A Saint, More or Less

I have to admit that I did not read this book of my own free will. It was the European History summer assignment, and therefore it was forced upon me. I can't say I regret that though. The storyline is very engaging. It captures your interest near the beginning and holds it well throughout the entirity of the book. As the synopsis and other reviews state, it follows the lives of Barbe Acarie and Nicole Tavernier. The book captivatingly recounts their struggles with religion, politics, themselves and ultimately a combination of the three. The chapters alternate between points of view- sometimes Barbe, sometimes Nicole, frequently a family friend, and occasionally even a king. This allows the reader to learn things about characters from a third person point of view while also being given a glimpse into their thoughts and secrets. It makes for a more enticing novel. The writing however usually leaves something to be desired. My biggest problem with it is this: There are times when it seems forced and artificial, as though the words came out as an expository piece rather than creative writing and were tediously rearranged in a rather vain attempt to cover up the conflict of style. Other parts, like the exorcism, are wonderfully described. Grunwald uses the raw emotion of the scene and what could be considered a minimalist technique that lets mental images create what words cannot. Unfortunately, the former happens far more often than the latter. The inclusion of a section of author's notes separating fact from fiction was exactly what I needed at the end of the book. I literally finshed the last page and wondered "How much of it is really true?" and when I turned the page, there was my answer. It offers a more solid conclusion than the ending of the plot and it doesn't leave you hanging like I thought it would. If you are interested at all in this book, I would advise you to read it. The multiple points of view and the time span of the book offer insights into period French culture that you can't get from a history book or a first-person novel. As you get further into the plot, you notice the writing flaws (my main annoyance with this book) less and less. Give this book a solid try.

About two women who struggle to find their own religious identities and ideals (and clash in the course), this book opens up all kinds of questions about religion, faith and piety. It's an interesting documentary on the religious conflicts of the times and people's needs to find someone or something to believe in. Being about actual people made it all the more interesting, but I can't say that I believe either of these two women did anything to deserve the title of Saint. Reads alittle like nonfiction at times, but is still an easy, quick and enjoyable book.

Although the events in Henry Grunwald's novel, "A Saint, More Or Less," take place four centuries in the past, the story has a very contemporary feel. In this fact-based novel, he raises intriguing questions about the motivations behind religious wars and the intersection of religious faith and secular power.Most of the principals of the story are drawn from real life. Barbe Acarie was a Parisian woman of great influence and faith. Nicole Tavernier was a mysterious young woman who arrived in the French capital one day, attracting great attention from both religious leaders and the public at large with her powerful preaching and apparent miracles. The lives of the two women become forever intertwined when Nicole is taken into the Acarie household. The two women begin as friends but rivalry and mistrust quickly take hold, and their battle for spiritual primacy is played out against the continuing struggle between the Catholic and Protestant faiths. The reader is swept along by the flow of events until both women meet their unltimate destinies.The story is largely seen through the eyes of Dr. Rene Monnet, family physician to the Acaries. Dr. Monnet is strictly a product of the author's imagination, and in many ways is his stand-in in the story, raising the troubling questions posed by the dramatic events of the narrative. This is an elegantly-written, entertaining, and highly thought-provoking book.--William C. Hall