Death Comes for the Archbishop

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (Annotated): illustrated Original Hardcover Book | Willa Cather

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I am used to reading Willa Cather‘s writing about the Nebraska frontier. This was a shift reading her writing of the Southwest. It‘s time was the mid lo late 19th Century. I found it such a beautiful narrative of priests‘ lives and those of the Mexican and Native populations. I have lived and traveled through much of location she writes of and I could feel everything about it in her writing. That‘s why she is one of our best American writers.

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Becker

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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I like the slow pace and the sense of place in this book.🌵

Suet624 I‘m so glad that people are still reading Cather. 8mo

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mrp27

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

August #bookspin pick. I‘ve never read Willa Cather before so this should be interesting.

TheAromaofBooks

Tamra I hope you enjoy it. I love Cather and this novel. 9mo

mrp27 @Tamra Thanks! I‘ve heard good things about this one so I hope I like it. 9mo

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 9mo

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Sapphire

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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Some books find you at the exact right moment. I have disliked everything by Cather I had ever attempted to read. I put this on my list because it met 1925 for my #192025 challenge. I loved it from the first beautiful phrase. It captures so much beauty and tragic heartache. In the landscape and in mankind. Nuance and realism. Truly a masterpiece. This will affect me for a long time.

Librarybelle, TheAromaofBooks

Librarybelle Awesome! I need to read Cather. 1y

BarbaraBB Wow what a review! I‘ll check this out. I only read and enjoyed her

The Professor's House

TheAromaofBooks Lovely review!!! 1y

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PaperbackPirate

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

☠️ I know this wasn‘t my best book when it looks like death is coming for the archbishop and I‘m like, At last! 😅

📘 Today I got to read some more on my lunch break and there‘s only 27 pages to go. Death Comes for the Archbishop has been my purse book because my main current read is 600 pages.

📸 photo taken in Taos, New Mexico July 2023

Book 9/14 #14Books14weeks2023

charl08 "At last" ?? 2y

bthegood 😂 😂 2y

Bookwormjillk Lol 2y

PaperbackPirate @charl08 @bthegood @Bookwormjillk 😈😂 2y

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PaperbackPirate

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

📚 July was a good month of reading for me.

🥇 Favorites:
The Summer Wives
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

🥈 Still Recommend:
Empire of Wild
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls

🥉 So-So:
Aunt Dimity Slays the Dragon
Quicksilver

😴 My least favorite, and #JubilantJuly Readathon goal failure to finish, Death Comes for the Archbishop 97/156 pages.

🙌 It was worth trying @Andrew65 !

#Bookly

Andrew65 Great to have you with us however much reading anyone does 😍 2y

PaperbackPirate Thank you @Andrew65 ! 2y

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Bevita

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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A beautiful story about two French priests in New Mexico. Beautiful.

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PaperbackPirate

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

⚾️ We went to a Diamondbacks game yesterday and got there really early so we could get a free Diamondbacks/Star Wars Haboob Globe (a snow globe for the desert). So I brought my book to read until the game started and work on my #20in4 Readathon goal.

📕 Currently on page 186/297.

🐍 And we won!

Susanita That‘s an excellent idea for a promotional item! 2y

PaperbackPirate It‘s already on my shelf @Susanita !💨 2y

myellenbee How are you liking the book? I just got a copy at a book sale. 2y

PaperbackPirate I‘m sorry to say I‘m not really liking it @myellenbee . My friend loves it but we are kind of opposites when it comes to books. 2y

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PaperbackPirate

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Late posting but it‘s #20in4 Readathon time!

My goal is to finish Death Comes for the Archbishop.

I‘ve read 18 pages since the Readathon started.
I have 158/297 pages to go.

I almost dnfed this book but I rarely do that so on I go. I‘ve also read My Antonia and wasn‘t a huge fan so this will probably be my last by Ms. Cather.

Thank you for helping me power through @Andrew65 !

Andrew65 Good luck 😁 2y

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Erinreadsthebooks

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Thriftstore find. How beautiful is this cover?! Will I actually read it? Approximately 28% chance because I have a #PROBLEM 😍🤩🎨🖌🖼

SaraBeagle She is one of my all time favorites! 2y

AmyG That is truly a lovely cover. 2y

Suet624 It‘s a great story. 2y

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ElenaBena

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

“Man was lost and saved in a garden”

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Blueberry

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#WithDeath #TemptingTitles

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs

Eggs Cover Love 💕 2y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#littenswanttoknow @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I don‘t reread much, but I do actually enjoy it the rare times i do. This stands out because it was my first by Cather, a book I randomly picked up, and which won me over. And then I read it again with the #catherbuddyread, after having read lots of her novels. This second time, with all this Cather behind me, I saw it as absolutely brilliant. Is there anything else out there like it?

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andrew61

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#12booksof2021 #July @Andrew65
Happy new year to everyone on litsy. Here is my favourite book in July and a classic which was a highlight of 2021.
Wishing everyone happy reading for 2022 as well as good health and happiness.

Ruthiella Happy New Year!🥳🥂 3y

andrew61 @Ruthiella and to you 🙂 3y

Reggie Happy New Year! 3y

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CarolynM Happy New Year 3y

Cathythoughts Happy New Year Andrew🥂 3y

batsy Happy New Year! 🥂 3y

Andrew65 Looks good, Happy New Year 🥳 3y

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PhyllisH

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Time to start a new book. I‘ve read so many positive reviews about this book. 👍🏻😁

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andrew61

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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Spanning the 19c this bk evokes the beauty + harshness new Mexico , the diocese of newly appointed French Bishop Jean Latour, assisted by his friend Fr Vaillant. The descriptions of landscape, friendship, faith, and the lives of the indigenous people is told with such sensitivity and craft that I was transported to a world where visits to their flocks takes weeks by mule and i could feel the heat, cold, and was touched by the stories. A brill rd.

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 an author I‘ve yet to read but have on the pile! 4y

LeahBergen Lovely photo (and green Virago)! 💚 4y

Leftcoastzen Green Virago! Yay! 4y

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batsy I thought this was such a lovely read, too. And that's a gorgeous Virago edition! 4y

EvieBee I‘m so coveting that edition! 4y

Lindy This was my introduction to Willa Cather and still my favourite of her books. 👍 4y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

1. Orbiting Houston
2. tagged
3. Depends on the book, but i do like little hardcovers...so let‘s say 200 pages.
4. @Daisey @mollyrotondo - if you‘d like to play

Thanks for the tag @Lcsmcat
#lockdownlowdown @veritysalter

veritysalter Your book sounds very interesting, thank you for playing 📚♥️ 5y

Graywacke @veritysalter it‘s terrific, but also it was a really nice reflective place to set mind in and cool it down a bit, as I was otherwise worked up about this lockdown. 5y

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GoneFishing

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Miracles... seem to me to rest not so much upon... healing power coming suddenly near us from afar but upon our perceptions being made finer, so that, for a moment, our eyes can see and our ears can hear what is there around us always.

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emilyhaldi

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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Thanks to @Graywacke for hosting the #catherbuddyread so that I could read my first Cather novel with a group of knowledgeable individuals who gave me so much additional insight! So much to unpack in this little book of vivid vignettes, and it seems meant to be read and absorbed at a slow pace. I think I will miss Latour & Vaillant and the calming beauty of their stories 💙

Graywacke ❤️ you review. So glad you have read Cather and enjoyed. It‘s funny what you say about the pace. I timed my reading it for the first time last year and this again for this reread and I read it 25% slower (!) rereading. 5y

batsy I'm missing them too 💜 Lovely review! 5y

CarolynM Lovely review🙂 5y

Reviewsbylola I haven‘t read Cather since college I don‘t think. She‘s lovely but not my personal favorite. 5y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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My silly cat hung out with me late last night as I finished this. While I‘m in the midst of this, I think it‘s Cather‘s best - reflective (perfect for now), and so subtly, magnificently complex and simple at once. A living look at landscape and gently fraught spirituality. Having finished, I find it a very hard book to mentally categorize. It‘s both like and completely unlike all Cather‘s other works. Recommended

Thank you #catherbuddyread !! ❤️

TEArificbooks Great review 5y

Leftcoastzen 😻 5y

merelybookish I'm intrigued! I've read a few Cather novels. This one always seemed so different from her usual material. 5y

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Graywacke @mdm139 Thanks! @Leftcoastzen 🙂 5y

Graywacke @merelybookish It is and isn‘t. I‘m shortening my slightly long first answer. But what I mean is that carries older themes in, but does something very different here, too, and it has a different affect. It‘s has something of an otherworldly feel, from the opening paragraph after the preface. 5y

batsy Lovely review! I think you've summed it up perfectly. Love your edition and also hello to the adorable silly cat. 5y

Graywacke @batsy hi. Thanks. He, my big cat, has his moments. 🙂 I‘ll send him a hello. 5y

Suet624 Great review. 💕 5y

Graywacke @Suet624 thanks! 🙂 5y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#catherbuddyread
Book 8 - gold under Pike‘s Peak
Book 9 - Death Comes for the Archbishop

The vicar is sent to the Colorado wild west and our bishop replaces him with a church. Then 30 years go by and our bishop manages his death as he managed his life. Lots in here, including a real life parallel. Pictured is a view from Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in old town Santa Fe, his church. Where do these last chapters leave us? Thoughts?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey 5y

Graywacke Vaillant: “Yes, he reflected, as he went quietly to his own room, there was a great difference in their natures. Wherever he went, he soon made friends that took the place of country and family. But Jean, who was at ease in any society and always the flower of courtesy, could not form new ties. It had always been so.” (edited) 5y

Currey Not helpful to the commentary but I keep thinking about how this would never be published in today‘s social networking driven world. “Well it is a book about landscape and spirituality in the landscape as experienced by two Catholic bishops” Publisher: “Love Story? Murder Mystery? Aliens or zombies?” Cather: “No, not much actually happens” 5y

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jewright I loved this book. His ending was just as it should be. I love that he thought he would go back to Europe for his retirement, and he just couldn‘t. It kind of makes me laugh about all the fruit tree obsession in the book. I‘m so disappointed in Carson though. I loved this book though. It might be my favorite book by Cather. 5y

emilyhaldi I loved this quote - "The old man smiled. 'I shall not die from a cold, my son. I shall die of having lived.' For me it explained the title of the book, which I have been trying to understand. Because the book isn't about the Archbishop's death, but about how he lived. It‘s very poignant how Cather is able to convey the beauty and fulfillment in the bishop‘s life but also his sacrifice... I found it a bit melancholic. ? 5y

Currey @Graywacke I especially enjoyed the pairings in the book; the Navajo with their land, Angelica and Contento who can not be separated, Father LaTour and Vaillant and the moment we are finally allowed to see at the end of the book where LaTour makes it okay for Vaillant to come to the New World when he felt that leaving his father was a betrayal. I came to believe that LaTour‘s great contribution to the faith was truly that one moment. 5y

Lcsmcat “Sometimes, when Magdalena or Bernard came in and asked him a question, it took him several seconds to bring himself back to the present. He could see they thought his mind was failing; but it was only extraordinarily active in some other part of the great picture of his life - some part of which they knew nothing.” I love this picture of aging/dying. And maybe the reason the book seems to some not to “go” anywhere? 5y

TEArificbooks At first I didn‘t like all the back and forth of the last chapter, but then I thought it was fitting. Old men reflecting on their lives. Trying to tell the younger generation their stories. The last chapter did seem rushed because Cather packed 30 some years into one chapter. 5y

batsy @Graywacke I love this quote! As soon as I read it I thought to myself I could think of people exactly like this... Just felt like a moment of sharp insight and understanding. 5y

batsy I really appreciate the comments above, it puts into words the complexity of the narrarive. Like a sum of all parts that amounts to a life in service of something. I was also thinking about what Latour says to Father Joseph about soup much earlier in the book—"a soup like this is not the work of man... There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup." It felt maybe that was her theme for the book, & that was reflected in the structure. 5y

Lcsmcat @batsy great observation! 5y

Louise @batsy I loved that quote about the soup, too, and I think you are spot on with your insight into this theme. 5y

Louise @Currey Beautiful observation about the pairings in this book! 5y

Graywacke @Currey i do wonder if the title was chosen with sales in mind. “Life of Archbishop” - no, no, no. No one cares. “Death of Archbishop” - ooh. Happy sales team... 🙂🙄 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke 😂 5y

Graywacke @jewright I admit, i was tempted to call the ending anticlimactic. I was afraid no one would like the ending. (I find it less than the whole, so to speak. ) But reading through the comments it seems most of us liked it. Carson is an interesting story. See, especially, tagged book, which is fascinating

Blood and Thunder

Graywacke @emilyhaldi of having lived - isn‘t that one of the most beautiful aspects of the book and about his life. I like to imagine Cather could say that about herself too. 5y

Graywacke @Currey thanks for highlighting the pairings. I hadn‘t thought about and now it demands some rethinking on the book. LaTour shows his own strengths with Vaillant there - his ability to calmly make space for time to do its thing. He reapplies it over and over. It‘s a nice fit for this 19th-century Santa Fe and the surrounding landscape. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat that quote, “active in some other great picture” is another apt reflection of the book. Calm and yet very active at the same time. It‘s also a lovely image. 5y

Graywacke @mdm139 that rushed 30 years is interesting in many ways. The Navajo wars and mass die-off gets shorted, and the adventure of the Church‘s construction, an adventure in RL, gets skipped right over. I have thoughts on this... 5y

Graywacke @batsy new ties get harder for some of us. I was really moved by the line too (and, at the time, he was my exact age) 5y

Graywacke @batsy your soup comment - yet again, opens this book up to a fresh perspective. It‘s really apt and a beautiful thought. And, yeah, a lot of parts 5y

Graywacke A few general questions: 1. Did you find Latour‘s focus on the church a surprise at all? Was it in character? 2. Was the soft ending right for the book, or was it anticlimactic in any sense, or do you have other issues? 3. What do you think of the title, now, in hindsight? (edited) 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey forgive, I‘m tagging everyone again!, just to highlight the questions immediately above. Probably I‘m being a little selfish, but I‘m mainly nudging to get more of everyone‘s thoughts. I think the book leaves us a whole lot to think about. (edited) 5y

Lcsmcat 1. I was not surprised by his focus on the cathedral. It was expected at the time, but also he loved and appreciated beauty. 2. I loved the ending. He was a gentle man and it was a gentle ending. Valiant was the more active priest, but Latour the more contemplative. 3. I‘ve never liked the title, but also have never come up with a better one. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y

Currey @Graywacke Cather sets us up for a thoughtful contemplation of LaTour‘s building a cathedral by giving us many other examples of places of worship from Native American to the hubris of Acoma. For me it seemed appropriate for a contemplative man to build a quiet place of beauty. Plus I loved the very ending but less the leap of 30 years. 5y

TEArificbooks @Graywacke 1. I was not surprised by his desire to build a beautiful cathedral. I have been in many and notice how many people appreciate a grand cathedral. They are quiet places to commune with God and I think he wanted to provide his congregation with such a place. 2. I loved the gentle ending. Like @Lcsmcat said he was a gentleman and deserved to die old in his bed. 5y

emilyhaldi I agree! @Currey The fast-forward 30 years seemed to leave a large gap of life that I feel a little gipped by. But I loved the gentle ending. 5y

TEArificbooks 3. I don‘t like the title. It has a huge spoiler in it and after reading about so much murder and mayhem readers may have expected him to be murdered. So then the ending would have been very anticlimactic for some readers. I think your “The Life of and Archbishop” fit the story better but as you said would have hurt sales. 5y

TEArificbooks I don‘t know if Cather knew about the murdering nephew (mentioned in yesterday‘s article), but if she did I would think she left it out to keep the focus on the bishop. And she left out a lot in that chapter. Wish the book could have been longer or a sequel so we can have more about those 30 years. 5y

Graywacke My answers: 1. Yes, it surprised me a lot. Hence why I asked. It forces me to reevaluate the book. Up to this point we have a Bishop happy in poverty, humbly working his craft, so to speak. And the book had us in thus otherworldly place. This is a practical, worldly, materialistic concern. So, what do I make of that? Maybe some vanity? Not sure. Perhaps it shows Latour was a visionary, always looking ahead at the long road. 5y

arubabookwoman I loved these ending chapters. They were what I had been expecting from this book before I began reading, which is not to say I did not like the rest of the book, the history, the various cultures, the landscape, the friendship of the 2 priests.👇🏻👇🏻 (edited) 5y

arubabookwoman But I loved the contemplative feel of these chapters: “I am enjoying to the full that period of reflection which is the happiest conclusion to a life of action.” And yet, I think Cather wants us to keep in mind the contrast between Latour & Vaillant, who, perhaps really was more suited for the New World than Latour, who was “gracious to everyone but known to a very few.” We are left to wonder whether a priest of his abilities was better suited👇🏻 5y

arubabookwoman to “some part of the world where scholarship, a handsome person, & delicate perceptions all have their effect; & that a man of much rougher type would have served God well enough as the first Bishop of New Mexico.” So who was the better (more effective?) missionary for the wild southwest—Latour or Vaillant?👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 (edited) 5y

arubabookwoman And I was not surprised by the focus on building the cathedral. Latour always seemed more concerned with the ethereal, while Vaillant focused on the nitty gritty here and now. The Cathedral is for the glory of God (and to serve as Latour‘s tomb). As Latour says, the Cathedral is not for us; “We build for the future.” I loved the descriptions of the Cathedral as intrinsic to the landscape, “leaping out of mountains & black pines.” 5y

Graywacke Question 2: the ending is odd for me in that I was mostly hovering in the history of cultural clashes and the bishop meditating in the desert, and the scenery. His relationship with Latour was nice and his last days are elegant. But I felt I lost something from earlier parts of the book going through this part. That is, it wasn‘t conclusive for me, it was a turn onto a new road. It forces me to mentally break the book into separate compartments. 5y

Graywacke Question 3: in light of my previous answer, I feel the title only covers the ending section. So, applying it to the whole book means I need to look at the whole book again and wonder at its meaning throughout. This book is NOT about the death of the bishop, but his death does play a role and having his death always in mind does color everything else.👇👇 (edited) 5y

Graywacke But it begs...is this book about Latour or New Mexico? About Latour or spirituality of which he represents merely one kind? Is it otherworldly or here, dealing with life and death? Does an eternally young priest untether us too much, was his death the tie-lines to keep us in a real place? I don‘t have ready answers to these questions or a good sense whether they are really appropriate to the book. 5y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman enjoyed your posts. The contrasts between Latour and Vaillant are quite interesting - in personalities, methods of action and of reflection, methods of questioning or not questioning; in the different types of sacrifice each made, and the different things it cost them. And...the different fits to the place in this world. (edited) 5y

jewright I think we are supposed to question whether the cathedral or the the life is the best tribute to the man. I love the ending of the book. I did feel a little rushed about the later part of his life. It should have had some more in between. I think the title is asking us to think about death. It comes for us all. Are we living our lives in a way to prepare for death? I love the title! 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke @arubabookwoman I was thinking about Latour and Valliant and the contrasts between them. A lot of people seem to think Valliant did more for the Church, but remember all the times he wanted to act rashly when his bishop reigned him in - the rebel priests, the natives, the widow- so I think they needed to work together, ying and yang. So the “rushing” of the last section could be more about the fact that Valliant was gone so those 👇🏻 5y

Lcsmcat 👆🏻 years didn‘t figure into their relationship. 5y

TEArificbooks I like that question @jewright. Which is the best tribute to the man, his life story or the cathedral. I think the bishop wanted to leave behind his life story and a monument as a legacy. The cathedral not just as his legacy but as a legacy of the history of his faith in the region. As a legacy to his congregation to honor their faith. 5y

TEArificbooks When considering death and life legacy I always think about the song by Queen, Who wants to Live Forever. I think everyone wants to “live forever” in leaving behind a legacy. Authoring a book, painting a masterpiece, composing music, touching the lives of children by teaching/parenting. In the bishops case it was his life story of his life‘s work and the cathedral. 5y

CarolynM I've really enjoyed reading everyone's comments here, but I don't feel that I have a lot to add to the discussion - I'm not thinking very clearly at the moment and that may have contributed to my dissatisfaction with the book. I did enjoy reading it but I didn't feel that I gained much understanding of Latour or Vaillant or of their ministry. This probably says more about me than about the book. 5y

Graywacke @jewright @mdm139 I found it interesting that in real life many different groups in Santa Fe contributed to the cathedral, outside the Catholic community. His monument is also a monument to the city itself. 5y

Graywacke @CarolynM hugs. I think this is an elusive work in many ways. I liked the points you brought up in your review. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey Next book is Shadows on the Rock (Cather‘s 1st Depression era novel). I‘m wondering what date because book deliveries a are slow. Is July 11 ok with everyone? (edited) 5y

Tamra @Graywacke If I‘m not in a course, I‘ll join! 5y

Suet624 Sounds great. Ordering it now.
5y

Suet624 @Currey Hahaha. You're so right. Unfortunately. 5y

jewright @Graywacke I‘ll look into finding a copy. 5y

TEArificbooks Sounds good 5y

Lcsmcat I already have my copy, so I‘m good with whatever date the group prefers. 5y

emilyhaldi Fun!! I'll plan on joining you again 😄 5y

Louise Love that book! Looking forward to a re-read! 5y

CarolynM I'm in🙂 5y

Graywacke @Tamra @Suet624 @jewright @mdm139 @Lcsmcat @emilyhaldi @Louise @CarolynM i was waiting for @batsy ‘s response as she might have the hardest time getting a physical copy, but I‘ll take a leap of faith and guess its probably ok. July 11. I‘ll post an early note this weekend (i have an old copy already, care of my in-laws) 5y

batsy @Graywacke I'm sorry; I missed replying to this. Thank you for being so considerate 🙂 I'm good with July 11 if that works for all. Off to order my copy! 5y

Graywacke @batsy oh, good! And, no worries, of course. You‘re allowed to be miss stuff. 🙂 5y

jewright @Graywacke I found a Kindle copy, but this one is much harder to find in print. I did see a complete works of Cather. I should have probably bought that one in the beginning! 5y

Graywacke @jewright 🤣 had we all known we‘d get this far... 5y

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batsy

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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This book is "about" two Catholic priests in New Mexico in the 1900s, but that barely captures it. The narrative is episodic—a series of events that affect their lives—but the main character is always the landscape. Cather's interrogation of the spiritual moved me. Through her writing I could sense her fascination with how the landscape ties to spirituality. Impressionistic, full of moods & sensations, it felt a bit like a dream. #catherbuddyread

batsy Thanks as always to @Graywacke for leading thoughtful discussions :) 5y

Suet624 Darn it! You‘ve done it again. You‘ve explained the concept and nuances of a book so beautifully. 💕💕 5y

Graywacke Terrific review. The otherworldliness and spiritual aspects, setup by and echoed in the landscape, captured me as well. 5y

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Nute You always find a way to embrace me to this author! 5y

Currey Well done @batsy 5y

Angeles Definitely in my TBR 5y

batsy @Suet624 @Graywacke @Currey Thank you 💜 5y

batsy @Graywacke Reading it at this particular point in time, too, felt especially poignant. 5y

batsy @Nute Have you read any of her other books? These group reads of her work have been immensely satisfying :) 5y

batsy @Angeles I hope you like it! 5y

CarolynM Lovely review. I don't think I was up to the intellectual effort of this one at this point in time (oh the joy of "that time of life"☹️) I might need to reread it in a few years from now. 5y

batsy Thank you @CarolynM ! It's so true, this is one of hers that I'd classify as a "mood book" ? 5y

Nute No, I haven‘t become acquainted with her work yet, but you are a source of inspiration. I know that when it finally happens I‘ll be thinking ‘this one is for @batsy.‘🙃 5y

batsy @Nute Aww, that's lovely to hear 😁 I think her novels are different enough that maybe even one of them might strike a reader's fancy... But I definitely recommend the prairie trilogy 🙌🏽 5y

Lindy I read this before a trip to New Mexico in 1997. My first Cather; it made me an instant fan. 5y

batsy @Lindy It would have been wonderful to immerse yourself in Cather's vision of that landscape and then to see it yourself! 5y

Lindy @batsy Yes. Literature plus real life left an indelible impression. 😊 5y

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CarolynM

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

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As always I enjoyed Cather's writing, particularly in relation to landscape, and I was interested in most of the stories recounted along the way, but I never grasped the bigger picture or felt I knew the characters. I struggled with the structure - things about the priests and their relationship seemed to be thrown in at random and the stuff about the Navajo at the end came from nowhere. I'm unsatisfied. Also, is this the greatest misnomer ever?

Louise, Lcsmcat, batsy, TEArificbooks, Graywacke, arubabookwoman, jewright

CarolynM #catherbuddyread 5y

batsy I liked the structure and felt it was dream-like in a way, but I can see why it would be frustrating. There's not much to grasp on to in terms of a solid plot. I still find it a tough book to talk *about*! 5y

Lcsmcat This was a reread for me, and while I couldn‘t have told you any plot points before this time through, I feel I got more out of it. It was very atmospheric, and, even though it was not first person narrative, it almost felt like our Archbishop reviewing his life in that final illness. I‘ll have to ponder how to express this better for our discussion. 5y

Graywacke Unsatisfied? Hope you bring that up in our discussion. Actually I hope you carry all this over - the elusive big picture, misleading title and the patchwork structure. (And the Navajos). But glad you enjoyed it overall. 5y

emilyhaldi I don't disagree with you! 5y

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Nebklvr

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

pick

A beautiful novel of friendship and faith set in 1800s New Mexico territory. Cather writes atmosphere and landscape so well it was transporting. There are no intense events, only the daily activities of running a bishopric in the New World.

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

“More than once Molny had called the Bishop from his study to look at the unﬁnished building when a storm was coming up; then the sky above the mountain grew black, and the carnelian rocks became an intense lavender, all their pine trees strokes of dark purple; the hills drew nearer, the whole background approached like a dark threat.”

The Saint Francis Cathedral, Santa Fe, under construction, c1880

Reminder: discussion tomorrow #catherbuddyread

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey 5y

Graywacke Some lively back story: https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/trail_dust/trail-dust-building-cathedral-... (edited) 5y

Lcsmcat Cool article ! Thanks for sharing. Now I want to know more about the murdering nephew! This may be the beginning of a deep internet dive. 5y

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Lcsmcat Here‘s another article, with a color picture of the cathedral, that ties it in to the book: http://stories-in-stone.blogspot.com/2009/11/santa-fe-stone-part-2-cathedral.htm... 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Lots of geology and speculation about the rock in the above article. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat that was fun. My favorite line: “Said sources disagree as to whether said stone is limestone, sandstone, or granite.” These are NOT similar rock types!! Geology 101 students can differentiate - although not from those low resolution photos. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat according to Wikipedia: “The cathedral was built from yellow limestone blocks quarried near the present site of Lamy.” 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat that same Wikipedia article later says sandstone (i suspect limestone is correct and “sandstone” a typo.) The interior has granite. So, perhaps “sources” were all Wikipedia. 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I had the same reaction regarding the granite. Even I can tell granite from sandstone! But it was interesting. 5y

TEArificbooks @Lcsmcat I googled the nephew and he shot the guy because everyone thought the nephews wife was having an affair with the other guy. He got away with it too by reason on temporary insanity. 5y

muscogulus Since my teens I used to assume this novel was about the murder of Thomas Becket. Don‘t know where I got that idea. Probably had just been told about

Murder in the Cathedral

Lcsmcat @mdm139 Yes, I went down that rabbit hole. It was particularly interesting how many historians glossed over it or left it out entirely to “shield the popular archbishop.” It seems such a great detail that I wonder if Cather knew about it and left it out, or if it was totally hushed up? 5y

Lcsmcat @muscogulus A logical mistake if you hadn‘t read it. 5y

Graywacke @mdm139 @Lcsmcat i have trouble coordinating what i read with the nonfictional Lamy. I might need to keep them mentally separate. 5y

Graywacke @muscogulus I wonder if many people started this expecting a murder mystery. 🙂 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Yes, the nonfiction is fascinating but Cather didn‘t claim even to write “historical fiction.” She was telling her own story, not Lamy‘s or any “true” version. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat yes, I think so too. I think Latour is her bishop, and Lamy provides a realistic context to place Latour within. I think she chose her own elements to emphasize in Latour - and one is his persistent mental distance from ordinary life. But...also, I don‘t want to be overly sure about this. I would like to keep some openness to real life parallels. 5y

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Suet624

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

pick

I waited weeks for this book and after finishing it I put it on hold to listen to it again. This novel truly requires a physical copy so passages can be highlighted. The story of French Canadian priests in New Mexico is beautifully told. Scenery descriptions were luscious and (possibly due to being homebound) I experienced a sensual pleasure from them. I found great comfort in the writing and want to visit with the characters again soon.

Graywacke

batsy Beautiful review! I loved immersing myself in the writing. Something about the spirituality of the rocks, the cliffs, it conveyed itself in Cather's prose... I had to read the ebook because bookshops were closed and mail was slow, but I definitely want to get a physical copy at some point. 5y

Graywacke Nice review! It‘s comforting for me as well, and it helps my mindset...a calming place to be. 5y

Suet624 @batsy @graywacke I reread my review this morning and was kicking myself. I didn't feel I had adequately represented how each story within the book affected me. So I appreciate your kind words. 5y

batsy I find it hard to adequately describe the power of this book and its effect on me, too. 5y

RohitSawant Wonderful review! Stacking this! 5y

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Lcsmcat

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

“He had one hill-side solidly clad with that low growing purple verbena which mats over the hills of New Mexico. It was like a great violet velvet mantle thrown down on the sun#; all the shades that the dyers and weavers of Italy and France strove for through centuries, the violet that is full of rose color and is yet not lavender; the blue that becomes almost pink and then retreats again into sea-dark purple- 👇🏻

Lcsmcat (Cont.) the true Episcopal color and countless variations of it. #catherbuddyread @Graywacke 5y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#catherbuddyread
May 2
chapter 6 Doña Isabella
chapter 7 The Great Diocese.

Doña Isabella‘s legal case and then a book of reflection, the Bishop staying with the Navajo Eusabio, alone, meditating and thinking a lot about his vicar and their past.

I might call this a toned down section in an already gentle book, but of course that‘s not exactly it. Thoughts?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey 5y

Lcsmcat The vanity of Dona Isabella, and the gentleness with which our Bishop stops his Vicar from pressing her, even though the diocese needs the money was what stood out to me in Book 6. Again, Latour‘s defining character trait seems to be restraint. 5y

batsy I'm having a hard time talking about this book. It's so filled with moods & impressions & places ... I'm transported. Just her descriptions & her insights are so beautiful, like, "Time and again the Bishop had seen a good dinner, a bottle of claret, transformed into spiritual energy under his very eyes". I love that! Or Latour's Navajo house: "The hogan was isolated like a ship's cabin on the ocean, with the murmuring of great winds about it." 5y

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JamieArc @batsy You remind me why I love Cather 5y

Lcsmcat @batsy Such perfect quotes! 5y

Currey There is a moment in these chapters when the recovering Father Vaillant sees the moodiness and perplexity of the Bishop and says to himself: “I will be to him now what he was to me....he saved me”. Then he goes on to place the Bishop in a further dilemma by telling him he was leaving in mid summer to go on a retreat. This was an interesting twist. 5y

Currey I also love the descriptions of the old cottonwood trees and the twisted tamarisk trees. 5y

Cathythoughts ❤️ 5y

TEArificbooks Yes, these were less exciting chapters. No murder or naughty priests being kicked out. I think these chapters serve for the reader to get to know the priests better. They recall their grit and determination to serve and spread the word of their faith. They reflect on their schooling, friendship, love of gardening, and the lasting impression of meeting the pope. Maybe Cather is making us like her characters more, just before she kills the bishop. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat restraint - goes both ways. He could have railed at Joseph that he was pushing church interests over people, or encouraged Joseph by providing iffy justification. That episode left me wondering what I would have liked done, and it didn‘t leave me with any answers. A gentle fun story on the surface, but in some taught tension with many of us readers. 🙂 5y

Graywacke @batsy ( @JamieArc @Lcsmcat ) 🙂 thanks for this post. For me it leaves me transported and then quiet. It‘s - well, there‘s a lot blowing around in that sand...and a lot of it is kind of on the fingertips of the language reach. And, it‘s not all cozy. I feel some beauty and some personal uncertainty in the mix. 5y

Graywacke @Currey Doesn‘t Valliant grow into quite a character in this section? And...I think it‘s consistent with all we‘ve read about him, and that it clarifies the earlier parts of the book. I admit, i wondered about his life choice and the restrictions imposed on him (Vallaint) and how much was his choice, versus the pressure put on him by family. But also - the Bishop made a really brilliant early life decision selecting Vallaint to be close to. 5y

JamieArc @Graywacke Yes - beauty and uncertainty. These two feelings pinpoint it for me. 5y

Graywacke @mdm139 yes - definitely getting to know and understand them better. She‘s letting us peak into the priests minds. All book we might wonder how they work, how they manage this pretty odd life. She kept that info gently, but carefully obscured. And here she‘s opening a few windows. Many answers and then, maybe, many more questions. 5y

Graywacke Another thought as I read these posts. Last week, here in this discussion, the theme of restraint came out. This week, how our culture shapes us. Vallaint and, presumably Latour, were encouraged to priesthood - not exactly a normal life from our view - and they are locked in it now. And they are surrounded by local Mexicans and natives who are in the same situations - viewed from an outsider. 👇👇 (edited) 5y

Graywacke The Zuni runners at the end - both beautiful (and in many ways. There are homoerotic hints, if you want them there. These kids have appeal.)...sorry, both beautiful and defined/strengthened/restricted by their culture. They will never blend with gringo life. They are a different kind of priest, or the priests are a different kind of native. Maybe. (Sorry, a work in progress thought) (edited) 5y

Lcsmcat @mdm139 “Cather is making us like her characters more, just before she kills the bishop.” Priceless! How many of us (if it‘s your 1st read) are spending the whole book wondering how he‘s going to die? 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @mdm139 🤣 🤣 5y

TEArificbooks @Lcsmcat I do not know how he will die either. This is my first read of the book. Sometimes I wish she titled the book different so there wasn‘t a spoiler in the title. 5y

arubabookwoman I, too, find myself with not too much to say about this section, other than the beauty of the prose.i note that again there is some contrast between the ways of the Indian and the ways of the white man. And I did love the image of the Zuni runners, not stopping, but running on with “the fleetness of young antelope.” I did not realize Latour was going to be killed-I thought he would die in bed of old age, tho‘ he‘s still v. young.👇🏻👇🏻 5y

arubabookwoman Joseph seems to be the one who gets sick/injured all the time, and Latour has to go rescue him. 5y

TEArificbooks @arubabookwoman I don‘t know if he gets killed or dies of natural causes. The title indicates he dies. I meant Cather kills him off somehow, not that he actually gets killed. However he dies the author kills him. 5y

TEArificbooks @Graywacke what is our next book. I want to make sure to get a copy in time to start it after next weekend. With shipping delays and all 5y

CarolynM @batsy @arubabookwoman I'm finding the whole book difficult to discuss. The descriptive writing is lovely, each episode is interesting in itself but I'm not getting much of a big picture. I wonder whether I'm missing something because I'm not Catholic. I wonder how devout Catholics would respond to it? @Lcsmcat In spite of the title I haven't really thought about the Bishop dying at all. 5y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman @mdm139 🤐 (edited) 5y

Graywacke @mdm139 next book isn‘t exactly set. But almost certainly her next novel published:

Shadows on the Rock

Graywacke @CarolynM the big picture is there, but it‘s a little elusive - to catch or describe. My attempt of the moment is to call it maybe a tapestry of sorts - of time/place/atmosphere/mindset/etc. And (see above) my thought of the moment is to call the Catholicism(s?) one of the many contrasts interacting. 5y

TEArificbooks I am Catholic and I am constantly torn about Cather‘s view on this faith. She is making likable characters in the main two priests, however the stories contradict each other. In each section the priests visit a different church. Cather highlights a uniques about each church or priest there. Some of those stories are nice but many are bad. The priest are bad are in many. 👇 5y

TEArificbooks I can‘t figure out if she appreciates the differences in each church/priest or if she is writing more of a satire about the differences. Like the inconsistency of each church should be liked or disliked. Or is she just telling us what she has observed about the catholic churchs/priest and allowing us to decide what we think of this faith 5y

CarolynM @mdm139 Thanks for giving your perspective, I hadn't thought about the different takes on manifestations of faith. Do you see any deeper meaning in the recurring references to people cut off from the rituals, observances and physical embodiments (altars, relics etc) of Catholicism? 5y

Graywacke @mdm139 that‘s really interesting to see your perspective. Cather, of course, was not Catholic. I think her intent is admiration, but it‘s not blind. As with everything, she will temper her appreciation in her own way. (edited) 5y

Graywacke ( @CarolynM - oops, just saw your post. ) 5y

jewright All I could think of how silly it was for Dona Isabella not to admit her age. I can‘t say anything stood out a lot in these chapters, but I‘m really enjoying this book. I think of the death part as death is coming for all of us. We live our lives, but we all know death comes for everyone eventually. 5y

batsy @JamieArc @Graywacke I agree, nothing cosy or settled here. Lots percolating under the surface of the beauty and the calm. She does pull off that effect so well in her prose. I could spend ages analysing it and never know how she does it. 5y

batsy @CarolynM I get what you mean. I almost feel like I'm having the same sense of restraint as Latour ? in having an immediate opinion about the "meat" of the stories in here because I'm not Christian or Catholic or American so a lot feels new, even if it's familiar. My reaction as I read is to absorb, maybe because of how the narrative flows; crisscrossing currents of people and cultures and religions and belief systems. 5y

TEArificbooks @Graywacke I think you are right. She seems to appreciate religion in her books, whether Catholic or another. However, she shows that they are not perfect, and some religions followers and priests are not perfect. At least I am hoping that is what Cather is doing vs. bashing any religion. 5y

TEArificbooks @CarolynM I think Cather is just showing spreading a new faith in a remote region is difficult. There is a lack of resources for the priest that allows him to teach his converts the rituals and since he is a good priest he want to do his best by the followers. He feels as the priest he is responsible to provide them physical churches, alters, and icons etc. He is probably afraid they will stop following the religion without these things or 👇 5y

TEArificbooks Their very souls will be at jeopardy of not reaching Heaven because they lack these resources. Catholics do have prayer methods that involve their relics and rituals that are important to their faith. And believe if you pray “the wrong way” God won‘t hear you. However, when spreading their faith, the Catholic Faith allowed for some leeway. It was more important to let God‘s love enter your heart. The rituals would follow when they could. 5y

Louise @Graywacke So sorry to have missed these first few discussions. I‘ve had a flare-up of chronic pain symptoms plus a very busy phase with work. I‘ll try to catch up with the group read soon! 5y

Lcsmcat @Louise I‘m sorry to hear that. I hope it recedes soon. 5y

Lcsmcat @mdm139 @Graywacke I don‘t think Cather is bashing any religion. I see her as respectful of those who follow their religion with sincerity (whether Catholic, “Bohemian” Native, or other) but wishing to expose those who use religion for personal gain or power over others. 5y

CarolynM @mdm139 Thank you, that is helpful. @Louise I hope you're feeling better and will join the discussion next week. @Lcsmcat I agree with you. 5y

emilyhaldi I'm sorry to have missed yesterday's discussion but loved catching up on all of the comments today as I pick up this book again. All of the different insights add so much to my reading experience! 5y

Graywacke @jewright straining the limits of vanity. And, I like your take on the death aspect. Next week... 5y

Graywacke @batsy of all her books, this one I‘m finding the most difficult to understand _how_ she does it or _what_ she‘s actually doing in any one place. That is remarkable to me. 5y

Graywacke @batsy @Carolyn @mdm139 @Lcsmcat - I‘m not Christian, which is why I read this with some tension the first time, worried about an overly religious message. But not on re-reading. This has been our most religious section so far. We‘re seeing Latour for the first able to relax and focus on spirituality - in a unique setting. Rereading now it still leaves me a touch uncomfortable, but it‘s also a very beautiful section in its way. 👇👇 5y

Graywacke And i like to see our different perspectives on it. 5y

Graywacke @Louise I‘m so sorry for what you‘re dealing with and hope you feel better. I‘m glad, though, that you have some Cather to look forward to. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat this was a really nicely put post, your last one. Thanks. 5y

Graywacke @emilyhaldi thanks. It‘s always a mystery how these discussions work, but this one has added a lot to the book for me too. 5y

Louise @Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM Thank you for your well-wishes. I look forward to catching up reading your discussions so far and joining you all next week. This is such an exquisitely written book! 5y

Suet624 I finally received the audio from my Libby. Audio is not my favorite medium as my retention is limited and my attention tends to wander. Here is what I am left with: a deep love for these priests, a sensual feeling inspired by the descriptions of the land, an appreciation of the story that Cather provides of the injustices done to the Native American - one that readers may not have known. 5y

Graywacke @Suet624 three terrific things to be left with. Glad your book arrived and you‘re able to join in. 5y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#catherbuddyread
Book 3 The Mass at Ácoma
Book 4 Snake Root (Pecos Pueblo)
Book 5 Padre Martínez

Ácoma, pictured, is what I think most about with this book and it was stirring to read it again and think about the many meanings of sanctuary and its stark manifestation here. But these sections - our young bishop is confronted with some metaphysical challenges, heightened by the landscape and Cather‘s prose. Maybe they challenged you too. Thoughts?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey 5y

Graywacke “The Bishop seldom questioned Jacinto about his thoughts or beliefs. He didn‘t think it polite, and he believed it to be useless. There was no way in which he could transfer his own memories of European civilization into the Indian mind, and he was quite willing to believe that behind Jacinto there was a long tradition, a story of experience, which no language could translate to him.” 5y

Graywacke “The Ácomas, who must share the universal human yearning for something permanent, enduring, without shadow of change,—they had their idea in substance. They actually lived upon their Rock, were born upon it and died upon it. There was an element of exaggeration in anything so simple!” 5y

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Graywacke “If a band of Navajos were on the Ácoma‘s trail, there was still one hope; if he could reach his rock—Sanctuary!” - sanctuary has many meanings, including physical, in our minds, and, certainly a focus here but in perhaps in many ways, spiritual. 5y

Lcsmcat Great quotes! These three books/chapters had so much in them. Keeping up with the Bishop alone would tire one out, but add Latour and his journeys, and I‘m exhausted. Then throw in the emotional journeys through the old tales of Ácoma and the heretical priests, and I‘m wiped out. 5y

Lcsmcat Cather‘s writing is spot on, of course, and her portrayal of the landscapes is the calm I needed between the tales of murder, abuse, avarice, and greed. (edited) 5y

Currey In musing about these three sections it is the comparison of Jacinto‘s sanctuary (cave) with its dark spiritual mysteries against Friar Balthazar‘s mighty church on the rock which was so dependent on women willing to carry water, that stands out. Yes so far Acoma‘s story reverberates through everything else with its study of hubris. 5y

jewright @Graywacke I loved the descriptions and analogy of the rock. 5y

jewright @Graywacke If only everyone would approach different religions this way. I think this is part of the reason Jacinto was ok with taking him to the cave he wasn‘t supposed to show him. He knew he would respect it. 5y

jewright What I love so much about Cather is how deeply interesting each of the little stories are within the story. In reading about Balthazar, for example, I almost forgot that wasn‘t the main focus of the book. And is it wrong, I was glad they threw him off the cliff? But I do feel sorry for the peach trees. 5y

batsy I love those quotes you picked out. There's so much to think about and process with this book. I'm drawn again to how she wrestled with the ethical implications of a colonising culture and the form it took under missionary work, while still being sensitive and attentive as a novelist in drawing out the stories and experiences that shape a person's spiritual worldview. I'm sort of rambling here, sorry 🙈 It's 1am here and this is a complex book... 5y

batsy @Lcsmcat The landscape is a refuge, in a way. I was drawn to the solid steadiness of the sense of place as I made my way through these chapters too. 5y

TEArificbooks I am really appreciating the structure of her writing. Each book is episodic. And since I haven‘t been able to read much lately I like this format. I look forward to each section. What adventure are going on today? I like the balance of the beautiful landscape descriptions with the tales of murder and mayhem. I am glad the priest is respectful of the native‘s religion and truly tries to help the all the Catholics under his charge. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat “so much in them” - I think she threw a lot at us here, one on top of the other, but with such gentle prose...and such gentle responses fron Latour 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @batsy - the calm of the landscape - refuge - I feel like these aspects are really nice to explore right now. It‘s helpful to have something calm and solid and it‘s helpful to have something to reflect upon. I think it‘s a good book for us now. 5y

Graywacke @Currey the cave is strange. I think it‘s designed to press our Bishop on the limitations of acceptance. In the sense that it‘s beautiful to this culture, but counter to Roman Catholicism without being immoral in anyway. Our Bishop is human. He controls his response, but is really uncomfortable. I‘m guessing... it‘s curious to me. 5y

Graywacke @Currey Ácoma is a different thing - bad Catholicism and powerful native culture collide and we‘re all, readers too, surrounded by awe. Otherworldly again. Add in real brutal history. And her prose setup (and closing frame back in Isleta (?). There is a lot going on. 5y

Lcsmcat @Currey Yes, the contrast between the two was striking. And also the theme of hiding what is most sacred with Jacinto plastering over the space and Lucero‘s buried wealth. Each “sacred” and kept hidden, and used by Cather as a character defining moment. 5y

Graywacke @jewright I‘m glad you brought up the approach to religion. Our bishop has his belief system and his limits, but he does have a very reserved response to native cultures - even if they are supposed to be Catholic and intolerant of all this. I don‘t think he understands them, but he tries. Yeah, there‘s a lesson for us there. 5y

Graywacke @jewright Balthazar - that was one way to clean out the sickness. Phew! Quite a story, and I‘m guessing there is some truth there. 5y

Currey @Graywacke Latour seemed frightened by the cave because it contained something that he could not understand. It was not just his inability to completely understand Jacinto‘s spiritual beliefs as reflected in the quote. It was deeper than that. I love the way Cather draws us in quietly to all that our Bishop feels and contemplates. 5y

Graywacke @batsy wish you some sleep 🙂 Yeah, lots to think about, especially on colonizing and cultural sense of superiority. Such a clash of cultures, and with bitter layers of history. And yet...it‘s all so paced and calmed. (I‘m finding this section a Cather pinnacle, a real highlight of observation, feeling and, in tension, reservation. She tries very hard not to overstep and she just manages and, well, it‘s something.) 5y

Graywacke @mdm139 yes, to all that. It‘s curious, our book doesn‘t have a over arching plot, it‘s a collection of stories tied together by characters and place. But, yeah, despite my reservations of what he represents, the bishop wins me over too. 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke @jewright I agree that the way the Bishop approaches other religions, and apostates of his own religion, is refreshing. He truly lived his beliefs and was quite a contrast to the hubris of Baltazar, Martinez and Lucero 5y

Graywacke @Currey @Lcsmcat Jacinto becomes a hero in his guardianship in the cave. I‘m glad he kept the secret from Latour. 🙂 I agree, @Currey , something deeper going on there. I don‘t fully understand though. Ties me (us?) to Latour, with mutual fascinated puzzlement. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat but Martínez was something. Latour was right to let time play out. He was a force of many things, some of them quite beautiful. Sickly immoral, but magnificent and a reader and thinker. A one of a kind philosopher. I liked him despite myself. I really appreciated his sense of history and was sad so much was lost with him. If I read into NM history, it will be Martínez that will have led me there (not Carson, who is also fascinating) 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Martinez was a complex character. I can‘t say that I liked him, but I appreciated his understanding of the Catholic church‘s renewed vitality in the new world and his appreciation of their brining old religious practices into Catholicism. It‘s what Christianity did with the “pagan” religions in Europe, after all. But his theft, his willingness to stir up trouble and let others take the consequences. That defined him for me, and it 👇🏻 (edited) 5y

Lcsmcat Was not a favorable definition. 5y

Lcsmcat @jewright I felt bad for the garden, too! 😂 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat yup. He‘s painted a villain, but in a not normal place that lacks normal rules. He could have been far worse. The Taos rebellion was a curious, brutal (and vain) response to American racism. (The 1680 rebellion sounds especially fascinating.) 5y

emilyhaldi I loved Martinez‘s comparison of the “living” native indigenous church vs the “dead arm of the European church”. He says “our religion grew out of the soil, and has its own roots.” It reminded me of the juxtaposition of the raw southwestern landscape vs the proper Italian villa described in the prologue. (edited) 5y

Graywacke @emilyhaldi The villain-philosopher... it‘s a really good point, albeit maybe self-destructive logically. 5y

CarolynM Great quotes. I highlighted that first one too, and Jacinto's view of the Bishop "I his experience white people, when they addressed the Indians, always put on a false face...The Bishop put on none at all. He stood straight and turned to the Governor of Laguna, and his face underwent no change. Jacinto's thought this remarkable." 5y

CarolynM As always Cather's descriptions of the landscape are mesmerising. "From the flat Red Sea of sand rose great rock mesas, generally Gothic in outline, resembling vast cathedrals... this plain might once have been an enormous city, all the smaller quarters destroyed by time, only the public buildings left, - piles of architecture that were like mountains." So simple yet so powerful. 5y

CarolynM The story of Friar Balthazar at Acoma was particularly vivid in my mind. Perhaps because I've clambered over a couple of Cathar ruins the idea that the early missionaries could "believe themselves in some cloister hung on a spur of the Pyrenees" was very evocative. And like @jewright I was happy to see him go over the cliff but sad that the peach trees didn't survive. 5y

CarolynM I know that Kit Carson is a real historical figure, but none of the other names mean anything to me. Are there other real people woven into the story? What am I missing by having scant knowledge of the history of New Mexico? 5y

arubabookwoman Prior to reading this I‘ve thought of Cather as a “personal” novelist by which I mean she writes stories about personal issues. This seems to be a work of historical fiction in which she‘s looking a bigger issues. I know very little about New Mexican history, but I‘m intrigued by the interplay b/w Mexican (does that mean Hispanic?), Indian, and European, “American” and European. (As an aside I recently read a novel 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 (edited) 5y

arubabookwoman Written in the early 1950‘s set in Santa Fe where the Hispanic/Indian/American issue was also highlighted). There seems to have been a lot of historical fiction about Catholic missionaries in the North (Canada) and their interactions with native populations. I‘m not aware of any other on this topic set in the SW. I am enjoying the episodic nature of the novel, and although the Bishop is obviously “good”, I‘m finding it difficult to 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 5y

arubabookwoman get a sense of who he really is, especially given that he does not feature in many tales being told, or only peripherally. It‘s as if the “star” of the book is the history of the area, rather than the titular bishop. Cather‘s description of landscape is again magnificent. One that stood out was when she described the vista a mesas each with its own cloud formation hovering overhead. And thanks for the picture of Acoma-was wondering if it was real. 5y

batsy Great point @arubabookwoman I've also had this idea of her as a kind of "personal" writer but she's definitely experimenting with narrative & form here. I, was also thinking it seemed like a historical novel but more formally experimental than the kind of historical novels I've read. The use of the Bishop as a kind of screen through which we see the stories also reminds me a bit of the technique in My Antonia. 5y

batsy @emilyhaldi I really liked that bit, as well. Lots to mull over. 5y

batsy @Graywacke Well put! Because we've been going through her oeuvre slowly it's interesting to see the "ethics" of her work, for lack of a better word, and her careful observation and attention in this one feels deeper and richer... A form of respect for what she's writing about, in a sense. 5y

jewright @batsy Oeuvre is one of my favorite words ever! 5y

Graywacke @CarolynM thanks for highlighting more quotes. As for NM history, I‘m also a little blind. It‘s an interesting question. I sense she tried to place us within facts. Taos rebellion was real, Pecos Pueblo was abandoned (albeit in 1838). You can find them on Wikipedia. Martínez might be based on a real character, but perhaps only very loosely. (edited) 5y

Graywacke 1680 Pueblo Revolt: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueblo_Revolt (edited) 5y

Graywacke Reading the above link, it‘s Interesting to see the important role Ácoma played in the regional history. Also, Taos was a prominent center of the 1680 revolt. (edited) 5y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman the dynamics of the area - the tensions between the different cultures, and their underlying histories - this was all pretty new to me as well. It‘s such rich ground. 5y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman and i like what you say about Latour. I spent the whole book, the 1st time I read it, trying to figure him out. He is the thread that allows her to explore the area in the manner she wants, but he‘s also a subject in himself. I see a little better this time what he‘s doing, using time and adapting to the larger, vast landscape and cultures. But, also, the book is about NM is many different ways. Certainly these last 3 sections were 5y

Graywacke @batsy (pertains to @arubabookwoman , well and everyone) it‘s tricky to write another culture with respect (American Dirt !!) Cather intends that, but it‘s interesting to me how much care she put into it. I sense that like Latour she is writing with great restraint. Restrict judgment, feel the area, feel out the cultures, explore the odd aspects, have a historical perspective - keep your own opinion tightly tamped down. 👇👇 5y

Graywacke We know she sees these rocks as spiritual. She doesn‘t go all out that way. Just having a Catholic bishop, so different from her, as a guide, adds a layer of necessary restraint. No Nellie or Jim, she is not autobiographical. It means everything she writes has to be crafted through a very foreign pair of eyes. I guess what I‘m saying is there is a parallel between how she writes Latour and how he handles NM - their gentleness is one aspect of that 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke That‘s such a great observation, Cather using the same restraint in her writing that Latour used in his ministry. I think, given the time in which it was written, that is an amazing feat. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat yeah, actually it is kind of amazing, considering some of her contemporaries. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey just a gentle reminder about Books 6 & 7 Saturday. 5y

CarolynM 👍 5y

batsy @Graywacke I like how you put it and the parallels you draw between Cather and Latour... I sensed that from him, too. The restraint, the unwillingness to just barrel in there and impose. 5y

Graywacke @batsy even when it seems he should 🙂 5y

40 likes56 comments

Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#catherbuddyread
Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927)
prologue, books 1 & 2

The painting above inspired the setting for the prologue, but Book one immediately takes us far from this, also far from the early 20th-century technology and society in her earlier books. All is shed away, and our Bishop, in New Mexico in 1851, feels like he‘s in some other world altogether. Thoughts on landscapes and language? Atmosphere? Religion? Cultures? Joseph?

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi ( @JamieArc - didn‘t know if you wanted to be tagged) 5y

Graywacke The painting: The Missionary's Adventures by Jehan-Georges Vibert (French, 1840-1902). Titled The Missionary's Return by Cather. http://arcadiasystems.org/academia/vibert-missionaryadventures.jpg (edited) 5y

Tanisha_A I haven't started reading this yet. 😔 5y

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Lcsmcat There was quite a shift from Prologue to Chapter 1! Did you find one of those fascinating articles you do about this painting being her inspiration? Because it certainly sets the scene. 5y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A no worries, not an assignment. 🙂 Take care. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat the opening to book 1 is a shift from anything. It‘s subtle masterpiece. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat and - the article: http://arcadiasystems.org/academia/cathart5.html (I‘ll probably pull more pictures from this page) 5y

batsy Thank you for sharing the painting & the link to the article. Cather has that uncanny ability of making you *feel* the landscape, almost like it seeps into your consciousness while you read (though for someone like me who has not been to the US, her descriptions of nature has always felt otherworldly in the best kind of way!) I found the description of the Bishop's own sense of being out of place when he heard the Angelus ringing so beautiful. 5y

batsy @Lcsmcat I thought it was quite a shift, too! Almost disorientating, but not in a bad way, just in that sense of moving between different worlds. I might have to revisit the Prologue once I'm done. 5y

Lcsmcat @batsy @Graywacke Her sense of landscape never fails, whether it‘s France in WWI or the Southwest US. She really places you in the setting. 5y

Suet624 Still waiting for the book to download from the library. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @batsy completely agree about the landscape. What interested me was as I reread the opening of book 1, there‘s no wondrous prose, no glittering images. The language is very simple, and the scenery is very plain, almost boring. And yet we‘re (?) immediately transported. We‘ve left wherever we are or were, and hover in this underspecified space, outside the map even. We are really detached in another world, in all imagined senses. 5y

Graywacke @batsy Interesting about American landscapes. Here, in an inland desert, we are far removed from from most people, since we humans have an affection for water... 5y

Graywacke @Suet624 shall we keep telling you how good it is? 🙂 Hope your copy comes soon. 5y

arubabookwoman This is so different from what I was expecting. I thought the book would be about a bishop, like the “professor” but much older, sitting in his study looking back on his life and dying of some unnamed disease. I was surprised (and loving) the setting in the southwestern wilderness, with the Mexican and Indian characters, the adventures and varmits and bravery, and even Kit Carson! Totally unexpected and drawing me in. 5y

emilyhaldi I love books set in the southwest and the landscape seems to lend itself to simple language like Cather's. 🏜 I'm really enjoying the friendship between Latour and Vaillant too. And thanks for sharing the painting- very cool! 5y

jewright I loved the little story about Juan Diego and the virgin and how the church was built because of the roses. What does Father Joseph Vaillant have against onions? The story of Magdalena is so sad, but I loved Kit Carson! I‘m wondering how the prologue fits in. It doesn‘t really seem connected yet. 5y

Lcsmcat @jewright @emilyhaldi I like the friendship between Latour & Vaillant, and the “side stories” about Juan Diego et al too. She makes these little details, like the onions, fit in seamlessly. @Graywacke I didn‘t find the prose of Chapter 1 plain. I was struck with how much she portrayed with a few words, like “intrusive omnipresence of the triangle.” 5y

Graywacke @arubabookwoman She really embraced the NM setting. Glad you were surprised, appropriate for the opening of Book 1. 5y

Graywacke @emilyhaldi i love that emoji. ☺️ ( 🏜 ). Never noticed it before. Her language is ... I think she‘s refined it here to look simpler than it is (see @lcsmcat ‘s last post). 5y

Graywacke @jewright @emilyhaldi @Lcsmcat been thinking about Joseph and Latour‘s friendship a lot. Joseph lightens pair and seems to actually be the main doer in a lot of these stories. He‘s also a contrary fun character. Says this is as far as he goes, than there he goes to every distant corner. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat thanks. See, I just read that without it even standing out. Yet, I was moved! 5y

Graywacke Side note: Cather was well traveled and spent a lot of time in this area. We‘ve seen her go really spiritual in the desert. (Song of the Lark, The Professor‘s House). I suspect if she had to pick a favorite place, this would be near the top, maybe the top. It‘s interesting to me, knowing how spiritual she gets about these rocks, that she‘s writing about a religion based in Rome. 👇👇 5y

Graywacke There‘s a spiritual cultural clash - well, several here - but it‘s tamped down, a subtext tension. Cardinals, French priests, Mexican Catholics, native victims (?) of Xtianity, and outsized-ego white American newcomers (good and very very bad) - and a long Mexican-native and a much longer native history - and the ancient rocks. Most of this is almost buried, but present. 5y

Graywacke (Ps - of course the Taos massacre of 1847 was real: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taos_Revolt ) 5y

TEArificbooks I leave in the Southwest and I love her descriptions of the landscape. I read aloud several passages to my hubby and he understands now why Cather is my favorite. I haven‘t read all her novels but somethings I was not expecting from her were include in this one. A serial killer and Kit Carson, for example. These priests are certainly having adventures and I can‘t wait to see what happens next. 5y

TEArificbooks I live in the Southwest, autocorrect is not my friend today 5y

CarolynM I've only just started, I'll catch up for next week. I am enjoying the landscape - as always the sense of place is extraordinary. I loved the description of the horses scenting water after days in the desert. I'm keen to see where she is going with the story. The thing that struck me most in the prologue was the Cardinal talking about his knowledge of the Americas coming from Fennimore Cooper. 5y

Currey There are still people in this world whose understanding of native culture comes from Fenimore Cooper. My exchange student from Germany was very upset to find out the truth. Thank you for sharing the picture. It wonderfully gives me a glimpse into another world. I am loving the descriptions of the landscape also. 5y

Graywacke @mdm139 The serial-killer. Yeah, didn‘t see that coming and yet it feels entirely appropriate. Glad you‘re enjoying and I also love she captures the🏜 (my new-to-me icon). I think there is a lot unexpected on this book. (Sorry I didn‘t tag you.🙁 I will next week!! Promise!) 5y

Graywacke @CarolynM @Currey I haven‘t read Cooper. I‘m guessing extensive racism of a sort, with adventure. ?? 5y

Graywacke @CarolynM glad you‘ve begun and enjoyed the opening. 5y

Graywacke @Currey I didn‘t have you on the tag list either. Sorry!! 🙁 (is list absent-mindedness acceptable on an app named Litsy?) That‘s really funny about your exchange students. Cather + 🏜is a special combination. 5y

Graywacke 🧠 trouble. I did have Melanie in the tag list ( @mdm139 ) but not Gail ( @Currey ) Sorry for the confusion. Anyway, will fix for Saturday. 5y

Currey @Graywacke In Last of the Mohicans, Cooper depicts the ‘good‘ natives as noble, gifted and worthy of respect. However, the stereotypes are extensively portrayed, especially in the ‘bad‘ natives (the Iroquois who fought for the effete French). 5y

Graywacke @Currey oye - moralizing. Is he readable? 5y

Currey @Graywacke Barely.. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc @Currey Just a little reminder for Saturday- Books 3-5. I don‘t know about you all, but Ácoma ... well, just... Ácoma 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke 😢 5y

Suet624 Finally listening to the book. Listening to fiction is not my favored medium but Cather‘s writing rises above the challenge. I‘m going to want the physical copy in order to reread some of the beautiful passages. I‘m all wrapped up in the flow of the writing and enjoying it a lot. 5y

Graywacke @Suet624 happy your enjoying. You sound a little transported. 5y

51 likes41 comments

Lcsmcat

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

“closing his eyes to rest them from the intrusive omnipresence of the triangle.”
I‘m glad to be back in Cather‘s hands. #catherbuddyread @Graywacke
(Picture by Georgia O‘Keeffe.)

ravenlee This is my only Cather so far and I really liked it. Still haven‘t figured out what of hers to try next; nothing seems to grab me. 5y

Graywacke Beautiful picture and quote 5y

Graywacke @ravenlee I don‘t know your taste in books, but just as a Cather fan I might gently recommend trying O Pioneers! I do think this is a little of a one-off, although I have trouble explaining why. 5y

Lcsmcat @ravenlee Any of hers would be fine. We‘re reading them in publication order, but you can‘t go wrong with any of them. 5y

ravenlee @Graywacke @Lcsmcat I guess I‘ve been hoping to find something similar to Death Comes, and none of the synopses feel the same. I think I‘m afraid of being disappointed. O Pioneers is probably one I‘ll look for, eventually. 5y

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emilyhaldi

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Easter reading 🌷
#catherbuddyread

Lcsmcat Oooh, I like your cover! 5y

Reviewsbylola What in the hell are those flowers?! I‘ve never seen anything like it! 5y

emilyhaldi They‘re tulips! @Reviewsbylola with a fringed petal - so pretty. I signed up for Sunny Meadows weekly flower delivery and getting that package is my favorite part of the week! 5y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

#catherbuddyread

Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927)

April 18 - prologue, chapters 1 & 2
April 25 - chapters 3-5
May 2 - chapters 6-7
May 9 - chapters 8-9

This was the random book off my shelf that sparked our trail through Cather last year, and it‘s our next book. First discussion is in two weeks.

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk 5y

Graywacke @Caterina @catebutler @bromeliad @squirrelbrain @Amiable @jmofo @saresmoore @LitsyHappenings @Suet624 @rubyslippersreads @SeaBreezeReader @crazeedi (of course, let me know if you want off this list.) 5y

Graywacke @emilyhaldi 5y

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JamieArc I have fond memories of this book. For a university course on book and film adaptations, our final project was to write a film adaptation for part of this book (since it has no film adaptation). It allowed us to really think about the characters and setting deeply. Happy reading! 5y

Graywacke Also, if anyone wants to be added to the list, let me know... 5y

Graywacke @JamieArc hi. Thanks! What a terrific project! 5y

CarolynM Thanks Dan. Looking forward to it.🙂 5y

Lcsmcat Excited to get back to Cather! 5y

jewright It‘s on my shelf waiting. I may need some reminding about dates. Time is rapidly losing all meaning. 5y

batsy I'm so sad I didn't get my physical copy in time (found one in Kinokuniya, then lockdown happened and they're not doing deliveries at the moment either) but I'll get an ebook first. And treat myself to a copy when I can get to Kino again 😢 Looking forward to Cather for the solace that her writing always brings. 5y

Graywacke @CarolynM @Lcsmcat 👍 🙂 5y

Graywacke @jewright hugs. Teachers need hugs these days. (My wife teaches HS) I‘ll put out a reminder. 5y

Graywacke @batsy that is really sad. Hope this ends and Kino survives. I‘m thinking this Cather might be a really nice book for our current state. Hope so. (My Ducks, Newburyport group read really suffered. That is not a good reading fit when the world is changing in uncomfortable ways.) 5y

batsy @Graywacke I'm holding on to the hope that they'll be ok. I dread to think which one of the bookshops won't survive. I have Ducks and was saving it for when I have a chunk of time but I don't think I'll be able to manage it now, either. 5y

jewright @Graywacke Thank you. It‘s been a rough few weeks putting all my class material online and teaching my own first grade son. My heart hurts for my students too. I appreciate your kind words. 5y

Tamra Thank you for tagging me! I‘ll follow all of the discussions with envy. I‘m spending the next 8 weeks with Darwin & progenitors - I‘d rather read Cather again. 😒 5y

Louise This is such a masterpiece! Looking forward to reading it again and hearing what the group has to say in the discussions. 5y

Graywacke @batsy Ducks is really something. I encourage a group read to help you through. It‘s almost gotten me through... 5y

Graywacke @jewright yes, it‘s sad. Especially for retiring teachers and, presumably, seniors (although I don‘t imagine I personally would have minded way back when). 5y

Graywacke @Tamra Darwin - I need to read more about that curious world changer. Have several unread books on him/by him... He‘s something, but maybe not a prose artist of Cather‘s type. (Can you imagine if they had met? I suspect Darwin wouldn‘t say a word, and Cather would have another novel to write) 5y

Graywacke @Louise same here. I read it the first time hyper sensitive to some religious messaging. I‘m looking forward to reading without that worry - to just take in what she offers. 5y

Louise @Graywacke I hear you on the religious messaging! It‘s a similar thing with Shadows on the Rock. Cather manages to portray the POV of these people in that time and place without inserting her own, more skeptical viewpoint. Her ability to evoke the atmosphere of those early days is amazing. Looking forward to revisiting it! 5y

Graywacke @Louise she has an appreciation of other‘s beliefs, without appearing to feel the same...a reporter‘s view of religion. I think she was very elegant how she handled it here and in the last two books. 5y

Louise @Graywacke Yes, I agree. 5y

emilyhaldi Thank you for including me!! I'm really going to try and join in.. I've yet to read any Cather 😊 5y

Graywacke @emilyhaldi this was my first Cather too, when I read it last year. ☺️ Hope you can join. 5y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat @CarolynM @batsy @jewright @Tanisha_A @Louise @Sace @Tamra @crazeedi @Suet624 @arubabookwoman @mdm139 @cmastfalk @emilyhaldi @JamieArc Sorry, but this is my very lame reminder, because I've been too busy to give a proper one. We'll discuss chapters 1-2 Saturday. 5y

Tamra @emilyhaldi you are in for a treat! 5y

Louise @Graywacke Looking forward to it! @emilyhaldi Welcome to our Cather group! Cather‘s work is exquisite, and the group discussions are fabulous. (edited) 5y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Not l‘âme at all. And I‘m looking forward to it! 5y

Graywacke @Louise me too. @Lcsmcat thanks. My heads finally above water again. Crzy week. 5y

47 likes31 comments

Louise

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

pick

Willa Cather‘s masterpiece brings the early Southwest of what is now the United States vividly alive through the story of two French Catholic missionaries to New Mexico and the surrounding territories. The writing is simple and breathtakingly beautiful. Readers get to know a bit about the Mexican and Native Indian cultures at that time and how they interacted with European and American settlers. Highly recommended! Image: Cather in 1912.

Becker I also loved this simple but beautifully told story 💐 6y

Ruthiella I need to reread this one! I think I read it too young and would appreciate it more now!😀 6y

Louise @Ruthiella Yes, I can see how it might be too quiet a book for a younger reader. It‘s definitely worth a reread! 6y

Louise @Becker Yes, it really is so beautifully told! I have about a dozen post-it flags marking extraordinary passages. It‘s a book to be savored. 6y

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squirrelbrain

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

pick

I found this in the library when I went to pick up another book. The blurb told me it as set in #newmexico but, due to the title and the blurb itself, I was less than enthused to try it.

However, this proved to be a beautifully simple story, with some sad and some funny moments and gorgeous descriptions throughout and, surprisingly, it wasn‘t too heavy on religion.

I‘ll definitely read more Willa Cather in the future.

#readingUSA2019

Hooked_on_books, NatalieR, LapReader, Pamwurtzler, Kaye, megnews, Librarybelle, Laughterhp, Bookishgal71, Samplergal, Addison_Reads, jessinikkip, MirrorMask, tdrosebud, AnneFindsJoy, Marina_h

Tamra This is an really excellent novel! (edited) 6y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke is hosting a #catherbuddyread. We‘re reading The Song of the Lark right now, and My Antonìa is next. 6y

Kaye I‘ve not read this one. I‘m glad you were pleasantly surprised. ✨✨ 6y

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squirrelbrain Thanks @Lcsmcat - I may join in as I can order My Antonia from the library and it fits for the Nebraska prompt too. @Graywacke when are you starting that one? 6y

NatalieR 💚 you‘re cactus 🌵 candle holder! 6y

Graywacke @squirrelbrain glad you enjoyed this. I had the same kind of issues too (still have them) and still, it‘s a memorable and beautiful book. Regarding My Antonia and the #catherbuddyread, probably we will start late June. I‘ll break it into 4 parts and the first discussion might be June 23 or 30 (both Sundays). I haven‘t actually thought about dates or divisions before I read your post. ☺️ ( @Lcsmcat ) 6y

squirrelbrain Thanks @NatalieR 🌵- it took me ages to find a pink candle for it (it had to be pink for some reason!) 6y

squirrelbrain @Graywacke - I‘ve also just found My Antonia on Libby so I‘ve reserved it. It says 4 weeks, which would be perfect but, of course, it‘s more likely to turn up in 2! 😁 6y

Graywacke @squirrelbrain If you don‘t mind ebooks, there‘s Projectgutenberg or spend $1 on Amazon. 🙂 6y

squirrelbrain @Graywacke - I‘m in the UK so just assumed it would be expensive for Kindle... just checked and it‘s 49 pence so that‘s that sorted - thank you! 👍😁 6y

Graywacke Perfect! 6y

Hooked_on_books I‘ve had a copy of My Antonia for years and have been expecting to use it for my Nebraska book. I may join in on that buddy read. 6y

squirrelbrain That would be fab @Hooked_on_books ! I‘ll tag @Graywacke in so he can include you when they start the buddy read.... 6y

Graywacke @squirrelbrain thanks! @Hooked_on_books I‘ll add you for My Antonia 6y

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Becker

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

pick

A really lovely book to listen to. Sort of a quiet, gently told story. It‘s very episodic in nature and has a wonderful sense of place. It is my first Cather. Are they all like this?

Tamra 💜 Cather 6y

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Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

pick

Pictured is Ácoma, my favorite area described in the book.

My first Cather hits all sorts of uncomfortable spots - missionaries, superiority of the religious and of western European culture. But Cather won me over because she was a great writer, humbled to the historical facts and to the landscape. She captures New Mexico, centered on Santa Fe, both in its 19th-century isolation and its natural timelessness. Will read more by her.

Graywacke @catebutler @crazeedi @Lcsmcat @batsy @Tanisha_A @Liz_M - just tagging you in case you were wondering where I ended up on this one. (I still plan to write a somewhat longer review - not for Litsy though) 6y

Crazeedi This is one of my favorite places in the United states! 6y

Graywacke @Crazeedi pretty spectacular. I‘ve been places in NM, but they were not like this. 6y

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Crazeedi @Graywacke I saw from distance, my daughter and her partner got to see up close. I've been to painted desert, petrified forest, sandia mountain, jemez and other places. I long to go back 6y

Graywacke @Crazeedi hmm. Me too. I‘m on the wrong side of tx, so it‘s so close yet so far. (I-40 leaves memories of a lot of basalt covered in light snow...and petrified forest. That was a long time ago for me. And there‘s white sands, the volcanic cones...) 6y

catebutler Great review! What a stunning view, NM is such a beautiful state. So many sweeping vistas. 6y

Graywacke @catebutler so true, Cate, about NM. (And thanks!) 6y

Crazeedi @Graywacke oh yes I've been in southern nm too. The whole state is so amazing, the very large array! 6y

Lcsmcat Cather was such a talented writer! You should try

O Pioneers! and My Antonia

Graywacke @Lcsmcat we‘re actually talking about an April buddy read for O Pioneers (with @catebutler and possibly @Crazeedi). I have copies of both, so some day!! 6y

Graywacke @Crazeedi indeed 👍 6y

CarolynM Echoing @Lcsmcat Both those books are fabulous. 6y

Graywacke @CarolynM they seem to inspire a lot of literary 💜 6y

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I could do with a reread! Let me know. 6y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat I‘m going to tag you in the conversation 6y

Lcsmcat Thanks! 6y

jmofo I love Acoma, too. And I also struggled reading this book, as the accounts erased the non-white experiences and her presenting manipulation by an authority of the church as charming was gross. But she did describe NM and CO so well as well as life-long friendship. 6y

Graywacke @jmofo yes, it was the undercurrent that bothered me. I convinced myself she wasn‘t really aware of this or at least not from the perspective we have now. (she was writing in the 1920‘s) That she really meant to show everything. Anyway, I bought into her as having integrity and left it there. Of course she was human. Could be better or worse. ?? 6y

batsy I loved O Pioneers so much. Nice review; now I know how to prepare myself for this one re: some of those themes... And this photo is gorgeous. Just wow. 6y

Graywacke @batsy Thanks. Ácoma is actually more impressive in the text, as she describes it and how the people lived with it. ...... Since I basically closed my eyes and picked this off the shelf, I was not prepared. ? 6y

Tanisha_A Superb review! Thank you. I am certainly excited to read her, whenever I get to her! That picture is 😍! 6y

Tamra Cather is such an evocative writer! 6y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A Thank you! And, yeah, that place - didn‘t even know it existed. I tagged in a conversation for a what‘s becoming a group read, in case you might be interested to get Cather soon. 6y

Graywacke @Tamra yeah, she is. I enjoyed how much she loved and captured the landscape. 6y

Tamra @Graywacke I‘d love to reread any Cather as buddy read! (edited) 6y

Graywacke @Tamra cool. I‘ll tag you in the conversation. 6y

Liz_M Sigh. I spent a summer in Santa Fe and somehow missed seeing anything else of the state. 6y

Graywacke @Liz_M was it a nice summer? 6y

Liz_M @Graywacke Yes, mostly. Some good memories and I loved the beautiful, almost nightly, lightning storms. 6y

Graywacke @Liz_M Seems like a lovely place to live for a bit (and maybe I‘m a little down on Houston) (edited) 6y

63 likes30 comments

Bookwormjillk

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

pick

This was a good book. Very peaceful.

Crazeedi Beautiful photos! 6y

Bookwormjillk @Crazeedi Thanks. They‘re from a trip to Santa Fe a few years ago. 6y

Crazeedi @Bookwormjillk I love new Mexico, I knew I loved the pictures for a reason!😊 6y

39 likes3 comments

Bookwormjillk

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Not the best book for when I‘m at my daughter‘s gymnastics class and a small child is bouncing a basketball right next to my face.

Becker What a pretty edition 6y

33 likes1 comment

Graywacke

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

I‘m starting this, a second random book off the shelf, with help of critic.

Lcsmcat And a good book it is. 6y

batsy Sweet 😻 And that's a lovely edition. 6y

Graywacke @Lcsmcat 👍 I haven‘t read Cather before. So it‘s all new to me. 6y

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Graywacke @batsy cool thing about the edition (1971 Vintage), which came from my in-laws: there‘s a bookmark inside from “Plaza Paperbacks” with an address of 1903 Walnut Street, on Rittenhouse. That must be the store in Philadelphia where they got it from - presumably in 1971. Trying to treat the book well. 6y

Tanisha_A I have never read her. First I have on list is My Antonia! 6y

Tanisha_A And, that's so cool and special about the edition! 6y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A I‘ve been meaning to read her for a long time. Finally opening a copy. I‘m entertained. The pace early on is very fast, but then there are these meaningful paragraphs where I need to kind of let the image sink in a moment. Also lots of lovely landscapes. 6y

catebutler Cather is fantastic, definitely one of my favourites. I‘m so happy to hear you‘re enjoying your first reading of her. Her imagery is astounding, it definitely leaves much to ponder and reflect on. P. S. Your vintage copy is lovely! 6y

Liz_M I want your shelves -- you seem to have gotten a couple of great reads randomly from them! ☺ 6y

Graywacke @Liz_M awe, thanks. It's odd, there are lots that I really want to read on those shelves, but the brain plays tricks on me. 6y

Tanisha_A @Graywacke Isn't that great! That sounds like almost perfect writing style - good pace, inclusive of meaningful paragraphs! 6y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A I‘m halfway through now. The writing is good, the moralizing - is she moralizing... - anyway, I read with a sort of paused concern, and curiosity. She is exploring a multicultural clash on many levels. Our author plays neutral, maybe. Anyway, she has my attention in these wandering tales. 6y

Crazeedi @Graywacke @catebutler @Tanisha_A I think I've only read this one by her, years ago, it was really good

My Antonia (Green)

catebutler @Crazeedi ‘My Antonia‘ is stunning! It was my first Cather and made me want to read more. I do have a few left to read, I‘ve been holding on to them, I love her so! 6y

Crazeedi @catebutler then I must find some of her others and put in my tbr! 6y

Graywacke @Crazeedi @catebutler My Antonia - some day! I have a few others on the shelf too - O Pioneers, Shadows on the Rock. 6y

catebutler @Graywacke @Crazeedi I love seeing others reading her. If either of you are ever up for a buddy read, do let me know! 6y

Graywacke @catebutler @crazeedi In theory I‘m up for a buddy read, but, admittedly, I‘ve never figured out how to do them exactly...😕 6y

catebutler @Graywacke @Crazeedi No worries! Basically we would decide on the book, a reading schedule, and then post and discuss, you can do it by breaking down chapters or by a final discussion at the end. They can be really in-depth or a laid back read. I find them quite fun, since they motivate me to get to a book that‘s been lingering for a while. 6y

Graywacke @catebutler don‘t want to commit anyone, but I‘m open to this. (Although March is kind a loaded for me, reading-wise). Have three Cather‘s in the shelf. 6y

catebutler @Graywacke How about we plan on reading one of hers in April? I‘m fine with reading whichever one you‘d like to read. 6y

Graywacke @catebutler April works! O Pioneers is looking at me - I think it‘s volunteering itself. (This way I‘m not to blame 😉) The others I have are Shadows in the Rock and My Antonia. 6y

catebutler @Graywacke Ha! Too funny! O Pioneers it is then! I‘ll mark it down for April. It will be so fun to get back to her works again, it‘s been awhile. 6y

Crazeedi @catebutler put me down if its April, I would be interested. I would have to know which book to get, since I dont have any of hers 6y

Crazeedi @catebutler so its o pioneers? 6y

Graywacke @Crazeedi yes, we‘ll read O Pioneers in April. A good excuse to read it!! 🙂 6y

catebutler @Graywacke @Crazeedi I‘m so looking forward to reading with the both of you! 6y

Graywacke @catebutler 👍 6y

Graywacke @catebutler @Crazeedi - we might have four!! @Lcsmcat is interested. Might demand a good hashtag. #catherbuddyread ?? 6y

catebutler @Graywacke @Crazeedi @Lcsmcat Sounds great! The more the merrier. And I think the hashtag is brilliant!💡 6y

Lcsmcat Love the hashtag! 6y

Crazeedi @Graywacke @Lcsmcat @catebutler excellent hashtag! I will get the book and be ready!😊 6y

Graywacke @Tanisha_A - just checking, are you interested in joining us in April for O Pioneers? 6y

Graywacke @tamra - See comments above - err, the ones from yesterday. It‘s all kinda unplanned, but I‘ll try to “organize” it before April 1. 6y

Tamra @Graywacke 👍🏾 6y

Crazeedi @Graywacke @catebutler @Lcsmcat @Tamra did you know O Pioneers is part of a trilogy? It's first, then The Song of the Lark, then My Antonia. I was looking for O Pioneers on overdrive to borrow when we read, and the blurb said first of trilogy!! We might want to think about #catherbuddyread and continue with them?! Thoughts?? 6y

Tanisha_A @Graywacke Cool, let's do it! 😀 Thankee! 6y

Lcsmcat @Crazeedi I didn‘t realize that she considered them a trilogy, but it was pretty clear that they‘re connected. I‘m down for a reread of all three if y‘all are! 6y

Crazeedi @Lcsmcat so you've read them, I have not. If you want it'd be great! 6y

Crazeedi @Tanisha_A glad you're in too!! 6y

Graywacke @Crazeedi @Tanisha_A @Lcsmcat had no idea. I‘m interested. 6y

Lcsmcat @Crazeedi I have, but not back to back and not in a long time. It‘ll be interesting to read them with that in mind. 6y

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Bookwormjillk

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Next on the TBR.

30 likes

HardcoverHearts

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

A convergence of influences conspired to make me pick this up now. First was when Thomas from The Readers mentioned how absolutely readable Willa Cather books are, despite the lofty stamp of being classics. And then it was mention as a book that would count for the Western task in the @bookriot Read Harder challenge. It‘s so different than I expected. And this, Readers, is why I do the challenge every year.

Tamra Willa Cather is wonderful! 7y

Crinoline_Laphroaig If you get the chance, take a road trip to Willa Cather Memorial Prairie and town of Red Cloud. It will make her Pioneer Trilogy come to life. 7y

HardcoverHearts @Crinoline_Laphroaig that sounds amazing! Thanks for the tip. 7y

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SandyW Your picture reminds me of a B&B hubby and I stayed at for our anniversary a few years ago, Cowgirl Rising in New Mexico. 7y

HardcoverHearts @SandyW If that‘s it, I‘m checking in ASAP! So beautiful. 7y

Emilymdxn I adore a Willa Cather! Haven‘t read this one but my Antonia and o pioneers are two of my fave novels ever 7y

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RobinGustafson

Death Comes for the Archbishop | Willa Cather

Looking forward to reading this Cather novel. I‘ve been reading a lot of contemporary fiction lately. Time for a classic. #fridayreads #willacather #classicbooks #readingclassics

RebelReader I listened to this on audio earlier this summer and really enjoyed it. 😃 7y

RobinGustafson @RebelReader Oh good! I haven‘t read any Cather for a long time so I‘m really looking forward to reading it 📚📚📚 7y

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