Marilynne Robinson – författare

"Gilead är en storartad roman, en lågmäld betraktelse över vad det innebär att vara människa. En bok att samtala med, sjunka ner i, brottas med. En bok att läsa långsamt och begrundande, och gärna mer än en gång." SvD "Jag vet inte vilken av romanerna jag tycker bäst om, båda höjer sig över det mesta som säljs som skönlitteratur numera, varenda genomtänkt och renpolerad mening har en innerlig lyskraft. Båda tar tag i hela tillvaron, inifrån och ut. " Aftonbladet "Böcker du inte klarar dig utan. Absolut inte! " Corren "Det är en intressant planet vi har här, den förtjänar all uppmärksamhet den kan få, skriver John Ames till sin sjuårige son. Jag skriver gärna detsamma om Marilynne Robinsons författarskap. " Expressen Året är 1956 i Gilead, ett litet samhälle i den amerikanska mellanvästern. Den åldrande prästen John Ames skriver, väl medveten om att han snart ska dö, ett långt brev till sin sjuårige son. Han vill berätta familjens historia, om sig själv, sitt liv och sina tankar så att sonen ska veta varifrån han kommer och vem hans far egentligen var. Berättelsen formar sig till en blandning av brev, dagbok, minnen, filosofiska reflektioner och släkthistoria.

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 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.

"Det finns böcker som förändrar hur man ser sin värld och sin tid." DN "Lila går rakt igenom boksidan, rätt in i mig." Björn Kohlström "En människa som gör världen större." Marie Lundström "Marilynne Robinson är en författare med en självklar hemortsrätt i världseliten." Sydsvenskan "Böcker du inte klarar dig utan. Absolut inte!" Corren "Årets mest omskakande läsning." SvD "Storslaget vackert om mötet mellan två ensamma människor." Borås Tidning Det är 1920-tal i den amerikanska mellanvästern. En fyraårig flicka försvinner från farstubron till det slitna hus där de som kanske är flickans föräldrar, kanske bara hennes avlägsna släktingar, bor. Hos dem har hon inte ens haft ett namn. Den lilla flickan plockas upp av Doll, en hemlös kvinna, och får namnet Lila. Tillsammans driver de runt på vägarna och söker arbete för dagen. Många år senare kommer Lila till det lilla samhället Gilead. Vid ett häftigt regn tar hon skydd i kyrkan och möter där den gamle prästen och änkemannen John Ames. En osannolik, och för dem båda omtumlande kärlekshistoria tar sin början.

A brilliant and dramatic close reading of the first book of the Bible focussing on the complex relationship with humankind'A work of exceptional wisdom and imagination' DR ROWAN WILLIAMS, DAILY TELEGRAPH'Rich and provoking... Robinson has masterfully traced a sense of wonder back to its ancient, remarkable source' JULIAN COMAN, OBSERVER'Reading Genesis is alive with questions of kindness, community and how to express what we so often struggle to put into words' NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINEFor generations, the Book of Genesis, included in its entirety here, 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 coherence, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.Marilynne Robinson's approach is di­fferent. Hers is one of an appreciation of Genesis for its greatness as literature, for its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. She illuminates the importance of the stories of, among others, Adam and Eve; Noah and his ark; the rivalry of Cain and Abel; and the father and son drama of Abraham and Isaac, to consider the profound meanings and promise of God's enduring covenant with humankind. Her magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God's abiding faith in Creation.

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION and THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDAN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICKIn 1956, towards the end of Reverend John Ames's life, he begins a letter to his young son: 'I told you last night that I might be gone sometime... You reached up and put your fingers on my lips and gave me that look I never in my life saw on any other face besides your mother's. It's a kind of furious pride, very passionate and stern. I'm always a little surprised to find my eyebrows unsinged after I've suffered one of those looks. I will miss them.''A visionary work of dazzling originality' ROBERT MCCRUM, OBSERVER'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' JANE SHILLING, DAILY TELEGRAPH'A beautiful novel: wise, tender and perfectly measured' SARAH WATERS'A masterpiece' SUNDAY TIMES

Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction

By the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gilead, Home, Lila and Jack, a modern American masterpiece by an author whose work 'defines universal truths about what it means to be human' (Barack Obama)'A perfect novel.' David Nicholls'Genius.' Anne Enright 'The rarest talent.' Colm Tóibín 'A marvel.' Barbara KingsolverRuth and Lucille are orphans in the desolate lakeside town of Fingerbone: the same lake where their grandfather died in a spectacular train wreck and their mother drove off a cliff. Abandoned by a succession of relatives, the sisters find themselves in the care of Sylvie, their enigmatic aunt. Over time, the sisters grow up, and apart - until they must discover what it truly means to escape. One of the Observer's 100 Greatest Novels of All Time

'[Her work] defines universal truths about what it means to be human' Barack Obama'Marilynne Robinson is one of the greatest writers of our time' Sunday Times 'Jack is the fourth in Robinson's luminous, profound Gilead series and perhaps the best yet' Observer Marilynne Robinson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the American National Humanities Medal, returns to the world of Gilead with Jack, the final in one of the great works of contemporary American fiction.Jack tells the story of John Ames Boughton, the loved and grieved-over prodigal son of a Presbyterian minister in Gilead, Iowa, a drunkard and a ne'er-do-well. In segregated St. Louis sometime after World War II, Jack falls in love with Della Miles, an African-American high school teacher, also a preacher's child, with a discriminating mind, a generous spirit and an independent will. Their fraught, beautiful story is one of Robinson's greatest achievements.

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDAN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICKLila, homeless and alone after years of roaming the countryside, steps inside a small-town Iowa church - theonly available shelter from the rain - and ignites a romance and a debate that will reshape her life.'One of the greatest living novelists' BRYAN APPLEYARD, SUNDAY TIMES'Robinson is frequently named as one of America's most significant writers . . . Her questioning books express wonder: they are enlightening, in the best sense, passionately contesting our facile, recycled understanding of ourselves and of our world' SARAH CHURCHWELL, GUARDIAN'The work of an exceptional novelist' ROWAN WILLIAMS, NEW STATESMAN'A sumptuous, graceful and ultimately life-affirming novel' JAMES KIDD, INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY'Great and luminous beauty . . . a book that leaves the reader feeling what can only be called exaltation' NEEL MUKHERJEE, INDEPENDENT

A profound essay collection from the beloved author of Gilead, Houskeeping and Lila, including Marilynne Robinson's conversation with President Barack Obama. 'Grace and intelligence ...[her work] defines universal truths about what it means to be human' BARACK OBAMARobinson 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, like Calvin, 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.

One of our best contemporary writers explores the tension between science and religion and reveals how our concept of mind determines how we understand and value human nature and human civilization  “These impassioned pages require and reward very close attention.”—Michael Dirda, Washington Post  In this ambitious book, acclaimed writer Marilynne Robinson applies her astute intellect to some of the most vexing topics in the history of human thought—science, religion, and consciousness. Crafted with the same care and insight as her award-winning novels, Absence of Mind challenges postmodern atheists who crusade against religion under the banner of science. In Robinson’s view, scientific reasoning does not denote a sense of logical infallibility, as thinkers like Richard Dawkins might suggest. Instead, in its purest form, science represents a search for answers. It engages the problem of knowledge, an aspect of the mystery of consciousness, rather than providing a simple and final model of reality.  By defending the importance of individual reflection, Robinson celebrates the power and variety of human consciousness in the tradition of William James. She explores the nature of subjectivity and considers the culture in which Sigmund Freud was situated and its influence on his model of self and civilization. Through keen interpretations of language, emotion, science, and poetry, Absence of Mind restores human consciousness to its central place in the religion-science debate.

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

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.

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.

New essays by the Women's Prize and Pulitzer Prize winning author of Gilead, Home and Lila. In this collection, Marilynne Robinson impels us to action and offers us hope.'Grace and intelligence ...[her work] defines universal truths about what it means to be human' BARACK OBAMAMarilynne Robinson has plumbed the human spirit in her renowned novels, including Lila, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award; Home, winner of the Orange Prize; and Gilead, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In this new essay collection she trains her incisive mind on our modern political climate and the mysteries of faith. Whether she is investigating how the work of great thinkers about America like Emerson and Tocqueville inform our political consciousness or discussing the way that beauty informs and disciplines daily life, Robinson's peerless prose and boundless humanity are on full display.

'Grace and intelligence . . . [her work] defines universal truths about what it means to be human' Barack Obama'Jack is the fourth in Robinson's luminous, profound Gilead series and perhaps the best yet' Observer 'Radiant and visionary' Sarah Perry, Guardian Marilynne Robinson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the American National Humanities Medal, returns to the world of Gilead with Jack, the final in one of the great works of contemporary American fiction.A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERJack tells the story of John Ames Boughton, the loved and grieved-over prodigal son of a Presbyterian minister in Gilead, Iowa, a drunkard and a ne'er-do-well. In segregated St. Louis sometime after World War II, Jack falls in love with Della Miles, an African-American high school teacher, also a preacher's child, with a discriminating mind, a generous spirit and an independent will. Their fraught, beautiful story is one of Robinson's greatest achievements.

A brilliant and dramatic close reading of the first book of the Bible focussing on the complex relationship with humankind'A work of exceptional wisdom and imagination' DR ROWAN WILLIAMS, DAILY TELEGRAPH'Rich and provoking... Robinson has masterfully traced a sense of wonder back to its ancient, remarkable source' JULIAN COMAN, OBSERVER'Reading Genesis is alive with questions of kindness, community and how to express what we so often struggle to put into words' NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINEFor generations, the Book of Genesis, included in its entirety here, 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 coherence, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centered on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.Marilynne Robinson's approach is di­fferent. Hers is one of an appreciation of Genesis for its greatness as literature, for its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. She illuminates the importance of the stories of, among others, Adam and Eve; Noah and his ark; the rivalry of Cain and Abel; and the father and son drama of Abraham and Isaac, to consider the profound meanings and promise of God's enduring covenant with humankind. Her magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God's abiding faith in Creation.

A moving novel about families, family secrets, and the passing of the generations from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who brought us Gilead.