Review: gripping book full of questions that delve into our morals
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 17, 2012
This book is outside my normal genre but I'd "met" Brian via amazon forums and as it was on the free lsist at the time decide to read it. Years ago i was a great Joanna Trollope fan and Brian's writing style reminds me very much of hers, the way the story starts unfolding with gentle ripples that go on to create endless waves that flood over and influence everywhere in the novel.The story begins with three young men Called to god and learning how to be of service the the Roman Catholic Church. Its set in Ireland the the problems that beste the men as their careers unfold spill over to affect each other and make them (and us) question the morality and application into everyday life of the Church Rules. What starts as a simple kindness by one man ends in a Law court, makes another of the freinds question his dogmatic appraoch when following Church Law, especially when the stance on contraception and abortion ends in tragedy for a parishioner. the there's the third freind who's taken a more clerical approach and when called in to look at these problems discovers he has gone to seeing the church as a career and not a calling and is shocked at how this happend without him noticing.I'm not particulary religiuos - like many children of the sixties i attended church sporadically and sunday school weekly - more because the parents wanted some weekend alone i suspect that becuase of any religious fervour on their part...even then I questioned the hypocrisy of our C of E where we children were used to do menial tasks for the church such as stone picking the area to be used for parking and yet looked down on as the "council estate children" by the majority of church goers and staff. Brians book is far further advanced than that simple insisncerity far further looking at the cahtolic Dogam and how it affects people on a practical basis. He poses some interesting problems via the story about when should the Church be sticking to its principles and what happens when they are shaped to fit the situation. I really enjoyed this book - real characters i felt deeply sympathetic to and understood both sides of the problems - there's never a simple solution when what looks right on paper is applied to practice and real lives. Its the biggest problem i have with organised religion today - the hypocrisy still practiced by too many.I know little of catholic rules other than what is common reading but clearly Brian has researched deeply into this area and the legal application to create a fascinating and entrancinging novel. I looked at the questions posed and wondered what i would have advised and how it would have worked out - there's never a simple solution though and each case needs to be examined individually, however as I see it the Church simply seems to have a set of rules and I'm sure that must create nightmares for those clergy genuinely wanting to help people do what is not only right by the church but what is right for them.If i'd not "met" Brian i wouldn't have looked at this book and that would be a shame as i'd have missed a great book that kept me engrossed for hours ( N.B. I am a quick reader - its a long book so may take others days!!) I'd highly recommend this book.