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Add a Quotepg 60 "It became more apparent to him that he was truly called to walk this strange and difficult, This unnatural and unutterable path to God, which required not poetry or piety but simple endurance and patience."
pg 288 He spoke from his heart and Deuteronomy: " 'You have seen with your own eyes what the Lord your God has done.'"
"I've seen what human beings can do--"
"You've seen WHAT, Emilio conceded, " but not WHY.That's where God is Anne. In the Why of It--in the meaning."
Faced with the Divine, people took refuge in the banal, as though answering a cosmic multiple-choice question: If you saw a burning bush, would you (a) call 911, (b) get the hot dogs, or (c) recognize God? A vanishingly small number of people would recognize God, Anne had decided years before, and most of them had simply missed a dose of Thorazine.
"The poor you will always have with you," Jesus said. A warning, Emilio wondered, or an indictment?
As many as thirty or as few as ten years later, lying exhausted and still, eyes open in the dark long after the three suns of Rakhat had set, no longer bleeding, past the vomiting, enough beyond the shock to think again, it would occur to Emilio Sandoz to wonder if perhaps that day int he Sudan was really only part of the setup for a punchline a life-time in the making.
It was an odd thought, under the circumstances. He understood that, even at the time. But thinking it, he realized with appalling clarity that on his journey of discovery as a Jesuit, he had not merely been the first human being to set foot on Rhakhat, had not simply explored parts of its largest continent and learned two of its languages and loved some of its people. He had also discovered the outermost limit of faith and, in doing so had located the exact boundary of despair. It was at that moment that he learned, truly, to fear God.
For he could not feel God or approach God as a friend or to speak to God with the easy familiarity of the devout or praise God with poetry. And yet, as he had grown older, the path he had started down almost in ignorance had begun to seem clearer to him. It became more apparent to him that he was truly called to walk this strange and difficult, this unnatural and unutterable path to God, which required not poetry or piety but simple endurance and patience.
No one could know what this meant to him.
Summary
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lms
Apr 10, 2008
A group of scientists, led by a Jesuit priest cross the universe to observe and initiate contact with an alien culture. They get more than they bargained for. A book about colonization, assumptions and beliefs.
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Add a CommentThis book and it's sequel Children of God are a fantastic read for those who like really intelligent Science Fiction. In fact you don't have to be a Sci Fi buff to enjoy these books. I've never forgotten these books and have recommended them to many people over the years, and bought many copies as presents.
One of the best books I've ever read! Great, wonderful and thought provoking, this is a must read for anyone interested in human nature and what it means to be "good". Any book club discussing the themes in this work will not be disappointed. I'm going to read the follow up (Children of God) soon, but I need to let this marinate in my brain for awhile. If you think "literature" (or even Sci-Fi) isn't for you , you should pick this book up today!
I quit half way through and I don't even care what happens to these characters! I am surprised that so many loved this one. It sorely needed a good editor. So much of the book felt like character filler that just went on and on.
The book kept me reading to see what would happen to Emilio. But it was recommended to me by a librarian for my twelve year old. This is not a book for a tween. So I am glad I read it first
After reading the prologue and that haunting plea—"They meant no harm"—this rush of foreboding came over me and I sensed I was at the beginning of something extraordinary.
And I was not disappointed. Mary Doria Russell has crafted a gripping tale of what happens when good intentions meets, no, collides with, raw nature. Only the description "gripping tale" barely scratches the surface. There's so much more going on here: philosophy, religion, anthropology, linguistics, the relativistic effects of interstellar travel, social evolution, betrayal, and a test of faith unlike any I've ever read.
The Sparrow was an ideal recommendation for me. I love science fiction, though I especially love the not-too-distant-future sci-fi where the "what if?" scenarios are just as close to reality as fantasy. I want to be able to look ahead and think, yes, events could play out this way. Carl Sagan's Contact comes to mind. I'm also an agnostic who enjoys pondering the humanistic side of the faith question. Many dismiss "skeptic" and "faith" as mutually exclusive, but I find dilemmas like a crisis of belief, for example, to be one of the most intensely vulnerable and human experiences we wrestle with.
Mary Doria Russell writes with sincerity, precision and a playfulness that will not be contained. Consider me a new fan. I only wish I had discovered her sooner.
Anne and George are the coolest married couple ever.
A charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist leads a twenty-first century scientific mission to a newly discovered extraterrestrial culture in search of spiritual treasure, but nothing can prepare them for the civilization they encounter. Russell creates memorable, strong characters who navigate the world of exciting ideas and disturbing moral issues without ever losing their humanity or humor.
Father Emilio Sandoz is a Jesuit linguist who is one of the first to visit the first planet found with intelligent life. His experience is a harrowing illustration at how deeply you can misunderstand words when they a from an experience that is alien.
My all time favorite book. Out of this world characters, you inhabit their skins, horrifying deeds done in the name of God and man, rich worlds and vistas and the drama of human emotions.
I abandoned the book after forcing myself through 14 chapters. Emilio's wonderfulness was as unbearable for me as Sofia's life history and genius.