A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a must-read. It has become an annual read for me for Lent (this year during Septuagesima.) Despite having been written in the 1950s, it is still relevant today. People refer to it as an example of “cyclic history;” however I think that misses the point: Human nature remains the same and concupiscence runs throughout every human life and culture. Evil (sin) does not have to innovate of come up with new schemes; old ones work everytime and will be repeated. Awareness of history is not a preventatitve, either: people can be willfully blind and listen to their pride rather than reason. Whether it is the “Flame Deluge” (nuclear war) of the 20th Century and the resulting “Simplification” (wanton destruction and mass killing of anyone intelligent) we learned about in “Fiat Homo” (the first Book of the novel), to the pride and intellectual bindness of Thon Taddeo in “Fiat Lux” (Book 2): Human nature’s tendency towards sin is the lowest common denominator in moving history forward.
The third Book of the volume is especially poignant. “Fiat Voluntas Tua” is set in a 38th Century human civilization that bypassed the technological achievements of the European-American one that destroyed the world in a nuclear holocaust in the 20th Century. I learned more moral theology listening to Abbot Zerchi than anywhere else.
I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)