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Elegant Narratives
500 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1850
About the author
Legh Richmond
110 books1 followerLEGH RICHMOND (1772–1827) was born in Liverpool, England. He attended Trinity College in Cambridge and received his B. A. and M. A. degrees. The young clergyman entered the ministry at the Isle of Wight. When he read Wilberforce’s "Practical View of Christianity," he had a spiritual awakening, and respectfully named his son Wilberforce. On the Isle of Wight he met ‘The Dairyman’s Daughter,’ ‘The African Servant’ and ‘Little Jane.’ After seven years he moved to London and then to Turvey, where he wrote, "The Fathers of the English Church."
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December 9, 2014
This may be the most flawed '5' I have given among my books, but I think that's the case with me and historical documents: this is this oldest book I have. It's even older than the 1862 edition of Carlyle's Sartor Resartus. Is this book technically better than Carlyle's magnum opus?
The answer is no.
Sartor Resartus is one of the early examples of postmodern literature, and is regarded by many as one of the great books. It is difficult to understand, and yet its complex construction (called by critics as a poioumenon) makes it an enduring classic. This is not a review of Sartor Resartus, however.
Elegant Narratives is not a literary classic.
It was published by the American Tract Society on 1850, which was 138 years before I was born. Why, then, do I appreciate this book so much?
I guess the basic answer is that it's historical. I could see how Christians showed or manifested their faith back then, and compare to how they show it nowadays. There are 24 short stories in the book, or 'narratives,' and the quality among them is uneven. Among its stories, I liked 'Parley the Porter' best. It is an extended parable interpreting Jesus's parables in the New Testament.
The Christian-by-name is Parley, and he quipped that he believes although it is not anchored in faith. By engaging with the enemy, Mr. Flatterwell, he falls into the abyss of drink, and ultimately damnation.
That was probably the most amusing and best story in the collection. Another good story is 'The Well-Cultivated Farm,' where because of not drinking strong spirits a farm becomes more productive. The rest of the collection contains biographies of saintly people, who are often consumptive or initially belligerent, but eventually discover the grace of God. The later narratives, however, were pretty incendiary in my opinion: one narrative openly castigates Catholicism. Barring these later embers, however, the collection was instructive and amusing despite its age - and that is why I'm giving it a five.
For more challenging works of literature that reflect on faith and belief, I recommend Flannery O'Connor's Collected Stories, Shusaku Endo's Silence, and Flannery O'Connor's Violent Bear it Away. For a wonderful snapshot of what 1850s Christian faith looked like, read this book. :)
The answer is no.
Sartor Resartus is one of the early examples of postmodern literature, and is regarded by many as one of the great books. It is difficult to understand, and yet its complex construction (called by critics as a poioumenon) makes it an enduring classic. This is not a review of Sartor Resartus, however.
Elegant Narratives is not a literary classic.
It was published by the American Tract Society on 1850, which was 138 years before I was born. Why, then, do I appreciate this book so much?
I guess the basic answer is that it's historical. I could see how Christians showed or manifested their faith back then, and compare to how they show it nowadays. There are 24 short stories in the book, or 'narratives,' and the quality among them is uneven. Among its stories, I liked 'Parley the Porter' best. It is an extended parable interpreting Jesus's parables in the New Testament.
The Christian-by-name is Parley, and he quipped that he believes although it is not anchored in faith. By engaging with the enemy, Mr. Flatterwell, he falls into the abyss of drink, and ultimately damnation.
That was probably the most amusing and best story in the collection. Another good story is 'The Well-Cultivated Farm,' where because of not drinking strong spirits a farm becomes more productive. The rest of the collection contains biographies of saintly people, who are often consumptive or initially belligerent, but eventually discover the grace of God. The later narratives, however, were pretty incendiary in my opinion: one narrative openly castigates Catholicism. Barring these later embers, however, the collection was instructive and amusing despite its age - and that is why I'm giving it a five.
For more challenging works of literature that reflect on faith and belief, I recommend Flannery O'Connor's Collected Stories, Shusaku Endo's Silence, and Flannery O'Connor's Violent Bear it Away. For a wonderful snapshot of what 1850s Christian faith looked like, read this book. :)
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