Review of The Fr Jim Norris notebooks

[Justin Christensen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Fr Jim Norris notebooks" by Mark Baird.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Fr Jim Norris Notebooks is a book primarily comprising the transcribed notebooks of Father Jim Norris. These “8 little books” of Father Norris’s reflections were given to the author, Mark Baird, who used them to compile and publish this book. The book is divided into a little over 100 short chapters, many of which are only a page or two, and is intended to be perused “piecemeal and meditatively.” It is, in my opinion, meant to be a book that is cracked open regularly, but not necessarily read cover to cover in any single session.

I was raised by strong Christian parents, and as such I have some familiarity with this “daily meditation” style of inspirational text. The Fr Jim Douglas Norris Notebooks has been one of my favorites in this genre. It is exactly what it advertises. I can pick it up, flip to any chapter, and read a quick bite of wholesome spiritual content to uplift my day. This is not unique to this book, but what Baird has done that sets this book apart from many others lies in the authentic compilation of one man’s personal journey. This is not what you might call a polished, professionally edited book. It is filled with many spelling and grammar errors. In this context, however, these imperfections lend the book an impressive authenticity. Again, this was compiled from Father Norris’s personal notebooks, which were kept for himself rather than written for the purpose of publishing. To me, it feels like Baird has made the intentional choice to stay as true as possible to those notebooks, rather than sanitizing them to create a more “polished” product. It’s one of the rare books I’ve read where the grammar errors did not put me off much while I was reading.

This authenticity, this honesty, is what draws me back to this book. It’s not hard to find good advice these days. ChatGPT could probably spin me up a daily dose of spirituality if I asked it to. Finding something raw and real, however, seems to be getting more and more rare by the day.

Father Norris was a Catholic, and this book is consequently geared towards Catholicism. I think that many Christians could still enjoy the book, but the farther away one is from Catholicism, the less applicable this text will become. Regardless, I rate this book a full five out of five stars. I think that this is a book that any Catholic, and most Christians, would really enjoy.

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The Fr Jim Norris notebooks
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[Louis Donald]

I appreciate the raw, authentic feel of Father Norris’s reflections, and the idea of picking it up for small doses of spiritual inspiration sounds appealing. However, I'm not sure how closely I can connect with its Catholic focus, so I’m unsure if I’ll read it.

[Pearl Flourish]

The Fr Jim Norris Notebooks offers an authentic glimpse into one man’s spiritual journey, making it a valuable read for those seeking genuine reflections on faith.