Patrick

Rating:
Summary: A good book...
Review: Patrick is a fine book by Lawhead. It is not his best: I believe that to be Byzantium. Further, as with many of his works, it takes a while to build into the story. Specifically, the second quarter of the book is somewhat laborious.

Nonetheless, the onset-- set in Britain, for pre-enslaved Succat-- and the closing (scenes again set in Britain and in Rome) are very strong.

Obviously, the work is set as historical fiction. Moreover, doing so with the patron saint of Ireland is risky business. However, the portrayed humanization of St. Patrick is pulled off, with one exception, in excellent form. His sojourn from rakehell to 'hero' to broken man is a chronicle worth reading. With that said, the final contrivance that leads Patrick to return Ireland borders (but does not quite crest) on being 'over the top'.

Given the quality of the rest of the book, that's a shame.

Bottom line: BUY THE BOOK. READ THE BOOK. ENJOY THE STORY.

Rating:
Summary: So many people miss the point
Review: This book was one of the best Stephen Lawhead books I had read, and I have read everything he's ever written. I have read the opinions posted here too, and I have to say I am disappointed in the comments.

There is nothing wrong with the story save that it won't loose its grasp upon the reader until he has read each and every line.

And I don't see a love for paganism in Lawhead at all, only a love for the truth. The Druids of old had some (what people might say was) power...and some were good, some were bad. And some of them in searching for the truth found it.

But none of the issues pierces the true point of his stories...Lawhead is not trying to create new doctrines, or a new way that we should follow. He is just telling an amazing story, and instead of getting wrapped up in all the details of this and that, let the story take its toll on you. Like the stories druids told of valour and honour, friendship and loss, great victories and great pain: they are there to inspire the reader and to help them remember what's important, to taste of something higher than themselves. Not to analyze but to remind us to live. And of what is worth living for.

Rating:
Summary: So many people miss the point
Review: This book was one of the best Stephen Lawhead books I had read, and I have read everything he's ever written. I have read the opinions posted here too, and I have to say I am disappointed in the comments.

There is nothing wrong with the story save that it won't loose its grasp upon the reader until he has read each and every line.

And I don't see a love for paganism in Lawhead at all, only a love for the truth. The Druids of old had some (what people might say was) power...and some were good, some were bad. And some of them in searching for the truth found it.

But none of the issues pierces the true point of his stories...Lawhead is not trying to create new doctrines, or a new way that we should follow. He is just telling an amazing story, and instead of getting wrapped up in all the details of this and that, let the story take its toll on you. Like the stories druids told of valour and honour, friendship and loss, great victories and great pain: they are there to inspire the reader and to help them remember what's important, to taste of something higher than themselves. Not to analyze but to remind us to live. And of what is worth living for.

Rating:
Summary: Good read but historical accuracy?
Review: This story about the early years of St. Patrick's life is reminiscent of Lawhead's Byzantium. The writing is fairly crisp and the story moves along well. It is easy to picture yourself in 4th-5th century Europe.

However, the greatest fault of the book is the awkward attempt to continue to reform Pelagius. I first noted some inkling of this in Byzantium and it become a fairly key element of the Celtic Crusades trilogy. History has held Patrick to be an anti-Pelagian, rejecting the heresey that one can convert him(her)self, a philosophy that has reared its head in American Evangelicalism (where it appears Lawhead has deep roots). In fact, history holds that Patrick's religious instruction occurs off the British Isles to shield him from the Pelagian heresey.

However, Lawhead creates a pre-Patrick Christian movement in Ireland led through the druid community by the Cele De (or Ceile De) spoken about prominently in the Celtic Crusade trilogy. The Cele De are seen through sympathetic eyes in the first half of the book as followers of Pelagius and the opponents of Pelagius are seen as narrow minded and power hungry. Later, Lawhead creates a fictional meeting between Patrick and Pelagius where Pelagius is seen as an instrument for Patrick's conversion (or re-conversion) and Patrick is just about seen as blessing Pelagius as orthodox in his teachings. This latest attempt at propping up Pelagius to support a current day belief is a lamentable portion of the book.