The Catholic Book Club discussion

1. Use this thread to share thoughts you might have along the way, or that don't seem to fit in any other topic.

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I found telling his statement that as a child he was crying out for limits/certainties/"cosmic and moral absolutes". Many well-meaning parents give their children too much independence, e.g. let them choose whether or not to go to Mass.
Despite his lack of religious upbringing, I found fascinating his account of how natural it is for a young child to be in conversation with God--and how he "walked away" from that around puberty, such a key time.

He is so self-aware! What a true statement that an older teen is "intoxicated" by reading a persuasive book before his critical faculties are fully developed. I remember being captivated by Ayn Rand at this age.

I also love what he learned from the Teach for America experience, especially from his room mate who understood the vital importance of good order, self-discipline and thorough preparation.

I've finished, and found the last few chapters kind of a letdown. I guess I understand how confronting the depth of human evil highlighted the need for salvation and motivated him to make a commitment, but I'm not sure I understand how he came to believe Jesus was the answer to these deep needs. While I'm sure the priest who instructed him did a thorough job, I'm sorry he didn't experience the rich rituals and group dynamic involved in the RCIA process. Another big question mark for me was where was his wife in this whole process. Was she already a Christian? Not interested in becoming involved? It takes more than one spouse to enter into a sacramental marriage! This is his story and I'm sure he respects her privacy, but the questions remain.

I'm also unclaer where he got the title. I presume it's the water of baptism, but was he snatched from some "fire," or is it the fire of the Holy Spirit or...?

Jill wrote: "I've finished, and found the last few chapters kind of a letdown..."

I also found the last-but-one chapter somewhat unfitting with the remainder of the book. Although it's a good denunciation of the methods of person-smugglers.

I have finished. This is my (short) review): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I started only 5 days ago, but finished it this morning.

I enjoyed very much the first chapters about the author's childhood in Iran, his environment of family and closed friends and its intellectual stimulus, against the backdrop of politics and religion in Iran.

His arrival to the United States and his college years, though important in his path of conversion, were less interesting for me to read.

Once he starts describing his approach to the faith, I picked up the book with more interest.

Now I want to read The Creed in slow motion by Ronald Knox.

Why do you think he included Chapter 10? It does seems unrelated to the rest of the book.

Mariangel wrote: "Why do you think he included Chapter 10? It does seems unrelated to the rest of the book."

He wanted to show that he had to descend to the lowest pit of human evil before he could start going up with his conversion. But I also found this chapter unfitting with the remainder of the book.

I have finished the book and have liked it a lot. This is my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Well, since this discussion has been somewhat relegated I would like to give my own conclusions. My memories are very blurred because I read this book years ago, and my memories have been lost in the mist of time. I admit that I liked the story of Shorab Ahmari with his relative, and that he describes Iran as one of the most atheistic countries in the world. Also the brilliant readings he has made of both the work of Nietzsche, as well as the existentialists Albert Camus, and Jean Paul Sartre, and his final conversion in England by Father Gibey of whom he had heard Ignacio Peyró speak. It is curious that his conversion is due more to English Catholicism, than to American Catholicism.

The reason I didn't join the reading of this book was because I wanted to keep moving forward with my Goodreads challenge. I would like to reach 200 books, and that's why I hardly intervened in this discussion. I hope to participate a little more in the discussion of the Servile State. Maybe I'll reread "The Servile State" again to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth from the last book I've read "Lie down with lions" by Ken Follet, and now I'm going to read another pamphlet "Proteus" by Morris West about the Argentine Military Dictatorship. I like to read everything, and I guess I do it to send to the truncheon two writers that I have ended up abhorring enormously. So I need a reading that takes away the bad taste in my mouth of these last two.

Fonch wrote: "The reason I didn't join the reading of this book was because I wanted to keep moving forward with my Goodreads challenge. I would like to reach 200 books, and that's why I hardly intervened in thi..."

Fonch, are well OT here, but when you read a book that you loath, do you feel you have to finish it?

For me, it depends on how big the book is and how far I've gotten when I conclude how much I dislike it. With novels, once I realize I don't care what happens to any of the characters I decide not to read further. I try not to let myself make that decision before 50 pages.

John wrote: "Fonch wrote: "The reason I didn't join the reading of this book was because I wanted to keep moving forward with my Goodreads challenge. I would like to reach 200 books, and that's why I hardly int..."

Hi John. If it is a very interesting question that you ask me. At first I included books from Goodreads, which I had started, but had not finished, because I had stopped reading. They weren't always bad books, another one just appeared, and I gave up reading. There was a case of a book, which I disliked "Shogun" by James Clavell (for three reasons antihistorical, anti-Catholic, and Hispanic), and I did not finish it. At first I put a one on goodreads, but I removed it from the list of grades, because I considered that until I finished it I have no right to rate it. Who knows if he finished it if he changes, and I have to improve his grade? Until I finished a book I did not consider it read, because a final third can help the book improve.

I just read this book, finally, after planning to read it with this book club (but then we moved ....)

I enjoyed this book a lot. Ch 10 reminded me of Dante's Inferno -- unlike some have commented, I thought it worked well in its context.

Memoir is hard to write without sounding tedious and/or self-absorbed. I think he highlighted the critical points of his life, not omitting things that reflected badly on him, and giving enough color/flavor to make it interesting, all in a pretty brief book. Well done!