NOVELS AND OTHER BOOKS
REBECCA
Daphne Du Maurier
On a trip to the South of France, the shy heroine of Rebecca falls in love with Maxim de Winter, a handsome widower. Although his proposal comes as a surprise, she happily agrees to marry him. But as they arrive at her husband’s mansion in Cornwall everything changes. Mrs Danvers, the sinister housekeeper, is profoundly devoted to the first Mrs de Winter, Rebecca, who died in a sailing accident about a year before Maxim and the second Mrs de Winter met. Mrs Danvers continually suggests to the new Mrs de Winter that Maxim regrets his impetuous decision to marry her and is still deeply in love with the seemingly perfect Rebecca.
Rebecca is a classic suspenseful novel about the power of distrust and suspicion in life.
Topics of the book: Power of suspicion. Suspicion clouds discernment and opens the door to false judgment. Suspicion mimics the effect of original sin - it casts doubt where there should be trust, isolates rather than unites, and replaces communion with fear.
FRANKENSTEIN
Mary Shelley
Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist, creates a living creature from body parts, only to be horrified by his monstrous creation. Rejected by society and seeking vengeance, the creature embarks on a path of destruction.
Frankenstein is one of the most influential novels of the nineteenth century and remains highly relevant today. What role should science and the scientific community play? Does humanity have the right to manipulate nature? Have today’s scientists developed a moral system to match their speculative knowledge? Or will they, like Victor Frankenstein, realise too late that their curiosity is unhealthy and prideful? The questions posed by Mary Shelley still need to be addressed in contemporary society. We are the creatures, not the Creator. We must always keep this in mind if we are to avoid the mistakes made by Victor Frankenstein.
Topics of the book: Disobedience to God and his laws. Power of pride. Science can be used to destroy and abuse creation. Importance of morality in science. False freedom that leads to death. Value of companionship and need for love. Importance of humility.
THE SHADOW OF THE FATHER
Jan Dobraczynski
The Shadow of the Father, one of Jan Dobraczynski's most important books, is based on the Gospel record. It portrays Joseph, the guardian of the Holy Family, as a man who is obedient to God and his intentions. He is a man who must understand and accept his role as the shadow of the true Father of Jesus, who will be born to his wife, Mary.
Pope Francis loved this book. In his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde, he writes: "The Polish writer Jan Dobraczyński, in his book The Shadow of the Father, tells the story of Saint Joseph’s life in the form of a novel. He uses the evocative image of a shadow to define Joseph. In his relationship to Jesus, Joseph was the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father: he watched over him and protected him, never leaving him to go his own way. We can think of Moses’ words to Israel: “In the wilderness… you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you travelled” (Deut 1:31). In a similar way, Joseph acted as a father for his whole life."
Topics of the book: Fatherhood. Obedience. Love, Sacrifice, and Family Values. Acceptance.
LAY SIEGE TO HEAVEN
Louis De Wohl
Louis de Wohl employs his considerable talents to provide an interpretation of one of the most extraordinary women of all time: Saint Catherine of Siena. Born the daughter of a prosperous dyer in 14th-century Siena, Catherine devoted herself to Christ.
Her life was extraordinary. During that confused and dangerous period in history, the Pope was residing in Avignon, but Catherine persuaded him to return to Rome. The city-states of Italy were at war with each other: Catherine subdued them. There was pestilence: Catherine served and saved. She performed miracles and received the stigmata, drawing a devoted crowd of men and women around her.
She was a saint who would not leave God alone; she really did lay siege to heaven and changed the face of her world. This novel, which is also a vivid biography, brings Catherine of Siena to life in a remarkable way. She lives on in every page.
Topics of the book: Mystical union with Christ. Prayer. Obedience and humility. Service. Love for the Church. Courage. Peace and reconciliation.
THE PAINTED VEIL
W. Somerset Maugham
Set in England and Hong Kong in the 1920s, The Painted Veil tells the story of Kitty Fane, a beautiful but desperate woman.
After her husband discovers her secret life, he forces her to accompany him to the centre of a cholera epidemic in China. Stripped of the British society of her youth, Kitty is compelled by her awakening conscience to reassess her life and learn how to love.
The Painted Veil is a beautiful affirmation of the human capacity to grow, change and forgive.
And perhaps a nun serving orphans and the dying in the cholera epidemic gives the best moral of the story, by saying: “…the only thing that counts is love of duty; when love and duty are one, then grace is in you and you will enjoy a happiness which passes all understanding.”
The Painted Veil is also a 2006 drama film. It was directed by John Curran. It deserves to be seen.
Topics of the book: Need to forgive and be forgiven. Change and new life. Passing from selfishness to true love. Love as a vocation and a duty. Joy that come from living in harmony with God’s will and your vocation.
THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS RAY
Thornton Wilder
An ancient Inca rope bridge collapses over a gorge in Peru, hurling five people into the abyss. At first glance, it seems like a meaningless human tragedy. However, one witness, a Franciscan friar, believes that the deaths may not be as random as they seem. Convinced that the disaster was a divine punishment, the friar sets out to discover all he can about the travellers. He thinks the five strangers must be connected in some way. There must be a purpose behind their deaths. But are their lost lives the result of sin? Or of love?
Thornton Wilder is a masterful storyteller and this was his most important novel.
Topics of the book: Love as the real bridge and meaning of life. The importance of existential questions such as: What is the meaning of life and death? Do we live by chance, and die by chance; or do we live according to a plan, and die according to a plan? Is there a providential plan behind the seemingly random events of life? Can we ever truly understand the reasons behind suffering and death?
THE MOVIEGOER
Walker Percy
The Moviegoer (1961), winner of the National Book Award, is the debut novel by Walker Percy, an American Catholic writer. The story follows Binx Bolling, a 29-year-old Korean War veteran and stockbroker in New Orleans, who feels alienated from the materialism and emptiness of modern American life. As Mardi Gras begins, Binx embarks on what he calls "the search" - a deeply personal quest for meaning and spiritual authenticity.
Here an interesting quote from the book: "(…) when I awake, I awake in the grip of everydayness. Everydayness is the enemy. No search is possible. Perhaps there was a time when everydayness was not too strong and one could break its grip by brute strength. Now nothing breaks it - but disaster. Only once in my life was the grip of everydayness broken: when I lay bleeding in a ditch. (…) (The everydayness is everywhere now, having begun in the cities and seeking out the remotest nooks and corners of the countryside, even the swamps.)"
Although Binx doesn't openly express religious belief, the novel is steeped in Catholic themes, including alienation, suffering, and the possibility of grace. The story culminates around Ash Wednesday, subtly pointing to the idea of spiritual renewal and redemption.
Topics of the book: Alienation. Redemption. Sacredness of the everyday. Search for meaning and for God. Presence of God in the normal circumstances of life.
THE END OF THE AFFAIR
Graham Greene
Set in London just after the Second World War, The End of the Affair follows two characters, Sarah Miles and Maurice Bendrix, as they navigate life after their illicit relationship comes to an end. Having found themselves on divergent paths, Maurice realises that a wedge is being driven between them as Sarah's growing devotion to God clashes with his unwavering love for her. Through their shared experiences of loss, grief and suffering, and ultimately death, the former lovers discover the unavoidable love of God in the most unlikely of circumstances.
The fourth and final of Graham Greene's 'Catholic novels', The End of the Affair is an intimate, marvellous story of post-war longing for redemption.
Topics of the book: Baptism marks a life forever; with baptism we belong to God forever. Searching for meaning and for God. Sin doesn’t fulfil us. The grace and beauty of God changes us. Power of miracles. Sacraments.
BRIDESHEAD REVISITED
Evelyn Waugh
Brideshead Revisited follows Charles Ryder, an agnostic artist, who becomes drawn into the world of the Flyte family, an English aristocratic household deeply rooted in Catholicism. Through his friendship with Sebastian Flyte, Charles is introduced to Brideshead Castle, a symbol of divine grace and spiritual beauty.
The Flyte family members each embody different responses to faith: Sebastian struggles with alcoholism and wavering belief; his sister Julia is torn between love and religious duty; their mother Lady Marchmain exemplifies devout Catholic piety.
Charles’s encounters with the Flytes reveal the mysterious workings of Providence as grace gently guides flawed souls. In fact, the story explores how grace operates quietly amid human weakness, inviting readers to reflect on their own spiritual journeys.
Topics of the book: Beauty of the catholic faith. Power of the grace of God and Providence. The operation of divine grace on a group of diverse but closely connected characters. Grace guides our life, writing straight with the crooked lines and lives of the flawed human beings. Suffering is essential to the growth of the soul.
THE ROAD
Cormac McCarthy
The Road is a deeply moving story about a father and son travelling through a desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape covered in ash, where society has descended into chaos. The pair travel south, seeking warmer climates and safety while evading violent survivors who prey on others. Confronted with almost unimaginable despair - scarcity of food, exposure to the elements and constant threats - the father and son are sustained by their love for each other and their hope to preserve what is good in humanity.
Throughout their journey, the father teaches his son to 'carry the fire', a metaphor for maintaining their moral integrity and hope. Their bond, and the father's fierce dedication to protecting his son, serve as a testament to the redemptive power of love, even amid relentless ruin. The narrative starkly contrasts the bleak, faithless landscape with moments that evoke resilience, faith, and selfless love, demonstrating that goodness and hope endure even in a broken world.
Topics of the book: Fatherhood and education. Hope in humanity. Human capacity to carry "the fire" of goodness in a dark world.
CONFESSIONS OF A HEADTEACHER
Hans van Mourik Broekman
During the lockdown of 2020, an experienced UK school leader examines the assumptions that underpin his work and his school. He seeks to explore what his school actually does, what pupils experience there, and how he and his school could approach their daily work differently.
Topics covered include the pitfalls of teacher training, the purpose of school from pupils' perspectives, careers education, the curriculum, how pupils learn and the psychology of school reform.
Provoking educators, school leaders, governors and trustees, policymakers, parents and pupils to think deeply and clearly about their hopes and dreams for school and education, this book offers wide-ranging, personal and sometimes biting reflections. It is a unique book about school, teaching and leadership. By turns philosophical, funny, rueful, wistful and infuriating, it will inspire those involved in education to think about it in a new way.
Topics of the book: Education is the introduction of the person into reality in all its factors. Mystery of the human person. Teaching is an encounter between the pupil and the teacher. Learning is about finding the meaning. Power of beauty. Formation of our conscience. Keeping company to others. Freedom.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GREY
Oscar Wilde
Dorian Gray is a young man who is very handsome. An artist paints his picture, and Dorian wishes he could stay young while the picture grows old instead. His wish comes true.
Encouraged by his friend Lord Henry, Dorian starts living only for pleasure and fun, without caring about right or wrong. Every bad thing he does makes the picture uglier, but Dorian’s face stays the same. He hurts people, including a young woman named Sibyl who dies because of him.
Over the years, the picture becomes more and more terrible, showing the evil in his soul; but Dorian hides it so no one will know the truth.
Topics of the book: Beauty, truth and goodness need to be kept together. The killing of the conscience is the killing of the soul and the killing of the soul is the killing of the self. Power of sin and vices. The soul reflects our moral choices.
LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET
Rainer Maria Rilke
Letters to a Young Poet is a collection of ten letters written by Rainer Maria Rilke between 1903 and 1908 to Franz Xaver Kappus, a young Austrian military cadet seeking literary advice. Rilke, already a well-respected poet, did not respond with technical advice, but rather shared his reflections on the inner life that is essential for an artistic vocation. He encouraged Kappus to embrace solitude, silence and deep self-examination.
Rilke wrote the letters from various European cities, including Paris and Rome. He affirmed the importance of suffering and patience in personal growth - a theme familiar in Catholic spirituality. He also reflected on love as a sacred calling that demands maturity and sacrifice. Rilke acknowledged God and spiritual longing in indirect yet respectful ways.
The letters were first published in 1929, after Rilke’s death. Today, the work is treasured for its wisdom on vocation, art and the journey of the soul. Its contemplative tone continues to inspire readers of all faiths.
Topics of the book: Need to go deeper into ourselves. Importance of patience. Cherishing the questions we have inside us. Importance of solitude and prayer. Love as respect for the other. Virginity. Embrace difficulty.