The priest's childhood poverty had such a prominent place in his formation. He refers to both his own poverty and the poor so frequently. Do you have any comments on the theme of poverty and how it is addressed?
This may be more of a comment than a question. As I’ve been listening to Diary of a Country Priest, I’m reminded of another book that I love (non-fiction)- The Seeking Heart by Francois de Fenelon. He is also a Catholic priest, though he lived in the 1600-1700s. His book is a series of letters he wrote and I wonder if that is why the books feel similar- letters and diary entries both feel like you’re speaking to someone, even if it’s just to yourself or God.
Side note: The Seeking Heart is an incredibly tacky paperback. If anyone looks it up, this is one beautiful book that you should definitely NOT judge by its cover.
I’ve been thinking about the Priest’s death and how well it harmonizes with his life. Both his ministry and his death are unconventional and even a little scandalous, perhaps because he cares more about the souls in his care than his own reputation, like Christ.
Why do you think the three souls he encounters before his death (the doctor, Louis, and the girl) are also dying?
Can you compare and contrast le Curé de Tourcy and the priest? Duty and Desire ;) Pride vs Cowardice; Gin and Strength and Experience vs Wine and Weakness and Youth... Which serves their parishioners better? (Of course we don’t get to see or know anything of the Curé’s flock.) Does the Curé misjudge the young priest?
Are the two doctors counter-types to each For instance, the Curé seems to predict (I won’t say prophesy though he does even mention a shabby doll!) the deaths of the two doctors in a conversation with the priest toward the end of chapter one. Whereas the priest supposedly doesn’t comprehend men or even how to speak to them yet seems to leave impressions and good effects with whomever he speaks.
This may be more of a translation question. Lots of the common parishioners’ dialogue is written in dialect - Seraphita and Arsene, for example. Between the translator’s use of words like “b’ain’t” and the audiobook narrator’s use of a Wessex accent, I felt like I was back in Tess of the D’Urbervilles! It was kind of jarring, since obviously we’re not in England. It made me wonder what the translator was trying to reflect from the original - what’s the equivalent accent in French like, and are we supposed to think of certain qualities and make certain assumptions about these characters that we would make about an English parishioner speaking that way? Anybody familiar with French dialects and regional differences who could speak to this? Any thoughts on a literary level about translating dialectical and regional speech?
I just finished the book and started listening to the podcast. But don’t want to miss the opportunity to ask this question. I found this book SOOOO difficult to get into in the beginning (and I usually like this kind of thing) it really hit a good turning point at chapter 5 and I loved it for the rest of the book. If it’s my problem, fine. But assuming the author wrote the first 4 chapters intentionally the way he did, why?? If he could pull of the whole thing so well chapters 5 and beyond, why not just write the whole book that way (better 😬)?
Also- I really disliked the audiobook reader and so maybe part of my problem was listening to it.
I think you may have noticed this in a previous podcast. If I’d had this in a digital version, I might have done word searches on eyes and face. Someone might have done a good paper connecting his observations of same with themes and traits of characters. Another book for instance: one could do the same with your upcoming topic, The Scarlet Letter, using the word bosom.
Just finished the book a few minutes ago and started listening to the Podcast and have no idea if this question has been answered already. It almost seems like the very last part of the diary, excluding his friend's message to le Cure, had been written in the afterlife. So I guess this is a structural question regarding the writing itself. I’ve never had a problem suspending disbelief and always felt included and immersed in this story, even here. What did you think of the strength and lucidity of this part of the… —what is intended to be the priest’s act of writing all this.
Probably because I love to eat, it stressed me out that the priest spent most of the novel subsisting on bread and wine. And then I realized - duh! Bread and wine! The Eucharist. What significance does that have for the priest's ministry?
My impression of this book is that it is like a stream of consciousness style. Would you explain the SOC style and discuss whether this book is similar (or not)?
I have been thinking about Heidi's comments in the first episode that we're not culturally as aware of French provincial and parish life during this time period as we might be of British or American life at the time. Is that a language difference? Popularity? (I took French for 8 years and I’d never heard of this book or Bernanos before!) Trying to imagine this novel rewritten as a small town pastor in Britain really doesn’t work, and I can’t quite put my finger on why, exactly.
How does Bernanos’ other work compare with The Diary of a Young Priest?
I have recently warmly recommended this book to a family member who will be ordained next month. What other books would you recommend for the to-be-read pile of a young priest?
If someone really loved this book, what should she/he read next?
The priest's childhood poverty had such a prominent place in his formation. He refers to both his own poverty and the poor so frequently. Do you have any comments on the theme of poverty and how it is addressed?
This may be more of a comment than a question. As I’ve been listening to Diary of a Country Priest, I’m reminded of another book that I love (non-fiction)- The Seeking Heart by Francois de Fenelon. He is also a Catholic priest, though he lived in the 1600-1700s. His book is a series of letters he wrote and I wonder if that is why the books feel similar- letters and diary entries both feel like you’re speaking to someone, even if it’s just to yourself or God.
Side note: The Seeking Heart is an incredibly tacky paperback. If anyone looks it up, this is one beautiful book that you should definitely NOT judge by its cover.
I’ve been thinking about the Priest’s death and how well it harmonizes with his life. Both his ministry and his death are unconventional and even a little scandalous, perhaps because he cares more about the souls in his care than his own reputation, like Christ.
Why do you think the three souls he encounters before his death (the doctor, Louis, and the girl) are also dying?
Can you compare and contrast le Curé de Tourcy and the priest? Duty and Desire ;) Pride vs Cowardice; Gin and Strength and Experience vs Wine and Weakness and Youth... Which serves their parishioners better? (Of course we don’t get to see or know anything of the Curé’s flock.) Does the Curé misjudge the young priest?
Are the two doctors counter-types to each For instance, the Curé seems to predict (I won’t say prophesy though he does even mention a shabby doll!) the deaths of the two doctors in a conversation with the priest toward the end of chapter one. Whereas the priest supposedly doesn’t comprehend men or even how to speak to them yet seems to leave impressions and good effects with whomever he speaks.
This may be more of a translation question. Lots of the common parishioners’ dialogue is written in dialect - Seraphita and Arsene, for example. Between the translator’s use of words like “b’ain’t” and the audiobook narrator’s use of a Wessex accent, I felt like I was back in Tess of the D’Urbervilles! It was kind of jarring, since obviously we’re not in England. It made me wonder what the translator was trying to reflect from the original - what’s the equivalent accent in French like, and are we supposed to think of certain qualities and make certain assumptions about these characters that we would make about an English parishioner speaking that way? Anybody familiar with French dialects and regional differences who could speak to this? Any thoughts on a literary level about translating dialectical and regional speech?
I just finished the book and started listening to the podcast. But don’t want to miss the opportunity to ask this question. I found this book SOOOO difficult to get into in the beginning (and I usually like this kind of thing) it really hit a good turning point at chapter 5 and I loved it for the rest of the book. If it’s my problem, fine. But assuming the author wrote the first 4 chapters intentionally the way he did, why?? If he could pull of the whole thing so well chapters 5 and beyond, why not just write the whole book that way (better 😬)?
Also- I really disliked the audiobook reader and so maybe part of my problem was listening to it.
I think you may have noticed this in a previous podcast. If I’d had this in a digital version, I might have done word searches on eyes and face. Someone might have done a good paper connecting his observations of same with themes and traits of characters. Another book for instance: one could do the same with your upcoming topic, The Scarlet Letter, using the word bosom.
It seems like his long conversation with Chantal was coming to some sort of major climax, then it just dissipated. Did anyone else feel this way?
Just finished the book a few minutes ago and started listening to the Podcast and have no idea if this question has been answered already. It almost seems like the very last part of the diary, excluding his friend's message to le Cure, had been written in the afterlife. So I guess this is a structural question regarding the writing itself. I’ve never had a problem suspending disbelief and always felt included and immersed in this story, even here. What did you think of the strength and lucidity of this part of the… —what is intended to be the priest’s act of writing all this.
Probably because I love to eat, it stressed me out that the priest spent most of the novel subsisting on bread and wine. And then I realized - duh! Bread and wine! The Eucharist. What significance does that have for the priest's ministry?
My impression of this book is that it is like a stream of consciousness style. Would you explain the SOC style and discuss whether this book is similar (or not)?
I have been thinking about Heidi's comments in the first episode that we're not culturally as aware of French provincial and parish life during this time period as we might be of British or American life at the time. Is that a language difference? Popularity? (I took French for 8 years and I’d never heard of this book or Bernanos before!) Trying to imagine this novel rewritten as a small town pastor in Britain really doesn’t work, and I can’t quite put my finger on why, exactly.
How does Bernanos’ other work compare with The Diary of a Young Priest?
I have recently warmly recommended this book to a family member who will be ordained next month. What other books would you recommend for the to-be-read pile of a young priest?
If someone really loved this book, what should she/he read next?