2015: The Year of Reading Women discussion

Here is the discussion thread for Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather, scheduled for May 2015. There will be no formal discussion leader so if anyone is ready to get the discussion going, feel free.

I'll toss a curve ball into the discussion. My head always compares the spiritual journey here with the one described in The Samurai by Shūsaku Endō, which tells the tale of an unconverted Japanese Samurai who makes a long pilgrimage across Mexico and to Europe, encountering to his fascination the crucified Christ, and finally returns to a Japan totally closed to outsiders, as it was for so many years. Anyone else here ever made that connection, or Cather's story of the Archbishop with anyone else's confronting spiritual path....

I completed my second reading of Death Comes for the Archbishop today. My first reading was well over 20 years ago and this really felt like a new reading experience for me. Cather is one of my favorite authors and I appreciate the ways in which she draws both her characters and the natural environment in which they live.

She captures the physical presence of the desert Southwest so well; I could see it as I read---I was taken back to places I visited 20 years ago. Her descriptions of the varied cultures living in the new Bishop's very large territory was also, to my mind, of its time and often beautiful. There is one passage regarding the use of land by Indians vs Mexicans vs the newer white settlers that captures a very interesting cultural and historical dynamic beautifully (p 233, Vintage).

I will be writing a review but thought I would share a few thoughts here also.

Thx for your comments, Sue. Please give us a link to your review when you post it.

Will do. Now to get the review done :)

Here is the link to my review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Sue wrote: "Here is the link to my review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Thx, Sue. I also enjoyed your status comments as you were reading. I thought I had crossed this off my re-read list. You leave me with some doubt. But I would return for the spiritual struggle as well as the history and the landscape.

Yes, I did neglect that aspect in my review though I think it was well done. I continue to be surprised that I really didn't remember this book from my first reading but it was many years ago and I read a bit differently now.

now I want to start this!!!

Heather wrote: "now I want to start this!!!"

Please come join the discussion when/if you do, Heather.

Heather wrote: "now I want to start this!!!"

Oh do, Heather. Have you read Cather before?

I finished this last week and I've let the book simmer in my mind so it's time I trotted out some thoughts before I forget them!

My favourite aspects of the book were the landscape/sense of place (as so many have mentioned) and the pacing. We meander through New Mexico's desolate landscape, coming upon a village and staying for a night, straying here and there, adopting a pace that is hard-come by nowadays unless you live in a very remote location. I loved the details that really brought the area's remoteness home - it took the priests something like 5 years (!) to even find their new territory, and Colorado is more distant than Europe.

I also loved having a glimpse into frontier life and the dynamics that existed between different groups of people, and how the priests must dance delicately around these questions if they have any chance at validating their religious authority. Latour's characterisation is also brilliant, as he seems perfectly at ease in the landscape but maintains an arm's length distance from its people throughout his long and fascinating life.

Now I must be off to read Sue's review, and explore Cather's other titles!

Lisa wrote: "...and explore Cather's other titles!..."

Lisa -- don't miss My Antonia or O Pioneers! (my favorite of the two, although I believe most prefer in the opposite order) if interested in early settlement of the upper plains, e.g., Nebraska et al. Her "city" books will display her versatility.

A good Web site on her, her work, and background information exists:

https://www.willacather.org/

Lily, I'm in agreement with you as to the preference for O Pioneers, perhaps my favorite of Cather's books. I'll check out that web site. I do have a copy of the PBS bio made some time ago on her life which I really must watch. I remember seeing a portion of it on TV maybe 10 years ago. (I just checked the case and it's date is 2005)

Sue wrote: "Lily, I'm in agreement with you as to the preference for O Pioneers, perhaps my favorite of Cather's books...."

Definitely mine, Sue!

I remember getting lost for a considerable enjoyable length of time on that web site a number of years ago now.

Oh Lily--that website looks wonderful. I signed up for the newsletter too!

And I already spied some nice note cards. Very dangerous.

You've both sold me on picking up O Pioneers! next! In due time...

I don't think you will be disappointed, Lisa

Cather makes good reading to sprinkle into one's oeuvre over the years. She's light enough to be a reprieve and rich enough to be worthy of one's time. I have also enjoyed what I label her "city books:" Lucy Gayheart and The Song of the Lark.

I enjoyed Song of the Lark also but haven't yet heard of the other novel. I was surprised to see how many works are attributed to her. I did find one or two short story collections of hers I'm looking forward to reading.

Surprisingly, I now see that I do have the other book on my tbr already. So I had heard of it but forgotten.

I'm late to the party but am enjoying the conversation thread. Did anyone see the Hallmark movie O Pioneers starring Jessica Lange and David Strathairn? I remember liking it. (from 1992) I have not read the book, but like many have said, I also intend to. I loved My Antonia, which I've both read and listened to.

Here's my review of Death Comes for the Archbishop. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lily wrote: "Lisa wrote: "...and explore Cather's other titles!..."

Lisa -- don't miss My Antonia or O Pioneers! (my favorite of the two, although I believe most prefer in the opposi..."

thanks for including the link to the Cather site!

My personal favorite of Cather's books is O Pioneers so thanks for the info about the film, Suzy. My library has it. I plan to read as many of Cather's books as I can. This book is a close 2nd to O Pioneers because of it's sense of place and the characters.

Sue wrote: "My personal favorite of Cather's books is O Pioneers so thanks for the info about the film, Suzy. My library has it. I plan to read as many of Cather's books as I can. This book is a close 2nd to O..."

Good idea! My library has it too. I'll wait till Wimbledon is over before ordering it :)

I've read Death Comes for the Archbishop a couple times but have never warmed to it. On the other hand, I loved The Professor's House which has a beautiful section set in the southwest. My other favorite Cather is SONG OF THE LARK.

Kat, I liked The Professor's House a lot too. There's a lot in that story. As for this book, part of its appeal for me is definitely Cather's evocation of parts of the Southwest that I have visited only once but loved. The other part is the her ability to portray emotional growth, quieter moments, etc. But that's probably why I like her writing all the time.