Jack is the new book by Marilynne Robinson, author of Gilead and one of my favorite writers. Jack tells the story of drifter, drinker, sometimes bum and prodigal son of the Presbyterian minister in Gilead. When Jack falls in love with Della, a beautiful, black, well respected high school teacher and also the daughter of a minister, he tries to pull himself together.

I have heard many people complain that Robinson’s writing is too slow, almost boring, not enough happens. I feel differently. To me, her writing is almost spiritual, she has a way of elevating the most ordinary of things, people and circumstances to the extraordinary by shining a light on them and holding it there, like Walt Whitman in Leaves of Grass, although hers is a less exuberant light. One has to really slow down and savor a Marilynne Robinson novel.

That being said, Jack missed the mark a little for me. Although I still enjoyed it, I found it less full of grace than Gilead and too full of negative self-examination. Most fans of Robinson’s will still enjoy Jack, but if you are new to her, skip this one and read and then re-read Gilead instead.