In Praise of the Useless Life
A Monk’s Memoir
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In Praise of the Useless Life
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Narrated by:
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Paul Boehmer
About this listen
Monastic life and its counter-cultural wisdom come alive in the stories and lessons of Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO, during his more than five decades as a Trappist at the Abbey of Gethsemani. He served as a novice under Thomas Merton, and he also welcomed some of the monastery's more well-known visitors, including Sr. Helen Prejean and Seamus Heaney, to Merton's hermitage. In Praise of the Useless Life includes Quenon's quiet reflections on what it means to live each day with careful attentiveness.
The humble peace and simplicity of the monastery and of Quenon's daily life are beautifully portrayed in this memoir. Whether it be through the daily routine of the monastery, his love of the outdoors no matter the season, or his lively and interesting conversations with visitors (reciting Emily Dickinson with Pico Iyer, discussing Merton and poetry with Czeslaw Milosz), Quenon's gentle musings display his love for the beauty in his vocation and the people he's encountered along the way.
Inspired by his novice master Merton, the poet and photographer’s stories remind us that the beauty of life can best be seen in the "uselessness" of daily life - having a quiet chat with a friend, spending time in contemplation - in our vocations, and in the memories we make along the way.
©2018 The Abbey of Gethsemani (P)2018 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about In Praise of the Useless Life
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Adrian Chan-Wyles Ph.D
- 20-04-20
Contemporary Monasticism
These contemporary monks are very bourgeois and live a life of luxurious simplicity that is completely out of touch with the real world of genuine poverty inhabited by the masses. It is a self-indulgent narrative premised upon a privileged educational background, where knowingly quoting from the Bible replaces the cultivation of humility and the realisation of grace. There is no humility in this diatribe. This monk does not walk with his eyes fixed upon the ground in front of him.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Patsy Bloomfield
- 19-01-24
Slow and deliberated narration
It's hard to listen to this slow and deliberate narration because it becomes a distraction from the content of the book. Will try to get to the end but am not really enjoying it and it just goes to show how important it is to our perceived value of an audible book if the narrator has an interesting and inspiring tonality.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rosie
- 17-07-23
Heaven sent
Beautiful & enlightening. The secular world where obsession with physical, material & gender obsessed lunacy has led us to a cesspit based on marxist destruction could do well to listen/read this wonderful book. Feeding our souls is the most important aspect of being a human because we must “care more for the soul than the body since the former remains & the latter perishes” ( St Alain)
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sue Oxley
- 13-01-22
Book that is full of Grace
The idea that Trappist monks live luxurious lives, simple or otherwise, is so ridiculous that I laughed out loud. And how dare you criticise their humility and their search for the light, using ridiculous Marxist thought.
The grace and beauty of this book is marvellous, I listen to it often when I feel my way is dark and lonely, and I am waiting on God, especially in these times.
It is a beautiful reminder that some people are willing to give every part of themselves and their lives to live loving God and humankind through prayer and service. Deo gratias.
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4 people found this helpful