Bøker av Marilynne Robinson

For generations, the Book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centred on the question of its basic coherency, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centred on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.Both of these approaches preclude an appreciation of its greatness as literature, its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. Marilynne Robinson's new book is a powerful consideration of the profound meanings and promise of God's enduring covenant with man. Her magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God's abiding faith in Creation.

From one of the English language's great writers. Revisiting her beloved characters, Jack joins Gilead, winner of the Pulitzer; Home, winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction and Lila, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award. This is the compassionate and heart-breaking story of the wayward son, Jack Boughton.

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2009Hundreds of thousands of readers were enthralled and delighted by the luminous, tender voice of John Ames in Gilead, Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.Now comes Home, a deeply affecting novel that takes place in the same period and same Iowa town of Gilead. This is Jack's story. Jack - prodigal son of the Boughton family, godson and namesake of John Ames, gone twenty years - has come home looking for refuge and to try to make peace with a past littered with trouble and pain. A bad boy from childhood, an alcoholic who cannot hold down a job, Jack is perpetually at odds with his surroundings and with his traditionalist father, though he remains Boughton's most beloved child. His sister Glory has also returned to Gilead, fleeing her own mistakes, to care for their dying father. Brilliant, loveable, wayward, Jack forges an intense new bond with Glory and engages painfully with his father and his father's old friend John Ames.

Den fjerde romanen i den såkalte Gilead-suiten av Marilynne Robinson heter Jack, som også er navnet på den kanskje mest foruroligende skikkelsen i forfatterens fiksjonsunivers. En arbeidsløs drukkenbolt, en boms, en løgner og småkjeltring som også selv blir løyet til, banket opp, utskjelt og utnyttet. Sønnen til pastor Robert Boughton - som vi har møtt i alle de tre første Gilead-bøkene - erklærer gjentatte ganger at han har som mål å bli god («Kjære Jesus, gjør meg harmløs»), men også i det mislykkes han stadig, noe som bare styrker hans selvforakt. I Jacks tilfelle er det ikke fedrenes synder som hjemsøker det villfarne barnet, men deres dyder - prestesønnen er like bevandret i Skriften som han er i storbyens smug og drikkebuler, men opplever fortroligheten med Guds ord som en byrde, og føler seg like redningsløst fortapt i kropp som i sjel.Så griper kjærligheten vilkårlig inn: På gaten ser Jack en kvinne som overraskes av regnet, og han tilbyr henne paraplyen sin. De begynner å snakke, og hun inviterer ham inn på en kopp te. Della er lærerinne og datter av en metodist-biskop, på alle vis en respektabel kvinne. Men hun er også farget.I 1940-årenes St. Louis i Missouri blir forhold på tvers av raser ikke bare rynket på nesen av, de kvalifiserer til fengselsstraff. Derfor utgjør Jack en fare for Della, simpelthen fordi han er hvit. Hun risikerer å miste både jobben og familiens støtte, det skjøre vernet hun har mot den systemiske rasismen som gjør at hun ikke regnes som fullverdig borger i sitt eget land. De to er fanget i hvert sitt utenforskap - han utstøtt for sin adferd, hun for sin hudfarge - og i samfunnets øyne har den ene ingen rett eller anledning til å redde - for ikke å si elske - den andre.Handlingen i Jack foregriper de øvrige bøkene med ti år, og de som leser dem i kronologisk rekkefølge vil derfor vite at dette kommer ikke til å ende godt. Men Marilynne Robinsons skildring av Jacks ustødige reise mot fortapelse er dypt rørende og litterært blendende. Tidvis veldig morsom, iblant teologisk og filosofisk lærd, for det meste nesten skummelt psykologisk innsiktsfull. Og over det hele, som alltid hos Robinson, hviler den allvitende Gud. Som en prest sier til Jack når han kommer for å klage sin nød:«Hvis Vårherre mener at du trenger straff, kan du være trygg på at Han vil sørge for det. Han vet hvor Han kan finne deg. Hvis Han i mellomtiden viser deg litt nåde, vil Han nok ikke ha noe imot at du finner glede i det.»«Strålende og visjonær.» - The Guardian

In 1956, toward the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son, a kind of last testament to his remarkable forebears.'It is a book of such meditative calm, such spiritual intensity that is seems miraculous that her silence was only for 23 years; such measure of wisdom is the fruit of a lifetime. Robinson's prose, aligned with the sublime simplicity of the language of the bible, is nothing short of a benediction. You might not share its faith, but it is difficult not to be awed moved and ultimately humbled by the spiritual effulgence that lights up the novel from within' Neel Mukherjee, The Times'Writing of this quality, with an authority as unforced as the perfect pitch in music, is rare and carries with it a sense almost of danger - that at any moment, it might all go wrong. In Gilead, however, nothing goes wrong' Jane Shilling, Sunday Telegraph

One of our greatest novelists and thinkers presents a radiant, thrilling interpretation of the book of Genesis.For generations, the book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents, by various hands, expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centered on the question of its basic coherency, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true. Both of these approaches preclude an appreciation of its greatness as literature, its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. Marilynne Robinson's Reading Genesis, which includes the original text, is a powerful consideration of the profound meanings and promise of God's enduring covenant with man. This magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God's abiding faith in Creation.

Marilynne Robinson mest kjente verk, de fire romanene i Gilead-suiten, kretser rundt livet og slekten til to aldrende pastorer i småbyen Gilead i Iowa i 1950-årene. Forfatteren utforsker store spørsmål: Hvilke krefter driver mennesker til å velge rett eller galt? Hvordan oppstår evnen til tilgivelse, nestekjærlighet og innsikt i egne feil og mangler? Og hvor tungt veier menneskets synder og forbrytelser?De to første bøkene i Gilead-suiten fikk en strålende mottakelse her hjemme etter utgivelsen i høst. «Enestående skrivekunst» og «En mektig leseropplevelse» sa NRK. Vårt Land kalte bøkene hennes «et storverk».Hovedpersonen Lila i den tredje romanen i Gilead-suiten, er en hjemløs og sky ungjente som har streifet omkring på landsbygda i flere år. En dag søker hun ly i en lokal kirke og møter den langt eldre pastor John Ames.Lila blir etter hvert pastorens hustru og trekkes inn i en hverdag preget av vennlighet og omsorg, et liv som står i skarp kontrast til hennes forrige. Hun ble forsømt og mishandlet fra ung alder, og sammen med den eldre venninnen Doll levde hun et liv på rømmen, fra hånd til munn. De to hadde bare hverandre, tilfeldige medreisende og et knivblad å forsvare seg med. Når Lila kommer til Gilead og pastor Ames, må hun prøve å forsone brutaliteten og fortvilelsen i sitt forrige liv, med ektemannens milde, tilgivende kristne livssyn. Og det innebærer på mange måter å fornekte den hun var.Lila er en stor litterær prestasjon, der kontrastene utspilles mellom høy og lav stil, mellom teologisk argumentasjon og livsnytende tidsfordriv, kristentro og et liv uten tillit.«Mektig og dypt rørende.» - New York Times«Den største litterære magi: En skikkelse som er så virkelig at det er vanskelig å huske at hun bare eksisterer på disse boksidene.» - Chicago Tribune

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK . A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR NAMED A BEST OF THE YEAR BY: NPR, TIME, ESQUIRE, THE GUARDIAN, LIT HUB, ELECTRIC LITERATURE, THE FINANCIAL TIMES, THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY. "With the sublime Jack, [Marilynne Robinson] resumes and deepens her quest, extending it to the contemplation of race . . . There is richness and depth at every turn."-O, the Oprah MagazineMarilynne Robinson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal, returns to the world of Gilead with Jack, the latest novel in one of the great works of contemporary American fictionMarilynne Robinson's mythical world of Gilead, Iowa-the setting of her novels Gilead, Home, Lila, and now Jack-and its beloved characters have illuminated and interrogated the complexities of American history, the power of our emotions, and the wonders of a sacred world. Jack is Robinson's fourth novel in this now-classic series. In it, Robinson tells the story of John Ames Boughton, the prodigal son of Gilead's Presbyterian minister, and his romance with Della Miles, a high school teacher who is also the child of a preacher. Their deeply felt, tormented, star-crossed interracial romance resonates with all the paradoxes of American life, then and now. Robinson's Gilead novels, which have won one Pulitzer Prize and two National Book Critics Circle Awards, are a vital contribution to contemporary American literature and a revelation of our national character and humanity.

«Marilynne Robinsons Gilead-serie viser hva romanen kan gjøre og alltid har gjort best.»MorgenbladetMarilynne Robinson er amerikansk litteraturs Grand Old Lady. Hennes mest kjente verk, de fire romanene i Gilead-suiten, kretser først og fremst rundt livet til to aldrende pastorer i lokale frikirker, samt deres mer eller mindre skakkjørte forfedre og etterkommere. Den ytre og iblant dramatiske historien er ikke fraværende, men den er heller ikke et poeng i seg selv. I Gilead som overalt ellers utfolder livet seg, men det forfatteren bruker sine formidable litterære evner til å utforske, er hvorfor og hvordan. Hva er kreftene som driver mennesker til å velge rett eller galt? Hva kan forklare vår lojalitet mot medmennesker, vår evne til tilgivelse, til nestekjærlighet og til innsikt i egne feil og mangler? Hvor tungt veier våre synder og forbrytelser? I hvor mange generasjoner? Og hvor trygt hviler vi egentlig i Guds hånd?I Hjem, den andre romanen i Gilead-suiten, møter vi pastor Robert Boughton, enkemann og åttebarnsfar. Han synger på livets siste vers - fysisk svekket og stadig mer dement samtaler han helst om alt som har vært eller kunne ha vært. Så vender den fortapte og høyt savnede sønnen Jack endelig hjem etter tyve års fravær, en utstøtt drukkenbolt som bærer på tiår med dystre hemmeligheter, men som fremdeles pastorens øyensten. Jack jobber på gården og gjør sitt beste for å forsone seg med faren. Imens knytter han sterke bånd til sin søster Glory, som har vendt hjem for å stelle faren, men med en tung bagasje. Hjem er en lysende godt skrevet bok om familie og familiehemmeligheter - og om gudstroens veier og avveier.«Et viltert, eksentrisk og radikalt litterært verk.»New York Times«Hjem byr på så komplekse personskildringer, så mange passasjer med uforlignelig visdom og skjønnhet, at man får lyst til å sitere side etter side.»San Francisco Chronicle

Året er 1956, stedet er småbyen Gilead i Iowa, USA. Frikirkepastoren John Ames er 76 år og vet at han snart skal dø. John har sent i livet fått en sønn som nå er blitt syv år gammel. Til denne gutten skriver John et "minnebrev". Han forteller om Iowas jord og gress og himmelen over det hele, om streng kulde og sviende tørke, om menneskers lengsler, gleder og sorger. Han minnes sin egen barndom og oppvekst, sin første kone som døde i barselseng, og de mange årene i ensomhet før han igjen fikk familie.

A New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceA New York Times BestsellerA New York Magazine Best Book of the YearAn Economist Best Book of the Year Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author of Gilead Marilynne Robinson has built a sterling reputation as a writer of sharp, subtly moving prose, not only as a major American novelist, but also as a rigorous thinker and incisive essayist. In When I Was a Child I Read Books she returns to and expands upon the themes which have preoccupied her work with renewed vigor.In "Austerity as Ideology," she tackles the global debt crisis, and the charged political and social political climate in this country that makes finding a solution to our financial troubles so challenging. In "Open Thy Hand Wide" she searches out the deeply embedded role of generosity in Christian faith. And in "When I Was a Child," one of her most personal essays to date, an account of her childhood in Idaho becomes an exploration of individualism and the myth of the American West. Clear-eyed and forceful as ever, Robinson demonstrates once again why she is regarded as one of our essential writers.

In this award-winning collection, the bestselling author of Gilead offers us other ways of thinking about history, religion, and society. Whether rescuing "e;Calvinism"e; and its creator Jean Cauvin from the repressive "e;puritan"e; stereotype, or considering how the McGuffey readers were inspired by Midwestern abolitionists, or the divide between the Bible and Darwinism, Marilynne Robinson repeatedly sends her reader back to the primary texts that are central to the development of American culture but little read or acknowledged today.A passionate and provocative celebration of ideas, the old arts of civilization, and life's mystery, The Death of Adam is, in the words of Robert D. Richardson, Jr., "e;a grand, sweeping, blazing, brilliant, life-changing book."e;

New essays by the Orange and Pulitzer Prize winning author of Gilead, Home and Lila. In this collection, Marilynne Robinson, one of today's most important thinkers - admired by President Obama, and so many others - impels us to action and offers us hope.

A profound essay collection from the beloved author of Gilead, Houskeeping and Lila, now including Marilynne Robinson's conversation with President Barack Obama. Robinson has plumbed the depths of the human spirit in her trilogy of novels - Pulitzer Prize-winning Gilead, Orange-Prize winning Home and National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Lila - and in her moving essay collection When I Was a Child I Read Books. Now, in The Givenness of Things, she brings a profound sense of awe and an incisive mind to the essential questions of contemporary life and faith. Through fourteen essays of remarkable depth and insight, Robinson explores the dilemmas of our modern predicament. How has our so-called Christian nation strayed from so many of the teachings of Christ? How could the great minds of the past, Calvin and Locke-and Shakespeare-guide our lives? And what might the world look like if we could see the sacredness in each other? Exquisite and bold, these essays are a necessary call for us to find wisdom and guidance in our cultural treasures, to seek humanity and compassion in each other. The Givenness of Things is a reminder of what a marvel our existence is in its grandeur - and its humility.

Lila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church-the only available shelter from the rain-and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life. She becomes the wife of a minister and widower, John Ames, and begins a new existence while trying to make sense of the days of suffering that preceded her newfound security.Neglected as a toddler, Lila was rescued by Doll, a canny young drifter, and brought up by her in a hardscrabble childhood of itinerant work. Together they crafted a life on the run, living hand-to-mouth with nothing but their sisterly bond and a lucky knife to protect them. But despite bouts of petty violence and moments of desperation, their shared life is laced with moments of joy and love. When Lila arrives in Gilead, she struggles to harmonize the life of her makeshift family and their days of hardship with the gentle worldview of her husband which paradoxically judges those she loves.Revisiting the beloved characters and setting of Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Gilead and Orange Prize-winning Home, Lila is a moving expression of the mysteries of existence.

Of Marilynne Robinson, Michael Arditti said that there is 'no contemporary novelist whose work I would rather read' However she is not only a writer of sharp, subtly moving prose, but also a rigorous thinker and incisive essayist. In this luminous new collection she returns to the themes which have preoccupied her bestselling novels: the place literature has in life, the role of faith in modern living, the contradictions inherent in human nature. Clear-eyed and forceful as ever, Robinson demonstrates once again why she is regarded as one of our best-loved writers.