Brother Cadfael series

[MrsNoahMoerbeek]

I was wondering the opinion of serious Catholics regarding the Brother Cadfael series. Do you consider them to be subtly anti-Catholic? Would you recommend them for older children (the books or the videos)?

 

[malphono]

I’ve read a couple of them, and my only comment is that they are excellent in lieu of Ambien. Far more effective than any artificial sleeping pill on the market, and without the chemical side-effects.

 

[paperwight66]

I was wondering the opinion of serious Catholics regarding the Brother Cadfael series. Do you consider them to be subtly anti-Catholic? Would you recommend them for older children (the books or the videos)?

One of the very elderly and holy priests in our parish/monastery used to love them, so I don’t think you need worry about anti-Catholicism - he wouldn’t have touched them if so.

 

[MrsNoahMoerbeek]

Oh wow. Didn’t expect that sort of answer. Are the books really that dull?

 

[puzzleannie]

have not seen the PBS series but the books are historically accurate, give a faithful if limited view of monastic life and the place of the monastery in life of the time period and would be good for teen readers and above. While immoral acts certainly occur, they happen “offstage”–they are murder mysteries so naturally there has to be mayhem–but in general the moral view is the correct one, and if there is immoral activity on the part of a churchman it is presented as a slice of human life, not an indictment of the Church.

The historical period is the same part of English history, 12th c, during the long civil war between the heirs of Henry I–his daughter Maud and nephew Stephen–that forms the backdrop of Pillars of Earth, the Ken Follet novel, dramatized for TV currently being rebroadcast–without the violence, heavy overt sexual references, and implicit attack on Church authority as a uniformly evil social construct. If you are turned off the latter (as I am) by those issues you will find Brother Cadfael a good social history of the time, although the mysteries themselves are not the most engrossing.

 

[Jennykay]

I enjoyed the books when I wanted something uncomplicated to read. Also because of
an interest in that period of history.

 

[RuthByzCat3]

My old pastor enjoyed the series. Never read the books myself though.

 

[FaustinaClare]

My husband’s family all read the entire series and watched the television show based upon the series. They loved it! He has 4 siblings. Even his parents read them and love them. They recommended them to me but I’m so busy I haven’t had a chance. I have them on my “to be read” list though.

Check them out at least!

 

[tuscany]

**I can see where people might have a little bit of a hard time with keeping interest in the books. Most of the character’s names are unusual to us now, and it might be hard to keep characters straight with so many of them with odd names. I was having to work hard at times to follow things if I had to put the book down for a few days. It was easier for me to follow when I could read it straight through.

I REALLY enjoy/ed the PBS series. Very well done, very historically acurate, very well acted.

I never got the impression in either the books or the series that anything was anti-Catholic.**

 

[The_Curt_Jester]

I’ve never read any of the books, though I have three or four of them in a pile for when I get some time to go through them.

As for the movies, I’ve only seen one, but it was pretty good. I missed the first half hour or so though, unfortunately.

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

I read most of the Cadfael books and didn’t detect anything anti Catholic in them at all. They are just murder-mysteries. Ellis Peters, whose real name was Edith Pargeter, was a stickler for doing thorough research.

Do you mean the tv programmes starring Derek Jacobi? He is an excellent actor. I’d watch anything with him in it.

 

[asia53]

**

I REALLY enjoy/ed the PBS series. Very well done, very historically acurate, very well acted.

**

I enjoyed the PBS series, too. Sir Derek Jacobi (Brother Cadfael) is an exceptional actor. Plus the storyline, former Crusader (soldier) becomes a monk, was interesting. I can’t say I enjoyed every episode, but the majority were very good.

I’ve never read the books. However, my friend, the voracious reader, says they can be very dull.

 

[ora_pro_nobis]

I enjoyed the PBS series, too. Sir Derek Jacobi (Brother Cadfael) is an exceptional actor. Plus the storyline, former Crusader (soldier) becomes a monk, was interesting. I can’t say I enjoyed every episode, but the majority were very good.

I’ve never read the books. However, my friend, the voracious reader, says they can be very dull.

Do give them a try, I don’t think they are dull at all.

 

[Sheila82]

Some of my favorite memories is watching the PBS series with my Uncle Pat, I believe I was 11 when started watching them and I was around 14 when I found the books. I also thoroughly enjoy the Bishop Blackie series for mysteries written by Fr. Andrew Greeley, however sometimes he write on mature subject matters so I would either read the book myself first or not give it to anyone under the age of 16.

 

[Zacdecat]

I adored the books…huge fan of Ellis Peters ( may she rest in peace). I think she virtually launched the genre of historical crime fiction. She was pretty hot with the historical aspects of the period where Stephen and Matilda tore the country apart with their warfare.

Br. Cadfael was a late vocation, so has a past of being a foot soldier in the crusades. He also had an affair with a Middle Eastern woman and an illegimate son appears late in the series.

The filmed episodes I enjoyed very much also, but the occasional “in church” scenes are not necessarily authentic.

I hope you check out the series and of course read the books and decide for yourself how appropriate they are for your family.

I would not describe them as DULL by any means.

 

[Tsuwano]

I adored the books…huge fan of Ellis Peters ( may she rest in peace). I think she virtually launched the genre of historical crime fiction. She was pretty hot with the historical aspects of the period where Stephen and Matilda tore the country apart with their warfare.

Br. Cadfael was a late vocation, so has a past of being a foot soldier in the crusades. He also had an affair with a Middle Eastern woman and an illegimate son appears late in the series.

The filmed episodes I enjoyed very much also, but the occasional “in church” scenes are not necessarily authentic.

I hope you check out the series and of course read the books and decide for yourself how appropriate they are for your family.

I would not describe them as DULL by any means.

I agree with you very much. Br. Cadfael is a very interesting character and both the books and the series are excellent and by no means dull. I definitely recommend them and do not find them anti Catholic at all.

 

[MrsNoahMoerbeek]

I adored the books…huge fan of Ellis Peters ( may she rest in peace). I think she virtually launched the genre of historical crime fiction. She was pretty hot with the historical aspects of the period where Stephen and Matilda tore the country apart with their warfare.

Br. Cadfael was a late vocation, so has a past of being a foot soldier in the crusades. He also had an affair with a Middle Eastern woman and an illegimate son appears late in the series.

The filmed episodes I enjoyed very much also, but the occasional “in church” scenes are not necessarily authentic.

I hope you check out the series and of course read the books and decide for yourself how appropriate they are for your family.

I would not describe them as DULL by any means.

I may, I’ve seen a lot of the episodes, but there were a couple things that bothered me, which is why I asked if anyone thought they were subtly anti-Catholic.

1. Morbid taste for bones. I didn’t like the portrayal of the Church and relics there, the doubt that I believe that episode placed (I first saw this in my Humanities class, of all the episodes our teacher chose that one…grrr)
2. Some of the episodes had blasphemy in them, so I guess I should have also asked if there was blasphemy in the books…anyone recall? (The particular phrase I’m referring to is C***-G**).

 

[bkovacs]

Another good movie was The Name of the Rose with Sean Connery. Almost same genre.

 

[Zacdecat]

I may, I’ve seen a lot of the episodes, but there were a couple things that bothered me, which is why I asked if anyone thought they were subtly anti-Catholic.

1. Morbid taste for bones. I didn’t like the portrayal of the Church and relics there, the doubt that I believe that episode placed (I first saw this in my Humanities class, of all the episodes our teacher chose that one…grrr)
2. Some of the episodes had blasphemy in them, so I guess I should have also asked if there was blasphemy in the books…anyone recall? (The particular phrase I’m referring to is C***-G**).

I agree the book** Morbid taste for Bones** is a bit offputting. I personally am revolted by the dismembering of a body for bony relics, but this is a modern thing. It has been a tradition of the Church and a pious one at that. BUT, as is portrayed in the book, the Church is made up of people, self righteous, bad and saintly with all the degrees inbetween. I think such behaviour probably did exist but not by a majority…

I do not recall any blasphemy in the books, but the films are subtly different. If you were to watch the films with older children, you could quiz them on any errors found and use it as an apologetics forum. I recall one younger monk making the sign of the cross back to front. Some of the scenes where Br Cadfael has a young woman in his herbarium unattended seems plain ludicrous…a damsel of good breeding always had a maid/duenna almost surgically attached to her.

 

[MrsNoahMoerbeek]

Another good movie was The Name of the Rose with Sean Connery. Almost same genre.

Didn’t that movie make the Church look pretty…what’s the word…well, not good, to say the least? I hadn’t seen it, but heard negative reviews on (but I did want to see it, love Sean Connery!)