The Road to Rome

Author: (English) Hillary Block Prince
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Way to Rome was first published in 1902, recording the author Hillary Block's inner journey based on his experience of walking from Tours to Rome on a pilgrimage the previous summer. When the author concluded his travels in the United States and returned to France to visit his hometown and the newly restored local church where he spent his childhood, his religious fervor was stirred, and he vowed to walk to Rome for pilgrimage: "I will start from where I served in the army, walk along the way, and not take any wheeled vehicle; I will sleep outdoors, travel thirty miles each day, attend mass every morning, and enjoy the sublime mass in the cathedral at the banquet of St. Peter and St. Paul." Most critics agree that this is Block's most outstanding work. His biographer, Robert Speaight, claims: "This book brought Block fame, and it is more captivating and thought-provoking than his other works. It is a classic, far more than just a travelogue." G.K. Chesterton believed: "The Way to Rome is the joy of a sincere and pure soul; it is a rich inner reflection of an intellectual," "This road is a path of seeking, leading readers to journey into their own hearts and then beyond the small self; it is also a path of discovery, where the sweet home and bitter exile intertwine, swirling in mystical meditation."