Who knew?

… Donald Westlake's Spiritual Side | CrimeReads. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

This is not a book that will end with the monks becoming an itinerant mendicant order. The latter, though, is far from obvious, and in resolving it Westlake shows that he takes seriously the idea of Benedict’s vocation. From a world of structure and calm, Benedict finds himself thrust into a realm of almost infinite possibilities, with all the temptations and terror that implies. His journey through it, while never presented with the seriousness of a proper dark night of the soul, is handled with grace, care, and a convincing understanding of the rewards and costs of seclusion and devotion.