http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1226803...

I got this book because LibraryThing predicted I would not like it. Earlier this year I ran all the books I had read that month through the LibraryThing 'unsuggester' and this and one other book (to be revealed in due course) came up the most often. I can't reconstruct exactly how, but the UnSuggestions for Blue Like Jazz are not a completely inaccurate match for my library, I suspect because few sf readers are into liberal brands of Christianity.

I, of course, am into liberal brands of Christianity, so I anticipated I would be writing a smug review about how LibraryThing's UnSuggester Got It Wrong. And intellectually, I found as I had expected that I have a lot in common with Miller's take on faith (disconnecting it from intellectual arguments) and tolerance of diversity (he is in favour). We are on the same religious and political wavelength.

However, that is not sufficient to enjoy the book. There were two big issues which led me to the uncomfortable conclusion that the LibraryThing UnSuggester Got It Right, even if not necessarily for the right reasons. The first is that the book is not written for people like me; it is written for people who have been deeply involved in US-style evangelical Christianity and have come part of the way out the other side. I found it very striking that there was no discussion of other faiths at all. In my day job I happen to work with several (rather secular) Muslim clients and also a Buddhist political movement. One of the holiest men it has been my pleasure to meet was the late Baba Tahir Emini of the Bektashi shrine in Tetovo. As I try and work out what God has been telling me, I cannot ignore the fact that he appears to have spoken to other people in other ways. Miller's book is largely set in Portland, Oregon, and entirely features people located at different points along the Christian/non-believer axis; the concept of another dimension (or indeed of the world outside the continental USA) is simply absent.

The other problem, sadly, is that it simply isn't that well written. It's not as bad as Jim Wallis' God's Politics, which I simply couldn't finish even though I agreed with most of it, but Miller's style is peculiarly limp, in places crashingly dull, aspiring perhaps to the style of Vonnegut (or maybe Hemingway) but reaching excellence only in Chapter 18 (on 'Love'). If you find yourself in the bookshop considering whether or not to buy the book, read Chapter 18 (where the good bits are the middle couple of pages) and bear in mind that the rest is not as good. Does that help you make your decision?

So, LibraryThing, good call; I hope you update the UnSuggestion engine soon.

Having said all that, people who know Reed College will certainly find a number of points of local interest, so I can recommend it to them! ( )

Blue Like Jazz, weaves great and genuine stories that leave the reader thinking about what they believe and why. Miller's narrative is well constructed and moved along at a good pace. If you are looking for a book to affirm your beliefs then this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a book to gain better understanding about the christian faith I am not sure if this is the book for you. If you want to think about faith and stretch yourself a little this is a great book. You may not fully agree with the author, I did not, but I enjoyed the dialogue. ( )

I have to say that I began reading this with my armor up because of things which I had heard others say about it, but about halfway through, I realized, there are other Christians who think and feel like I do. I know I am not the intended audience for this book, but it has certainly buoyed up my spirits and attitude. It makes me remember that I want to have active beliefs, love others unconditionally and overflowingly, as if they were Jesus, not people I "have" to love, and find my awe of God again. It takes years to sort through all the misconceptions of spirituality that we pick up along the way, it is nice to read that others are on that same path. I am very glad I read this. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't feel, however, that I can adequately describe it in a short review. What I liked about it was its fresh and honest approach to examining the Christian life in the 21st Century. There were plenty of thngs that I questioned or did not agree with Miller about. However, the book made me think and continues to do so long after I finished it. If you want a different perspective and are prepared to be challenged in your Christian walk, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. ( )

Sometimes this felt a little too liberal for me, a little too much about experiences and not enough about truth. A little too hostile to established churches. But only sometimes.

Donald Miller is very open and honest, and he does a great job of connecting with the reader. Especially in the later chapters, I really appreciated a lot of the things he was saying and there's a lot of truth to think about, especially where love and friendship are concerned.

There are twenty chapters and I read one a day. Some of them build on others, but most are self-explanatory and I found that reading them one at a time helped me remember the point of each. The last few were by far my favorites. Well worth reading again. ( )