Customer Reviews

St. Patrick's Gargoyle

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As an avid reader of Katherine Kurtz, I am delighted to review Gargoyle with utmost praise. A lighthearted, yet touching, story of a man who is growing old and a gargoyle who is even older. This twosome (amidst many other gargoyles) join forces to battle evil arising in Dublin. In the twilight of a waning era, the author portays with sensitivity and sensibility the multi-faceted culture of Dublin and the Irish. Emphasis on both humor and depth kept me engaged and entertained throughout the novel as I read it one snowy afternoon in the mountains from cover to cover.

What I appreciated from Katherine Kurtz's narrative is the beautiful and realistic descriptions of Dublin as well as a very fair representation of Irish cultural Christianity. She neither supports nor refutes anyones particular beliefs through the very sensibilities of the gargoyles guarding their respective churches. St. Patrick's Gargoyle is another view of gargoyles which you have likely not seen with the popularity of these beings from the TV show, etc. Katherine Kurtz adds a wonderfully fresh perspective on the gargoyles' lives as they very much ought to be.

If you have read any of Katherine Kurtz's other novels, you realize how she is able to articulate the reality of death with a legacy for the living. I appreciate her continued perceptivity in these areas by leaving the reader understanding something deeper about our own mortality. This book 1. may read quickly, 2. may not be very long, 3. may be considered for young adults, but make no mistake, deeper convictions run throughout its text.

At one time, he was an avenging angel, part of a group who would fight whenever He gave the command. However, when God gave His only begotten son to mankind, he turned gentler as described in the New Testament. Reengineering the activity, God no longer needed a horde of bloodthirsty warriors so in a downsizing move, he reassigned many of them to the critical role of Gargoyles, guarding sacred churches and cathedrals. Paddy keeps watch at St. Patrick's Cathedral, but goes to the Gargoyle enclave once a month.

The sentry is on his way home when he learns that someone vandalized his church and stole valuable artifacts. Paddy coerces Frances Templeton, a Knight of Malta, to help him. After a successful mission, Frances sees Paddy in his true form, which usually means death to the human observer. However, Paddy intercedes obtaining more time for his new friend for a few more days. They learn that a true knight needs to perform a task to prevent Satan's demon from arriving on earth. Paddy knows that the Divine Plan is at work, but in spite of their valiant output, Paddy does not know the outcome of their endeavor.

Katherine Kurtz writes an often irreverent, but witty tale that never pokes fun at religion. Instead Ms. Kurtz gracefully walks the thin line between an amusing satire and homage to theologies. ST. PATRICK'S GARGOYLE is a powerful fantasy that focuses on predetermination as opposed to free will through a Divine Plan that proves God's love for humanity. That message with numerous other missives reaches readers on many different levels in a complex, superbly written novel.

Harriet Klausner

This was the first Katherine Kurtz book that I read, and while I was not `put-off' by it, I certainly was not impressed. The overall story was interesting, and I really liked the idea that the gargoyles were actually avenging angels. Paddy and Templeton were fairly well developed, but it would have been nice to learn more about Marcus Cassidy, the Knight, and Templeton's family.
At times Kurtz goes off on a tangent about the Catholic Church, and the Protestant Church. While some of the information is interesting, it reads like a textbook on theology, thus does nothing for the story flow. It seems to me that the information could have been integrated into the story in a more useful way.
The ending was very lackluster, and instead of being happy and/or sad, I was just relieved to be finished with the book.

Up until 1/3 of the way through, I loved this book. Charming characters, & a wonderful premise.

Then, for some absurd reason, Ms. Kurtz introduces a plot device that spoils the whole book:

For some reason, anybody who personally witnesses proof of the existance of God, must die, by Divine command.

How VILE!!! Ms. Kurtz has reduced the Almighty to the status of a common terrorist or hoodlum, "eliminating the witnesses".

It could have been great, it ended in a fashion that was at best, unattractive.

The Hipster gives it a Big Thumbs DOWN!

As an ardent fan of Kurtz's Deryni novels, I looked forward to reading "St. Patrick's Gargoyle." I was terribly disappointed. If this was intended as a story for young adult readers, I should think they would be insulted. Though I am middle-aged, there are many so-called juvenile novels that I have greatly enjoyed. There is no reason that a book for young readers can not be held to the same high standards of more adult literature. Kurtz is a writer who is generally quite adept at letting events carry the bulk of her story-telling work. Here, however, we are never SHOWN anything, we are always TOLD. I can't think of a much greater weakness for a work of fiction.

The premise -- a group of gargoyle's, former angels, stand guard over Dublin, and enlist the aid of an elderly devout Catholic in a battle against evil -- is an interesting one. However, that's about where the interest ends. The characters are merely sketched, never fully drawn; unlike the characters in the Deryni stories, I never came to care about what happened to these characters.

The book is often pedantic and unnecessarily "preachy." While the
theologizing is not uninteresting, it provides little that helps to advance the story; the information it provides is in no way essential, and the action bogs down as a result. I certainly don't disagree with any of Kurtz's religious opinions; I simply find them to be a distraction here.

I think the basic short-coming of the novel is the marked lack of any sense of suspense. While we are told that the "heroes" must prevent some sort of evil which will have grave consequences for all humanity, we are never shown just what this evil will entail. I found myself not caring much whether the "good guys" triumphed or not, largely because we are never given any idea what will befall them should they fail. That the evil is dispatched in a couple of pages is rather disappointing as well.

Let me conclude by saying that Kurtz is excellent author, and that few fantasy/alternate reality series have given me more pleasure than the ... books. Perhaps that is the main reason why I found St. Pat's Gargoyle such a tremedous disappointment.
Whether read as a young adult book or as a mainstream fantasy, there is little to recommend it...

St. Patrick's Gargoyle is a fantasy set in contemporary Dublin and tells of a gargoyle who is entrusted with the safety of the town. When vandals break into a church, Paddy's search for revenge inadvertently dooms a gentle elderly man and sets both on a race to prevent an ancient evil from arising. Intrigue blends with fantasy here.

The idea that gargoyles are really avenging angels set to protect holy sites is a good one, and rife with possibilities. The execution of the idea, however, is almost offensively bad. The tone of the writing careens wildly from phoney sentimental to flip. (Really. instructions from God are from "the Big Guy"?). The Dublin atmosphere is just a list of Church names and some street names. The characters are barely sketched in. The plot is cartoonish. I can't imagine an adult readership for this. As for children, I would expect that the audience would be readers who are absolutely and indiscriminately excited by anything dragonlike. Otherwise, this is so bland, derivative, and sketchily written that it probably couldn't hold interest.

A comfortable, if somewhat irreverent, yarn about the forces of good and evil. Gargoyles in this instance being Heaven's reassigned Warrior Angels who join forces with an elderly but spritely mortal Knight. Not heavy literature by any means, but a thoroughly enjoyable and tasty morsel for a lazy evening read. It was easy reading, fun and warm. Katherine Kurtz' tales of the Knights Templar have always been my favorites and when she says "she can't leave them alone" she proves it in this book by managing to incorporate a bit of their legend. I would highly recommend this delight of a book for anyone looking for a pleasurable day of light reading. The ending leaves us to wonder if more books in this genre may be forthcoming. I certainly hope so.

The book originated as a short story based on an actual cathedral break-in in Dublin, Ireland. I would love to have read the original story--you can almost put it together from reading the interactions between the Gargoyle Paddy and Francis Templeton. Sadly, what fills in the blanks is a very interesting travelogue of Dublin and some history of Irish politics and church Reformation. If you're into reading that kind of history, you may want to check out a more authoritative source.

"St. Patrick's Gargoyle" may be a good book for young adults if you can find youth readers that can keep their attention on the book. Some passages are truly evocative, especially when Kurtz writes about Francis Templeton and his love for his old Rolls, Phyllida.

A third of the way through the novel and still there's no conflict and no plot, just a tour of Irish cathedrals by a character I hardly care about. It started off wonderfully, but quickly lost my interest after the initial "chase" scene. I fought heavy eyelids for one dull paragraph after another, finally gave up. If this was the last novel on earth, I'd work harder to get through it, but there are far more interesting reads available. I expected far better from this author.