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The Verger
A verger dies under mysterious circumstances. Among his belongings, and bequeathed in his will to his nephew, there are some very peculiar rolls of wallpaper, which are filled with his notes. It turns out that these notes concern diverse theological matters, but what seems somewhat odd, is that a great deal of them seem to be written in an unusually humorous spirit.
The Verger is a thoughtful novel covering existential matters in a most different way.
Reviews
The verger was met with excellent reviews in
”The writer doesn´t grapple with the big issues - he plays with them.”
Dalademokraten
”Garay has written a most likable book, which besides, despite its indubitable seriousness, dares to be humorous.”
Helsingborgs Dagblad
”A low-keyed book for thought in a sober form.”
Bibliotekstjänst
The Verger is a thoughtful novel covering existential matters in a most different way.
Reviews
The verger was met with excellent reviews in
”The writer doesn´t grapple with the big issues - he plays with them.”
Dalademokraten
”Garay has written a most likable book, which besides, despite its indubitable seriousness, dares to be humorous.”
Helsingborgs Dagblad
”A low-keyed book for thought in a sober form.”
Bibliotekstjänst
156 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 23, 2016
This book is about the somewhat strange reflections of a taciturn verger concerning theological matters.
The uncle of the author was a verger whose life was abruptly ended after he fell from the roof of the church almost two years before this book was written. He was a reserved man who didn't create much of a stir while he lived. One might reasonably assume that this feature of his character would still be relevant now that he is dead, if it hadn't been for a number of old rolls of wallpaper he left behind. It transpired that these rolls made up a small archive. When they were unrolled, on the back of the wallpaper Garay discovered lots of handwritten notes, largely written in the form of dialogue. His reflections seemed to have occupied an usually large space in his thoughts and which you might not have in the first instance expected to find in a verger.
Judging by his notes, he had a complicated relation to God. Within him, he seems to have had two irreconcilable wills: one to blame God, the other to protect God. His opinion of theology, was, on the other hand, less complicated. According to his uncle, the only explanation for theology having been able to survive through the ages may be the fact that God has a quality that is invaluable to theologians, namely that he is completely unfathomable. This quality, which theologians would presumably have discovered at an early stage of their investigations, is what one might call the salvation of theology.
It ought also to be mentioned that you can discern a certain form of humour in his notes, although people would not in the first instance usually associate theological texts with humour exactly. Be that as it may, in Garay's uncle's world of ideas there does seem to have been a couple of gentlemen, Melker and Thomas, who often turn up in his notes. It is not, however, clear to the author who they are, but it is evident that the uncle has been helped by them in his theological comments.
Five stars.
The uncle of the author was a verger whose life was abruptly ended after he fell from the roof of the church almost two years before this book was written. He was a reserved man who didn't create much of a stir while he lived. One might reasonably assume that this feature of his character would still be relevant now that he is dead, if it hadn't been for a number of old rolls of wallpaper he left behind. It transpired that these rolls made up a small archive. When they were unrolled, on the back of the wallpaper Garay discovered lots of handwritten notes, largely written in the form of dialogue. His reflections seemed to have occupied an usually large space in his thoughts and which you might not have in the first instance expected to find in a verger.
Judging by his notes, he had a complicated relation to God. Within him, he seems to have had two irreconcilable wills: one to blame God, the other to protect God. His opinion of theology, was, on the other hand, less complicated. According to his uncle, the only explanation for theology having been able to survive through the ages may be the fact that God has a quality that is invaluable to theologians, namely that he is completely unfathomable. This quality, which theologians would presumably have discovered at an early stage of their investigations, is what one might call the salvation of theology.
It ought also to be mentioned that you can discern a certain form of humour in his notes, although people would not in the first instance usually associate theological texts with humour exactly. Be that as it may, in Garay's uncle's world of ideas there does seem to have been a couple of gentlemen, Melker and Thomas, who often turn up in his notes. It is not, however, clear to the author who they are, but it is evident that the uncle has been helped by them in his theological comments.
Five stars.
Displaying 1 of 1 review