- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Harperone; Reprint edition (Mar 1 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060593210
- ISBN-13: 978-0060593216
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 13.5 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 177 g
- Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,914,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
National Book Award-winning author Wangerin (The Book of Dun Cow) retells the story of St. Julian the Hospitaller, patron saint of carnival workers, ferrymen, wandering musicians and other peripatetic souls. The narrator is an elderly cleric in a small parish "in the neglected center of a city of considerable size" somewhere in Europe, in some indeterminate time; the story of St. Julian once brought the cleric out of despair, and he is anxious to tell it himself for the masses, for Julian is "the Saint of them that have sinned uncommonly, whether by heart or by hand." Born in medieval Europe to a noble family, Julian has blood lust from a young age. As a teenager, he goes hunting purely for the ecstasy of the kill. One day a stag, dying at his hand, prophesies that Julian will murder his own parents. Julian flees his home in terror of the prophesy, becomes a brutal warrior and takes a wife. While he is away pillaging, his parents come to his castle. His wife receives them warmly and unwittingly offers them her bed. When Julian comes home the stag's prediction reaches its inevitable, tragic fulfillment. In his grief, Julian becomes a beggar, seeking degradation in every form and doing good works for the poor, which include building a hospice and inns. The story is beautifully written, in a style that is formal without being overly lyrical or stagily archaic. The fable-like narrative won't be for everyone, but those interested in the lives of the saints will enjoy this imaginative tale.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Best-selling author Wangerin has fashioned a mesmerizing fictional account of the life of St. Julian. Born in medieval times to noble parents, Julian, a seemingly devout lad with a sunny disposition, hides a terrible character flaw. Plagued by an unremitting lust for blood, he is drawn to the hunt and kills unmercifully. Fleeing home after a particularly brutal episode, during which he learns he is destined to kill his parents, he resolves never to return to his former life. Unable to escape his tragic fate, he unwittingly fulfills it after his parents track him down. Taking flight once again, he wanders about seeking redemption until he is offered one last and momentous chance for salvation. Full of mystical and spiritual undertones, this dark novel of depravity and deliverance casts a spell heightened by the author's ability to immerse himself--as the narrator--in the culture, the language, and the moral fabric of another time and another place. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
I know not her name. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I know not her name. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
In the Grip of Addictive Sin,
By A Customer
This review is from: Saint Julian (Hardcover)
Wangerin has done a powerful job describing the effects of sin in a life that's not totally given over to Christ. Julian typifies the believer whose belief is only through cultural heritage and not a heart change. This book chronicles the depths that sin will take us...to the end of our very self, where Christ will be waiting after we ineffectively try to deal with all our shame and self loathing. It occurs to me that the problem is addiction and the recovery process is through Christ alone. This book had the same effect on me as Frank Perreti's book "The Oath". Very convicting. Well worth the read.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lifeless and somewhat rote,
By
This review is from: Saint Julian (Hardcover)
Wangerin's effort here seems lifeless and somewhat stock. It's hard to think that such a potentially captivating story could be made to sound bland, but it does come together that way. There are a few moments when we see into Julian's character, but his motivations are always lost and his faith seems second-hand to doing the right thing. This book is altogether lost in the facts and historical elements of the story rather than the human element. Try "Godric" by Beuchner or "Patrick" by Stephen Lawhead for an altogether different experience of saints and their passionate histories.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Was I missing something here?,
By
This review is from: Saint Julian (Hardcover)
Um, it's not by choice that this has 1 star. I had no choice. I tried giving it a zero but that wasn't an option. Okay, so a deer spoke to this man. Maybe it was some type of allegory. Who knows? I wanted to put it down. Believe me, I did. However, I didn't want to miss the symbolism, if perhaps there was one. All I can say is "I didn't get it - the story that is." I wish I could say I didn't get the book either. Do yourself a favor, don't you get it.
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