Author Topic: A Canticle for Liebowitz - one of my favorite books! (Read 4985 times)

Matthew · « **on:** July 10, 2016, 11:05:42 PM »

I'm enjoying the book again right now.

What a book!

It's chock-full of Catholic stuff, including lots of Latin. In fact, I don't know that I'd recommend it to a non-Catholic. They wouldn't "get it" or enjoy it as much.

An excellent, well written, deep, philosophical, and epic book spanning 1800 years of time after a great Flame Deluge (nuclear h0Ɩ0cαųst) wipes out most of mankind, and the survivors take out their frustration on anyone learned or even literate.

A new dark age ensues.

The first part of the book takes place 600 years after the Flame Deluge (around 1960) The second part of the book takes place when we have a 1700's level of technology, with science poised to leap everything ahead and re-conquer nature once again.

The third part of the book brings us right back around to where we started, with the possibility of another Flame Deluge on the horizon...

I highly recommend this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468209900&sr=1-1&keywords=a+canticle+for+liebowitz&linkCode=ll1&tag=httpwwwchanco-20&linkId=a301994ff5dff539ea7ef1b29cd5b4fb

Matto · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2016, 12:03:11 PM »

I read it after I saw it recommended by a Catholic libertarian. I enjoyed it but there was one thing that I thought was strange. The Blessed Mother appears in an extra head of a mutated lady who had two heads. I thought that was strange. But otherwise I enjoyed the book. I liked the first part of the three parts that takes place earlier the most.

I don't know much about the author. I wonder what he thought about Vatican II and the changes. I wonder if he kept the faith or abandoned it when it became absurd in the Novus Ordo. I believe he would have hated the Novus Ordo, just based on what I read in his book. According to his wikipedia page he bacame a recluse later in life and wouldn't see anyone and he didn't die well, he supposedly committed ѕυιcιdє by gun (which greatly surprised me because of the anti-ѕυιcιdє message in the latter part of his book.).

AlligatorDicax · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2016, 01:07:32 PM »

Quote from: Matthew (Jul 11, 2016, 12:05 am)

It's chock-full of Catholic stuff, including lots of Latin. In fact, I don't know that I'd recommend it to a non-Catholic. They wouldn't "get it" or enjoy it as much.

An excellent, well written, deep, philosophical, and epic book spanning 1800 years of time after a great Flame Deluge (nuclear h0Ɩ0cαųst) wipes out most of mankind, and the survivors take out their frustration on anyone learned or even literate. A new dark age ensues. [....]  The second part of the book takes place when we have a 1700's level of technology, with science poised to leap everything ahead and re-conquer nature once again. [....]

I highly recommend this book.

Canticle is 1 of my all-time favorite works of fiction, and 1 of the few that I've read more than once.

Alas, 'twas the only novel Miller completed during his lifetime.

He did have earlier numerous short-stories, mostly sci-fi, published. There are 6 of them, 5 from the pulp-sci-fi periodical If: Worlds of Science Fiction, and 1 from Galaxy, are available free via
Project Gutenberg

.

-------
Note +: &60;http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/33738>.

Matto · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2016, 01:12:02 PM »

Quote from: AlligatorDicax

Canticle is 1 of my all-time favorite works of fiction, and 1 of the few that I've read more than once.

Alas, 'twas the only novel Miller completed during his lifetime.

His wikipedia article says that Miller was writing a sequel to "The Canticle" during his lifetime and after Miller's death another writer finished the sequel and it was published.

Matthew · « **Reply #4 on:** July 11, 2016, 01:25:53 PM »

Quote from: Matto

I enjoyed it but there was one thing that I thought was strange. The Blessed Mother appears in an extra head of a mutated lady who had two heads. I thought that was strange. But otherwise I enjoyed the book. I liked the first part of the three parts that takes place earlier the most.

I think you misunderstood.

It wasn't the Blessed Mother herself, but she had something in common with her: no Original Sin.

God created her in a state of original innocence, with all the original gifts to boot. That's why she rejected the priest's attempt at baptism, but could discern the Real Presence.

I also liked the first and second parts the most. But I love the way the book takes place over such a large amount of time -- and how they keep referring back to things that happened in the first 2 parts. They mention the main character in the first part (Venerable Francis Gerard of Utah), the wood carving with the strange smile, etc.

And then you have that weird Jew character, who seems to be alive in all 3 parts of the book, even though we're talking about 1800 years!