Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul
by Tony Hendra
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Read in January, 2005
Tony Hendra is a British satirist with a Forrest Gump-like lifetime. He performed in college with John Cleese and Graham Chapman (Monty Python fame); was editor of the National Lampoon; was in This is Spinal Tap; attended school with Stephen Hawking and other famous people. This memoir (supposedly) focuses on his spirituality: his early years when he wanted to become a monk, his lifetime straying from his faith; and his return to his faith in his later years – all as the direct result of knowi...more
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Read in July, 2008
"Father Joe" by Tony Hendra should be more aptly titled, "Tony Hendra's Life, with not enough Father Joe." The early and later chapters of this book are an engrossing account of a monk... a rare, once-in-a-lifetime sort of man filled with love, wit, and faith. For these pages, the book is an absolute must-read. However, the middle of this work is nothing but an egotistic recording of the author's life in comedy -- laden with drugs, deception, and selfishness. Add in a hea...more
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Read in April, 2008
I'm about halfway and I really like this so far. I'm not sure yet what the overall goal / objective of the book is (why did the author write it? what was his point?) but I'm really enjoying the narrative about himself at 14 meeting Father Joe, getting a new perspective on church, religion, the bible, etc. I consider myself agnostic and very curious about different faiths and religions, have a variety of experiences I'm working with, and this book gave me new insight as well. I remember friends i...more
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Read in February, 2008
Interesting read,
Hendra is a unique sort with a thoroughly unique story.
His writing style is a bit choppy and sometimes borders on incoherent, but the feelings run deep in this account of his personal road to salvation, his relationship with Father Joe, and his many extremes along the way.
Hendra has led a very interesting life. The book touches on many personalities and accomplishments in his many years as a satirist and quasi-humorist. He is clearly a talented and intelligent ...more
Hendra is a unique sort with a thoroughly unique story.
His writing style is a bit choppy and sometimes borders on incoherent, but the feelings run deep in this account of his personal road to salvation, his relationship with Father Joe, and his many extremes along the way.
Hendra has led a very interesting life. The book touches on many personalities and accomplishments in his many years as a satirist and quasi-humorist. He is clearly a talented and intelligent ...more
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
Nearly everyone (age 15+)
Despite the fact that Father Joe is a Catholic monk, this book is not a book about Catholicism or even Christianity. It is a story of finding faith, losing it, and finding it again. More than that, it is about relationships. Hendra details his deeply personal relationship with Father Joe as it grew and changed over the course of decades and he talks about how that single friendship shaped his relationships with himself and everyone else in his life.
Tony Hendra is a good writer ...more
Tony Hendra is a good writer ...more
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Read in April, 2008
Father Joe is a story about a man and his relationship with a kind and compassionate Benedictine monk. The author, Tony Hendra is definitely a funny writer, and his humor comes out throughout the book.
His propensity to name-drop and rant against Conservative politicians also comes out toward the end of the book. (No wonder the Philadelphia Inquirer and Commonweal gave it rave reviews).
I found the political comments particularly distracting and unnecessary, but made me wonder if he ...more
His propensity to name-drop and rant against Conservative politicians also comes out toward the end of the book. (No wonder the Philadelphia Inquirer and Commonweal gave it rave reviews).
I found the political comments particularly distracting and unnecessary, but made me wonder if he ...more
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Read in November, 2006
It's been a while since I've read this, but I do remember Hendra's sense of humor. This is one of the best books I've read about the inner struggle and where/how an individual should/shouldn't define themselves...and, as in times of everyone's life, the results of listening to the wrong voice. I admire (and treasure) the author's willingness to log his successes and failures in the context of his journey, which shouldn't deter anyone from learning something from both Hendra and Father Joe. Fa...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone interested in God and peace
I cried like a baby at the end of this book. The story of Hendra's spiritual journey (at once Catholic and catholic) is centered around his relationship with this immensely loving and lovable monk who comes through the pages as if he were your own friend. This is a great story and a remarkable achievement in the genre of the spiritual memoir. The book soars above sentimentality; on the back cover are endorsements from Adam Gopnik (who cried, too!), Frank McCourt, Christopher Buckley, and Andrew ...more
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This was a surprisingly good. A British comedy writer experiences serious signs of burnout and meets a monk in a British monastery (these exist?!?). The title character is the monk and Hendra's description of him and his simple life and philosophy spoke to me at the time I read the book. Maybe a person has to be in the right state of mind for the book to be that good, but I was and thought it truly worthy. Still do.
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Read in July, 2007
Heartbreaking, profound, bittersweet and deeply soulful. I can scarcely imagine a better foray into the agonies and triumphs of going from naive childhood to reckless adulthood...and all while being cared for by a true saint. For lovers of the seedier sides of the publishing and comedy industry as well as those attracted to holy, amazing monks. The two worlds come together at last.
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recommends it for:
if you need a laugh and inspiration
I'm not Catholic, nor even Christian, but I know that there are a hundred paths to wisdom and the infinite. Father Joe is one of the most inspirational modern people I've ever heard of.
The author is a comedian, former cokehead, and all around wild man who managed to keep his heart and mind open and to slowly gather some of Father Joe's gentle message and hope.
The author is a comedian, former cokehead, and all around wild man who managed to keep his heart and mind open and to slowly gather some of Father Joe's gentle message and hope.
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I listened to this one on CD and i think it was probably one of the best i've heard in years. The author reads it himself, which adds to the narration, but it's Father Joe himself who captivates and charms you. Since this is a true story, it ends as all lives do - - - but i found myself sobbing when Father Joe finally leaves Hendra's life for his "spiritual home".
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Read in June, 2008
I appreciate how straightforward Hendra is with how he came to appreciate his faith, fall away, and come back to it and finally realize his vocation. That said, it didn't seem clear to me whether or not he was actively practicing his Catholic faith or whether his relationship with Fr. Joe was all that really remained. The ending wasn't very satisfying.
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Read in September, 2005
Tony Hendra leads us through his incredible life and the influence upon him of a simple monk living in the Isle of Wight. This is a lovely read and very moving at the end. A story of finding ones soul and a man who never judged ill of anyone but with kind words and insights brought sinners back to life and influenced those lives so thoroughly.
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An amazing, touching story. It was deeply inspiring to me until I read an article about his daughter’s claim that he sexually molested her. He denies this claim, but others who have investigated seem to feel that it could well be fact. After that, it was hard to regain the same overall spirit, but the man Father Joe is still an inspiration.
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I liked the book but not the author. It is spoken of as a book about Father Joe, and it is but it is even more about Tony Hedra who I don't find really likable. I do find Father Joe a fascinating and amazing person who I'd want to emulate in some fashion so I'm thankful to have been introduced to him.
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Read in February, 2008
Starts off well, but after all the talk of his dedication to his religion and how he had no problem meeting the strict code of conduct as a teen in the 50s/60s, I quickly lost interest when he abruptly conforms to a traditional college lifestyle. So I did not read the second half of the book.
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Read in July, 2007
This is certainly an interesting piece of autobiography from my era, but that is not why I give this book 5 stars. It is the soul and spirit of Father Joe which I find incredibly inspiring. I know Tony Hendra has taken his licks for being a sinner - that is something else.
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Read in December, 2007
I am not usually one for this kind of memoir, but this book really has stuck with my mind. Tony Hendra was a kid in school with Stephen Hawking, performed with the Pythons, was in this is spinal tap. His story of life paths and transformations was really something!
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Interesting biography by National Lampoon author Tony Hendra, although Fr. Joe is a far more interesting person than Mr. Hendra. The last half of the book is not as well written as the first. It may be worth skipping to the last chapter at some point.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.69 (177 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.66 (152 ratings) number of reviews: 45popular shelves
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quote
"I was awake and this was reality, the new reality of nothing--and worse, of having to continue to exist."
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