In search of books lost
May. 12th, 2007 11:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tree_and_leafMany years ago I read a rather charming fantasy novel, set in a Civil War period AU where fairies (specifically Oberon and Titania) existed. The hero was Prince Rupert, and some sort of quest came into it. There was also a love story, between Rupert and (I think) his Puritan jailer's daughter. I can't remember the title, although I have a vague memory that the cover had a picture of a boat on it. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
No love for Paul Burke, author of the (to my mind) exceptionally tiresome "The Man Who Fell In Love With his Wife." It's a romantic comedy about the trial and tribulations of an ex-Catholic priest, who gave up the priesthod to marry. Unfortunately, it suffers from as bad a mismatch between what the author tells us to think of the character, and how he actually appears, as I have seen outside the Pit of Voles.† The protagonist, Frank, is supposed to be kind-hearted, charming, and loveable in a slightly hapless, impractical manner. He is also supposed to be intelligent and sincere. Except what we're actually shown is a hypocrite (he went into the Church despite never believing a word of Christianity; given the actual process of selection for the priesthood, ha mist have spent a considerable time telling calculated lies), a bit of an ego-maniac (his ex-flock, naturally, adore him, and he spends a lot of time lamenting the loss of this adoration in what I think is meant to be a self-deprecating manner), and also an idiot (his stated reasons for going into the priesthood was wanting to do something 'social' and not being able to think of anything else to do with his life - he might have tried social work or, given his love of his own voice, politics - and makes such incisive theological analysis as 'confirmation was stupid and pointless even by the standards of Catholic sacraments', which hardly squares, whether or not you believe in Christian doctrine, with another character's reference to him as the brightest man in his Oxford theology class). I skipped ahead to the end of the book, contrary to my usuaul practice, in the hope that some of these glaring disjunctures would be addressed, but in fact the pay off was Our Hero, whose wife had one baby and another on the way and had chucked her job in advertising because it all seemed so pointless next to the joys of motherhood - or something like that, I'm a bit hazy on the details - being recruited by a C of E bishop to be vicar of a church in Cadogan Sq. Our Hero, to do him justice, protested that he was an agnostic and didn't believe a word of it, where upon the BIshop replied 'You'll fit right in in the C of E, then'. So our hero accepts, apparently convinced that a vicar's stipend will solve all his financial problems and allow him to support children, wife, and wife' Manolo Blahnik collection....
Ah well... it's all very well to say it's just comedy, but I think it would be funnier if it bore more of a resemblance to reality. Cheap shots at the credulity of Catholics and the wooliness of Anglicans are just lazy.
† With the possible exception of the Left Behind series of 'Christian' 'Literature', but as I only know these from the Slacktivist blog, I suppose I can't really comment.
No love for Paul Burke, author of the (to my mind) exceptionally tiresome "The Man Who Fell In Love With his Wife." It's a romantic comedy about the trial and tribulations of an ex-Catholic priest, who gave up the priesthod to marry. Unfortunately, it suffers from as bad a mismatch between what the author tells us to think of the character, and how he actually appears, as I have seen outside the Pit of Voles.† The protagonist, Frank, is supposed to be kind-hearted, charming, and loveable in a slightly hapless, impractical manner. He is also supposed to be intelligent and sincere. Except what we're actually shown is a hypocrite (he went into the Church despite never believing a word of Christianity; given the actual process of selection for the priesthood, ha mist have spent a considerable time telling calculated lies), a bit of an ego-maniac (his ex-flock, naturally, adore him, and he spends a lot of time lamenting the loss of this adoration in what I think is meant to be a self-deprecating manner), and also an idiot (his stated reasons for going into the priesthood was wanting to do something 'social' and not being able to think of anything else to do with his life - he might have tried social work or, given his love of his own voice, politics - and makes such incisive theological analysis as 'confirmation was stupid and pointless even by the standards of Catholic sacraments', which hardly squares, whether or not you believe in Christian doctrine, with another character's reference to him as the brightest man in his Oxford theology class). I skipped ahead to the end of the book, contrary to my usuaul practice, in the hope that some of these glaring disjunctures would be addressed, but in fact the pay off was Our Hero, whose wife had one baby and another on the way and had chucked her job in advertising because it all seemed so pointless next to the joys of motherhood - or something like that, I'm a bit hazy on the details - being recruited by a C of E bishop to be vicar of a church in Cadogan Sq. Our Hero, to do him justice, protested that he was an agnostic and didn't believe a word of it, where upon the BIshop replied 'You'll fit right in in the C of E, then'. So our hero accepts, apparently convinced that a vicar's stipend will solve all his financial problems and allow him to support children, wife, and wife' Manolo Blahnik collection....
Ah well... it's all very well to say it's just comedy, but I think it would be funnier if it bore more of a resemblance to reality. Cheap shots at the credulity of Catholics and the wooliness of Anglicans are just lazy.
† With the possible exception of the Left Behind series of 'Christian' 'Literature', but as I only know these from the Slacktivist blog, I suppose I can't really comment.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-12 11:53 am (UTC)The other book sounds like the kind you end up recycling for compost!
MM
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-12 01:44 pm (UTC)The other book was from the library, thankfully, but it did rather bring the old joke about 'not to be tossed aside lightly - it should be hurled with great force' to mind....
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-12 11:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-12 01:49 pm (UTC)I think it's all of a piece with the author's general lack of willingness to do research into anything vaguely related to the church - a brief survey of the parish's website suggests that the the congregation would tolerate the protag for about five minutes, as it doesn't seem the sort of place where folksy homilies on pop music and football would go down at all well...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-12 04:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-12 04:38 pm (UTC)The Joy of Sexuagisima is the worst religion related pun I have ever encountered.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-05-12 06:49 pm (UTC)A recommendation for you to review.
Date: 2007-05-12 10:26 pm (UTC)Okay. So I know I've already recommended this book to you, but every time I see one of your reviews I know that this book could be your all time favorite. You really, really have to read this book. Just read the reviews. And hey, the writer's best friend is a Trappist monk, which is right up your alley.
-Michelle Who Was Once a Livejournaler.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brothers-K-David-James-Duncan/dp/055337849X/ref=sr_1_6/026-7809617-7082049?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179007636&sr=8-6
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-13 11:53 pm (UTC)2) a mismatch between what the author tells us to think of the character, and how he actually appears -- hate that