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Godric: A Novel (Paperback)

by Frederick Buechner (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
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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

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 192 pages
  • Publisher: HarperOne (November 2, 1983)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060611626
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060611620
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,709 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Five friends I had, and two of them snakes. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Saint Esprit, Bishop's Lynn, Our Lord, Saint Giles, Tom Ball, Falkes de Granvill, Our Lady, Saint Peter, Blessed Virgin, Peregrine Small, Roger Mouse, Sister Hailtun, May God, Ranulf Flambard, Saint Cuthbert, Saint Margaret, Almighty God, Bishop Flambard, Holy Father, Will Wagtongue
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4.8 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars graceful and poetic., January 2, 2001
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.

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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Earthy, Wonderful..., April 9, 2002
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.

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14 of 14 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 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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Going with Godric
An excellent insight into the world of the 1100s in Britain and the struggles we all encounter in our search for fulfilment and sanctitiy. Read more
Published 12 days ago by V. Proverbs

4.0 out of 5 stars A great yet difficult to read story.
It's a wonderful story that explores what makes a man "good" or "bad." However, it is not an easy read and requires some patience. Read more
Published 14 months ago by P. Kallberg

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to treasure
Beautiful, profound book. Buechner is one of those rare authors that seem to "get" spirituality and his prose is better than anybody.
Published on July 6, 2007 by Mathew W. Moran

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read.
In Godric, Buechner brings to life a twelfth century hermit, a topic I had previously considered dry and uninteresting. Read more
Published on October 11, 2006 by J. B. Taylor

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Godric is a historical novel based on the life of a real person. What makes this book unusual as historical fiction is its written as if Godric himself wrote it 1000 years ago, as... Read more
Published on September 5, 2005 by Stephen Balbach

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving, Funny, Poignant, Poetic
Everyone points out that this little novel is graceful and poetic, and they couldn't be more correct. Read more
Published on May 17, 2003 by oddsfish

5.0 out of 5 stars saintliness & poetry hiding in plain sight
Two thirds of my first time through Frederic Beuchner's re-imagining of the story of Godric, I realized that I had been reading blank verse for page after beautiful page. Read more
Published on October 13, 2002 by Penelope Schmitt

5.0 out of 5 stars THE MOVING LIFE STORY OF A VERY HUMAN SAINT
I have only recently discovered the works of Frederick Buechner -- and I know I have found something precious and rare. Read more
Published on March 13, 2002 by Larry L. Looney

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful. touching
A beautiful, touching story. Seemingly the tale of a crusty, hardened man, but that crust is merely the thin veil of a truly broken and human heart. Read more
Published on July 21, 2001 by rraabfaber

5.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical story of longing for oneness with God
Buechner once again shows he is a master, not only of prose, but of understanding what being human is. Read more
Published on March 15, 2001 by Michael J. Vonmoss

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