Joshua Hren

I really enjoyed this TAN book which happens to be the only hardcover book of theirs that I have. I welcome more great high quality books such as this in the future. Hren gives an excellent collection of previously published articles in a single book (462 pp). The book is part Catholic apologetics, literary studies, philosophical worldview, and exposition of novelists' dialogue techniques. The book is aimed at Catholic writers of novels and pushes for there to more of them and more who are widely read. Many novels which I have not read are covered here and encouraged to be put on personal To-Be Read lists. I was not the target audience since my interest is in comparative world literature. I am not interested in producing novels, but recommending them to Catholic readers and hoping that the ensuing conversations will help better appreciate their own religious persuasion and tradition. The end of the book has two appendices which are excellent (101 Books to Read Like a Catholic and Further Forays (80 more noteworthy works). This is more than a comfort read on familiar topics for me as it was also betting that Hren could persuade me to read some of the novels he discusses which were previously unknown to me. The most obvious one was Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Hren also spends much time on Flannery O'Connor whom I am not exposed very widely to. This was informative and entertaining and hoped for new writers to produce novels to that are truly Catholic and not merely cannibalizing Catholic elements to puff out a random criticism of the religious world view of Catholicism. I highly recommend this book for Catholics adding to their lifetime reading lists (I have a list showing my preferences) or as a gift to anyone who has done creative writing and enjoys the camaraderie/sorority of seeing the cultural value of artists in the eyes of others. Physically well constructed book, printed in America. No Index.… (mais)