“Since that night, I have a fire within me, which I cannot quench. I tried knowing God through reason. But now I must share the truth and the certainty that God has confirmed in my heart. I never thought a sense of peace and the passion of fire could reside in one’s heart simultaneously.” The [...]
With the publication of "An Ocean Full of Angels," Peter Kreeft is proving that he can emulate C.S. Lewis in writing great apologetic fiction, as well as non-fiction. Indeed, of all the novels written this century which I have read—and I have read many—this stands alongside the best. An Ocean Full of Angels, by Peter [...]
Daniel McInerny’s novel is a fine effort and an absorbing and satisfying read. But does he meet the challenges facing the writer of modern Catholic fiction: to somehow tiptoe around the masters, but still stand on their shoulders; to avoid the story being pastiche or preachy, while still allowing the tabernacle lamp to glow in [...]
Beauty is there, if only we would heed its call. In the midst of the earthly city, with all its problems, we need to heed the call of the Heavenly City which is right there in front of us. My advice to everyone (writers included): go to church, discover beauty, discover God. Alexander Lucie-Smith [...]
I asked the old priest about what is called “Quietism.”A friend had given me an old copy of Molinos’ Spiritual Guide, and I knew that the writer had been condemned and imprisoned for life, and yet I could not understand in what lay his crime. “It is difficult to put into words,” said the priest, [...]
David Angten’s "The Medievalist" takes us into the grubby underbelly of Tinseltown, but there is a morality woven through the story that is convincing. A gripping, thought-provoking, entertaining, and fun novel, I hope it will not be classified as “Catholic fiction.” It's too good for that. Having somewhat of a public platform in these pages [...]
In reflecting the strangeness of reality and the diabolical darkness of evil, Tim Powers’ "The Mills of the Gods" takes its place alongside other cautionary tales of fictional supernatural realism that prefigure and reflect reality. They show real-life figures in the light of the truth that exposes and vanquishes the diabolical darkness. Not facts first; [...]
Something in the path made him stumble, and he caught himself. Before him rose a heavy oak door, set in a tower of granite. It was like the keep of a medieval fortress, the heart of communal life in a bygone age. He grasped the wrought-iron ring with both hands and gave it a turn. [...]
The curtain between the world of the living and that of the dead was for Russell Kirk truly thin, as evidenced in his scholarly work and in his fiction. A ghost, as Kirk understood it, was a soul trapped between physical and eternal existence. The curtain between the world of the living and of the [...]
In Episode 1 of "Jiao Tu’s Endeavour," Donald Jacob Uitvlugt sets his man-like beasts in a fascinating tale that hints at matters far deeper than the material. Jiao Tu’s Endeavour: Episode 1: The Kidnapped Mousling by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt, foreword by Anthony Perconti (342 pages, independently published, 2022) All the world’s wiseacres in arms against [...]
The fairytale cannot help having some meaning; if it have proportion and harmony it has vitality, and vitality is truth. The beauty may be plainer in it than the truth, but without the truth the beauty could not be, and the fairytale would give no delight. Were I asked, “What is a fairytale?” I should [...]
Evening of the First Day “Where have you been?” she asked. Magdala looked back at her in sullen silence. She repeated: “Where have you been, Magda? We have been worried that something had happened to you.” Still no answer. Magdala silently looked about the inner courtyard where the other two were also keeping their vigil [...]
According to J.R.R. Tolkien, fairy stories offer recovery, escape and consolation from the sickness, confinement and hopelessness of this world of wickedness. They provide not an escape from reality but an escape to reality. It is an escape from the world of false philosophies and fake realities, rooted in Pride. I believe in fairytales. Take [...]
A noise echoes. It comes from the light, from the house, drowning out the sounds of darkness. Trumpets and the sound of the horn? Or is it the sound of those waters stirred up? I’ve left the plow, left my work belt, my hammer, my tools of meager existence—left my unmoving toil. And I took [...]