The Dark Night of the Soul

A beautiful meditation on spiritual progress, primarily aimed at those relatively advanced in the spiritual life. I was surprised to find how much like a modern self-help book the text really is. ( )

Dark Night of the Soul (Spanish: La noche oscura del alma) is a poem written by the 16th-century Spanish mystic and poet St. John of the Cross. The author himself did not give any title to his poem, on which he wrote two book-length commentaries: Ascent of Mount Carmel (Subida del Monte Carmelo) and The Dark Night (Noche Oscura).

Dark Night of the Soul is a poem written by the 16th-century Spanish mystic and poet St. John of the Cross. The author himself did not give any title to his poem, on which he wrote two book-length commentaries: Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Dark Night.

I fear I've understood only a small bit of this book, but I'm glad I worked my way through it. It's a view into a mind and religious worldview that is completely foreign to me but still worth trying to internalize. ( )

This book is a Christian classic. It is somewhat like a commentary on a poem. The reading requires contemplation, and it really should not be rushed. The fact I was in a rush to complete it probably influenced my lower rating. I found the language a bit "stilted" and the sentences too long for most modern readers. ( )