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Original Essays | May 3, 2013

Emily St. John Mandel: IMG The Festivals

2 comments By Emily St. John Mandel

When it happens, it feels like winning the lottery. An email arrives out of the blue, from one of my publishers or a festival director or a member... Continue »
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    The Lola Quartet

    Emily St. John Mandel 9781609530990
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The Sparrow

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ISBN13: 9781423356295
ISBN10: 1423356292
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Synopses & Reviews

Synopsis:

Emilio Sandoz is a remarkable man, a living saint and Jesuit priest who undergoes an experience so harrowing and profound that it makes him question the existence of God. This experience - the first contact between human beings and intelligent extraterrestrial life - begins with a small mistake and ends in a horrible catastrophe.Sandoz is a part of the crew sent to explore a new planet. What they find is a civilization so alien and incomprehensible that they feel compelled to wonder what it means to be human.The priest is the only surviving member of the crew and upon his return he is confronted by public inquisition and accusations of the most heinous crimes imaginable. His faith utterly destroyed, crippled and defenseless, his only hope is to tell his tale. Father John Candotti has been charged with discovering the truth, but the truth may be more than Earth is willing to accept.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Susan Lock, January 1, 2009 (view all comments by Susan Lock)
As with all great science fiction, this is more than a story. It is a study in personal spiritual fragility but, more importantly, a study in first contact between cultures.

Setting the tale off-world allows the author to explore this issue while keeping the reader no wiser than the explorers as to the facts at hand.

With the best of intentions (something previous earthly explorers may or may not have possessed) a group of carefully chosen & seemingly well-prepared inquirers sets off with great anticipation of meeting the first intelligent off-world culture ever located.

To my chagrin, I found myself making many of the same assumptions as the protagonists & came to appreciate the many difficulties inherent in encountering a new culture for the first time. To her great credit, the author keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat through every twist & turn of the plot, revealing one surprise after another.

I found the writing rich & deep & the characters well-developed. The wild plot ride was often breathtaking & the source for much soul-searching, both personally & culturally. Easy to point fingers of blame in historical hindsight, but what if we were having first-contact now, with all our supposed sophistication & awareness?

Beyond that, what does this suggest about our ability to truly understand another seemingly familiar earth-based culture outside of our own?

A great good read & my hat is off to Ms Russell!
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781423356295
Author:
Russell, Mary Doria
Publisher:
Brilliance Audio
Read by:
Colacci, David
Read:
Colacci, David
Subject:
Christian Science -- Fiction.
Subject:
Science Fiction - Adventure
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-Adventure
Copyright:
2008
Publication Date:
20080431
Binding:
MP3 CD
Language:
English
Dimensions:
7.51x5.43x.53 in. .20 lbs.
Media Run Time:
900
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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » Adventure

The Sparrow New Compact Disc
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Product details pages Brilliance Corporation - English 9781423356295 Reviews:
"Synopsis" by , Emilio Sandoz is a remarkable man, a living saint and Jesuit priest who undergoes an experience so harrowing and profound that it makes him question the existence of God. This experience - the first contact between human beings and intelligent extraterrestrial life - begins with a small mistake and ends in a horrible catastrophe.Sandoz is a part of the crew sent to explore a new planet. What they find is a civilization so alien and incomprehensible that they feel compelled to wonder what it means to be human.The priest is the only surviving member of the crew and upon his return he is confronted by public inquisition and accusations of the most heinous crimes imaginable. His faith utterly destroyed, crippled and defenseless, his only hope is to tell his tale. Father John Candotti has been charged with discovering the truth, but the truth may be more than Earth is willing to accept.
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