Comments for Catholic Fiction

Comment on The Cut by George Pelecanos by Cheapskates and Jimmy Bench Press by Charlie Stella — Catholic Fiction

Cheapskates and Jimmy Bench Press by Charlie Stella — Catholic Fiction — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:00:49 +0000

[...] just after finishing Pelecanos’ The Cut, I come across someone writing in a similar vein, Charlie Stella. I’ve read two of his novels [...]

Comment on The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene by GRAHAM GREENE: MAPPING GREENELAND: Term 2: The Power and the Glory (2) « Julia's 'Reading the Novel' Courses

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:02:22 +0000

[...] is another discussion of The Power and the Glory, and issue of the inner dialogue of the pries, here, on a Roman Catholic website. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]

Comment on Warning Miracle by John Klee by Arthur Powers

Arthur Powers — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:10:45 +0000

Tannia – Thanks! Your comments make sense. Very helpful.

Comment on Middlemarch by George Eliot by Debra Murphy

Debra Murphy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:02:22 +0000

I agree, Christy. The “catholic” aspects of Eliot’s novel may also be a product of the fact that the mid-Victorian milieu in which Eliot wrote was still substantially Christian; Christianity especially informed many of the social justice thinking of even the most skeptical writers, and there is a profound interest in Eliot’s writing in doint the right thing, improving the life of the poor, leading a useful life, etc.

Above all, it is my view that Eliot’s novel is a classic because she was a keen observer of daily realities and scrupulous about not “falsifying life,” as Francois Mauriac complained in reference to some Catholic novelists who are so keen to get a religious message across that they distort reality to shoehorn it in. On the other hand, among the greatest writers, one sees time and time again how they end up with very “catholicable” books, almost in spite of their overt beliefs, simply because they wereare keen observers of reality and don’t play false with it. One of my favorite examples of this is Flaubert’s Madame Bovary. Flaubert was no Catholic, and he loved his sinful heroine, but he didn’t twist reality to suit his predilections. The result: I think Bovary is a far more Catholic as well as “catholic” novel than many that overtly fly under that title.

Comment on Warning Miracle by John Klee by Tannia

Tannia — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:43:31 +0000

HI Arthur, the book is not badly written, although it is a new author trying his luck as a writer. I summarized it the best I could. The few weakness I found, I sent them directly to the author as they were a matter of personal taste and not about the quality of the book. As I wrote: “It is interesting and the end will make you think.” As a reviewer, since I tend to review the same type of books, I try not to compare them. Does the book is written at the quality of the Left Behind series? Absolutely, no. However the book also has its merits and I expressed them in my review. It was not my typical review as it was hard to summarized without given much of the story away.

What it matters to me is that the author was satisfied with my review and felt I summarized it well without spoilers. I hope that clarify your doubts. In my four years as a reviewer I have read two books that were not worth the paper and ink used to print them. This book is NOT one of those.

Comment on Dear and Glorious Physician, by Taylor Caldwell by Meg Gilboy

Meg Gilboy — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:37:46 +0000

I love Taylor Caldwell’s writing. I feel she is very religious but when searching her philosophy of life or beliefs, it doesn’t coincide with her books. Any insight?

Comment on Middlemarch by George Eliot by Christy Isinger

Christy Isinger — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:24:21 +0000

It is true that Eliot publicly professed to being skeptical of religion and did not live according to the teachings of the Church. She did however, have a keen interest in spirituality that lasted throughout her life. I believe she sincerely sought out the Truth. My purpose of writing about Middlemarch was to show that although Eliot appeared to be atheist her writings have a strong theological aspect that appear in almost every work, but very often in Middlemarch. I think it could be argued that her themes and characters show a more ‘Catholic’ viewpoint than simply an evangelical or Christian one. I find it incredibly interesting when a novelist’s work reveals a belief that they themselves refuse to acknowledge or support. I also strongly believe that good literature should be read no matter what faith or belief the author professes.

Comment on The Arms of Love by Carmen Marcoux by Bonnie Way

Bonnie Way — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:35:24 +0000

Tamara, I agree that Arms of Love would make a good YA novel. It might be a great discussion starter for a youth group or young adult book club. You may also want to check out Lisa Samson – she’s a Catholic author who’s written a lot of books, from historical romance to contemporary fiction. I particularly enjoyed The Passion of Mary-Margaret, which is about a nun.

Comment on Middlemarch by George Eliot by David

David — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:44:34 +0000

Hi, I was quite surprised to come across a piece on Middlemarch on this website. Eliot was, in fact, an atheist. Like nearly everybody else in Victorian England, she had a religious upbringing, and though she retained a sincere respect for, and interest in, religious systems, she outgrew faith and instead aimed to formulate a ‘religion of humanity’. I give her the last word: ‘Fatally powerful as religious systems have been, human nature is stronger and wider than religious systems, and though dogmas may hamper, they cannot absolutely repress its growth’.

Comment on The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter by Delaney Valley

Delaney Valley — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:32:18 +0000

Thanks again for the blog.Much thanks again. Fantastic.