Reading Teresa

[ronnie_bonigli]

I’ve been reading Teresa of Avila’s works, the book of Her Life, Interior Castle, and now The Way of Perfection, and I do notice something she does that makes if very hard to comprehend what you’ve just read. She has run on sentences that just go on and on forever, usually with about well over a dozen commas, by the time you get to that period at the end, you’ve forgotten whatever she was saying at the beginning of the sentence. Anyone else had this problem reading her?

 

[laszlo]

When I was child we were educated to understand long circular sentences. This was the leading style in the 19th century and before. Even, we were taught how to compose such sentences.

On other end, some translations of St Teresa de Avilla are really tiresome, but the Autobiography translated by David Lewis is acceptable. I have an Aussy translation for the Way of Perfection that is perfect.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I’ve been reading Teresa of Avila’s works, the book of Her Life, Interior Castle, and now The Way of Perfection, and I do notice something she does that makes if very hard to comprehend what you’ve just read. She has run on sentences that just go on and on forever, usually with about well over a dozen commas, by the time you get to that period at the end, you’ve forgotten whatever she was saying at the beginning of the sentence. Anyone else had this problem reading her?

Yes. I find her a difficult read because of this.

 

[CB_Catholic]

When I was child we were educated to understand long circular sentences. This was the leading style in the 19th century and before. Even, we were taught how to compose such sentences.

On other end, some translations of St Teresa de Avilla are really tiresome, but the Autobiography translated by David Lewis is acceptable. I have an Aussy translation for the Way of Perfection that is perfect.

I generally don’t have trouble reading earlier literature, my BA is in English and I had to read hundreds of pieces of literature of different eras, but in the translation of her autobiography, which I don’t have with me, I remember the editor pointing out what the OP has stated, and even her ideas can go off on a tangent for pages before coming back to her original thought. It takes a lot of patience to read her. Maybe I need a different translation.

 

[puzzleannie]

I find it nearly impossible to wade through earlier translations like E Allison Peers, as OP says, like reading Henry James.

For anyone just getting started with Teresa and other spiritual writers, the introductory books by Fr. Groeschel are excellent at making their thought accessible to modern readers, especially those of us just getting started in this type of reading.

 

[roveau]

I’ve been reading Teresa of Avila’s works, the book of Her Life, Interior Castle, and now The Way of Perfection, and I do notice something she does that makes if very hard to comprehend what you’ve just read. She has run on sentences that just go on and on forever, usually with about well over a dozen commas, by the time you get to that period at the end, you’ve forgotten whatever she was saying at the beginning of the sentence. Anyone else had this problem reading her?

I have had the same problem Ronnie and I’ve got two university degrees (not that, that makes me clever but it does mean I’ve made it a calling to read and comprehend).

I had to read and re-read her sentences over and sometime over again to try to work out what the message was. It was so frustrating but the little bits I did comprehend seemed to give me insights into something profoundly deep. I’ve only tried to read her work on the Pater Noster but am looking forward to reading the ones you have already read.

 

[ronnie_bonigli]

Thanks everyone, it’s nice to know that it isn’t just me.

 

[Alan55]

Teresa was in desperate need of an editor. Her writing reflects the nature of her writing process: writing a few minutes here, a few minutes there, never going back to change what she had already written. She also makes many, many apologies for the fact that she’s not a trained theologian or a priest. I think her warm-hearted, folksy prose is part of her charm, and her spiritual doctrine is rock solid (she’s a Doctor of the Church), but her prose is pretty bad. Nonetheless, reading St. Teresa is well worth the effort. If you want similar spiritual doctrine in a clearer, more organized text, you might try St. John of the Cross.

 

[ronnie_bonigli]

If you want similar spiritual doctrine in a clearer, more organized text, you might try St. John of the Cross.

That’s the plan. I want to finish Teresa’s main works before moving on to her protege.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

St Teresa explains early on, that she is not good at writing, but has undertaken the task out of obedience.

Fact is, she wasn’t well educated limited her writing skills, and she does go off on tangents before getting back to the point. She even writes that she’s become aware that she’s gone off topic.

I found St. John of the Cross much easier to understand, but he was well educated so he was proficient in writing.

Jim

 

[Strategery]

FWIW …

Regarding St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross. My ability to understand what they say increases as I develop spiritually. For me it’s interesting to read them and St. Francis De Sales over time. Reading can only take you so far.

 

[beckycmarie]

I’ve been reading Teresa of Avila’s works, the book of Her Life, Interior Castle, and now The Way of Perfection, and I do notice something she does that makes if very hard to comprehend what you’ve just read. She has run on sentences that just go on and on forever, usually with about well over a dozen commas, by the time you get to that period at the end, you’ve forgotten whatever she was saying at the beginning of the sentence. Anyone else had this problem reading her?

It’s not just you. I ran into the same problem when I first tried to read her books, which is how I became a fan of Fr. Dubay’s explanations. You might enjoy this book (which you can read much of online):

Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel, on prayer

 

[Strategery]

It’s not just you. I ran into the same problem when I first tried to read her books, which is how I became a fan of Fr. Dubay’s explanations. You might enjoy this book (which you can read much of online):

Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel, on prayer

Absolutely excellent book. Very helpful to read that, then go back through John and Teresa.

Also – regarding John - most people default to Dark Night of the Soul. Really really really need to start with the Ascent of Mount Carmel, which describes how one gets to the point of the Dark Nights.

 

[ronnie_bonigli]

It’s not just you. I ran into the same problem when I first tried to read her books, which is how I became a fan of Fr. Dubay’s explanations. You might enjoy this book (which you can read much of online):

Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel, on prayer

Thanks, I have read The Fire Within, another much like it, but which I thought was even better is The Fulfillment of All Desire by Ralph Martin, I strongly recommend it.

amazon.com/gp/product/1931018383?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1

 

[beckycmarie]

I agree - Martin’s book is also very good.