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I am interested in hearing if anyone has any recommendations for literary novels in which faith plays a decent role. I am not looking for Christian genre fiction. No Amish love stories and I prefer not to read books that are sometimes referred to as apostate fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed Leif Enger's Peace Like a River and The Girl Who Slept With God. I also enjoyed the book by the British writer, whose name now escapes me. A well-known writer and the book was about an adulterous love affair and the reasons why the woman did not continue it were religious. Duh. Maybe it was called The Affair? Green, the author? That's starting to sound familiar to me as I type it. Ah ha. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. I'm sure I've read others I can't think of at the present time but hopefully the ones I mentioned will give you guys an idea of what I'm looking for.
The faith aspect doesn't have to be Christian - just a religious/faith aspect as it might take place in an average person kind of life.
In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in Christian faith by portraying a typical human life, with all its temptations and failings, seen from devils' viewpoints.
Have you read Michael Phillips A Rift in Time? I enjoyed the premise but found it over wordy at times. Have you read any of Taylor Caldwell's novels? If not, I recommend Great Lion of God as a starting point.
The first line of John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany:
"I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice - not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
Despite the title and the line, this book is about faith and not Christianity, though Christianity is used as the vehicle to explore the concept of faith.
I am an atheist, and this is one of my favorite books - not because of the subject, but because John Irving is brilliant and this is him at the absolute top of his literary game. I still prefer Garp to this book for a variety of reasons, but it is clear that between the publication of that earlier work and this one, Irving polished his literary chops.
Have you read Michael Phillips A Rift in Time? I enjoyed the premise but found it over wordy at times. Have you read any of Taylor Caldwell's novels? If not, I recommend Great Lion of God as a starting point.
Thanks very much. I'll check it out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandgirl
In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis provides a series of lessons in the importance of taking a deliberate role in Christian faith by portraying a typical human life, with all its temptations and failings, seen from devils' viewpoints.
I've read that one. Thanks very much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unsettomati
The first line of John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany:
"I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice - not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
Despite the title and the line, this book is about faith and not Christianity, though Christianity is used as the vehicle to explore the concept of faith.
I am an atheist, and this is one of my favorite books - not because of the subject, but because John Irving is brilliant and this is him at the absolute top of his literary game. I still prefer Garp to this book for a variety of reasons, but it is clear that between the publication of that earlier work and this one, Irving polished his literary chops.
That has been on my to-read list for a while but it somehow got lost in the shuffle. I will try that one, thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deelighted
After I posted, I thought of another author you might like to try. Susan Howatch's Starbridge series of books.
The first line of John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany:
"I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice - not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
Despite the title and the line, this book is about faith and not Christianity, though Christianity is used as the vehicle to explore the concept of faith.
I am an atheist, and this is one of my favorite books - not because of the subject, but because John Irving is brilliant and this is him at the absolute top of his literary game. I still prefer Garp to this book for a variety of reasons, but it is clear that between the publication of that earlier work and this one, Irving polished his literary chops.
I just started reading it and I think this is exactly what I am looking for! Thanks again for bumping it up from wherever it was on my to-read list.
Have you read Life of Pi? The first part of the book is about a young Indian boy struggling with his faith. The second part is a tale of the boy's survival after a shipwreck when he finds himself in a lifeboat with a tiger... At the very end, you have to think very hard about what and how you believe stories of experiences that seem beyond belief.
Have you read Life of Pi? The first part of the book is about a young Indian boy struggling with his faith. The second part is a tale of the boy's survival after a shipwreck when he finds himself in a lifeboat with a tiger... At the very end, you have to think very hard about what and how you believe stories of experiences that seem beyond belief.
I LOVED that book!
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