Highly unusual After the Holocaust novel. In the far future, 20th century texts are preserved in a monastery, as "sacred books". The monks preserve for centuries what little science there is, and have saved the science texts and blueprints from destruction many times, also making beautifully illuminated copies. As the story opens to a world run on a basically fuedal lines, science is again becoming fashionable, as a hobby of rich men, at perhaps 18th or early 19th century level of comprehesion. A local lord, interested in science, comes to the monastery. What happens after that is an exquisitely told tale, stunning and extremely moving, totally different from any other After the Holocaust story
Highly unusual After the Holocaust novel. In the far future, 20th century texts are preserved in a monastery, as "sacred books". The monks preserve for centuries what little science there is, and have saved the science texts and blueprints from destruction many times, also making beautifully illuminated copies. As the story opens to a world run on a basically fuedal lines, science is again becoming fashionable, as a hobby of rich men, at perhaps 18th or early 19th century level of comprehesion. A local lord, interested in science, comes to the monastery. What happens after that is an exquisitely told tale, stunning and extremely moving, totally different from any other After the Holocaust story
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This book is a masterpiece. It leaves you with so much to consider and process. It's filled with hope and despair, of brokenness and restoration, and of a multitude of other ways to be conflicted.
This book is a masterpiece. It leaves you with so much to consider and process. It's filled with hope and despair, of brokenness and restoration, and of a multitude of other ways to be conflicted.
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
So you love classics, want to complete your must-have-read list, and really want to read every novel that ever won the Hugo? Even if it is dated, and preachy apocalyptic message-fic without plot? Go ahead read this. The basic premise that mankind moves in self-destructive cycles is well executed.
Sometimes I wonder why I keep going back to reading ancient SF books. This one is from the early 60s. But it won a Hugo and I was curious (and I remember liking [b: Stranger in a Strange Land|350|Stranger in a Strange Land|Robert A. Heinlein|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1156897088s/350.jpg|908211] which I read only a few years ago which is a year or two younger than this one). This one appears on so many must-have-read lists. And I guess that is true. But only because one must have read a book, it doesn't mean the process of getting there is necessarily enjoyable. More than anything this …
So you love classics, want to complete your must-have-read list, and really want to read every novel that ever won the Hugo? Even if it is dated, and preachy apocalyptic message-fic without plot? Go ahead read this. The basic premise that mankind moves in self-destructive cycles is well executed.
Sometimes I wonder why I keep going back to reading ancient SF books. This one is from the early 60s. But it won a Hugo and I was curious (and I remember liking [b: Stranger in a Strange Land|350|Stranger in a Strange Land|Robert A. Heinlein|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1156897088s/350.jpg|908211] which I read only a few years ago which is a year or two younger than this one). This one appears on so many must-have-read lists. And I guess that is true. But only because one must have read a book, it doesn't mean the process of getting there is necessarily enjoyable. More than anything this book was a history lesson on how it felt to be living in 1960.
The book is about how man-kind wipes itself out with nuclear weapons. Remember early 60s. Beginning of the Cold War. Assured mutual destruction. In the book it happened several centuries ago, and was followed by the Age of Simplification when the mob sought to destroy the knowledge that had brought mankind to the brink of extinction.
The first of the three parts of the book begins in the new dark ages. Only a few monks from the Order of Leibowitz guard fragments of former scientific knowledge. It's a strange story of a monk named Francis who finds his vocation in the desert where he discovers remnants of an old fallout shelter. The story meanders through his life and eventual death without much point or emotion.
In the second part centuries have passed, the abbey has grown and a new renaissance dawns. There are once more scientists and scholars rediscovering what was once known. But besides the science mankind is also rediscovering war and politics. We see through the eyes of the abbot who is at odds with a secular scholar who is visiting to study the "memorabilia" the monks are guarding. I found this the most interesting part, until it just ended with the abbots death.
In the third part we're in the futuristic vision. Man has reached for the stars, founded colonies and nuclear war threatens again. The Order of Leibowitz is still trying to fulfill their mission of saving knowledge, and mankind, and the church. This part is enjoying the new future setting and takes a lot of time to describe some of the fantastic advancements that have been made. There are colonies on other planets but computers are still the size of a room (the Abominable Autoscribe oO). But it wasn't the weird combination of futuristic visions with technology that we have surpassed, that I didn't like about this part. This part even more than all the others is focused on the morals of the church. And that's just not my thing.
I understand why this book won the Hugo. I get the message, and if you're into that it's a must-have-read. But not everybody is into reading books just because they are a kind of milestone.
It must have been something I ate, or I was just not prepared for this book. I found it un-entertaining (except for the "Forgive me father I ate a lizard" confession somewhere in the beginning). It left me with a clear impression of its very much not dated message, and the writing is solid. But it lacked such modern inventions as plot or characters I wanted to read more about. Add to that the extremely strong religious themes, and the moral musings permeating everything, the nearly complete lack of female characters (or anyone but monks and priests for that matter), and the apocalyptic setting and extremely bleak outlook and I know I'll never touch that book again.
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Excellent book. Seeing that it's more than 50 years since this book came out (during the height of the cold war), and we still haven't annihilated ourselves, maybe there's hope for us yet!
Excellent book. Seeing that it's more than 50 years since this book came out (during the height of the cold war), and we still haven't annihilated ourselves, maybe there's hope for us yet!
The first two thirds are interesting; the final, unfortunate. Starts strong but ends stumbling, preachy and unfocused. Very much written in 1961, before Vatican II.
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Dark and depressing, but oh, so good.
"Men must fumble awhile with error to separate it from truth..." – assuming they ever find the truth. And when they do, does it matter? Truth is only as good as the man who discovers it....
Dark and depressing, but oh, so good.
"Men must fumble awhile with error to separate it from truth..." – assuming they ever find the truth. And when they do, does it matter? Truth is only as good as the man who discovers it....
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The book is about ideas, and is post apocalyptic, so it stands the test of time quite well. Especially the first two parts. The technology in the third part may be a bit anachronistic, but the philosophy/theology is universal.
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This is a book that I would have absolutely loved as a high school student. I wished I were a high school student while I was reading it. Digesting it in huge chunks at a time. Hanging out in the study hall area before school, debating and quoting and dissecting with four or five other nerds who were reading it simultaneously. (That's how I've read most of the science fiction that I've really loved in my life. It's the best way to do it.)
The problem with classic science fiction is that science fiction is a genre that eats it own and constantly regenerates ideas. So was Neal Stephenson's [b:Anathem|2845024|Anathem|Neal Stephenson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1224107150s/2845024.jpg|6163095] a complete homage? Yes, in many important ways. And certainly, it was influenced by Canticle, which proceeded it by 30+ years. But I read Anathem first, so Canticle comes off looking the derivative one. I feel bad, because I …
This is a book that I would have absolutely loved as a high school student. I wished I were a high school student while I was reading it. Digesting it in huge chunks at a time. Hanging out in the study hall area before school, debating and quoting and dissecting with four or five other nerds who were reading it simultaneously. (That's how I've read most of the science fiction that I've really loved in my life. It's the best way to do it.)
The problem with classic science fiction is that science fiction is a genre that eats it own and constantly regenerates ideas. So was Neal Stephenson's [b:Anathem|2845024|Anathem|Neal Stephenson|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1224107150s/2845024.jpg|6163095] a complete homage? Yes, in many important ways. And certainly, it was influenced by Canticle, which proceeded it by 30+ years. But I read Anathem first, so Canticle comes off looking the derivative one. I feel bad, because I know it's historically inaccurate, but I'm just kind of over post-apocalyptic-humanity-is-doomed-to-repeat-its-own-mistakes-and-perpetually-destroy-itself.
There were a few tropes I loved - most notably the dilemma of is a species technologically generated by humans to replicate humans less than human? However, that was really only considered for a sentence or two.
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
I really loved this book. I would have given it 5 stars but I was a little disappointed with the end. Without giving anything away, I felt like it strayed from its narrative. However I would still recommend this book to anyone. I especially liked the preface included in the copy I received.
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Monks preserving scientific knowledge after a nuclear holocaust. Feels a bit dated now, like most SF from the 50's and 60's, especially the idea that humanity is doomed to a repeating cycle of nuclear near-annihilation. I'm skeptical that several thousand years after a nuclear war there would still be a recognizable Catholic Church that appears to have changed less than the actual Church has over the last couple thousand years. Nitpicks aside, it's an interesting read, though it's definitely on the soft side of the SF scale. The last of the three chapters is my favorite (semi-spoilery). With the destruction of civilization by nuclear war again imminent, Miller focuses the story on a bitter dispute between the Abbot and a doctor working with relief crews over the assisted suicide of victims of the first strike. he does a good job drawing the reader into the conflict, even though it doesn't …
Monks preserving scientific knowledge after a nuclear holocaust. Feels a bit dated now, like most SF from the 50's and 60's, especially the idea that humanity is doomed to a repeating cycle of nuclear near-annihilation. I'm skeptical that several thousand years after a nuclear war there would still be a recognizable Catholic Church that appears to have changed less than the actual Church has over the last couple thousand years. Nitpicks aside, it's an interesting read, though it's definitely on the soft side of the SF scale. The last of the three chapters is my favorite (semi-spoilery). With the destruction of civilization by nuclear war again imminent, Miller focuses the story on a bitter dispute between the Abbot and a doctor working with relief crews over the assisted suicide of victims of the first strike. he does a good job drawing the reader into the conflict, even though it doesn't matter in the least, since everyone will be dead in a few days.
Review of 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Another book I was reading back during my high school teaching days. At times I wonder now, given the heavy workload I faced, how I managed to read for fun.
Back then, it was my first time reading this book. Here is what I wrote back then:
>>The Church (Catholic) is one of the few surviving institutions, and they assume the task of preserving knowledge. I believe that the parallels to the monastic movement after the fall of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages are apparent and intentional. Overall, the novel is a very interesting piece of writing.<<
When I actually finished it, I remarked on the tight ending, which I won't spoil for others. But there is a question the book asks, I thought at the time, which is:
>>whether we as a human race can overcome nature or tendency, to destroy ourselves. Maybe some of us out …
Another book I was reading back during my high school teaching days. At times I wonder now, given the heavy workload I faced, how I managed to read for fun.
Back then, it was my first time reading this book. Here is what I wrote back then:
>>The Church (Catholic) is one of the few surviving institutions, and they assume the task of preserving knowledge. I believe that the parallels to the monastic movement after the fall of the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages are apparent and intentional. Overall, the novel is a very interesting piece of writing.<<
When I actually finished it, I remarked on the tight ending, which I won't spoil for others. But there is a question the book asks, I thought at the time, which is:
>>whether we as a human race can overcome nature or tendency, to destroy ourselves. Maybe some of us out in the stars would be able to as long as no new tyrants rose to life. Who knows?I would like to think that we can solve our problems. The real problem is a sincere desire to solve everything else.<<
I have had the chance to reread it since then, and I have grown to appreciate it more. However, I am now a bit more cynical as well. Definitely a classic.
