The Mind of the Maker, Dorothy L. Sayers
The Mind of the Maker, Dorothy L. Sayers
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The Mind of the Maker

Author: Dorothy L. Sayers

Narrator: Jane McDowell

Unabridged: 7 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/12/2024


Synopsis

An investigation into the nature of God and creativity from the author of the Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries, with an introduction by Madeleine L’Engle. The Mind of the Maker will be relished by those already in love with Dorothy L. Sayers and those who have not yet met her. A mystery writer, a witty and perceptive theologian, culture critic, and playwright, Dorothy Sayers sheds new, unexpected light on a specific set of statements made in the Christian creeds. She examines anew such ideas as the image of God, the Trinity, free will, and evil, and in this text, a wholly revitalized understanding of them emerges. She finds the key in the parallels between the creation of God and the human creative process. She continually refers to each in a way that illuminates both. This classic, with a new introduction by Madeleine L'Engle, is by turns an entrancing mediation on language; a piercing commentary on the nature of art and why so much of what we read, hear, and see falls short; and a brilliant examination of the fundamental tenets of Christianity. From the opening of Genesis, it is clear that God and man share one vital trait: the ability to create great works out of nothing. More than any other group, artists feel impelled to create, and this urge brings them closer to God. By contemplating the creative drive of humanity, we can better understand the works of God, and by listening deeply into the tenets of Christianity, we can better understand the creative spirit of man. In this searching, wide-ranging treatise, one of the greatest minds of the 20th century shows us what it means to be an artist—and what it takes to make humankind. This book is masterfully narrated by UK narrator and actor Jane McDowell. Fans of Dorothy L. Sayers may recognize Jane's clear soprano voice from other recordings of Sayers's works. ©1941, 1968 Anthony Fleming. Produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.

About Dorothy L. Sayers

Dorothy Leigh Sayers (1893 – 1957) was a renowned English crime writer best known for her mysteries featuring the aristocratic amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. The only child of an Oxford chaplain, she was one of the first women to receive a degree from that institution. A prolific writer of poems and plays as well as novels, she was a contemporary and friend of Agatha Christie, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

About Jane McDowell

Jane McDowell is an experienced actor and voiceover artist whose work spans theatre, film, television, radio, and audiobook narration. A lead in the award-winning feature film Twelve in a Box, she has had major roles in several Bollywood films, short films, and BBC dramas. She also regularly records audiobooks and plays and poetry for BBC radio. A member of Interact, a company of actors who read to stroke patients, she holds an MA in performance studies and currently lives in London.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Suzannah Rowntree on September 13, 2018

I finally read it! I'm not sure how much of it sank into my sleep-deprived brain, but the bits I remember were excellent. Sayers thinks of the craft of writing much the same way I have for years, but far more systematically and in far greater depth.......more

Goodreads review by David on June 01, 2017

I've always wanted to read Dorothy Sayers, so I finally did. This was an interesting book. Some of her observations are brilliant. She talks about how people think God is mysterious and argues, basically, that everything is mysterious. Her main point is that we see the Trinity echoed in how humans c......more

Goodreads review by Lancelot on January 18, 2021

Every maker, creator, and author should read this book. It’s central to my thesis and I wish I would have read it ten years ago but I’m glad I did now: Every act of creation comes out of the person of the author and none of them alone or any of their parts shows the author’s psychology and biography.......more

Goodreads review by ladydusk on January 21, 2024

Phew. This was a challenge and I'm quite certain I'll reread it many more times for more depth and understanding. It started out accessibly enough but dove very very deep and I felt like I needed to merely tread water and get what I could. I'm sure I'll continue to dwell on the ideas I was able to g......more

Goodreads review by Tori on December 25, 2024

Another book that I know is far better than my ability to understand it with only one reading. Sayers has quite an eye for noticing the connections between Christianity and creativity.......more