The seven storey mountain is the 1948 autobiography of thomas merton an american trappist monk and priest who was a noted author in the 1940s 1950s and 1960s merton finished the book in 1946 at the age of 31 five years after entering gethsemani abbey near bardstown kentucky the title refers to the mountain of purgatory from dantes purgatorio the seven storey mountain was published in 1948 and was unexpectedly successful the first printing was planned for 7500 copies but pre publicatio. The seven storey mountain tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man who at the age of twenty six takes vows in one of the most demanding catholic orders the trappist monks at the abbey of gethsemani the four walls of my new freedom thomas merton struggles to withdraw from the world but only after he has fully immersed himself in it. Seven storey mountain is an american rock group from phoenix arizonathe groups music is heavily influenced by the early washington dc post hardcore scene the band formed in 1994 as a three piece featuring singer guitarist lance lammers bassist jesse everhart and drummer thomas lanser. The seven storey mountain confronts us with ourselves as we are and the selves god would have us become it is a book about becomings it is a book about the mystery of the human self being elicited by grace whether merton realized how profoundly he had tapped into the psyche of all of us in writing his own story i dont know