An Owner's Manual for the Unfinished Soul

This is an odd book to define. In Miller's words, ""the following bits and pieces... are the over-spillings of both the smallest and most significant moments of my life."" Miller, the author of The Singer Trilogy, looks upon this book as the recollection of a journey that he wants to share with other religious pilgrims, not ""to see how to do anything,"" but simply to relish the journey together. Filled with poetry, stories, letters, prayers and parables, the book records Miller's own views of God and the journey of Miller's own unfinished soul toward completion. Through these reflections, Miller acknowledges that the religious journey has its power and attraction in seekers' desire to complete their unfinished souls, or to have their hearts rest in God. Miller's ability to spin a yarn provides the highlights and the inspiring moments of the book, but much of it reads as if it were thrown together to clean out some old files. (Mar.)