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The Clowns Of God
''The Clowns of God'' (1981) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Hodder and Stoughton in England in 1981. This is the second book in West's "Vatican trilogy", following '' The Shoes of the Fisherman'' and preceding '' Lazarus''. Synopsis In the last decade of the twentieth-century, Jean Marie Barrette (Pope Gregory XVII) claims to have had a private revelation about the end of the world. In order to prevent him revealing this the Curia tells him to either resign or be declared insane. Critical reception Helen Brown in ''The Canberra Times'' noted: "There is plenty of action and suspense, but towards the end the theological debate becomes a little repetitious. The questions are posed again and again, but the answers are forever delayed. There seems to be no way out." In her literary study of West and his work, Maryanne Confoy noted: "In this, as in several West's novels, we are confronted with a single character who has the task of c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morris West
Morris Langlo West (26 April 19169 October 1999) was an Australian novelist and playwright, best known for his novels '' The Devil's Advocate'' (1959), ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (1963) and ''The Clowns of God'' (1981). His books were published in 27 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies. West's works were often focused on international politics and the role of the Roman Catholic Church in international affairs. In ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' he described the election and career of a Slav as Pope, 15 years before the historic election of Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II. The sequel, ''The Clowns of God'', described a successor Pope who resigned the papacy to live in seclusion, 32 years before the abdication of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013. Early life West was born in St Kilda, Victoria, the son of a commercial salesman. Due to the large size of his family, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hodder And Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publisher for the Congregational Union. In 1861 the firm became Jackson, Walford and Hodder; but in 1868 Jackson and Walford retired, and Thomas Wilberforce Stoughton joined the firm, creating Hodder & Stoughton. Hodder & Stoughton published both religious and secular works, and its religious list contained some progressive titles. These included George Adam Smith's ''Isaiah'' for its ''Expositor’s Bible'' series, which was one of the earliest texts to identify multiple authorship in the Book of Isaiah. There was also a sympathetic ''Life of St Francis'' by Paul Sabatier, a French Protestant pastor. Matthew Hodder made frequent visits to North America, meeting with the Moody Press and making links with Scribners and Fleming H. Revell. The s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proteus (West Novel)
''Proteus'' (1979) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Collins in England in 1979. Synopsis The novel's protagonist is John Spada, an Italian-American who leads a multinational corporation. He also secretly heads a covert organisation called Proteus, aiming to free prisoners of conscience around the world. To achieve this, Proteus threatens to release a deadly botulism culture into selected cities' water supply. Critical reception John Philip in ''The Canberra Times'' thought that the "essence of a gripping yarn is there; but the story, as it unfolds, falters and finally fails." He concluded: "All in all, a disappointing novel. A great deal of action is developed around a topical theme; but finally Morris West loses touch with reality." In her literary study of West and his work, Maryanne Confoy noted: "In ''Proteus'' West was trying to discover whether the goodness of one human being could triumph over the evil of another. If the thor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The World Is Made Of Glass
''The World is Made of Glass'' (1983) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Hodder and Stoughton in England in 1983. Synopsis In 1913, Carl Jung is in conversation with one of his patients, Magda von Gamsfeld. Both are moving towards mental breakdowns, and their downward slide is contrasted against the movement towards war in Europe at that time. Critical reception Maurice Dunlevy, in ''The Canberra Times'' observed: "West's strength has always been his narrative skill, and it hasn't deserted him. Like all of his bestsellers, this is a 'great read'. Moreover, he has divined that ordinary readers, even in this rational and secular age, are more interested in good and evil — particularly evil — than in mere right and wrong, which have increasingly become the concerns of more literary novelists." In her literary study of West and his work, Maryanne Confoy noted that West based this novel on "an incomplete case study from Jung's ''Memor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Shoes Of The Fisherman (novel)
''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' is a novel by the Australian writer Morris West first published in 1963. The novel concerns the election of a Ukrainian pope, and is a dissection of Vatican politics.William H. Honan"Morris West, Popular Novelist Focusing on Faith, Dies at 83" ''The New York Times'', 12 October 1999 The protagonist, Kiril Pavlovich Lakota, appointed a cardinal ''in pectore'' by the previous pope, was inspired by the lives of two Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Ukrainian Catholic bishops: Cardinal Josyf Slipyj and Bishop Hryhorij Lakota. Slipyj was released by Nikita Khrushchev's administration from a Siberian Gulag in 1963, the year of the novel's publication, after political pressure from Pope John XXIII and United States President John F. Kennedy. Slipyj arrived in Rome in time to participate in the Second Vatican Council. Lakota died in 1950 in a Soviet Gulag. A sub-plot deals with Kiril's relationship with a controversial theologian and scientist, Father Tele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lazarus (West Novel)
''Lazarus'' (1990) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Heinemann in England in 1990. This is the third book in West's "Vatican trilogy", following '' The Shoes of the Fisherman'' and ''The Clowns of God''. Synopsis Pope Leo XIV is a staunch conservative, the perfect product of the Vatican hierarchy. But when he recovers from double-bypass heart surgery he undergoes a philosophical change of heart and begins to see the world in a new light. He now aims to change the Doctrine of the Faith away from being repressive, secretive and authoritarian. Interwoven with this new philosophy is the discovery of a plot to assassinate the Pope while he recovers from his surgery in a Swiss clinic. Critical reception Writing in ''The Canberra Times'' Ralph Elliott noted: "I doubt whether Mr West is much troubled by academic neglect. ''Lazarus'' not merely confirms his standing as a consummate storyteller; it forces the reader to ponder not only the role ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Morrow (publisher)
William Morrow (June 15, 1873, in Dublin, Ireland – November 11, 1931, in New York City) was an American publisher. He attended Harvard College, class of 1900. At New York city, on April 24, 1923, he married novelist Honoré Willsie Morrow. He founded William Morrow and Company in 1926 and led it until his death. William Morrow and Company William Morrow and Company was acquired by Scott, Foresman in 1967 and sold in 1981 to the Hearst Corporation, which sold it, along with Avon Books, to the News Corporation in 1999. Both William Morrow and Avon are now imprints of News Corp subsidiary HarperCollins. Among many other authors, Morrow was Nevil Shute Nevil Shute Norway (17 January 189912 January 1960) was an English novelist and aeronautical engineer who spent his later years in Australia. He used his full name in his engineering career and Nevil Shute as his pen name, in order to protect ...'s American publisher for several of his novels. Morrow was the publisher ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allen & Unwin
George Allen & Unwin was a British publishing company formed in 1911 when Sir Stanley Unwin purchased a controlling interest in George Allen & Co. It went on to become one of the leading publishers of the twentieth century and to establish an Australian subsidiary in 1976. In 1990, Allen & Unwin was sold to HarperCollins and the Australian branch was the subject of a management buy-out. George Allen & Unwin in the UK George Allen & Sons was established in 1871 by George Allen, with the backing of John Ruskin, becoming George Allen & Co. Ltd. in 1911 and then George Allen & Unwin in 1914 as a result of Stanley Unwin's purchase of a controlling interest. Unwin's son Rayner S. Unwin and nephew Philip helped run the company, which published the works of Bertrand Russell, Arthur Waley, Roald Dahl, Lancelot Hogben, and Thor Heyerdahl. It became well known as J. R. R. Tolkien's publisher, some time after publishing the popular children's fantasy novel ''The Hobbit'' in 1937, and its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1981 In Australian Literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1981. Events * Peter Carey won the 1981 Miles Franklin Award for '' Bliss'' Major publications Literary novels * Peter Carey — '' Bliss'' * Blanche d'Alpuget — '' Turtle Beach'' * David Foster — ''Moonlite'' * Miles Franklin — ''On Dearborn Street'' * David Ireland — ''City of Women'' * Elizabeth Jolley — ''The Newspaper of Claremont Street'' * Colleen McCullough — ''An Indecent Obsession'' * Morris West — '' The Clowns of God'' Crime and mystery * Marshall Browne — ''Dragon Strike'' * Peter Corris — ''White Meat'' Science fiction and fantasy * John Brosnan — ''Skyship'' * David Lake — ''The Man Who Loved Morlocks'' * Keith Taylor — ''Bard'' * George Turner — ''Vaneglory'' Children's and young adult fiction * Jan Ormerod — ''Sunshine'' * Ruth Park — '' The Muddle-Headed Wombat is Very Bad'' * Eleanor Spence – ''The Seven ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1981 Australian Novels
Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán Department, Morazán and Chalatenango Department, Chalatenango departments. * January 15 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation led by Polish Solidarity (Polish trade union), Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa at the Vatican City, Vatican. * January 20 – Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, minutes after Ronald Reagan is First inauguration of Ronald Reagan, sworn in as the 40th President of the United States, ending the Iran hostage crisis. * January 21 – The first DMC DeLorean, DeLorean automobile, a stainless steel sports car with gull-wing doors, rolls off the production line in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. * January 24 – An 1981 Dawu ea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
