The Cathedral
Hugh Walpole
Read by David Wales
Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, CBE (1884 – 1941) was an English novelist. He was the son of an Anglican clergyman, intended for a career in the church but drawn instead to writing. Among those who encouraged him were the authors Henry James and Arnold Bennett. His skill at scene-setting, vivid plots, and high profile as a lecturer brought him a large readership in the United Kingdom and North America. He was a best-selling author in the 1920s and 1930s, but has been largely neglected since his death.... One of Walpole's major novels of the early post-war period was The Cathedral, which unlike much of his fiction was not dashed off but worked on across four years, beginning in 1918. The story of an arrogant 19th-century archdeacon in conflict with other clergy and laity was certain to bring comparisons with Trollope's Barchester Towers (The Manchester Guardian 's review was headed "Polchester Towers"), but unlike the earlier work, The Cathedral is wholly uncomic.... The reviewer Ivor Brown commented that Walpole had earlier charmed many with his cheerful tales of Mayfair, but that in this novel he showed a greater side to his art: "This is a book with little happiness about it, but its stark strength is undeniable. The Cathedral is realism, profound in its philosophy and delicate in its thread." The Illustrated London News said, "No former novelist has seized quite so powerfully upon the cathedral fabric and made it a living character in the drama, an obsessing individuality at once benign and forbidding. ...The Cathedral is a great book." The Jubilee which plays an important part in the story is the national celebration in 1897 of Queen Victoria's sixty years on the throne. Summary by Wikipedia and david wales (15 hr 0 min)
Chapters
Reviews
GREAT. BUT TRAGIC, WORK
AVID READER
Tragic because it is not a tale of an archdeacon vs a canon. It is actually a story of the demise of the faith, championed by those who should be it's guardians. Rondor wants to alter the faith by the introduction of liberal scholarship. As the heretical standard bearer, he generously employees the use of trite terms such as "old fashioned" or "out of touch" to prejudice the listener. Brandon is the embattled champion of orthodoxy. His death is the picture of the demise of the cathedral with it's bedrock faith. HOW SAD!!
Definitely not a comedy
TwinkieToes
"But unlike the earlier work, The Cathedral is wholly uncomic" - is the truth. It's more dark than light, revealing some of the ugly underbelly of human nature even (or especially?) in a religious setting. One does feel for the characters. I found myself sympathizing with each of the main characters in turn, even when initially disliking some of them. Reader is good, but pronounces "row" (disturbance/fight) incorrectly. ;) Technically (volume, etc) it's great.
Tragic, but not Hopeless
Phxjennifer
All the small-town religious sins are in play: idolatry, backbiting, gossip, adultery, bad parenting, abusive marriages, toxic ambition, hubris, and above all, spiritual pride. But there's hope, hidden in the form of the new minister; hidden behind his controversial books is the deep humility of love and focus on Jesus.
Jacqui Graham
After enjoying "The Green Mirror" immensely, I was not expecting such a grim tale as this one. Still, it is a brilliant study of human nature and a delicious satire of the religious society of the time. My greatest disappointment, however, was not the text but the monotonous and emotionless delivery of the narrator.
I listened to this book , sensing that it was about human frailt
Mary Ann Mays