Customer Reviews

Strangers and Sojourners (Children of the Last Days)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I almost don't want to write a review for Strangers and Sojourners. Though I've taken O'Briens other books off the bookshelf to re-read them over and over again, I've only read Strangers and Sojourners once. This is not a sign to be taken that the book is bad. No, quite the contrary. I'm still digesting the deep pathos that have lodged themselves somewhere in my mind and heart, I'm scared to take the book back down(being more than a year) again for fear of disrupting the beauty and wisdom that is still growing within. The book is very strange indeed. I work part-time at a little grocery store where most of my work time is spent in the back of the store doing monotonous produce work. I spend the rest of my time as an artist/writer and re-emerging, struggling Catholic. I can give testimony that Strangers and Sojourners has helped me in ways that I do not understand. Events, moods, situations and characters from the book will just pop up in my mind from out of nowhere, while I'm in the middle of a hundred different chores at work or home. The most 'ordinary' things and people have gradually become more and more exciting and mysterious to me. I've come to cherish 'ordinary' things with a thankfulness that is quite alien to me. The sacrament of marriage(though i'm single)especially after reading this book is something so, so beautiful and heroic. This book in the future will emerge in families homes all over. There is no other place where it can emerge.

As with his previous novel, Father Elijah, O'Brien's Strangers and Sojournors is an instant classic. It is much different from his best-selling debut, however, for it deals with a woman who comes from England in the early part of the 20th century to live in the wilds of northern British Columbia. It is her story, the story of a human being dealing with the mystery of human existence. Hence it is our story, too, for, as the title belies, we are all strangers and sojournors on this earth. With this book, O'Brien shows his artistic side; one can almost hear the music and poetry behind the prose, which will reach deep into the heart of the reader. Noted writer Peter Kreeft has said that "No novel since Dostoyevsky has nourished my soul like Strangers and Sojournors." I agree. O'Brien is a spiritual storyteller of the most extraordinary calibre and this book is his best so far.

I've read all his books, and while I found the others to be more adventurous, this was my favorite. It is a capital 'L' Literature book. I luxuriated in the slow pace, the images and the people. The life saga of a spiritual journey captivated me. It is exciting to read the other books in the series and see how the lives and stories of their characters proceeded from this book. If you prefer the fast pace of beer commercials and Sports Utility Vehicles commercials on TV, you probably won't like this book. If you mourn that "There hath passed away a glory from the earth" in much modern literature, you will like this book.

As an English major and general bookworm, I've read a lot of Canadian literature over the years. Unfortunately, a lot of it barely qualifies as "literature": the reader has to wade through page after page of self-indulgent, derivative meanderings, with a few snowbanks and hockey games thrown in for colour. On the other hand, there are excellent literary works that barely qualify as "Canadian". I'm thinking here of award-winning first-generation Canadian writers whose novels are mainly set in their countries of origin (Ondaatje, Rau Badami, Mistry, Moore, etc.) Even if these books live up to the praise they receive, they don't really form the foundation for a national literature.

Of course, there are books that escape both these trends, and _Strangers and Sojourners_ is a wonderful example. I came across it by chance, and I'm glad I did. The plot is fairly simple: The main character has come from England at the turn of the century to teach school in the BC interior. Faced with harsh wilderness and an unfamiliar culture (or lack thereof), she has to adapt to her new surroundings. Her external struggles, triumphs and defeats - illness, raising children, public opinion - are accompanied by deep inner growth, in the love she shares with her husband and in her personal spiritual journey.

O'Brien writes in the context of deep Christian faith, which is unfashionable in Canadian academia these days. This might explain why _Strangers and Sojourners_ hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. Still, there's no need to label this book "For Christians only". The book's deeper elements are relevant to people of any faith (or no faith) who are interested in the development of the soul, and the interplay between nature and spiritual life.

A recent article in the _National Post_ criticized O'Brien, saying he's not as good a writer as Dostoyevsky (as some of his fans have claimed). Well, perhaps not. But is that really the criterion for judging whether or not a book is worth reading? _Strangers and Sojourners_ is beautifully written, and it makes us think about where we've been and where we might be going, both as individuals and as a nation. It's a profound book with an enjoyable story. Highly recommended!

In Father Elijah, O'Brien showed us the sword. In Strangers and Sojourners, he shows us the heart. Anne Kingsley Ashton is a character that I will never forget-- in so many ways her struggles are my struggles. She is often overhwhelmed by life, both the daily struggles for existence and the spiritual questions of meaning and purpose. The battle she fights against the temptation of despair defines courage. What tools, if any, can Anne find to fight these feelings? And what is at the root of her discontent? I, too, have wondered these things about myself. O'Brien has given life to the process of healing the emotional and spiritual wounds we accumulate throughout a lifetime. And most of all, shown us the importance of courage. I would recommend this book to anyone.

While some of the other reviewers found this book slow and disappointing, I strongly disagree.

Anne Delaney is a woman who, while prophetic and speaking for truth, struggles for most of her life with issues of belief and unbelief, trust and fear. She does find a resolution to her "shadows" in the end. Pay careful attention to the visit by Fr. Andrei while she's ill in bed, and the fact that he said a few words, Latin words, that should have been said a long time ago. The journey the family and the community take collectively is the focus of the tale. Anne Delaney and her family are the connecting threads of the story. There is little within this book that does not have some meaning if you spend a moment contemplating it. It is beautifully written and a sympathetic depiction of various forms atheism, doubt, and despair takes, while at the same time providing very real answers.

A wonderful book. It is apocalyptic literature, as compared to the apocalyptic grocery store novels that were the Left Behind series.

I think this novel is better described as a spiritual novel rather than a "Christian" or "Catholic" novel. The story follows the life of Anne Delaney and her family and their struggles with religion, society, culture and the government. There is a clear underlying message of the need to turn to Christ in his Church (the Catholic Church), but it is never clearly stated. In terms of the spiritual struggle, S&S is a very realisitic story of all of our lives.

In some ways I loved this book.
Unlike many books depicting the struggles of poverty, we don't see caricatures of dumb people or religious fanatics, or a one layer tale told by someone who either romanticizes or despises poor rural people. Instead, we find a tapestry of real personalities who have depth and complexities in their simple lives.
That said, like many of O'Brien's books, the tales are episodic and don't quite hold together. O'Brien uses simple tales to discuss deeper ideas in his books. His characters are vivid and real, however, and stay in your mind as "friends" far after you finish the book (one way that I judge if a book is great, even when I find the initial reading of a book difficult).
Finally, as a family tale, it has few of the apocolyptic themes of O'Brien's later books. Those seeking "end of time" themes will be disappointed. Those seeking rich characters will find what they seek.

The author employs fascinating dialogue with great insight to characters and their spiritual journey. Unfortunately that did not start until after about 190 pages into the novel. This is a slow developing novel with too many sub-plots and problems with character development.

I can only recommend this book because of the great insights this author provided within the novel. There are small gems scattered throughout the last half of the book.

O'Brien's book Fr. Elijah is still one of my all time favorite books, so maybe I am setting the bar too high.

Michael O'Brien's books are profoundly insightful. They demonstrate the lack of spiritual depth in our society and the desperate need we have to recover that depth. "Strangers and Soujourners" is a marvelous, gradual unfolding of the real meaning of marriage and commitment. The book is somewhat difficult to "get into" but if the reader sticks it out, he will be richly rewarded. O'Brien demonstrates a profound insight into the need for our society to recover a sense of faith, love and family.