Holy Masquerade

by Olov Hartman

Book by Hartman, Olov

Genres: Fiction, Religion

142 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1991

Reviews

[Hazael Madalinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. thank you emily taylor for reading over half this book out loud to me! this book is a work of great literature and should be read and spoken of more often than it is. go read asap and then i want to know your thoughts! the biblical parallels in this book are insane.

[Grace]

A haunting book. Not long to read, but long to think about.

[Bonnie Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly written- probes you to evaluate the consistency of your own professed beliefs and lived actions. Honest & thought provoking fiction!!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was doing research for my senior paper, this book was praised by (I believe) C.S. Lewis as a perfect example of good Christian literature. I completely agree! Olov Hartman writes so beautifully and in such a way that completely captured my attention. The main character, Klara, gives an account of her endeavors to unmask her husband's hypocrisy. She does not wish to make a fool of him for others to ridicule and condemn, but rather hopes to reveal his foolishness to him so that he might live a life of consistency, especially since he is the pastor of the local parsonage. Klara herself claims to be an atheist, though her understanding of the Bible and its teachings seem to be more true than her husband's. I'm still a little confused about the ending, but all in all I would highly recommend this book because it is a fine work of literature and speaks to the problem of hypocrisy among many nominal Christians.

[Nicole Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a masterpiece. This book became my favorite work of fiction when I first read it a decade ago and now upon a second read, it holds its place. Hartman is a master storyteller. This narrative though shocking and at times extraordinary is also strangely familiar to any religious person, especially those in close proximity to the pastoral office, as Hartman himself was a pastor in Sweden. He knows the depths of hypocrisy in the hearts of all people, religious and atheist alike. This story explores that hypocrisy in the hearts of a pastor and his wife. It’s a blow your hair back page turner that lingers in your mind long after reading.