I tried this book once before in the Great Books series and found it extremely difficult. I wondered, if one was going to bother to translate it from Augustine's Latin, why leave it so difficult to read? Whether from a few years maturity or the clarity of Henry Chadwick's translation, I really enjoyed Confessions this time. The warmth of the author's passion and remorse really came across as though he were not dressing it up for a scholarly presentation to impress people. For a deep thinking Latin father, he is actually a master of the sound bite as demonstrated by some of the quotes I picked up. Yes, at times he seems to wander onto a trail that only he is following or at least is passionate about, as when he spent an entire book talking about the passage of time. But most of the time, the things Augustine grapples with our things that we have grappled with for many centuries since. With so many good books to read, I seldom think about rereading one regularly, but this is one that could merit that consideration.

I'll be honest, I rage-quit this book. The book is considered a must read for Christians, so I figured I'd get out of Christian literary purgatory and dive in.

What a slog. I can see why it's a classic, but Augustine's writing style is just not for me. He'll talk about a small situation in his life like stealing a pear as a child, and then spend five pages fluffing out why that action was so bad. It was a chore to read- I fell asleep every time I started it, and I love classic books and theology. There were a few points that stood out well, though, and I enjoyed the parts of the book where Augustine described common criticisms of Christianity of the day. Questions like The Problem of Evil, the veracity of the historical account of Christ, and the nature of sin were being asked just as often as they are now.

I quit the book with about 90 pages left to go. I just wasn't enjoying it, and I had tried and tried for a few months to get through it. One day I'll go back and finish it because I hate leaving books unfinished.

Ce viață, ce iubire, ce minte vie și neobosită în însetarea după Hristos. Pe Augustin îl simți tremurând lângă tine de dor și entuziasm atunci când îi citești textul. M-a rupt și mi-e rușine...

" Te iubesc, Doamne, cu o cunoștință sigură și deloc îndoielnică. Ai străpuns inima mea prin Cuvântul tău, iar din clipa aceea te-am iubit.
[...]

Dar ce iubesc, de fapt, atunci când te iubesc? Nu frumusețea corpurilor sau gingășia lor trecătoare, nu strălucirea luminii, a acestei lumini atât de prietenoase față de ochii mei, nu suavele melodii ale feluritelor cântări, nici mireasma dulce a florilor, a parfumurilor și a balsamurilor, nu mana cerească și mierea, nici membrele făcute pentru îmbrățișări trupești, nu toate acestea le iubesc eu atunci când îl iubesc pe Dumnezeul meu. Și totuși, iubesc un anume fel de lumină și un anume fel de glas, o anume mireasă , o anume hrană și o anume îmbrățișare atunci când îl iubesc pe Dumnezeul meu; sunt lumina, glasul, mireasma, hrana și îmbrățișarea omului lăuntric, care se află în mine acolo unde pentru sufletul meu strălucește o lumină care nu are hotar, unde răsună o melodie care nu piere în timp, unde se răspândesc miresme pe care nu le împrăștie suflarea vântului, unde se poate gusta dintr-o hrană pe care lăcomia nu o micșorează niciodată și unde se înlănțuie îmbrățișări pe care împlinirea dorinței nu le desface niciodată. Iată ce iubesc eu atunci când îl iubesc pe Dumnezeul meu."

somehow forgot to rate this initially, probably because i was too tired to write a review to do it justice. i am still too tired and there will never be a review to do it justice.

suffice it to say that if i sorted my books like dante sorted sinners this would be in the rose, and, since reading it, i have referenced it in class possibly even more frequently than mr choi has teased peter.

Well, I will definitely need to revisit this book. Augustine was a great thinker, and I was thinking throughout this book, though not what Augustine was thinking about. This book required a focused attention that I did not always have when I picked up to read. Maybe with a little bit of training, and a strong desire to learn something, I can return to Augustine’s confessions and understand everything that he has to say. Overall, a challenging, but not impossible read.

My review: n  A Restless Heart - Augustine's Confessionsn

This book, is meant (for me, at least), to be read repeatedly and slowly. I like to absorb and sometimes it’s a slower process than I anticipate. There is always more to ponder. Augustin is brilliant, yet sublime in his honesty. This book is a great place to visit many times. He takes my hand and pulls me along farther each time than the previous reading.

"You stir man to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."

Three years after my first review, I am thrilled to report that I was able to read this book more slowly and carefully with a small group of friends this year and fall in love with so much more of it than I did the first time. The conversion story is still amazing, but even the more philosophical tangents and latter books make more sense than they did before. What a remarkable thinker, writer, and Christian Augustine was. The more I read, the more it became clear how influential he has been on teaching that has shaped my life, both in theology and aesthetics. It has been a true joy to spend time with him almost every day this year. He very much has become a friend—so much so that he’s going to be in my reading life for at least the next couple years. :D

Original review, 6/15/2020
I can envision scenarios in which this book garners a higher rating from me, but only with a more dedicated, meticulous reading. Unfortunately, I can't give Confessions such a reading right now and maybe not ever, so 3 stars it is. It would take a lot of rereading for me to adjust to Augustine's circular writing style and think through several of the philosophical ideas he raises. So in that regard, I must certainly affirm, "It's not you, it's me."

Nevertheless, the biographical portion was worth the struggle. Augustine's life is a striking demonstration of the heart's yearning for joy in God. He tried to live off broken cisterns for years, never satisfied and always seeking. Over time, God drew Augustine in until at last he could drink from the fountain of living waters. I've known of Augustine's journey to faith for years, so it was good to finally read his story in his own words.

اورلیوس آگوستین در ۱۳ نوامبر سال ۳۵۴م در تاگاست، ناحیه‌ی رومی نومیدیا ـ الجزایر کنونی ـ متولد شد و در ۲۸ اوت ۴۳۰م، در هیپون ـ که به دست واندال‌ها اشغال شده بود ـ دیده از جهان فروبست. مفروض است که خانواده‌ی او ریشه‌ی بربر داشته‌اند. پدرش پاتریسیوس بی‌ایمان بود و مادرش مونیکا، مسیحی‌ای معتقد. پدر، به رغم بی‌ایمانی، بر تفوق مهر مادری واقف بود و لاجرم هرگز در شیوه‌ی تربیتی مادر نسبت به فرزند، چون‌وچرا روا نداشت. از آن‌جا که پاتریسیوس ملاّکی خرده‌پا بود، بی آن که از تمکّن و تموّل آن‌چنانی برخوردار باشد، کمابیش از پسِ معیشت خانواده و تأمین هزینه‌ی تحصیل فرزند برمی‌آمد.

آگوستین پسری هوش‌مند بود. از این رو او را به قصد تحصیل به مادورا، شهر مجاور تاگاست رهسپار کردند و با آن که در آن‌جا به تفریح، تفنن، و بازیگوشی روی آورد، از درس خواندن غافل نشد و فقط پس از اندکی وقفه، تدارک تحصیل متوسطه‌ی وی در کارتاژ دیده شد و همان‌جا بود که به رسم آن روزگار، فن بلاغت آموخت. سپس از طریق مطالعه‌ی مقولات عشر ارسطو، در جدل چیره‌دست شد. در ۱۹ سالگی هورتنیوس اثر سیسرون را مطالعه کرد و از این رهگذر، لهیب حکمت در جانش زبانه کشید. کتاب مقدس را نیز در همین سن برای اوّلین بار مطالعه کرد. امّا گرفتار مقایسه‌ی ترجمه‌ی نارسای کتاب مقدس به زبان لاتین با متون فاخری چون هورتنیوس و اِنه‌اید شد. گفتنی است این امر که خود از معضلات جامعه‌ی مسیحی آن روزگار به شمار می‌رفت، فرزانگان را به صرافت تنقیح و پیرایش نسخه‌ی موجود انداخت؛ هرچند که این تلاش، همچون هر گام تازه‌ای، دشواری‌هایی در پی داشت. در پی یافتن تفسیری کامل از هستی، از جمله درک مقولات خیر و شر و حل معضل قادر مطلق و ره یافتن به مبدأ از طریق ادله‌ی ساده، به مسلک مانی روی آورد. چه، به زعم خود در آیین ترسایان، دلایل عقلانی کم‌تر می‌یافت و مانویان نیز به او در حل معضلات فکری‌اش قول مساعد می‌دادند. آنان ابتدا بر مبانی فکری مسیحی خرده می‌گرفتند و سپس داعیه‌ی دلیل و برهان سر می‌دادند.

با این‌همه، فقدان حجت وحیانی و عینی در دین مانی، اسباب تکدر خاطر آگوستین را فراهم آورد و موجب طرح مجادلات فراوانی از جانب وی به طرفیت مانویان شد. همچنین از طریق مطالعه در علوم طبیعی، افسانه‌پردازی‌های ایشان در باب مه و خورشید و فلک را به چالش کشید. از رهگذر مراوده با مانویان بود که به مسند ایراد خطابه در میلان دست یازید؛ شهری که مرکز ایتالیایی امپراتوری روم بود و آمبروسیوس در مسند اسقفی این شهر جلوس کرده بود. آگوستین پس از آن که در جانب وی مورد استقبال واقع شد، مدتی به استماع وعظ‌های او پرداخت و در عین حالی که مجذوب فن بیان او شده بود، به قدرت شگرف آمبروسیوس در تبیین و توضیح عهد عتیق پی برد.

آمبروسیوس کتاب مقدس را از طریق تأویل بازخوانی می‌کرد و آموزه‌های افلاطون و فلوطین را در اامه‌ی ادله‌ی خویش به کار می‌بست و بدین‌ترتیب آگوستین به سرچشمه‌ای از معانی نوینِ حقیقت ازلی دست یافت. در همین زمان بود که زیبایی‌های کتاب مقدس را به مکاشفه نشست و به ظرافت، تفاوت خدای صانع افلاطونیان با خدای خالق مسیحیان را فهم کرد. سه سال بعد به همراه دوستش آلیپیوس و فرزند نامشروعش آدئوداتوس، مهیای تعمید شد. در همین سال مادرش مونیکا، هنگامی که از دست دغدغه‌ی خاطر برای ایمان آگوستین خلاصی می‌یابد، چشم از دنیا فرومی‌بندد.

سفر آگوستین به میلان، پنج سال به طول انجامید و سپس به آفریقا بازگشت؛ جایی که خاطره‌ی مانویت او هنوز از حافظه‌ی جمعی آن زدوده نشده بود. لذا برای اثبات گسست خود از گذشته‌اش، باید وقت بسیاری را صرف ارائه‌ی مباحث ناب در جهت باورهای نوینش می‌کرد. وی بیش از سیزده رساله در رد آرای مانویان به رشته‌ی تحریر درآورد. گذشته از این‌ها، دو کتاب از میان آثار او، در زمره‌ی کتب مانای تاریخند؛ نخست اعترافات که در سال ۴۰۰م، یعنی در سال ۴۶ سالگی وی نوشته شده است و ناظر بر شرح زندگی و احوال اوست. و دوم، شهر خدا، که در واقع متشکل از دو بخش است: بخش عمده و غالب آن در دفاع از مسیحیت و رد اتهاماتی که توسط غیر مسیحیان رومی بر آیین مسیحیان وارد می‌آمد نوشته شده و مابقی، در بر گیرنده‌ی پاره‌ای دیدگاه‌های اجتماعی ـ سیاسی آگوستین است.

کتاب حاضر، یعنی اعترافات، از نثری ��ودبسنده برخوردار است؛ نثری که سرشار از اندیشه‌ها وخاطره‌های شخصی و خانوادگی است و در ضمن واگویی و واکاوی آن خاطرات، عالی‌ترین افکار انتزاعی فلسفی و کلامی را در میان می‌گذارد؛ چنان‌که امروزه نیز اندیشه‌هایش درباره‌ی مباحثی مانند حافظه، زمان، و زبان، قابل تأمل است. در عین حال، کشش و جاذبه‌ی متن که از تجربه‌ای وجودی برمی‌خیزد، حتّی می‌تواند سرآغازی باشد برای افراد علاقه‌مند، امّا غیر متخصص در حوزه‌ی الهیات وجودی. چرا که پرده‌برداری از خفایای زندگی یک انسان کمال‌طلب، خود به منزله‌ی ارائه‌ی نمونه‌ای است برای کسانی که به حقیقت عشق می‌ورزند و سودای تبلیغ آن را در سر دارند.

"Confessions" is the type of book with a heavy dynamic caliber that it should be read slow, thoughtfully, and with a highlighter. Saint Augustine doe not hold back in his shortcomings. He paints a black, very personal, wicked youth. He confesses all and bares his soul. The passages about his mother were extremely soulful revealing the man as an affectionate son. He writes with hopeful authority; yet in a humble voice and always in a way that I could relate with it in today's hectic pace. His style was unique to me for he included and addressed God as one of his readers not as a truth seeker, such as myself, but as The Almighty. The content itself is woven with scripture in such a way that it drew me in instead of losing me or making me feel like a wretch. The author covers his sinful youth and years of his adult life; pursuit for truth; his faithful mother; his pagan father; even a friend that was addicted to attending gladiatorial shows! He also covers subjects such as invisible nature, memory, and time. Saint Augustine lived A.D. 354-430 and was one of the outstanding figures of the declining Roman Empire. He was a prolific writer of books, letters, and sermons. I highly recommend this book; especially to anyone who is seeking truth and answers about the seen and unseen world around them as well as self-evident mysteries such as memory and time.

I decided not to finish this one after making it through the first 4 sections. It's a bit out of my lane, so I'm not surprised I didn't love it. That's not to say there isn't a lot of value in it. The first two sections which focused on Augustine's childhood weren't for me, but I started to enjoy it more once he got to school in Carthage. But this is really for those who are studying theology or the history of theology. I'll give myself some props for giving it a go, but it benefits a certain audience. Two stars is too low, so we'll go with a low three.

9.0/10 - Lol how in the world did I miss adding thing for years into my Goodreads when it’s one of my all time greats?

I will certainly read this at least three times. And I’m soon due for the second.