The Rector

by Anthony Storey

From David Barratt's Guide to Literary Masters & Their Works:

"Next followed a trilogy of novels; The Rector, short-listed for the Booker Prize; The Centre Holds; and The Saviour. The plot is a retelling of the Incarnation of Jesus set in modern England. Each volume of the trilogy became less and less well received."

176 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storey’s third novel is a talky exploration of the extremes of sexual repression and sexual liberation. Mary’s father is an uninhibited novelist who freely talks about sex with his daughter, and makes clear his incestuous fantasies towards her, while Christopher is a virginal rector looking for routine congress under the covers with the very same woman. When Mary falls pregnant (with her father’s child), she convinces herself she is the second iteration of Mary Mag with Immaculate Conception 2.0, and everyone has a nervous breakdown and shouts at each other as a result of the novelist’s incest and philandering. Another strange, histrionic novel from the completely neglected Storey.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

About 20 pages into this book I was trying to decide if I really wanted to read more. I liked the story a little better after that, but then the end left me unsure what I thought about the book. After I had some time to think about it, though, I decided that it gave me a lot to think about, so that's good. Questions like: What *did* Mary's people think 2000 years ago when she was suddenly pregnant with 'God's child?' What would people think if that happened today? How much do I trust my people? What if one of them started telling me about a miraculous experience? Will the second coming -- coming like a lion instead of a lamb -- start with a second virgin birth? Overall, I liked thinking about the book afterwords more than reading it.