The Seven Storey Mountain

Merton joined the Trappists, formally known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky. The 1948 autobiography details his chaotic early life and his eventual conversion to Catholicism leading up to his monastic vows. Gethsemani remains an active Trappist monastery today.

Yes, the 1948 memoir became a massive, surprise bestseller that exceeded all publisher expectations. It resonated deeply with a post-war American audience and established Merton as a prominent spiritual writer. The original publisher, Harcourt Brace, initially printed a modest run that sold out almost immediately.

Before his conversion, Merton lived a highly secular life as a restless young academic, studying at Cambridge University and later Columbia University. He was heavily involved in the vibrant literary and nightlife scenes of New York during the 1930s. The book describes his gradual dissatisfaction with this worldly lifestyle.

Yes, Merton wrote the manuscript at the Abbey of Gethsemani between his entrance in 1941 and its publication in 1948. His monastic superiors actually encouraged him to write the autobiography to share his spiritual journey. He wrote much of it during the strict quiet hours mandated by the Trappist rule.