Customer Reviews

Saints Preserve Us!: Everything You Need to Know About Every Saint You'll Ever Need

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A previous reviewer gave this book one star and wrote: "I am disappointed in this book. It is not appropriate for teaching children about the Saints." Well, duh! This isn't *intended* for teaching children about the saints! It's intended to be *humorous*! So if you're expecting a textbook, yeah, you're going to be disappointed, but if you want a funny, irreverent, and yet surprisingly respectful (sometimes!) overview of the wonderful, wacky world of saints - you will *love* this! :-)

This is the hippest hagiography I've seen so far, although the subtitle is a little misleading. For instance, the book doesn't even mention St. Joan de Chantal, who so fervently wanted to join the convent that she supposedly stepped over her children as they clung to her apron, pleading with her not to leave. (I know exactly how this woman felt.) Nor is St. Albans mentioned as patron saint of falconry; his life was allegedly spared as he was about to be burned at the stake, when a pure white gyrfalcon landed on his head. Some of the information is interesting--who knew St. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers?--and it really does flesh out the lives of saints we've heard about while growing up, like Saint Nick. And yes, there is a St. Wolfgang and (goll-eee!!) a St. Gomer. There are also appendices of name saints and patron saints, and scanning through the list leads me to believe that mad dogs and the Evil Eye were big concerns back in the Dark Ages.

I wish it were a little more inclusive. But as one who has experienced personal intercessions by several saints--and is therefore intrigued by this subject--I found this book very enjoyable.

Although not every saint is listed here there are a lot of saints in this book! The blurbs on each saint are short and easy to read. They are interesting and informative. I appreciated the lists in the back fo the book that told me what saint was my birthday saint, my name saint, and other patron saints I might have based on career, nationality etc. A neat little book.

I just love this little book, I find I have checked it out of the library so many times that I am definitely going to buy it. I have always been interested in the lives of saints. Let's face it, they lived so long ago, in times unimaginable to us, and there are so many strange stories attached to their lives. Some stories in here are so bizarre that they're funny, but I guess this is where Faith comes in. This book lists the saintly people from A to Z and is full of odd anecdotes, fascinating old illustrations, and tells you which saints are associated with what (St. Clare - patron saint of television? Who knew?) I think some of the associations should be updated, how many barrel makers and brewers are around nowadays? Very interesting, very humorous, very informative. (This from a cheerfully lapsed Catholic.) Not a Definitive Version of Lives of the Saints, I'm sure, but good reading.

Bought it for a gift, kept it for myself. Funny, insightful, accurate, and a great primer for who the saints were. And don't forget, if you need to pray for something specific, or for your chosen profession, or for your birthday, there are handy lists that correspond the appropriate saint for the appropriate occassion.

in answer to those who rate the book with one star and didn't "know or realize" it was humorous. one must always be critical, with eyes open, but never cynical. that's what this book is, along with being good natured. btw, such reviewers takes themselves too seriously. as hagiographies go, this book offsets all "serious" and humourless "instructional" books.

Amusing in spots, not so much in others. I just don't find it amusing to refer to St. John Vianney as "stupid to a remarkable degree" or as a "pious simpleton". I find it ugly and a little embarrassing for the bitter ex-Catholic I imagine the authors to be. Also, facts are shaky.

As some of the previous reviews have indicated, this is not exactly an appropriate book for 1) those who take their saints VERY seriously; and 2) those who are trying to educate their youngsters about the lives of saints. Addressing the second group, I might point out that the only times I have seen this book in bookstores it was shelved in the humor section rather than the religion section, and that in itself should be a pretty clue. I suppose some libraries might shelve this in the religion section, but a quick perusal ought to reveal the gentle irreverence found throughout the book.

For those Catholics who enjoy laughing at some of the more admittedly absurd aspects of Church history, this book will be a real hoot. It is in no way definitive, but it does have an impressive number of rather obscure saints listed. There is humor aplenty to be found here, but one will also at times encounter some rather incisive commentary on how the Church infrastructure has developed over the centuries, and also on some of the politics that is sometimes involved in the canonization process.

As a reference guide it has its limits, but if you just need the basics (patron saints for nations & professions, which saints you should invoke for which ailments, and which saints get which days) this book does a pretty good job of covering what you might need.

Remember to avoid this book like the plague if your religious sensibilities are easily offended. You have been warned.

Its one thing to make fun of something you love (see the Bad Catholic's Guides). This was not one of those. There was just a mean spirited atmosphere to the whole thing. They didn't have an underlying appreciation for their subject.

I saw a segment on CBS This Morning last spring profiling the couple who wrote this book and was really looking forward to reading this book - and possibly sharing it with my children.

However, when I scanned through some of the saints - I happened to come to the section on St Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. Here's the first sentence:

"The mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus, Anne somehow contrived to conceive her daughter 'immaculately,' that is, without the 'original sin' normally transmitted by the act of sexual intercourse."

For what otherwise appears to be a pretty decent "Lives of the Saints" resource - this paragraph completely turned me off.

It is a tenet of the Catholic faith that Mary WAS conceived without sin - her mother Anne did not "contrive" to "somehow" conceive her without sin!

After seeing the above paragraph, I looked at the front and back of the book, the Introduction, etc. looking for SOME indication that this book would take a "tongue-in-cheek" attitude toward the subject matter - and found no indication of the approach they intended to take. The Introduction's first paragraph just leads you to believe this is going to be a lighthearted review of the saints' lives.

If you're Catholic and don't want your beliefs insulted - just pass this book up - there are better Lives of the Saints books out there.