Matters of Life… by Norman Weeks

A thought-provoking collection of well-crafted essays exploring the dynamic and intimate philosophy of existence, Matters of Life… by Norman Weeks is a wise and gentle manifesto.

Broken into three distinct sections – “Life Thought About,” “Laughed At,” and “Suffered” – the prose feels all encompassing, from our biological origins and anthropological myths to our emotional maturation as individuals and a species. Weeks examines humanity as a naturalist, a philosopher, an investigator, and even a harsh critic, depending on the subject and tack of each essay, covering issues such as powerful personal experiences that shape our paths, unpredictable bumps in the road, and the myriad of struggle and grief that a life can contain.

Throughout the collection, Weeks demonstrates surgical nuance with his own thoughts and beliefs, without becoming too preachy or pretentious with readers, despite the clear religious foundations. The essays are both life-affirming and incisive about our faults – Weeks can appreciate mankind’s adaptive history, with its societal structures and cultural breakthroughs, while also identifying the dark traditions and mental stumbling blocks that have led the planet into peril.

There are technical aspects that could be improved, including some redundancy in the content of the essays, and the occasional grammatical stumble, poorly worded line, or underdeveloped stream of thought. Self-referential or rhetorical questions are also a common crutch that Weeks employs perhaps a bit too often. Additionally, while there is a throughline of ideas between essays, often carrying from one to the next, there are some tangential leaps, as though the overall order is a bit off.

Those issues aside, Matters of Life… is an impressively broad-reaching compendium of scientific thought, philosophy, sociology, religion, and vulnerable autobiographical honesty, for a poignant collection that is at once personal and universal.