A Critique of Dying. - book review

Cross Currents, Wntr, 2002 by Eric Adler

Nor is As I Lay Dying a book only for those whose intellectual and spiritual interests are as broad as its author's. Many of Neuhaus's thoughts are simple -- some even mesmerizingly so. Still, much like C. S. Lewis, Father Neuhaus never offers mere platitudes. This is an impressive - almost shocking--feat: how many works in the "grief" section of your local bookstore aren't awash in trite emotionalism? To this end, Neuhaus is genuinely countercultural -- not only in his social conservatism. His latest book is anathema to the gurus of the self-help genre. As such, it is likely to be more help to those in need.

Eric Adler is a Ph.D. candidate in Classical Studies at Duke University. His essays and reviews have appeared in Partisan Review, The Women's Quarterly, The Boston Book Review, The Bloomsbury Review, and Clarion.