tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172359179613729870.post5823431402027204601..comments2024-03-09T13:49:30.039+05:30Comments on Variety SF: Walter M Miller, Jr's "Fiat Homo" (novella, non-genre): Part 1 of 3 of "A Canticle for Leibowitz" (fix-up novel)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172359179613729870.post-51320635585335656272008-05-02T08:34:00.000+05:302008-05-02T08:34:00.000+05:30Thanks Rusty."Lent" sounds almost like correspondi...Thanks Rusty.<BR/><BR/>"Lent" sounds almost like corresponding Hindu practices - though we don't have a single name for it. Usual terms here are "fast" & "maun-vrat" - later means no speaking for the duration. Since fasts are of many kinds, & different families & individuals observe different constraints - that's pretty much your specifications for Lent.<BR/><BR/>"Roman Catholic Church" is a an institution completely out of Hindu experience. There have been attempts by power-blocs through history, but Hinduism has always been a very decentralized religion - no central authority to give advise or dictates.<BR/><BR/>And I find the idea of somebody <I>granting</I> <B>sainthood</B> on someone else completely unfathomable. I mean, we have our own saints - but saints are made because public at large believes they are saints - whether out of political canvassing, conning, or an actually admirable man or woman. Somebody "granting" sainthood on another individual sounds so presumptuous - I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with the idea.<BR/><BR/>Have only read first of the 3 parts of novel. But I intend to read rest of it - should post over next couple of weeks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172359179613729870.post-26340903142754759922008-05-02T07:48:00.000+05:302008-05-02T07:48:00.000+05:30Excellent review Tinkoo, I read the book several ...Excellent review Tinkoo,<BR/><BR/> I read the book several years ago, but this story sounds exactly the same, so perhaps very little was changed for inclusion in the novelized version. I did enjoy the story, however, and your summary brought back warm memories for me.<BR/><BR/> In case you weren't aware, Lent is the time that a large portion of Christians give up something in preparation for Holy Week and Easter. For example, I have known several people who gave up meat, alcohol, coffee or cigarettes during this time. I believe that the first part of this story is showing how the novices are giving up the "comforts" of the monastery as well as speech, during this time of Lent.<BR/><BR/> I thought the story was cool in that it demonstrated how (Western) society could easily revert to "the Dark Ages" again, and how the Roman Catholic Church might once again fulfill the role of "preserver of knowledge" - similar to what happened during the Early Middle Ages.<BR/> <BR/> Anyway, have you read the novel? In it the ending of this story leads nicely into the next one.Rustyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10330919751769040935noreply@blogger.com