Good Catholic Fiction

[laszlo]

Franz Wefel Hearken the Word (the story of the Prophet Jeremias)
Franz Werfel: The Song of Bernadette

He was Jewish but got Catholic burial in LA for this two novels, as clear sign of the baptism by desire.

Paul Claudel: The Satin slipper.

Thornton Wilder: The Bridge of St Louis Rey

 

[CradleCath]

I love to read at night before bed. Sometimes I’ll read a sentence; sometimes I’ll read 100 pages. It helps me unwind and relax.

The only Catholic fiction I own is the film Joshua and the book by Fr. Girzone. I enjoyed the film, but I gather that Fr. Girzone may be questionable in terms of his orthodoxy.

As for religious fiction, I enjoyed the Left Behind series as a concept and put up with the terrible writing for the sake of an interesting theme and some cool characters. The dramatic audio versions (like old time radio theater) are awesomely entertaining.

So how about it? Any good Catholic fiction out there or am I stuck with only the book Joshua and movies like Stigmata?

The BEST Catholic novel I’ve **ever **read is Edge of Sadness, by Edwin O’Conner. This is the man who wrote “The Last Hurrah”, a thinly covered novel about Tim Curley a political boss during the first half of the 20th century. While The Last Hurrah was made into a movie, that book doesn’t hold a candle to O’Conners Edge of Sadness. You will follow a priest through the ordinary events in his life…the death of his Father, the dealings with an eccentic old Irish skinflint who plays one parish against another as he tries to get the “best” funeral ever held in
Boston…arranged before his death. I laughed until my stomach hurt & cried as I read about Father Hugh Kennedy & his ups & downs throughout his tumultuous life as a parish priest. It’s an old book & you should probably call the Library to find a copy.

 

[CB_Catholic]

Although he was an Anglican, I would recommend The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. It is allegorical. Also, JRR Tolkein.

 

[Elijah_Baley]

For specifically Catholic novels, I’d suggest:

The Father Brown stories, by G.K. Chesterton
They taper off in quality toward the end of the run, like most detective fiction, but the conceit is marvelous: Priests who hear confession have a better insight on man’s sinfulness than professional detectives. Read them in order. Along with several other readings, helped bring me back to the faith in a roundabout sort of way. Not that it’s apologetics, but it does promote a kind of appreciation of the clergy you don’t usually find in this genre or popular literature.
Children of the Lost Days series, by Michael O’Brien
Of these, I’ve only read the first two so far. I found Strangers and Sojourners much more satisfying than Father Elijah. Fewer clunky, clunky characters and much less hackneyed, though much slower and much more deliberate.
The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien
If you haven’t read it yet, or if you’ve only seen the movie, I suggest reading it now. It’s the greatest novel of the 20th century and the greatest Catholic novel of all time. If you’ve read it before without thinking of it as a Catholic novel, I suggest re-reading it. You’ll see so much pop out that you never realized before.
The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
Tell-all about the history of the Church, with shockingly true details. Comes with the highest recommendation of none other than G.K. Chesterton himself.
The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene
An antidote for anyone who says that the Church is authoritarian and oppressive. The back-and-forth between the whiskey priest and the anti-clerical guerrilla toward the end is transcendent. Also by Greene: Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair.
Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard that I must by everyone who has.

One of these things is not like the others. Just making sure you’re reading critically here.

 

[Student09]

Anything by Flannery O’Connor.

J.F. Powers was Catholic. I have read a (very) little of his work, but enough to tell that he is a good writer. Francois Mauriac was also Catholic and won the Nobel Prize in literature.

I really want to read both Powers and Mauriac but haven’t had the time. I have read everything by Flannery O’Connor.

 

[Reservoir_Dog]

A Canticle for Lebowitz, post-apocalyptic science fiction by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

 

[Student09]

Another Nobel Prize winner - Sigrid Undset. She wrote a novel called “Kirsten Lavransdatter.” I read part of it a long time ago. Anyway, she was a convert to Catholicism and very sincere, a lay Dominican.

Of course there’s also Dante …

And the Da Vinci Code! Talk about great writing combined with a Catholic viewpoint. (Oh wait, that was sarcasm … never mind …)

 

[Elijah_Baley]

A Canticle for Lebowitz, post-apocalyptic science fiction by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

!

Can’t believe I forgot that one. That was another one that helped appreciate the faith quite a bit more. Warning: Stay away from the sequel, the only other novel Walter Miller wrote. It’ll ruin your appreciation of the book.

 

[Reservoir_Dog]

!

Can’t believe I forgot that one. That was another one that helped appreciate the faith quite a bit more. Warning: Stay away from the sequel, the only other novel Walter Miller wrote. It’ll ruin your appreciation of the book.

A real disappointment, someone else had to finish it for him, after his demise.