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greg_talbot 's review for:
A Canticle for Leibowitz
by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Science fiction seems to bring aboard the devote and the fanatical. Series of science fiction books. World that are built to be lived in. Fantastical creatures and futurology that will warp your mind! None of that really interests me.
Which is why "Canticle for Leibowitz" really did so much for me. As another reviewer pointed out, there is so much happening off the page. The book is divided into three different time periods, all tied to an abbey in the U.S. Southwest that is living out a religious order, and they are finding their truth in a world of chaos.
"Canticle"'s first book "Fiat Homo" is the strongest, a lightly-held story that in part and parcel is about the wonder of faith in a barren world. Brother Francis is a klutz, a fool, a devout, an artist, and ultimately our hero, and the book is so beatuifully narrow to his story, it's impossible not to be thrilled the full 100 pages.
Book Two "Fiat Lux" is where the seed of a new Earth is planned. Warring tribes and buzzards still gather strength, but in the abbey, a philosopher-scientist takes the 20th century scriptures (Lewibowitz's among them), and begins the foundation of a new learned society. Heavy in philsophy, conversatons and weird goat-sex jokes...I really didn't care for this book as much. Still, I thought head monk Dom Paulo's journey and Thon Taddeo's journey from skepticism to belief were unique and well plodded.
Book Three "Fiat Voluntas Tua" brings a world that is most advanced, and most on the edge of destruction. The abbey's influence has waned maybe...though it's always a refuge for a small select few. But with the world's sophisication and growth, there is pride and the build up of an arms race. The final canticle, a prayer for mercy is sung by the order, and they plan the trip of moving their order to the next space exploratin, should the earth fall apart. Book three feels naturally the most contemporary in subject matter, and the most dark in some ways too. Questions that have circled the book come to fruition here. What is the purpose of science and progress, if it leads to the end of civilziation through war? Can faith ever overcome our biology? Is this ultimately a book of devout belief or deep cynicism?
Re-reading portions of "Canticle", i'm amazed by the vocabulary, the humor, the attention to detail, and how subtle a lot of the work is. The three stories all inform each other, but not usually in direct ways. Miller offers us stories that tell us something grander about the human condition and purpose. We get the sene there are hundreds of more stories, all that could give a beauitful glimpse into this world, so similar to our own. Science Fiction in it's most lush dignified form.
Which is why "Canticle for Leibowitz" really did so much for me. As another reviewer pointed out, there is so much happening off the page. The book is divided into three different time periods, all tied to an abbey in the U.S. Southwest that is living out a religious order, and they are finding their truth in a world of chaos.
"Canticle"'s first book "Fiat Homo" is the strongest, a lightly-held story that in part and parcel is about the wonder of faith in a barren world. Brother Francis is a klutz, a fool, a devout, an artist, and ultimately our hero, and the book is so beatuifully narrow to his story, it's impossible not to be thrilled the full 100 pages.
Book Two "Fiat Lux" is where the seed of a new Earth is planned. Warring tribes and buzzards still gather strength, but in the abbey, a philosopher-scientist takes the 20th century scriptures (Lewibowitz's among them), and begins the foundation of a new learned society. Heavy in philsophy, conversatons and weird goat-sex jokes...I really didn't care for this book as much. Still, I thought head monk Dom Paulo's journey and Thon Taddeo's journey from skepticism to belief were unique and well plodded.
Book Three "Fiat Voluntas Tua" brings a world that is most advanced, and most on the edge of destruction. The abbey's influence has waned maybe...though it's always a refuge for a small select few. But with the world's sophisication and growth, there is pride and the build up of an arms race. The final canticle, a prayer for mercy is sung by the order, and they plan the trip of moving their order to the next space exploratin, should the earth fall apart. Book three feels naturally the most contemporary in subject matter, and the most dark in some ways too. Questions that have circled the book come to fruition here. What is the purpose of science and progress, if it leads to the end of civilziation through war? Can faith ever overcome our biology? Is this ultimately a book of devout belief or deep cynicism?
Re-reading portions of "Canticle", i'm amazed by the vocabulary, the humor, the attention to detail, and how subtle a lot of the work is. The three stories all inform each other, but not usually in direct ways. Miller offers us stories that tell us something grander about the human condition and purpose. We get the sene there are hundreds of more stories, all that could give a beauitful glimpse into this world, so similar to our own. Science Fiction in it's most lush dignified form.