Reviews

Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson

mimiathereader's review against another edition

4.0

I wanted to like this book even more but, although I enjoyed a lot of parts of this books and thoughts about this world, I’m sure the more important parts went all over my head. Not sure if this English was too much for this non-English-speaking-growing-up person or if this is like Chesterton and just too much for me.

I guess I need to reread it sometime to see what I think then. Oh well...

bkenned's review

2.0

Would you die for your faith?

This is a difficult read, but hauntingly reminds me of our modern society. Persecution, a hope in things of the world, attacks on Christianity and its' ideals... All are found in this thought provoking story.

juliaherkel's review against another edition

5.0

I got this book for my birthday, and began reading it. It was a very heavy book, and the style much different than what I'm used to - probably because it was first written in 1907. Parts of it were very information heavy, and some rather confusing. But the picture painted through this story was one that was honestly rather believable; I could see the world doing this. I think that is why people find it such a scary novel. I'd definitely recommend it, but again, the style is much different than what I'd usually read.

alan_allis's review against another edition

4.0

This was a beautiful book. I recommend it to everyone.

krazyceltic's review against another edition

2.0

This is Catholic dystopian fiction that starts very slow and initially reads like the fleshed-out fantasy of that really nerdy guy in your church who only talks about politics, conspiracy theories, and is obsessed about liturgical details. However, the book really starts to pick up and Robert Hugh Benson shows genius in predicting what happens in the world after Christian religion is overthrown, such as when the people almost immediately turn to worship of Man in the abandoned cathedrals, and in how the Antichrist pilfers phrases from Scripture to describe himself as the true Messiah and Lord of this world. The book then ends with a supreme letdown in a very very bleak eschatology, contra the arrival in heaven scenes of near-contemporary Protestant authors like MacDonald, Williams, and Lewis.

thewileyman's review against another edition

3.0

Interesting read — a Catholic "Left Behind" (but, of course, without the Rapture), written in 1907. The author accurately predicts some aspects of contemporary culture, and his depiction of a kinder, gentler, but still sinister dystopian society prone to outbursts of violence is compelling.

kmdra06's review against another edition

5.0

Prophetic, compelling, saddening and hopeful all at once.