36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
He's a Saint!, February 21, 2010
This review is from: Brendan (Hardcover)
Having loved Morgan Llywelyn's early works such as "The Horse Goddess" and "Lion of Ireland," I was excited to find this book at my local brick-and-mortar store. Irish history, the navigation of unknown seas, the rise to sainthood of a common man. . .the blurb on the jacket called to me.
This is a fictionalized biography of Saint Brendan. Llywelyn is at her best in the early chapters, as she describes Brendan's growth, a little boy learning about the world in fosterage. Brendan comes to love the contemplative life. He loves the mentoring of the Sisters, especially Ita. Even as a child he feels a deep connection to the singing sun and the natural world, constantly questioning and challenging the ways of the world, the meaning of God. He says, "In this happy nursery I grew from babe to boy."
As the book goes on, he is passed on to the tutelage of Erc. Erc, who could have been a Druid, became a Bishop of the new Church instead. Brendan learns more of Christianity and the idea of God as Father. The reader meets Brendan's natural family, his sister and mother. Brendan grows and changes and worries about his adolescent night dreams. He influences a wide set of young monks and tribal warriors, each with an odd name (the author worked from the medieval story, "The Life of Saint Brendan).
Interspersed with his growing up are short chapters of Brendan's various sailings, visiting unfamiliar places and subjected to dangers of every sort, finding visions and miracles. The most compelling of his struggles is the creation of his relationship with a foundling raven.
Llywelyn's book is ultimately a statement of faith and the belief in the use of self-discipline to achieve things we had not believed we would be capable of achieving. The philosophy is clear. The miracles may leave the reader skeptical. This book has a different tone and purpose than some of Llywelyn's previous works. It is a gracefully written account of finding the essence of a soul.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Llywelyn on Ireland, November 20, 2010
This review is from: Brendan (Hardcover)
I have to start out by saying that I love Morgan Llywelyn's historical novels about Ireland. She's really in her element here. So, my expectations are pretty high for any of her works of this type. I've had a soft spot for Brendan the Navigator for a long time, so was happy to learn that Llywelyn had taken on this subject. For these reasons, I'm not sure my expectations could have been met, and, though I enjoyed the read, they generally weren't met.
This is a fine work, and provides a lot of insight into the worlds (natural and supernatural) that St. Brendan lived in, but I can't say the work is ever gripping in the way her `Irish Century' novels are. This is somewhat the subject matter, but also she seemed unable or unwilling to present the impact Brendan's mystical experiences must have had on Brendan himself.
Again, my expectations were high, and I would recommend this work. It is enjoyable and insightful - Just not a page turner.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
O.K., but not up to par, March 12, 2011
This review is from: Brendan (Hardcover)
I think I've read all of Ms.Llwelyn's books, and this is the first one I have been disappointed with. The story was rambling and slow and didn't engage me as her others had. Being a Celtophile I really enjoy reading the old tales in a contemporary format. There must have been so much more to Brendan, and maybe because he was an early Christian, although of a different kind than we generally think of (not roman), Ms. Llwelyn does not give much of a picture of what that means.
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