The Imitation of Christ (Translated by William Benham)

Excellent book. A true masterpiece, I lost mine on holiday, but purchased another as it’s that good.

Its fine,clean new.

Great book it came quickly

For my college work.

Written in old English. Not the updated version I was looking for.

Wouldn't recommend at all. Amazon have bought the rights to this text because its a money spinner. The absolute minimum has been put into it, cheap and tacky cover, no commentary or editing or added insight and published as cheap as possible by Amazon. Surely, there is something in 'Imitation' that refers to greed and profit above all. It would apply to Amazon in this respect. Second hand Penguin Classics version is far far far better. I'd also raise an eyebrow at some of the other reviews. There's a faintly sulphuric whiff of PR bunnies etc.

very good

This classic was translated by one, Rev. William Benham. It is one of my favourites because the language used is very eloquent and beautiful. The downside is it will take you a bit longer to get through it, you just can’t read as fast, but fast enough.Before this edition I read one I found written more as a Catholic devotional, I don’t know the translators because they are titled in Latin, so I am guessing the Bishops of some country put it out or someone affiliated. It is an ok translation but my least favourite.My favourite being a Dover edition translated by Aloysius Croft & Harold Bolton. They did a splendid job and I highly recommend that edition. The book is only roughly ~200 pages max so I would implore you to read more than one translation of this classic work. My next one will be one with commentary.Why? Because Kempis was very much influenced by his historical time, about the end of the Middle Ages of Europe, and it comes through in his writings. Wonderful religious text that everyone should read.Enjoy!

... aber wo bitte sind die Seitenzahlen? Egal wer ein Buch druckt, man kann Seitenzahlen eigentlich voraussetzen. Ist kein Luxus...

I did not give it five stars because the old style English is used in this version.

This book - The Imitation of Christ By Thomas A. Kempis and Translated by Rev William Benham, aims to articulate the deep feelings and experiences of a heart that yearns to please the Most High God and it achieves that goal along with providing deep insights into the holy scriptures. The prayers written in this book by Thomas Kempis are treasure gems that illustrate how one can pray the scriptures in a meaningful manner. It is the best book I have read apart from the bible, and it does not try to replace the bible in anyway but to put focus on the scriptures. It is a loaded book. I read a sentence multiple times and each time I read it my understanding is increased. The book is well organized and not constrained in the layout. You can pick it up and start from anywhere. It is truly written by a Man whose heart longed for perfect alignment with Gods' will and it inspires us to do the same. To see one's struggles, experiences and deep feelings articulated so effectively and insightfully is truly a gift and Thomas A Kempis was blessed with that gift to write this book.

In 1960 at St. Joseph's European Boys High School, Bangalore, India, one of my teachers, Fr. Saldhana ("Bulldog") required us to read parts of this book in Catechism class. In those days Christians and non-Christians at this Jesuit school had to take two compulsory subjects - Catechism and Moral Science - no exceptions on religious grounds etc. Even then as young rambunctious kids we liked this book because it was easy to read and simple enough that answering test questions on it was a breeze. Since then I have re-read this book many times and now decided to get this Benham translation for my Kindle.Needless to say this book is a timeless classic by any standards. However, this translation by Fr. Benham is quite excellent in that it flows freely retaining the majesty, piety, scope, and grandeur of the material. A superb achievement. Also I wish to mention that just because you may be of another faith don't let that stop you from reading this extremely beautiful, enriching, and edifying book. Be you a Hindu, Muslim, Parsi, Jew, or Buddhist you are sure to find this book extremely rewarding. Why? Because the thoughts expressed here are universal, simple, and concern the very kernel of the "Why" question. A most rewarding book that you will most likely re-read many times in the years to come.