Up the Gun: Japan's Reversion to the Sword "There is enough edginess in this book on anger to convince you that Garrett Keizer knows what he is talking about; there is also enough grace to make you think about anger-both human and divine-in a whole new way. If you want to learn how God's love entails God's wrath or even how your own anger may become a source off deep revelation, then read this book." -- Barbara Brown Taylor, author, When God Is Silent
RELIGION
The Enigma of Anger: Essays on a Sometimes Deadly Sin FROM THE PUBLISHER
In this book of essays, writer Garret Keizer considers anger in all its baffling forms. Poignantly aware of his own temper, and of his ties to a religion that glorifies meekness, the author looks at anger as a paradox in our struggle to remain human in the midst of an infuriating world. Interweaving personal anecdotes, mythological stories, sacred tests, and Keizer's insightful observations, The Enigma of Anger will prove a welcome companion for anyone who has ever wrestled with wrath - or wished to make better use of it.
SYNOPSIS
Praise for The Enigma of Anger
"Wise and beautiful . . . This book is distinguished above all by its prose. What might have been merely a spiritual ‘how-to’ on anger management is transformed into a literary achievement by Keizer’s way with words." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A wonderfully thoughtful, compelling, psychologically knowing book that is graced with wisdom." —Robert Coles, author, Children of Crisis series
"Provocative, thoughtful, and supremely useful, this book is a brave expedition to a place most of us would rather not go. . . . A healthy and much-needed antidote to a slew of cultural orthodoxies . . . the kind of blessing that comes from God, and that endures." —Kathleen Norris, The Christian Century
"It is no small irony that Garret Keizer’s essay on anger is so thoughtful and graceful. Here is writing that triumphs over an emotion that otherwise, so often, defeats reason and frustrates love." —Richard Rodriguez, author, Brown
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
"I am a descendant of angry men," Episcopal priest Keizer tells readers at the outset of this wise and beautiful reflection on anger. With that, we are lured into a book that is both intensely personal and achingly universal, for Keizer's confessions of and ruminations about his own anger will strike a chord with many a reader. This memoirish and erudite study is best read as apology in both senses of the word: a request for forgiveness for unwarranted anger and a defense of anger as something that has a legitimate place in the Christian life. Keizer addresses righteous anger at social injustices, domestic anger toward family members, anger within local parishes and anger that defensively masks harder feelings like grief. One of the most original and invigorating chapters tackles gender. Keizer suggests, ingeniously, that one of the reasons men and women deal with anger differently is that "traditional `women's work' serves as an antidote to the forces that make men enraged." The book is deeply Christian, suffused with images of crucifixion, Holy Eucharist and the Sermon on the Mount but it is hardly parochial, and practitioners of other faiths will find capacious truths in Keizer's perfectly particular reflections. The book is distinguished, above all, by its prose. What might have been merely a spiritual "how-to" on anger management is transformed into a literary achievement by Keizer's way with words, from the opening description of a sugar maple tree to the concluding ode to Samuel Johnson. (Aug.) Forecast: Keizer's writing will particularly appeal to the more literary segments of the religious market, as well as the ABA audience. Harper's magazine plans both a review and a feature story, and serials will appear in Books and Culture and Christian Century.
Art & Photography
Book Info
