Good Catholic fiction

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ComplineSanFran said:
Have you read old standards such as ‘The Cardinal’ by Henry Morton Robinson, The ‘Nun’s Story’ by Kathryn Hulme? Or ‘Brideshead Revisited’ by Evelyn Waugh? Or ‘Mariette in Ecstasy’ by Ron Hansen.
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The Nun’s Story doesn’t end well, but it is certainly preferable to “I leap over the wall” (Monica Baldwin). “Mariette in Ecstasy” though was what, 1992? I wouldn’t call that an old standard yet. However I love "The Cardinal’. “(Green in any denomination is a color most pleasing to the Lord)”, LOL.

I enjoyed Kirsten Lavrandsdatter myself.
Also Dante (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and the Paradisio are all ‘fiction’). I like Anthony Esolen’s translations.

Helen Hunt Jackson’s Ramona is another favorite.

I enjoy the Brother Cadfael novels but toward the end of the series the author, as do far too many authors, Catholic or not, from the 1980s and 1990 beyond, veer into the ‘shades of grey’ and become to that extent historical re-enactors, 20th century people ‘speaking the lines and acting the gestures of long ago times’ but breaking the fourth wall to bring things into a decidedly 20th century worldview. Still, those novels are greatly superior to other ‘mystery novels’ whose protagonists are nuns (Dame Frevisse, Sister Fidelma, etc.)

I enjoy G. K Chesterton’s Father Brown novels!

I enjoy the Sister Carol Ann O’Marie novels (her protagonist is a nun who lives in California, a version of Jessica Fletcher in a habit) but the “Irish” is not as well done as other parts. A fairly faithful representation of how the sisters in the 1980s and 1990s were dealing with shrinking enrollments and aging populations though, not to mention the pervasive “California Catholic” mindset so dear to the heart of the liberals).

Unfortunately in the last 30 years or so otherwise appealing Catholic characters seem to be disproportionally represented as ‘recovering Catholics’ --cultural Catholics, Catholics who are constantly fighting against Church teachings, and the sympathies of the reader are very very ‘manipulated’ into agreement with such. Seldom outside say Father Dowling does one find a sympathetic, intelligent, lovable Catholic character who is not only comfortable with living the Faith, but perfectly accepting of ALL the teachings, in despite of the world. The bias is definitely on “These ‘enlightened Catholics’ have all the good of the stuff we like–smells, bells, working with the sheep, the whole 'holiness-- and NONE of the nasty ‘thou shalt nots’, and sooner or later the Church will join them and we’ll all be so much happier when they do.”
 
I found a lovely book called “Written In the Stars and Sand” by Anabelle Hazard. I’ve fallen in love with it. Also, Bud McFarlane’s free novels through St Jude Media are good reads as well.

I’d like some books that lean more toward teens/young adult
 
Remember Sara by C.S. Bills stuck with me. I hope she writes more in this series,
 
Tantum_ergo said:
Still, those novels are greatly superior to other ‘mystery novels’ whose protagonists are nuns (Dame Frevisse, Sister Fidelma, etc.)
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I have to strenuously disagree. I love the Brother Cadfael books, and agree both that toward the end it gets a bit “modern” in thought and that the Sister Fidelma ones are much worse, but the Dame Frevisse ones (Margaret Frazer) are wonderful, even better than Cadfael. I would highly recommend them.
Tantum_ergo said:
I enjoy G. K Chesterton’s Father Brown novels!
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Absolutely!
Tantum_ergo said:
Seldom outside say Father Dowling does one find a sympathetic, intelligent, lovable Catholic character who is not only comfortable with living the Faith, but perfectly accepting of ALL the teachings, in despite of the world. The bias is definitely on “These ‘enlightened Catholics’ have all the good of the stuff we like–smells, bells, working with the sheep, the whole 'holiness-- and NONE of the nasty ‘thou shalt nots’, and sooner or later the Church will join them and we’ll all be so much happier when they do.”
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Actually, that mindset (agreeing with all of the teachings) is one of the reasons that I like the Dame Frevisse ones. 🙂 Also agree with the recommendation of Father Dowling. I also recommend McInerny’s The Third Revelation and Relic of Time.

–Jen
 
revert_jen said:
I have to strenuously disagree. I love the Brother Cadfael books, and agree both that toward the end it gets a bit “modern” in thought and that the Sister Fidelma ones are much worse, but the Dame Frevisse ones (Margaret Frazer) are wonderful, even better than Cadfael. I would highly recommend them.

Absolutely!

Actually, that mindset (agreeing with all of the teachings) is one of the reasons that I like the Dame Frevisse ones. 🙂 Also agree with the recommendation of Father Dowling. I also recommend McInerny’s The Third Revelation and Relic of Time.

–Jen
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Try James Callan’s Fr. Frank series.
 
AmericanRose said:
I’d like some catholic fiction books to read, since some of the books we are assigned at school have less than moral topics and situations, (and tend to put those themes in a positive light) and lots of young adult books are too “adult” for my taste. I read reviews for Agnes’ Gift, ans A Single Bead, and they seem good. However, my public library has, quite literally, only a few books that have catholic themes or don’t bash Catholicism. Any recommendations?
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When you say “Catholic fiction,” do you mean fiction that has explicitly Catholic subject matter (e.g., a novel about a saint or about a period in Biblical history)? Or a novel written by a Catholic that conveys Catholic values? Or just a novel that isn’t contrary to Catholic faith and morals?

If you mean a novel with Catholic subject matter, then I would recommend any of the novels by Louis de Wohl, especially The Spear, The Last Crusader, and Citadel of God.
 
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