Customer Reviews

A CORNER OF THE VEIL: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read with interest -- and a chuckle -- the complaints of some reviewers about the 'humor' in this novel. I found humor in abundance within its pages -- not the 'belly-laugh' sort of humor that we Americans have come to expect from TV sitcoms and films, but the 'wry smile' sort of humor that is more touching and subtle. Cosse's writing is both humorous and meaningful -- but there is a lot more to this little book than humor.

Interestingly enough, the book I read just prior to picking up this novel was Simon Mawer's THE GOSPEL OF JUDAS, in which a priest deals with the discovery of an ancient scroll that has the potential to destroy his church, the message within being one that repudiates all that Christianity has stood upon for nearly two thousand years. In A CORNER OF THE VEIL, the opposite occurs -- a manuscript is received by the Casuist order in France that proves, after hundreds of years and innumerable attempts by philosophers and thinkers, the irruftable existence of God.

It would seem that the church would look upon such a find as a victory of sorts -- everything they have been espousing over their history has been verified on paper, in terms that anyone can understand. And while it is true that those who read the proof -- spiritual and secular people alike -- are touched by it on the deepest possible level and reduced to tears of joy, the proof brings sheer terror and panic to the hierarchy of the church and state. Grim predictions are made that, if the proof is made public, it will mean the end of society as we know it, chaos, the end of the world.

The struggles and machinations the proof sets into motion are both humorous and thought-provoking. Without giving away any more of the story, I will simply say that I felt the message to be one, not of revelation, but of affirmation. The novel is not anti-religious in any form or fashion that I can see -- nor is it indoctrinarial in the least. I found it to be intelligently conceived and written, a very compelling and moving work -- one which I can recommend heartily.

Cossé's essay-length book has a provocative premise: How would proof of God's existence effect a secular modern government and its keepers? While the writing is swift and crisp, I was disappointed by the hasty, too-neat ending. (The concluding pages read as if the author had run out of steam, or interest.) Still, Cossé deserves credit for staging her intriguing scenario in a credible fictional landscape. The opening pages, when one of the characters walks across Paris at dawn, observing an awaking urban world he is convinced will be transformed by the divine good news, are especially strong and evocative--much more so than the later unfolding of the plot.

While cosse delves deeply into THE problem of theology she skims the surface in a pleasant, albeit unfulfilling look at how the proof would effect believers and non-believers alike. The highlight is the reaction of those who have read the proof. While some of her insights are satirical without being trivial, those expecting an exploration of powerful theological ideas will surely be disappointed.

This is a delightful book as some of the reviews state and well worth reading. It did leave me wondering however which of the purported gods it proved the existence of. It seems to assume (without ever being explicit) that it is the traditional Judeo-Christian-Muslim god - Yhwh, g-d, God, Allah. An interesting follow-up would be a book about the proof of the existence of, say, Vishnu or ...

Being French, I read the book in its original language. I am very glad to discover that my American friends will be able to read this excellent book, full of surprises, with a very fine sense of humor and very well written.

This is your basic French satire, starting from a simple point and then spiraling off into many thoughtful directions. A very, very funny book that also makes you think about the "what if" question. A wonderful exercise for the brain.

No matter what the publishers' reviews says, this book is not profound, it is not a thriller, and it is probably not worth your time.

Laurence Cosse has written a little book that makes fun of the Frensh establishment. That's all. It happens to mention "God" and therefore publishers feel obliged to say that it is "profound". It isn't. It is simply a litterary mechanism for getting to the French ecclesiatical establishment.

And it is not a "thriller". There is hardly even any story there. It moves from one little (usually 1, 1 1/2, or 2 pages) sketch to another, with only the weakest of excuses to bind them together. The individual scenes can be quite funny - especially if you have some previous knowledge and expereince of French culture and governance - but a collection of individual scenes does not make a story.

Find something more rewarding to read.

The premise of the book seemed to start well, but fizzle later. A similiar theme on the issue of God's existence was far better accomplished in the novel LUMINOUS by Peter Quest. At least his novel had a sensational climax.

This is an enjoyable and intriguing novel about the discovery of a "proof" of God's existence. The reader never learns the substance of the proof, but instead observes the reactions of a number of characters to its existence. These vignettes of response make up the short chapters of the book, although there is narrative structure in the sense that the proof makes its way through the catholic hierarchy toward Rome, and it is uncertain how the church will respond. The effect that the proof has on many of its readers is winsome yet profound, and these well-crafted passages have, in turn, an uplifting effect upon the reader of the novel. The strength of the work is that it almost compels one to ask "what would it mean for my life if it is all true?" I was reminded of the words of William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury, as I finished this book: "the words, 'I believe in God,' do not mean, 'I incline to the opinion that in all probability there exists a Being who may not inappropriately be called God.' You mean, 'I put my trust in that union of power and goodness.' You mean, 'I undertake to live as if these things were so.'" This book is really a narrative of what it might mean to make this move from inclination to undertaking.

I suspect that a number of the negative reviews of this work are the result of frustrated expectations ("Why isn't this like the Da Vinci Code?!") or a secular bias. My recommendation is that you do not read this novel expecting either a proof of God's existence or its debunking. It is not (thankfully) "The Da Vinci Code" or anything like it. It is, in a manner of speaking, rather like a fictional meditation on what it means to believe in God.

When you think about it, it had to happen ... but who would of "thunk". Delightful characters, wonderful prose, I couldn't put it down. Run, don't walk, to your favorite independent book store, buy this book, hunker down, and have fun!