A Canticle for Leibowitz (Bantam Spectra Book)
EUR 3,66
A great book, full of sense and irony. - Nuclear war has destroyed civilization, desperate fanatics, blaming science, have destroyed scientists, knowledge and everybody who was not a simpleton. As in the Middle Ages, it is the church, now governed from New Rome, who rescues immensely valuable fragments of knowledge from the wreckage, one of the first martyrs murdered for this salvage work being the Beatus Leibowitz, canonized in the first part of the novel. Spanning the millennia, monasteries like Leibowitz original one reconstruct civilization, and pass a final, cruel test when civilization eventually re-constructs nuclear arms. A great book.
Good. - This book is well worth reading. Set in the future, after a nuclear holocaust on Earth, the ideas presented are compelling, and there is a slightly dark humor throughout all of the events. The development of religion and technology in the novel is interesting. I would highly recommend this book.
Miller s Classic Science Fiction Tale - A Canticle for Leibowitz is the story of a Catholic Monastary in the Utah desert after a Nuclear Holocaust. The story spans one thousand years and deals with the monks attempts to preserve human knowledge against the barbarous dark age that had decended upon the Earth. This is one of those rare novels that combines biting satire with a wonderful story and rich characters. There are a few times when the story tends to get bogged down, but these lulls are more than made up for by genuine thrilling moments and a very satisfying ending. Religion, philosiphy, and humor illustrate this wonderful novel of mankind searching for collective redemption and wondering at just what cost salvation will come.
I just don t see it - I am still wondering what is considered so good about this book. I feel fairly well versed in SF and this one ranks as low as the last few books in the Dune series. There were interesting flashes in the book. The idea of technology being held by the church was fairly interesting, but never panned out for me. Thon Taddeo s visit had my interest, but lost it because nothing that interesting transpired. One thing I will concede, the literary level was high for SF (no, I am not just saying that because the book contains Latin). I hope that you are enjoying, enjoyed or will enjoy it more than I did.
Modern Myth: cosmic FAITH in combat with cosmic FOLLY... - Walter M. Miller s A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ remains reputed as a science fiction classic that has transcended the genre into the realm of profound, tragic and enraging literature. Published 40 years ago, its focal theme...the conflict between faith-in-humility, and arrant will to self-apotheosis in the Knowledge of Good & Evil...is again timely and powerful. THE BOOK OF LIFE is open! is an oriflamme ascribed by acolytes of the media to the recent DNA mapping breakthrough. LUCIFER IS FALLEN! is Miller s anti-hymn chanted by Mankind as it annihilates itself in nuclear conflagration. And...as the novel closes, after eons of rediscovery and rebuidling...repeats in a final irredeemable act of RACIAL SUICIDE. The story of the monks of The Albertian Order of St. Leibowitz is, indeed, as exciting, funny and disturbing as when written. But now that...in the eyes of some...a Culture of Death (race wars, executions, mass abortion, child violence) grips the planet and seems to feed on itself, the novel blares a clarion that can no longer be dismissively labeled science fiction. A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ is a modern myth. Like another St. Augustine, Miller poses the battle between the CITY of GOD and the CITY OF MAN. The former affirms humanity and Allegiance, the latter defies all limits with pride in an imagined independance which is actually self-homage. A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ is unique. It is modern myth...transcending culture and author...to re-present a universal story of humanity in battle for survival with itself. Man has never tried to play God but he never seems to tire of playing Satan. Defiance repudiates Faith which gives Man the cosmic dimension he craves, while the cosmic Folly of self-homage only amplifies the despair of a carbon-copy-fool determined to fulfill himself by self-worship......