Surprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber
Surprised by Oxford, Carolyn Weber
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Surprised by Oxford
A Memoir

Author: Carolyn Weber

Narrator: Nancy Peterson

Unabridged: 12 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/19/2019


Synopsis

Surprised by Oxford is the memoir of a skeptical agnostic who comes to a dynamic personal faith in God during graduate studies in literature at Oxford University.

Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of Truth, love, and a life that matters.

From issues of fatherhood, feminism, doubt, doctrine, and love, Weber explores the intricacies of coming to faith with an aching honesty and insight echoing that of the poets and writers she studied. Rich with literary references, Surprised by Oxford is at once gritty and lyrical; both humorous and spiritually perceptive. This savvy, credible account of Christian conversion and its after-effects follows the Oxford liturgical calendar as it entertains, informs, and promises to engage even the most skeptical and unlikely listener.

About Carolyn Weber

Carolyn Weber earned her BA from the University of Western Ontario and her MPhil and DPhil degrees from Oxford University. She has been Associate Professor of Romantic Literature at Seattle University; she has also taught at Westmont College, University of San Francisco, and Oxford University. Carolyn and her husband share the joy of parenting three spirited children in Santa Barbara, California, and London, Canada.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Melanie on September 05, 2011

I am not going to lie, when I saw that the memoir I had agreed to read [Surprised by Oxford] by Carolyn Weber was well over 400 pages, I was a little disappointed in having chosen this title to review. Thankfully, this book is a beautiful narrative filled with poetry and quotes from classic literat......more

Goodreads review by ladydusk on October 04, 2023

Own. Half-way point? phenomenal. This is my third memoir of the year, and by far my favorite. According to my blog, I read Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner almost 10 years ago. I still remember that I liked it, but didn't love it. Something seemed off. This. This book blows it out of the water. Carolyn W......more

Goodreads review by Cindy on November 22, 2021

Just reread this in audio for The Literary Life Podcast interview with Carolyn Weber. Loved it even more this time around.......more

Goodreads review by Anne on April 02, 2013

I'd give this one 3.5 stars if I could. I wanted to love this book; I'm afraid it may be the victim of my high expectations. My major complaint (and it's a big one) is that the LENGTHY soliloquies in the mouth of a major character just didn't ring true for me. This is memoir: it needs to feel real.......more

Goodreads review by Matt on November 29, 2021

What an absorbing and delightful story. Has “A Severe Mercy” vibes. I couldn’t put it down.......more