No doubt, we can continue to argue about which is the best translation of "The Iliad." However, those of us who rejoice in the beauty of language and the brilliance of great poetry cannot help but marvel at Alexander Pope’s telling of the tale of Troy. It was the best of times, it was the [...]
In "The Brothers Karamazov," the man of God has the last laugh. Dostoevsky also has the last laugh, and it is at the devil’s expense. The joke is on Satan and those fools who fall for his lies. In my book, Classic Literature Made Simple: Fifty Great Books in a Nutshell, I endeavoured to encapsulate [...]
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 [...]
When we die, there will be dozens or even hundreds of books that we would have wanted to read had time permitted. It is in this sense that I feel that the neglect of the great Russian author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, constitutes a sin of omission on my part. Broadly speaking, there are two types of [...]
Shakespeare is certainly more alive, in the enduring life that he breathed into his work, than the dead and dying ideas of his critics. It is, therefore, a delightfully apt conceit on Dr. David A. James’ part to bring him to life to sit in jocular judgment. Joseph Pearce in Conversation with Film-Maker, David A. [...]
Hilaire Belloc was one of a rare breed, which today might be considered an endangered species. He was what was called a man of letters and a man who refused to be pigeonholed, who refused to be labeled, who refused to be restricted by any sphere of specialty. Mercifully, he lived in an age in [...]
The beauty of art comes in many forms, shapes and sizes. It is rendered in metal, stone, sound, movement, oils, watercolours and words. It ranges in scale from the majestic splendour of the great cathedrals to the diminutive glory of the finest crafted jewellery, from the grandeur of the greatest epic poems to the sonorous [...]
In "50 Books for Life: A Concise Guide to Catholic Literature," Roy Peachey demonstrates that he is widely read and is catholic (small “c”) and cosmopolitan (in the best sense of the word) in his reading of literature from beyond the anglophone world. Seldom have I seen a list of books which encompasses so many [...]
England’s triumph in the World Cup had nothing to do with the prayers of the Virgin, nor was Our Lady of Guadalupe failing to answer the prayers of those Mexicans who sought her intercession on Mexico’s behalf. If their prayers were answered, it might have been in the form of the gentlest of reproofs to [...]
G.K. Chesterton believed that only a firm and patriotic understanding of citizenship will keep the American experiment in shape and prevent it from melting into anarchy. If America does not insist that its people, and especially its immigrants, are citizens of the state, the state itself will melt into a formless, anarchic mess. As the [...]
The Major Oak, like Robin Hood and Maid Marian, has died. Its death is felt even more deeply because of what it signifies. Its death seems to signify the death of England itself. Imagine for a moment that you are in Middle-earth. Imagine what you would think or feel were you to be told that [...]
The final word on the legacy of John Fisher and Thomas More, and the final judgment (under God) on why we should see them as heroes, is given by G. K. Chesterton, a man who proves in his very self that the killing of More and Fisher did not kill learning, laughter or holiness: "There [...]
G.K. Chesterton and Fulton Sheen were kindred spirits, with the older man serving as the younger man’s mentor and inspirational model. Author’s Note: Venerable Fulton Sheen is due to be beatified on September 24 in St. Louis. Calls are currently being made for Chesterton’s cause for beatification to be opened. The following is intended as [...]
Portia’s famous speech in "The Merchant of Venice" is the best, and best-known, evocation of the quality of mercy in the entire canon of literature, and is also the perfect curtain-raiser to the whole topic. The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It [...]