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Linda Shelnutt
, September 02, 2008
(view all comments by Linda Shelnutt)
Kindling From Monkish Ecstasy. Seeds of a Saga. Future Classics in Literature.
>> I'd already begun the battle to secure a berth for myself in a seminary at Berkeley, having submitted the necessary applications and labored over the essay which was supposed to explain in detail why I wanted to become an Anglican priest. All my friends and family had their own ideas on the subject, ranging from the worst reasons to the best. Mine, I am afraid, would have probably surprised them all and could never have been included in the essay. In truth, I was looking for a dream world to inhabit, a small country parish in the west of England where I could write scholarly theological works, drink scotch, and go prematurely senile minding a turnip garden. < for="" me,="" there's="" no="" substitute="" for="" reading="" a="" passage="" of="" the="" author's="" own="" words,="" to="" get="" a="" sense="" of="" whether="" you'd="" want="" to="" read="" a="" book.="" when="" i="" read="" that="" passage,="" i="" was="" already="" pulling="" for="" this="" warm,="" intelligent,="" spirited="" young="" man="" to="" succeed="" in="" living="" in="" that="" dream="" world,="" even="" though="" i="" feared="" that="" reality="" of="" pure="" scholarly="" theology="" might="" not="" even="" exist="" within="" some="" of="" the="" darkened="" political="" arenas="" of="" religious="" sanctuaries.="" i="" wanted="" that="" world="" to="" exist,="" if="" only="" for="" john="" cassell="" to="" be="" able="" to="" cloister="" himself="" into="" that="" dreamed="" type="" of="" sacred="" luxury="" of="" religious="" ecstasy="" and="" intrigue.="" as="" the="" novel's="" plot="" developed,="" and="" i="" saw="" how="" john="" was="" blocked="" from="" entry="" into="" that="" dream="" world,="" it="" was="" too="" clear="" that="" another="" world="" and="" path="" awaited="" this="" young="" man's="" footprints.="" it="" didn't="" take="" long="" before="" the="" author="" cassell's="" words="" immersed="" the="" reader="" into="" subcultures="" of="" different="" paths="" and="" possibilities,="" each="" disallowed="" or="" road-forked-way="" for="" various="" reasons.="" each="" time="" i="" fully="" shared="" john's="" disappointments,="" as="" i="" admired="" his="" ways="" of="" moving="" ever="" onward="" into="" whatever="" experiences="" he="" lived,="" through="" nightmares="" and="" joys,="" catastrophes="" and="" raptures,="" empty="" spaces="" and="" intrigues.="" one="" thing="" john's="" life="" and="" his="" books="" do="" not="" provide="" is="" any="" whiff="" or="" hint="" of="" boredom.="" enthrallment="" is="" in="" there!="" in="" this="" case,="" the="" enthrallment="" was="" not="" only="" through="" a="" philosophical="" journey="" with="" fascinating="" directional="" changes;="" it's="" one="" of="" the="" most="" unusual,="" intimate="" travelogues="" you'll="" ever="" read="" about="" a="" usa="" citizen="" touring="" europe="" and="" north="" africa.="" there="" are="" a="" few="" logical="" ways="" to="" approach="" a="" first="" step="" into="" reading="" the="" sequential="" counterculture="" novels="" of="" john="" w.="" cassell:="" --="" one="" is="" to="" begin="" with="" crossroads:="" 1969="" (published="" 2005)="" and="" follow="" that="" with="" an="" aquarian="" tragedy:="" 1970="" (published="" 2006="" under="" pseudonym="" james="" mundell).="" [[asin:1592991920="" an="" aquarian="" tragedy]]="" --="" another="" is="" to="" begin="" with="" soldier="" of="" aquarius="" (published="" november,="" 2007)="" [[asin:1592993206="" soldier="" of="" aquarius:="" 1969-1970]]="" soa="" is="" a="" compilation="" of="" the="" two="" above="" novels;="" the="" two="" component="" novels="" were="" formatted="" for="" each="" other="" in="" their="" original="" united="" state.="" after="" reading="" the="" pair="" of="" books="" (cr="" &="" aat)="" or="" the="" original="" manuscript="" which="" had="" both="" of="" those="" novels="" in="" one="" (soa),="" the="" road="" fork="" would="" offer:="" --="" odyssey:="" 1970="" [[asin:1592991629="" odyssey:="" 1970]]="" that="" novel="" gives="" a="" brief="" summary="" of="" cr,="" then="" covers="" the="" plot="" of="" aat="" with="" a="" few="" chapters="" added="" to="" extend="" the="" protagonist's="" experiences="" through="" the="" whole="" year="" of="" '70,="" the="" effect="" of="" which="" broadens="" the="" view="" (through="" the="" expanded="" time="" structure="" and="" interjected="" research="" of="" major,="" news-breaking="" events)="" of="" what="" cassell="" calls="" the="" counterculture="" movement,="" with="" its="" multi-angle-motivations="" (realistically="" exposing="" dark="" and="" bright).="" whereas="" cr="" &="" aat="" focus="" on="" an="" individual's="" personal="" perspective="" of="" how="" he="" reacted="" to="" and="" worked="" within="" and="" through="" those="" timeframes;="" odyssey="" presents="" a="" broader="" cultural="" perspective,="" looking="" outward="" into="" the="" world="" as="" well="" as="" inward="" into="" the="" psychological,="" sociological="" impositions="" and="" enhancements="" of="" the="" same="" individual.="" john="" cassel's="" suggestion="" is="" to="" read="" cr:69="" +="" odyssey:1970...="" or="" s="" of="" a.="" then,="" the="" sequence="" would="" be="" as="" follows:="" --="" hell's="" quest:="" 1971="" [[asin:1592991971="" hell's="" quest:="" 1971]]="" this="" novel="" continues="" from="" the="" base="" of="" either="" of="" the="" above="" alternatives,="" through="" the="" same="" protagonist,="" based="" on="" the="" author="" himself.="" in="" hq,="" however,="" the="" author="" adds="" extensive="" (and="" fascinating)="" fictionalized="" elements="" to="" some="" of="" his="" biographical="" base,="" whereas="" the="" other="" novels="" listed="" above="" are="" based="" strongly="" on="" autobiographical="" realities.="" --="" devillier's="" country="" blues:="" 1972="" [[asin:1592992765="" devilliers="" county="" blues:="" 1972]]="" this="" novel="" continues="" where="" hq="" leaves="" off,="" including="" the="" addition="" of="" fictionalized="" elements="" into="" a="" biographical="" basis,="" with="" the="" balance="" of="" fiction="" continuing="" to="" increase.="" --="" uncertain="" paradise:="" 1973:="" part="" 1="" (release="" scheduled="" for="" late="" december,="" 2007)="" this="" novel="" continues="" where="" dcb="" leaves="" off,="" with="" the="" balance="" of="" fiction="" again="" increasing.="" this="" novel="" is="" a="" satisfying="" read="" in="" itself,="" even="" if="" part="" 2="" does="" not="" materialize.="" you="" will="" want="" more="" of="" jwc's="" novels,="" no="" matter="" what="" books="" you="" read="" first.="" get="" in="" at="" the="" beginning="" of="" classic="" literature="" in="" the="" making,="" linda="" g.="" shelnutt="" shelnutt="" is="" the="" author="" of="" several="" amazon="" kindle="" books="" and="" amazon="" shorts,="" including="" the="" rose="" and="" the="" pyramid="" (also="" a="" collector's="" item="" in="" trade="" paperback),="" myrtle's="" ultimate="" mystery,="" and="" morning="" comes:="" the="" pre="" dawn="" blues="">
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