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Aldous Huxley

Grey Eminence Paperback – April 1, 2005

by Aldous Huxley (Author)

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The life of Father Joseph, Cardinal Richelieu's aide, was a shocking paradox. After spending his days directing operations on the battlefield, Father Joseph would pass the night in prayer, or in composing spiritual guidance for the nuns in his care. He was an aspirant to sainthood and a practising mystic, yet his ruthless exercise of power succeeded in prolonging the unspeakable horrors of the Thirty Years War. In his masterful biography, Huxley explores how an intensely religious man could lead such a life and how he could reconcile the seemingly opposing moral systems of religion and politics.

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Product details

Publisher : Vintage / Random House London (April 1, 2005)
Language : English
Paperback : 297 pages
ISBN-10 : 0099477823
ISBN-13 : 978-0099477822
Item Weight : 9 ounces
Dimensions : 5.08 x 0.79 x 7.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #422,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,718 in Literary Criticism & Theory
- #45,364 in Biographies

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25 ratings

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Brian Duggan

A very good read for those interested in the Thirty Years War ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2015

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The beginning of Huxley's search into mystical relationships with an unknown God. A very good read for those interested in the Thirty Years War and its impact on Europe.

6 people found this helpful

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Q.L.S.

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2017

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Fast shipping, it is as described

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carlos Ventura

It's a book

Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2017

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It's a book

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Kieran Fox

Huxley's best book - perhaps surprisingly

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2010

Who is actually interested in the obscure Christian mystical practices and depressing court intrigues of 17th century France? I certainly wasn't, until I picked up this book. I've read quite a few of Huxley's books but I really thought this was the best, rather surprisingly, as "Brave New World" and others I found to be incredibly good.

'Grey Eminence' follows the life of the French Father Joseph, a Capuchin monk and mystic until circumstance (and perhaps his own vicarious lust for power) drew him into the power politics of the 30 Years' War in Europe. Working essentially as the lackey for the powerful and heartless Cardinal Richelieu (or perhaps as his puppetmaster, as this book shows), Father Joseph remained a monk to the last, eating one meal a day and basically walking all over Europe (and barefoot!) to accomplish his intrigues and lay seige to various strongholds of heathenism (as Pere Joseph perceived it, at least). If only all history could be written so well, I'd be reading a lot more of it.

However, above and beyond the history (very well done) and biography (also excellent), the themes Huxley brings up throughout the book fascinating and tie in very well with much of his life's work. A central idea is the Christian mystic practice of "active annihilation," that is, destroying one's own will utterly so that one acts merely as an instrument or conduit for God's (or ultimate reality's, as Huxley prefers to look at it) will or intention. This idea is examined magnificently - its ultimate benefits if successful (Huxley considers such an attainment the highest form of spiritual realization, and makes a good case for this assertion) and its horrible, horrible consequences if unsuccessful (with the life of Father Joseph as a case study in this kind of failure). Pere Joseph's mistake was to assume that France, too, was but an instrument of God's will - and therefore anything he could do to increase and maintain French hegemony, and by implication to ruin and destroy its competitors, was God's will. Big mistake, as Huxley so sympathetically points out. Father Joseph's and Richelieu's policies greatly exacerbated the 30 Years' War and led directly (and indirectly) to untold suffering not only of France's enemies, but its own people. Rape, pillage, destruction, cannabalism, and so on...

If I'm not mistaken this book was written during WWII (published, it says, in 1944) and it can also be seen not only as a parallel of that contemporary madness, but as Huxley's Apology for his own reluctance to engage in politics and the war. Huxley, we can assume, is Father Joseph the younger, a well-intentioned mystic seeking to align himself with the true will or purpose of this universe. Humbly admitting that he has not nearly arrived at that point, Huxley defends the idea, in this long parable, that one who believes unflinchingly that right is on their side and acts with this resolve (not to mention deafness to criticism) will only sow hatred and misery in the world --- unless (a big if), they truly have achieved active annihilation.

The prose shines here, the people come alive, and the insights and arguments (as above) are intriguing reading. It's great to see this appears to be still in print. Highly recommended. In fact this book is so good I wanted to steal it from the library of the monastery I borrowed it from and just let them keep my 'lost book deposit' - as I feel though that I haven't quite completely 'actively annihilated' my own will, it's probably best to stick to conventional morality for now and just return it!

34 people found this helpful

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Kieran Fox

Huxley's best book - perhaps surprisingly

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2010

4 people found this helpful

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Amazon Kunde

gekonnte verbindung von biographie und essay.

Reviewed in Germany on September 5, 2020

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Guter einstieg in das frankreich des frühen 17. jahrhunderts. Politik und ein wenig theologie, die jeweiligen machinteressen, vor allem frankreichs forcierung des 30jährigen kriegs. Die titelfigur steht im mittelpunkt, huxley interessiert vor allem die kalte machtpolitik des hochgläubigen francois leclerc du tremblay (pere joseph).

Carl burkhards 'richelieu' & golo manns 'wallenstein' wären umfangreiche vertiefungen.

dieses buch ist recht einfach zu lesen. Interesse reicht.

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Raffaele Russo

L'uomo più odiato del diciassettesimo secolo

Reviewed in Italy on June 4, 2012

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Il protagonista di questo libro è un personaggio davvero strano, e si comprende bene come abbia suscitato la curiosità e l''interesse storico-narrativo di Huxley. Padre Joseph, il 'perfetto cappuccino', un mistico che ha scelto di dedicare l''intera sua vita alla contemplazione di Dio, se si fosse limitato a questo sarebbe certamente stato più felice, ma anche più anonimo (cosa in fondo pertinente per un mistico, che più di tutto vuole sfuggire ai lacci e alle limitazioni della vita individuale). Invece la peculiarità di padre Joseph è quella di aver accoppiato la sua severa disciplina di contemplativo, che lo portava a considerare come futili tutte le circostanze esteriori della vita mondana, ad uno dei programmi politici più distruttivi dell''età moderna, il programma di potenza perseguito tenacemente da Richelieu, di cui padre Joseph fu il consigliere più ascoltato, appunto 'l''eminenza grigia' (dove il grigio era il colore dell''abito dei cappuccini). Così tanto ascoltato era frate Joseph, da Richelieu e dal re Luigi XIII, da poterlo considerare come il principale responsabile delle scelte che hanno portato al tragico protrarsi della Guerra dei Trenta anni, una delle guerre più distruttive mai combattute, un conflitto che ha portato al cannibalismo e al degrado civile vaste parti dell'Europa (e che, solo in Germania, ha causato 12 milioni di morti, pari a un terzo della sua popolazione). Questo mistico e contemplativo, che voleva vivere solo per provare la gioia dell''unione perfetta con Dio, e per insegnarla a chi poteva seguire la sua stessa, impervia via, ha per gran parte della sua vita intrigato, complottato, ha organizzato spie, ha tradito chi si fidava di lui, fino a diventare, comprensibilmente, uno degli uomini più temuti e odiati d''Europa. E la terribile punizione è stata, per lui, quello di veder affievolirsi l''esperienza gioiosa e contemplativa dell''unione, che nella sua giovinezza aveva dato forza e senso alla sua vita, ma che sempre più si è rivelata incompatibile con la parte politica e sempre più sinistra delle sue azioni.
Il libro di Huxley, per molti versi, è strano come il suo protagonista. Ha un bellissimo inizio romanzesco, dove un frate dall''aria dimessa, scalzo e perso nei suoi pensieri arriva alle porte di Roma, viene preso in giro dalle guardie della città, che poi cambiano repentinamente ' e comicamente ' atteggiamento, quando si rendono conto di chi è in realtà: l''emissario del re di Francia, accreditato alla corte del papa. Ma Eminenza Grigia non è un romanzo, nemmeno un romanzo storico: è una biografia, ma è anche uno studio sulla mistica e una riflessione saggistica sul mancato incontro tra buddismo e cristianesimo e sui problemi del nostro tempo. È molti libri in uno, così come padre Joseph era molte persone in una. In alcuni casi Huxley si prende la libertà di integrare gli scarni dati storici su un dato episodio, e riveste lo scheletro dei dati con la carne della (probabile) invenzione narrativa. Huxley ripete in questo il gesto di Manzoni, ma in modo allegro e liberatorio, senza gli esasperanti scrupoli di Manzoni. Il talento ironico di Huxley affiora spesso, nonostante il soggetto principale della narrazione oscilli tra il tragico e il drammatico. Ad esempio è impagabile la pagina in cui descrive la flessibile educazione religiosa delle ragazze da marito nella Francia del ''600, che consiste in pochi principi genericamente cristiani, per poi virare improvvisamente in una direzione confessionale precisa, quando si presenta un buon partito (cattolico o protestante che sia). O anche l''altra pagina, in cui descrive l'immaginario quadro allegorico che Rubens avrebbe potuto dipingere per la liberazione del cardinale Richelieu dal tormento causatogli dalle emorroidi.
Il grande tema dell'esperienza mistica è, in ogni caso, l''anima e l''intenzione del libro, e la descrizione della vita gioiosa e utile di tanti contemplativi di tutte le fedi (o anche senza una fede particolare, perché l''esperienza mistica non è, per Huxley, necessariamente teistica) fa da amaro contraltare all''affievolirsi della vita unitiva in padre Joseph. La semplice gioia che loro hanno provato era quella che anche lui aveva sperimentato, ma egli stesso se l''è negata, quando ha scelto di diventare l''eminenza grigia di Richelieu. Certo, in cambio di questo sacrificio così enorme da essere di fatto incomprensibile per chi, come la maggior parte di noi, non ha mai avuto accesso a quest''esperienza, lo hanno reso un uomo potente, gli hanno anche promesso di farlo diventare cardinale. La lettera papale che sanciva questa decisione stava per arrivare, quando frate Joseph è morto, consumato dal dolore e dal rimorso per tutto quello che aveva fatto. Come dice simpateticamente Huxley: 'e per ricompensa di aver voltato le spalle a Dio, hanno promesso di dargli un cappello rosso'.

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French Colonial

The title is where the every day use comes from..

Reviewed in Canada on June 6, 2020

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Maurice Jean Duplessis et Jean du Tremblay.
Very popular names in Québec but no knowledge of why ?

Earl Murphy

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on March 8, 2018

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A masterpiece.

Amazon Customer

One Star

Reviewed in India on March 20, 2016

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The quality of the book was really bad.

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