An uplifting and thought provoking look at life from a poet’s perspective. The Famine of the Human Dream will challenge you to live with greater passion, to throw off those trifling ambitions that ever grope for our attention, and learn fight for things worth fighting for. The great theologian, CS Lewis, once said:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

The ultimate goal of life isn’t a search for happiness. The ultimate goal of life is learning how to fight for things worth fighting for. All of life is a battle. But the battle that defines each one of us isn’t primarily between right and wrong, as you would think. Rather, it’s something much more surprising. Find out what in the inspiring pages of The Famine of the Human Dream.

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About the Author

Ben Mester, author of The Famine of the Human Dream on tour with Celebrate Lit and featured on CarpeDiem.fyi

Benjamin Mester is an author and poet, with a passion for seeing people break away from small and shallow living and to step into the full measure of what the Lord has prepared for them. The destiny prepared for each one of us is to live a life of love and deep gladness. Benjamin Mester was born and raised in sunny San Diego, but can often be found wandering the woods of northern Minnesota, pen and paper in hand. His lifetime goal is to one day build a house in the woods, expanding it over time into a retreat center for authors, artists and others bursting with creativity. God is the most creative being in the entire universe, and as children made in His image, Mester hopes to inspire His people to explore the wonderful gift of creativity placed in each one of us.

My Review

This is a book filled with highly personal thoughts, feelings and contemplations and is ponderable enough to provide the reader with myriad opportunities to consider their own thoughts, feelings and opinions. This volume would make an excellent book club selection as there are many ideas for consideration and discussion. The depth of subjects and ideas presented by the author are fascinating and, more than once, his words caused me to pause and seriously consider and clarify my own beliefs. Good work! Filled to the brim, this is a volume to be savored in sips not gulps. I do recommend The Famine of the Human Dream and I will be rereading and gifting it for others to enjoy, too.

One early example of how this volume prompts the reader to posit their own opinion, is the author’s proposition that the C S Lewis’ quote,

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was meant for another world.”

could better be said as

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, then perhaps the world itself was meant to be different.”

The way I read the CS Lewis quote is different from the author’s. I believe C S Lewis did not consider this world (i.e. the earthly life) as the be-all and end-all of our longing or our existence. I believe he was referring to heaven as the other world for which we are meant. He was referring to our innate longing for a heavenly home.

I did find Messer’s idea of pursuing a lifestyle of daily bread intriguing. “A lifestyle of daily bread takes a courage and a resolve seldom found in our modern world. Instead, we often live in fear. We hold too dearly to the things of this world, unable to loosen our grip enough to find anything more.”

All in all this is an intriguing book and I will continue to ponder its contents!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book. A favorable review was not required, no compensation was received, and all views expressed are my own.

More from Benjamin

The Famine of the Human dream was written as a response to something…a quote from a great theologian, CS Lewis.

It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

When I read that, my heart began to burn. For though, as a younger man, I had often felt a passionate stirring to live my life to the full, though I didn’t quite know how and always felt myself slipping back into the mundane of mere survival. And so, I voraciously began to explore the many facets of life. I studied art, poetry, philosophy, beauty, and theology, prompted by Solomon’s declaration in the Proverbs, Whatever else you get, get understanding! I desperately wanted understanding of a very particular sort. I wanted to understand how to live my life to the full…this precious, brief slice of life we so often take for granted. I wanted true wisdom.

Contained within the pages of the Famine of the Human Dream are a poet’s reflections on life and the struggle to suck the marrow out of life, as Thoreau put it. This book is also an attempt to give the reader a passion for the study of poetry, which has dwindled much in modern society. The second portion of the book is a collection of my own poetry and poetry from other lovers of life that has touched me deeply. My biggest hope is that the reader will come away from this book with a renewed passion for life and an eager desire to dive deeper into poetry, beauty, and the heart of the Father.