Godric: A Novel [Paperback]

Frederick Buechner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 1983

Frederick Buechner's Godric "retells the life of Godric of Finchale, a twelfth-century English holy man whose projects late in life included that of purifying his moral ambition of pride...Sin, spiritual yearning, rebirth, fierce asceticism--these hagiographic staples aren't easy to revitalize but Frederick Buechner goes at the task with intelligent intensity and a fine readiness to invent what history doesn't supply. He contrives a style of speech for his narrator--Godric himself--that's brisk and tough-sinewed...He avoids metaphysical fiddle, embedding his narrative in domestic reality--familiar affection, responsibilities, disasters...All on his own, Mr. Buechner has managed to reinvent projects of self-purification and of faith as piquant matter for contemporary fiction [in a book] notable for literary finish...Frederick Buechner is a very good writer indeed." -- Benjamin DeMott, The New York Times Book Review

"From the book's opening sentence...and sensible reader will be caught in Godric's grip...Godric glimmers brightly." -- Peter S. Prescott, Newsweek

"Godric is a memorable book...a marvelous gem of a book...destined to become a classic of its kind." -- Michael Heskett, Houston Chronicle

"In the extraordinary figure of Godric, both stubborn outsider and true child of God, both worldly and unworldly, Frederick Buechner has found an ideal means of exploring the nature of spirituality. Godric is a living battleground where God fights it out with the world, the Flesh, and the Devil." -- London Times Literary Supplement

"Wityh a poet's sensibly and a high reverent fancy, Frederick Buechner paints a memorable portrait." -- Edmund Fuller, The Wall Street Journal

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you think a novel about a saint is likely to be a dry and airy sort of thing, think again. Godric was a 12th-century saint--born to Anglo-Saxon parents in Norfolk almost in the year of the Norman invasion (1066 for those of you long unschooled!). He was a peddler and wanderer long before he settled into the life of a hermit in northern England, led there by the famous hermit St. Cuthbert, who told him, "your true nesting place lies farther on, [and] until you reach it, every other place you find will fret you like a cage."

In Godric Frederick Buechner captures the voice and the times of this saint with a style that recalls the richly alliterative language of Middle English poetry. So too does it recall the beautiful earthiness of that literature, reminding us that this time of deep spirituality was also a time of real flesh-and-blood folk. And in some ways this is the deepest point of this delightful (and at times comic) novel: these people, like those who live among us today, become saints not by leaving the body behind but by finding a way to live more deeply within it. They find a way to turn it to glory. --Doug Thorpe

Review

"Godric is a memorable book...a marvelous gem of a book...destined to become a classic of its kind." -- Michael Heskett, Houston Chronicle

"In the extraordinary figure of Godric, both stubborn outsider and true child of God, both worldly and unworldly, Frederick Buechner has found an ideal means of exploring the nature of spirituality. Godric is a living battleground where God fights it out with the world, the Flesh, and the Devil." -- London Times Literary Supplement

"With a poet's sensibly and a high reverent fancy, Frederick Buechner paints a memorable portrait." -- Edmund Fuller, The Wall Street Journal

Frederick Buechner's Godric "retells the life of Godric of Finchale, a twelfth-century English holy man whose projects late in life included that of purifying his moral ambition of pride...Sin, spiritual yearning, rebirth, fierce asceticism--these hagiographic staples aren't easy to revitalize but Frederick Buechner goes at the task with intelligent intensity and a fine readiness to invent what history doesn't supply. He contrives a style of speech for his narrator--Godric himself--that's brisk and tough-sinewed...He avoids metaphysical fiddle, embedding his narrative in domestic reality--familiar affection, responsibilities, disasters...All on his own, Mr. Buechner has managed to reinvent projects of self-purification and of faith as piquant matter for contemporary fiction [in a book] notable for literary finish...Frederick Buechner is a very good writer indeed." -- Benjamin DeMott, The New York Times Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (November 2, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060611626
• ISBN-13: 978-0060611620
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Frederick Buechner is the popular author of such nonfiction titles as Telling the Truth, Wishful Thinking, and Peculiar Treasures. The New York Times Book Review described his recently published memoir, The Sacred Journey, as a "beautifully successful experiment." In addition to The Final Beast, which was originally published in 1965, Mr. Buechner is the author of ten other novels, including the bestselling A Long Day's Dying and, most recently, Godric. He makes his home in Rupert, Vermont.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Earthy, Wonderful..., April 9, 2002

By 

RecklessRagingFury "RecklessRagingFury" (Roaming Glome) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godric: A Novel (Paperback)

So much of the literature of the late Twentieth Century was cynical, formulaic and predictable. Some became bestsellers (Lamb's "I Know This Much Is True"). Others won awards (Anything by Rushdie--whose formula is to be so weird that it must be presumed genius). With such fare glutting the market, it seemed that works could only be distinguished by the depth of suffering and lack of communication. Authors became ever more navel-gazing in their thoughts, faux introspection and angst. What was once innovative and new became trite. The art of subtlety was all but lost. It is amazing that any enduing work could spring from such a milieu. Yet several did.

One masterpiece born of the later half of the Twentieth Century was Godric. Godric is the tale of an all too human man. The great theme of Godric is the difference between reality and truth. Godric's triumph is not his own but that of the God who shines through all his weaknesses. Frederick Buechner is a writer of great subtlety and a master of his craft. Filled with earthy wisdom and wonderful truth, Godric is not only one of Buechner's best books--it is one of the greatest books of its time.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars graceful and poetic., January 2, 2001

By 

Cipriano "www.bookpuddle.blogspot.com" (Planet Claire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godric: A Novel (Paperback)

Many other amazon reviewers have described the book as "poetic" and I must agree. Buechner has shaped this story with an economy of words, and it often reads like a superb narrative poem. I read it in one sitting and was captivated by its grace.

A recurring theme in the book is the disparity between what is commonly perceived as "sainthood" or "saintliness" and what the saint, in fact, knows himself to be. Like Paul in the New Testament (see Romans chapter 7 for instance), Godric is continually brought to an awareness of his inner wretchedness as compared with other's perception of him. At one point his scribe Reginald reminds him that the name Godric means "God reigns" but Godric himself feels more affinity with the term "God's wreck." He says, "...Godric's sins have made a wreck of God."

Elsewhere he concludes that "life's a list. Good tilts with ill." Sounds negative? Well, if the sky is blue on your planet, pull up a chair and introduce yourself to LIFE! With those words, Godric is referring to the reality that in many instances evil men prosper while the good suffer privation. Even in the church, the Lord is oftentimes mocked by those who ought to have exalted Him the most. And sincere folks are often given to attributing holiness to those most undeserving. In this book we learn that holiness must, of necessity, be something other than good behavior... it turns out to be nothing other than the unmerited presence of God.

A beautiful book. Well worth reading, and as some have suggested, re-reading many times. I plan to. We see ourselves here.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Read!, October 21, 1999

By 

WCLV Listener (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godric: A Novel (Paperback)

This is one of the greatest novels of the century. The style is unique: raw, earthy, yet poetic. Try reading it aloud and you quickly fall into a singsong rhythm that reinforces, rather than detracts from, the polish of the writing. _Godric's_ themes are deep as Wear, from the nature of friendship to the difference between religion and faith. This is one you'll read over and over; get several copies, since you'll want to loan it often and not everyone will want to give it back!