Holy Cards

Rating:
Summary: Great Art and a Wonderful Cast of Characters
Review: I am not a religious person, but when I saw the book Holy Cards on display at a local book store, I was drawn to it by its beautiful artwork, its colors, and the expressions on the faces of these saints. This is a fascinating depiction of human possibilites, with a wonderful cast of characters.

The book is divided into sections with heading such as martyrs, Hermits, Prophets and Angels, and Visionaries and Mystics. Each saint's story is told, triumphs and frailties and all, making them seem very real even to a nonbeliever. Saint Sebastian and many of the more well-known saints are here, but you'll also learn about Saint Emyidius, patron of earthquakes, Saint Paul the Hermit, patron of clothing industry workers, and Saint Rita of Cascia, saint of impossible causes.

I found this book fascinating and would recommend it to anyone, religious or not, who loves good art and wants to delve into the world of the human spirit.

Rating:
Summary: Simply Beautiful
Review: I happened to glance down at a display table in my local bookstore and saw this book. I fell in love immediately with the beautiful pictures. That is no surprise since I own their first book "Novena". Wonderful explanations of the imagry on holy cards. Both books are "must have's" for anyone who love the saints and prayer.

Rating:
Summary: Stunningly Beautiful and Chock Full of Information
Review: In my personal library, I have many volumes dedicated to the lives of the Saints. Now that I have acquired Holy Cards, it holds a special place in my library, but can be found more frequently displayed in my living room. The book is a beautiful collection of 110 cards from the exquisite collection of Father Eugene Carrella, one of the foremost collectors of this art form.

The book is divided thematically into groupings of cards, each of which contain a brief biography of the saint pictured. One might be tempted to purchase this book for the joy of looking at the artwork, but the insights presented on the lives of these holy men and women are not to be overlooked.

I highly recommend this book either as a gift or as a treasured addition to your own library.


Rating:
Summary: Great Art and a Wonderful Cast of Characters
Review: The book "Holy Cards" is truly a labor of love. It showcases a good number of beautiful holy cards that are no longer printed. It explains the significance of symbols and colors used to portray each saint. It is a wonderful book for anyone curious about the lives of the saints, as well as those who have a fondness for antique Catholic religious articles. This book would also appeal to the art lover. I am proud to have some of the images from my private collection of holy cards displayed in this wonderful book!

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: This book is a compendium of wonderful images of Our Lord, the Virgin Mary, saints, and angels, which will assuredly tug at the hearstrings (and memories!) of many a former Catholic schoolchild. I've collected holy cards most of my life and was thrilled to see such "rarities" as St. Liberata, St. Elias the Prophet, St. Walburga, and St. Aemydius. I did have to wonder about some of the content...why the explanation of a book held by some of the saints was said to have represeneted "mysterious knowledge" or "secret wisdom" seemed a tad too New Age-y to me. St. Anne is shown holding the SCRIPTURES in depictions of herself with her daughter, the Virgin Mary, ideally pointing to the quote "...and a blossom shall spring from the root of Jesse",
from the prophet Isaiah, indicating the origin of Christ from Mary's (and St. Anne's) human lineage. I was also surprised to see the holy card which the authors claim shows St. James the Greater. It's actually St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia defeating the Turks, not the apostle of Jesus.

What few flaws I found do nothing to deter from the overall beauty of the book...holy cards from Germany, France, Italy, and other countries depict martyrs, apostles, religious, missionaries, and mystics. I was secretly pleased whenever I saw the copy of a holy card I actually have in my possession! While some non-Catholics may find the book of interest, I would heartily recommend anyone who can recall Sister solemnly bestowing a St. Joseph on the winner of the class spelling bee or Father visiting at the holidays and distributing Nativities to pick up this volume and stroll down parochial memory lane.

Rating:
Summary: WHO WERE THE SAINTS AND HOW ARE THEY DEPICTED IN ART
Review: This is a must-have book for any person who has ever had a holy card or who has ever wondered why saints are depicted in certain circumstances. One doesn't have to read pages and pages about one saint......this book has a short, concise explanation of the saint. The unusualness involves the beautiful color pictures and the explanation of the symbols shown on the card. Every page has a picture that takes up 3/4's of the page. This book would be a wonderful addition to your library, as a gift for any young person; it could be a source of inspiration, knowledge and joy for men, women and children. I highly recommend you buy a copy. Also, it has the most beautiful cover jacket I have ever seen....by itself it could be framed and enjoyed. The gold flashed border around the saints pictured on the cover is a hint of the beauty within.