The best-selling author of The Shoes of the Fisherman offers a lyrical, intensely personal affirmation of his life of faith and an account of his life's pilgrimage as a Catholic in the twentieth century. 20,000 first printing.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Now 80, bestselling novelist West (The Shoes of the Fisherman, 1963) offers a lyrical "testimony of a pilgrim" who "now pauses to draw breath and get his courage up for the last stage of the journey." This spiritual memoir touches upon the events of West's life?his monastic education, military service and family struggles, for example?but ties reminiscences to questions of faith. What, he asks, is evil, and why should we forgive? Why are children victims of violence? How can individual values coexist with inflexible institutions? Why are church hierarchies unlike Jesus? Peppered with excerpts from his 20-plus novels, West's memoir will fascinate his fans. No prior acquaintance with his work is required, however, to appreciate the magnificent concluding chapter in which he faces death, proclaims his hard-won faith and affirms his optimism. "I am a happy spendthrift," West says, "of the golden days that have been granted to me."
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A worthwhile read,
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This review is from: A View from the Ridge: The Testimony of a Twentieth-Century Christian (Hardcover)
I started reading this slim volume quite a few months ago and I put it down, never intending to finish it. Some of the early parts of the book rubbed me the wrong way, to the point where I wondered just how much of a true Christian Mr. West really was. Recently, I picked it up and basically started where I left off, and my previous judgementalism gave way to a certain admiration. Morris West has not only the wisdom of a man of advanced years but the worldly experience that gives him a valuable perspective to share on such issues as evil, violence, dissent, and death. He has seen things most of us with never see, and this book is all the more enlightening because of that fact. Although not a Catholic like Mr. West is, I share his experience of a life that is centered around the institution of the church, and can appreciate the love/hate relationship one can have with the Body of Christ. Like many, he cries out for a church that values the person above laws and regulations. I look forward in the future to reading some of his fiction (although much of it is out of print and rather hard to get at this time).
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank You!,
By
This review is from: A View from the Ridge: The Testimony of a Twentieth-Century Christian (Hardcover)
I've long admired West's ability to move me with words. His papal trilogy in particular ranks as one of my favorite in literary fiction. To read this delightfully honest and heartfelt memoir is to gain even greater insight to the wisdom and insights of his fictional work. West, long a respectful rebel of sorts, has managed to approach subjects and questions many wish to avoid. In doing so, rather than turning these into platforms for personal grievances, he elevates their importance in community discussion. Despite his literary prowess, West manages to come across as an everyday man, a man you'd like to converse with over coffee. No, don't remind me that the most likely place for conversation would be at his deathbed. He may be getting older, nearer to unknown that he says he welcomes willingly, but his words will remain as a part of our culture. His thoughts and ideas will remain to challenge future generations. Mr Morris West, thank you for that gift.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
West's revealing memoir and inspiring spiritual testament,
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This review is from: A View from the Ridge: The Testimony of a Twentieth-Century Christian (Hardcover)
With sales of his books having exceeded sixty million copies, Morris West is not only Australia's best-selling writer, but also one of our best-known storytellers. With his so-called `Vatican Trilogy' - `The Shoes of the Fisherman', `The Clowns of God' and `Lazarus' - he virtually invented a genre, the papal novel.
In the past, West has resisted calls for an autobiography, holding that the `chronicles of my works and days have already been presented under the decent draperies of fiction'. However, having turned eighty, West has put aside fiction to give an account of his twentieth-century pilgrimage. The book is not an autobiography as such, but rather part memoir, part philosophical meditation, part spiritual testament. We learn of his early family life before becoming a trainee with the Christian Brothers, of the trials of religious life, and of life as a writer on the international stage. West reflects on the nature of evil, on violence, and on the roles of dissent and prophecy in the Church. He also writes movingly of his encounters with Brother Death. West has, over the years, defiantly retained his rightful place as a son of the Church, and in doing so has encouraged countless others troubled by rigid orthodoxies. Changes in the Church in recent decades, and in West's own life and attitudes, are well captured by two pieces of his journalism that are reproduced in full in the book, both about recent popes. The first is a glowing obituary of John XXIII, `The Good Pastor', written in 1963. The second is a very critical reflection on the current pontiff, written on the occasion of the papal visit to Australia for the nation's first beatification (of Mary MacKillop). Late in his life, West has given us an uplifting account of his experience of being a Christian in these troubled times. It is written with grace, intelligence and wisdom. [A Selection of the John Garratt Catholic Book Club.]
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