Prisms, Veils: A Book of Fables

by David Bentley Hart

From one of the most-read religious and philosophical scholars in the United States comes a collection of creative, thought-provoking fables.

Alongside David Bentley Hart’s widely read work in philosophy, theology, and religious studies there has always been the other side of his writing—the fiction, poetry, and literary essays—which has often enjoyed a separate, if equally appreciative, readership. In this his most recent book, these two worlds draw near to one another in a new way.

In Prisms, A Book of Fables, Hart explores the elusive nature of dreams and the enduring power of mythologies. Moving over themes ranging from the beauty of the natural world to the very nature of consciousness itself, each narrative is threaded through with Hart’s deep religious, cultural, and historical knowledge, drawing readers into an expertly woven tapestry of diverse allusions and deep meaning.

Prisms, Veils will appeal to fans of Hart’s work, philosophers, theologians, and general readers of fiction. The collection affords a special opportunity to engage with the creative side of Hart, its pages sparkling with bright gems of short fiction that are enchanting, thought-provoking, and imbued with spiritual truth.

Genres: Short Stories, Philosophy, Religion

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2024

About the author

David Bentley Hart, an Eastern Orthodox scholar of religion and a philosopher, writer, and cultural commentator, is a fellow at the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study. He lives in South Bend, IN.

Reviews

[Garrett Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil and Pierre Gernet had a greater effect on me, but this volume is also exquisite.

These stories are of the kind that linger — that follow you into wooded paths and windswept grasslands, and under luminous moons and desolate stars.

Their recollection makes my days all the richer.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very many alluring and intriguing premises. There are good stories in this pile. I read them with gorging eyes. But I must stop at the precipice. I do not like the philosophy flung at me at the last; it was, of course, already there. The verbiage at the end of ‘Pitor Ignotus’ takes us through a whistlestop of DBH’s ideas of consciousness; he breaks into a direct language that lights up the bulbs who have read All Things Are Full of Gods. But I did not need it put so directly; it is a frequent error that DBH will lunge into the direct philosophical material he is dealing with, as though he has rationalized (to some degree) the dream with which he is working. There are, of course, exceptions. ‘Dramatis Personae II’ seems nicely abstract from its meaning; ‘Thresholds’ conquers in its brevity and ease of hand. ‘The Memory Palace’ is partially so memorable because it collapses upon itself and opens a multitude of doors that are not, then, shut. Part of it can be mapped upon a discrete idea directly, other parts cannot. But whether the moral is too blunt – and are these not fables, confessed and intended? – I cannot fault DBH for his far-sailing wit and measure. Many of these stories burrow into that enviable head of his, discoursing on the various niches he has long inhabited. His fascination, perhaps horror with gnostic thought is especially pertinent and frequent. The world that is not the world; the underworld; the overworld; whether one stands in the one or the other. Of course – essentially – across and the between the two. This is where we begin, the Helen or the ghost of Helen, the two at once, here and there, awake and asleep.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though there are so many unnecessarily complex words that the stories sound like they were written by Seth Milchick, the stories were thought-provoking and generated some of the best conversation for our book club.

To me one of the keys to the book is from the story The Scholar and the Nymph: “In one’s life, one may know only one moment when perfect beauty is within reach; and then the rest of one’s life means nothing.” The short story goes on to subvert this saying, that “there may indeed come only one such moment… but when it comes it does not reduce the rest of life to meaninglessness; quote the reverse, in fact.”

Transcendent moments of encountering perfection or the divine permeate through every story, but whether a character interprets this experience as giving meaning to or stealing meaning from the rest of life shapes the trajectory of each story.

[Ezekiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another collection of exquisitely drawn tales by Hart. I am thankful for a writer like him, if only for his propensity to sprinkle his passages with some slightly archaic yet beautiful word I'd never come across before. Of the stories, my favorites are "Memory Palace" and "Recognition." Very, very excited for his All Things Are Full of Gods, due for release in August.

[Nathaniel Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful little collection. The longer and higher concept stories ("Empire" especially) stand out the most for me, but even the short little dalliances can be quite fun. He occasionally gets a bit too philosophically discursive (see: "Transformations"), but for the most part Hart shows admirable restraint. Tell him of my service.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agreeable collection of stories, or fables as most of them are geared towards some kind of message to the reader, by way of an aesthetic demonstration, rather than by instruction. As such some of the fables are excellent, some average, some a bit dull. In them you can, at times, catch a glimpse of the author’s own convictions on what’s it all about;

“Again,” she answered, “I don’t believe in moral truth, so the scandal is invisible to me. But that’s also why I’m not a nihilist, as you suggest I am. My belief in aesthetic truth is genuine, deep, and devout. It’s a very real piety on my part to accept that the tale isn’t told for our benefit, or acted out for our pleasure. We aren’t the spectators of the drama. At most, we’re its motifs.”

[Kevin Staley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compilation of very enjoyable stories. Each a veritable feast of finely developed characters, thoughtful dialogues and ideas, and depictions of natural beauty. To reveal any detail would be to spoil the palette, so to speak, which ought to be given the opportunity to partake of the whole.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 - Read this because of a book group. Would never have chosen it on my own. Some of the stories were interesting, even moderately enjoyable. There were a couple that were very good and made me reflect a lot. But a large amount of them were confusing and it wasn’t clear what the point was.

[Zachary Waltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The order in which I’d recommend reading the stories in this collection.

“Thresholds”

“The Principle of Sufficient Reason”

“Throughout the thirty-three years of her life, she had never been able to name a cause - emotional, spiritual, material, or otherwise - commensurate to the bitterness that she is often felt.”

“Recognition”

“The True Helen”

“Memory Palace”

A Classical Scholar creates the most magnificent Memory Palace…

“Dramatis Personae”

“Pictor Ignotus”

“Ensō”

A Japanese scholar in the United States contemplates the aesthetics of dying.

“Empire”

“Transformations”