A lovely chapter. MQ has spent days thinking about faith, doubt, temptation, despair, trust and more. Deep thoughts unburdened by orthodoxy. The Bishop is preoccupied by trivialities but all judgement goes in one direction. The perfect dot on the ‘I’ come when the Bishop makes a sound like he was laying an egg.
Yes, and earlier Father Quixote asserted (against Sancho's certainty) "the dignity of despair." Do the two notions--the dignity of despair, and despair as the worst sin of all--contradict each other, or can they be held together?
I wondered if the third, small, balloon was like the third, half, bottle of wine that Father Quixote compared to the Holy Ghost, much to his later remorse?
Greene is very good at inventing and describing dreams in a way that makes them believable. As in…I could imagine myself having this dream! I often find that narration of dreams feels more like a clumsily employed technique than a believable dream for the character.
"I don't know whether it's deliberate, monsignor, but you always seem to bring into our serious discussion quite trivial and irrelevant details." Like a character in Chekhov, Father Quixote lives through these kinds of irrelevant details. Trivial to his interlocutor, vivifying to the reader.
I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter. It seems that Quixote has taken his rhetoric and thinking to a whole new level as he verbally jousts with the Bishop and effectively holds his own against this misguided bully. With respect to personal freedom, Quixote adds: ‘But He gave it to us, didn’t He—freedom? That was why they crucified Him.”
Loved the descriptive detail here, which beautifully captures the shift in time, place, spirit, and "reality": "He put his hand behind his head to adjust the pillow which he had made out of his purple socks and encountered a real pillow." What, indeed, is real?
At least Father Quixote is imprisoned at home with a surreptitious ally in Teresa. I worry a little about Rocinante (and wonder that the Father doesn't show more concern). He is rather Zen, all things considered. Father Caussade writes, "I wish to proceed in whatever darkness He may plunge me into." That line has a strange appeal.
Amazing that the Bishop sees the need to find out what M Q is doing. I’m wondering if it was deliberate spying or the gossip mongers were busy. I suspect the Bishop and his off sider. I am wondering what they hope to gain by the kidnapping..
A lovely chapter. MQ has spent days thinking about faith, doubt, temptation, despair, trust and more. Deep thoughts unburdened by orthodoxy. The Bishop is preoccupied by trivialities but all judgement goes in one direction. The perfect dot on the ‘I’ come when the Bishop makes a sound like he was laying an egg.
“He feared himself. He felt as though he had been touched by the wing-tip of the worst sin of all: despair.” A decidedly un-Jone idea!
Yes, and earlier Father Quixote asserted (against Sancho's certainty) "the dignity of despair." Do the two notions--the dignity of despair, and despair as the worst sin of all--contradict each other, or can they be held together?
I wondered if the third, small, balloon was like the third, half, bottle of wine that Father Quixote compared to the Holy Ghost, much to his later remorse?
Greene is very good at inventing and describing dreams in a way that makes them believable. As in…I could imagine myself having this dream! I often find that narration of dreams feels more like a clumsily employed technique than a believable dream for the character.
I agree. They are hard to make plausible.
"I don't know whether it's deliberate, monsignor, but you always seem to bring into our serious discussion quite trivial and irrelevant details." Like a character in Chekhov, Father Quixote lives through these kinds of irrelevant details. Trivial to his interlocutor, vivifying to the reader.
I could read father quixote bantering with / frustrating the bishop for an entire novel!
"I leave it to Him." Bracing myself after the repetition of that line. Sounds so ominous.
MQ is just so human: "I didn't lie Excellency. Perhaps, well, I indulged in a little equivocation." Don't we all!
I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter. It seems that Quixote has taken his rhetoric and thinking to a whole new level as he verbally jousts with the Bishop and effectively holds his own against this misguided bully. With respect to personal freedom, Quixote adds: ‘But He gave it to us, didn’t He—freedom? That was why they crucified Him.”
Loved the descriptive detail here, which beautifully captures the shift in time, place, spirit, and "reality": "He put his hand behind his head to adjust the pillow which he had made out of his purple socks and encountered a real pillow." What, indeed, is real?
At least Father Quixote is imprisoned at home with a surreptitious ally in Teresa. I worry a little about Rocinante (and wonder that the Father doesn't show more concern). He is rather Zen, all things considered. Father Caussade writes, "I wish to proceed in whatever darkness He may plunge me into." That line has a strange appeal.
Amazing that the Bishop sees the need to find out what M Q is doing. I’m wondering if it was deliberate spying or the gossip mongers were busy. I suspect the Bishop and his off sider. I am wondering what they hope to gain by the kidnapping..
for those new to APS, don't forget to register for the dec 3 zoom. they're always so good, a real treat!