March 12, 2007

Book 19: A Canticle for Leibowitz

A Canticle for Leibowitz
Walter M. Miller, Jr.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think this is due to the fact that my reading thereof was necessarily rushed and somewhat hectic and distracted. I believe that, given the time to fully appreciate this book, my opinions concerning it would be much more fair. My reading is as it is, however, and while I appreciate the depth and the power of this book, I found much of the plot overcrowded with unnecessary and underexplained characters. Miller is definitely trying to present a complex and nuanced critique of human actions, but his scope is a little too far-reaching at times in the text, confusing the reader and muddling his point behind the confusion of the reader.

The text itself is worthy of its ambition, and though it overshoots its target a bit, its criticism does resonate and strikes hard. Miller almost presents a scientific historical hypothesis in the book, and it reads like an evolving proof of the cyclical nature of history. Indeed, the entire plot of the book reads as a rehashing of the two centuries since Christ, made especially poignant due to the religious nature of the shifting protagonists. Indeed, an abbey is the central character in the book, and it plays its part dutifully to the end. The three novellas that comprise the overarching story arc all fit perfectly into place in their respective benchmark eras in the history of the abbey, and Miller intertwines the stories enough to create a cohesive narrative, though it must be unraveled.

The book's main weaknesses are its overuse of Latin and the initial confusion of each novella. To tackle the latter first, Miller is on to a good idea- he begins each mini-story right in the middle of the action, wasting no time in base recapitulation. Unfortuately, this makes the novellas inaccessible until they are well underway, creating ample reason for a second reading but creating a colossal annoyance upon the first. I'm sure that Miller could have been more careful when creating his characters, and as each world is at a schism from the one preceeding it, a little introduction is crucial for complete understanding. Along with this possible overestimation of the reader (or my particular deficiency, perhaps) comes the superfluous Latin phrases scattered throughout the text. They are definitely inserted for flavor, which works somewhat because of the book's focus on Catholicism but ultimately distracts from general understanding. The book quotes blocks of Latin at will, and to the uneducated reader this becomes annoying, condescending, and distracting.

The book is very good, but it seems almost too aware of this fact at times. It's kind of like meta-gaming, as it feels that parts, especially the excessive Latin quotations, are written just to add to the mystique of the author's aptitude. The book itself has some important and subtle observations about human nature and the tendency we have to invent ever more capable ways of destroying ourselves. Miller also deserves praise for his spot-on imitation of today's presidential administration. Written in 1959 and no doubt with the stewing Cold War in mind, the book accurately portrays the state of fear that has dominated American politics for the past several years. Miller's book, though cumbersome, holds valuable insight and definitely deserves to be read by the thinkers among us.

Grade: B+

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