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On reading well : finding the good life through great books / Karen Swallow Prior.

by Prior, Karen Swallow.

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Brazos Press, 2018.

Christians -- Books and reading.

Books and reading -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.

Christianity and literature.

9781587433962 (hc.)

Alternate title:

Finding the good life through great books

267 p. : ill.; 22 cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

Foreword / by Leland Ryken -- Introduction: Read well, live well -- Part one. The cardinal virtues -- Prudence: The history of Tom Jones, a foundling, by Henry Fielding -- Temperance: The great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald -- Justice: A tale of two cities, by Charles Dickens -- Courage: the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain -- Part two. The theological virtues -- Faith: Silence, by Shusaku Endo -- Hope: The road, by Cormac McCarthy -- Love: The death of Ivan Ilych, by Leo Tolstoy -- Part three. The heavenly virtues -- Chastity: Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton -- Diligence: Pilgrim's progress, by John Bunyan -- Patience: Persuasion, by Jane Austen -- Kindness: "Tenth of December," by George Saunders -- Humility: "Revelation" and "Everything that rises must converge," by Flannery O'Connor.

"Reading great literature well has the power to cultivate virtue. Great literature increases knowledge of and desire for the good life by showing readers what virtue looks like and where vice leads. It is not just what one reads but how one reads that cultivates virtue. Reading good literature well requires one to practice numerous virtues, such as patience, diligence, and prudence. And learning to judge wisely a character in a book, in turn, forms the reader's own character. Acclaimed author Karen Swallow Prior takes readers on a guided tour through works of great literature both ancient and modern, exploring twelve virtues that philosophers and theologians throughout history have identified as most essential for good character and the good life. In reintroducing ancient virtues that are as relevant and essential today as ever, Prior draws on the best classical and Christian thinkers, including Aristotle, Aquinas, and Augustine. Covering authors from Henry Fielding to Cormac McCarthy, Jane Austen to George Saunders, and Flannery O'Connor to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Prior explores some of the most compelling universal themes found in the pages of classic books, helping readers learn to love life, literature, and God through their encounter with great writing. In examining works by these authors and more, Prior shows why virtues such as prudence, temperance, humility, and patience are still necessary for human flourishing and civil society. The book includes end-of-chapter reflection questions geared toward book club discussions, features original artwork throughout, and includes a foreword from Leland Ryken."

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