The Sign of Jonas was published by Harcourt, Brace in 1953. It presents Merton’s monastic journal from December 1946 through July 1952 — the years following The Seven Storey Mountain’s publication, when Merton had to reconcile the silence he sought with the fame he had inadvertently achieved.
The journal form suits Merton perfectly: freed from the obligation to construct an argument, he can record the texture of monastic life with extraordinary immediacy. The reader enters Gethsemani’s daily rhythm: rising at 2 AM for Vigils, the hours of choir, the periods of manual labor, the brief snatches of reading, the struggle with cold and exhaustion and boredom. Merton is honest about the difficulty of the life — the monotony, the irritation of community, the doubt — without ever losing sight of why he chose it.
The book concludes with “Fire Watch, July 4, 1952” — a prose poem written during Merton’s turn as night watchman, walking through the sleeping monastery checking for fire. It is one of the supreme achievements of American spiritual writing: each room and corridor becomes a meditation on the life lived there, and the ascent to the bell tower becomes an ascent toward God. The piece is so extraordinary that it transforms everything that precedes it.
Collecting The Sign of Jonas
First edition (Harcourt, Brace, New York, 1953): Cloth with dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $75–$200
- Very good: $30–$75
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation.
The Monastery Journal
The Sign of Jonas (1953) is Merton’s journal of his early years at Gethsemani — covering his ordination as a priest, his growing reputation as a writer, and his struggle to reconcile the demands of authorship with the silence of monastic life. The book’s title refers to the prophet Jonah, whom Merton saw as a figure for the contemplative swallowed by God. The journal form suits Merton’s gifts — his prose is at its most natural and engaging when recording the daily rhythms of monastic life, the Kentucky seasons, and his own inner turmoil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Merton’s journal writing better than his formal theology? Many readers think so. Merton’s journals have a spontaneity and honesty that his more polished works sometimes lack. The Sign of Jonas and the posthumously published complete journals are considered his finest achievements by many scholars.