Longing for Darkness

Book Description

With this book, China Galland brought increased attention to the spiritual traditions of the Black Madonna and other cross-cultural expressions of the feminine divine. The popularity of recent works by authors like Sue Monk Kidd and Kathleen Norris have only increased readers' fascination. Now with a new introduction by the author, Longing for Darkness explores Galland's spellbinding and deeply personal journey from New Mexico through Nepal, India, Switzerland, France, the former Yugoslavia, and Poland—places where such figures as Tara, the female Buddha of the Tibetan tradition, and the Black Madonna are venerated today.

Customer Reviews:

Journey to Sobriety: Journey to God the Mother.......2007-07-15

Journey to Sobriety: Journey to God the Mother

China Galland is a writer, a mother of three, an alcoholic and a pilgrim, and "Longing for Darkness" is an account of her pilgrimage toward wholeness and healing.

This book is firstly an account of China Galland's spiritual journey toward sobriety. Secondly it is an account of her journey to and through Buddhism, of both Tibetan and Zen flavors, to the recovery of her own Catholic spiritual heritage, abandoned in the wake of patriarchal authoritarianism and misogyny, only to discover through the former's female deity, Tara, the strong, resilient, resisting feminine spirit inspiring the Black Madonnas of her own ancestry, blending the two traditions.

China Galland found a spirituality that satisfied her longing for the female face of God. "Longing For Darkness" is an absolutely compelling work, impossible to set down once one has begun the journey with the author. Her complete honesty about her inner being, her wllingness to place herself in a position of total vulnerability, to live in the moment, makes this book unique. Wherever the author journeys - whether to the Shrines of the Black Madonna in Poland, Switzerland, and southern France or to the temples of the Green and White Taras in Himalayan fastnesses or to the Temples of Kali, the Black Mother, in Delhi, she encounters people of deep faith and learns from every tradition, discovering that all of these variant images of God the Mother are but collateral descendents of a common ancestor and synthesizing her own way, a path strewn with flowers but without a name.

Though this is by no means a scholarly work on the historical derivations of the Maternal God (nor does it wish to be), it does provide a large amount of useful and interesting data, elaborating the dynamic interchanges between East and West since ancientmost times. Could Tara, Durga, Kali and the Blessed Virgin Mary and the host of Mother Gods of pre-Christian Europe all trace their ancestry to Astar/Astarte/Ishtar of ancient Persia, and could she herself be but a later manifestation of Isis, the black Mother God of the ancient Egyptians?

It is a possible, if not probable, thesis, but that is not the point of this book. Its work is not the elaboration of her Divine ancestry, but of her availability and her universality. There is a wonderful Sanskrit hymn translated in "Longing for the Darkness," which I quote here:

"Alas I do not know either the mystical word or the mystical diagram, nor do I know the songs of praise to thee, nor how to meditate upon thee nor how to welcome thee, nor how to inform thee of my distress. But this much I know, oh Mother: that to take refuge in thee is to destory all my miseries."

I have no wish to take the author to task for leaving undone something she's not undertaken to do, but I would have loved to have read something in this work dealing with the many images of the Dark Mother existing in various Afro-American traditions, particularly the treatment of Ezili Danto (or Danto, as she is more commonly known in the Voodoo/Voudoun tradition) whose ancestry is directly traceable to the Madonna of Czestochowa; indeed, the image of Danto re-presents exactly the two scratches on the face of the Polish icon left from a vandal's sword attack in 1430 and in Haiti attributed to Ezili's battles with her rival deity, Freda.

10 plus ***.......2006-04-22

china is the way i always considered mary a friend but from way back china guided me back from way back and beyond i'am very grateful .thanks great read it was hard to put down.

Along on someone else's journey.......2005-07-04

If you are looking for scholarly answers to the possible connection between the Black Madonnas of Europe and the Tibetan Tara and Indian Kali, this book will probably frustrate you. Galland's approach is to take us along for the ride as she explores both psychologically and physically the places of the Dark Mother. Not exactly travel writing, and not exactly spiritual memoir, her book combines some of both styles. Sometimes you may wish she spent less time describing the flowers on her walks and the twists and turns of her own anxieties and questioning. But she is a more or less pleasant travel companion, so if you want to cover the same ground, this is not a bad book.

What I enjoyed most was her description of an annual pilgrimage in Poland from all parts of the country to the shrine of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. Who knew that a million people spend two weeks every year walking, praying, singing and camping as they return to the Madonna who represents their nation? Who remembered that Lech Walesa was inspired by this Madonna and that Solidarity banners were flown by these pilgrims in spite of being illegal. I was inspired to recall that a non-violent spiritual movement is what brought freedom to Poland.

I also took comfort in the fact that after abandoning her devout Catholicism and practicing first in the Zen tradition and then the Tibetan tradition, China Galland found herself also drawn to re-integrate her own spiritual heritage. Her experiences in Poland and Medjorge Yugoslavia are as important as her visits with the Dalai Lama and Tara initiations.

Though the book is a bit dated, most of the issues she raises continue to be relevant. I read this to help me understand The Secret Life of Bees better as a teacher, and it certainly does that. I wonder if Sue Monk Kidd may have read it too.

The True Hero(ine)'s Jouney Told in Her own Words.......2004-11-08

If you are aware that you are on a personal journey, then it will touch you that China Galland shared hers with us. This book allows the reader to accompany her on this journey that spans more than a decade through many continents and countries on a quest.

China Galland tells us the story of her recovery and reveals herself in a very human, intimate way.

I have never read anything like it. It inspired me as I struggle through some of the most difficult parts of my journey. Sometimes we find that things are the hardest right before we have a breakthrough, when we are on the verge of something. . . Like the expression, "it is always darkest before dawn".

Next, I will re-read Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist.

This is not for the faint-of-heart, cultureless, or close-minded.

Enjoy!!!

Mothering Understanding.......2004-01-16

Longing For Darkness is a beautiful, thoughtful pilgrimage to and communion with the dark, feminine facets of that which is divine. Within the pages of her book, China Galland bravely explores the depths of forgiveness, faith, devotion, loss, love and longing; a journey spanning the globe and the soul.

Our Lady Of Guadalupe: And The Conquest Of Darkness

Average customer rating:

The history our antiglobalization punks don't want to hear
Racist Ideologies wrapped in a PhD
Very anti-PC
The Story of the Conversion of Mexico Comes Alive!
Great!

Our Lady Of Guadalupe: And The Conquest Of Darkness
Warren H. Carroll
Manufacturer: Christendom Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0931888123

Book Description

Standard histories on the Age of Colonization tell a sad story of the ills inflicted on indigenous peoples by exploitative Western powers. This book offers a realistic corrective. The Spanish conquest of the New World is shown vividly—in its fervor and exuberance, but most importantly, with its central evangelical and civilizing impulse that transformed the Americas from savagery into a central part of Christendom.

Customer Reviews:

The history our antiglobalization punks don't want to hear.......2007-02-02

It is time that our young folk at college start getting the facts right, if not at college then thru the original sources. This book is a compedium of wisdom. It is a summary of the Conquest (physical & spiritual) of Mexico by the Christian kingdom of Spain. Whether you like it or not not is not the point... they are FACTS! History is not to be liked or disliked, it's past and there's nothing to do about it. Those who consider the Christianization of the Aztecs (along with their subjugation to a new people) wrong, they ought to tell me what they would have done if they were among the Spaniards of those times! You cannot tell because, in the first place: you don't know enough history to blame or defend anybody; and second: it's impossible to put ourselves in the position of folks 500 years ago while living in the sedative & government-subsidized world of today (unless you're a hypocrite to dare).

I am only half thry this little book, a little more than a 100 pages. How can this excellent historian condense all the adventures and facts of this history in so few pages is something that I haven't seen before. The result is that not only every page, but every line and every word is pecisely chosen and situated. I am savoring every page of it, going back and re-reading to fully grasp the implication of the scenes described.

Mr. Warren H. Carroll's catholicism doesn't diminish the accuracy or objectivity of this account; we are talking History, not politics or religion, and Mr Carroll is a historian of top-notch quality. He uses Aztec as well as Spanish sources that, either were themselves witnesses or recuperate testimonies from witnesses. Mr Carroll knows the contemporary accounts of the Conquest, and he specially uses the version by Salvador de Madariaga (if anybody knows him he can be reassured of his qualified status among historians).

Facts: In 1487 during the rulership of a Tlacaellel among the Aztecs, and when he was 89 years old, he dedicated the new pyramid-temple in the center of Tenochtitlan. He dedicated with the greatest mass sacrifice of his "reign". The sacrifice went on for 4 days and 4 nights killing 80,000 people from the hostile provinces and the swollen ranks of slavery. It took only 15 seconds to kill each victim (they were that expert).

Those liberals, pre-marxists and socialists of yester-year killed about 50,000 folk a year. Do our college professors and minority rights advocates consider this a legitimate part of their ancient culture?

There's many, many amazing and eloquent stories to be read here. But I want to finish by mentioning Mr Carroll's point about how the Conquest of Mexico (and by extension of all Hispanic America) got a bad name. I bet the hypocrite liberals of our anti-American campuses know well Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas. This monk would become such an "advocate of all the Indians that he tried to pretend that the horrors of human sacrifice in Mexico were only a tiny fraction of what they actually were ... there can never be an obligation to stand by while thousands of innocent people are being killed because of state or "religious" policy, if one has the power and the means to prevent it without causing still greater evils." Says the author of this little book, and I agree, although this is still in our day a great debate.

But I recommend this great book also because it is one of the greatest stories in human history, condensed and viewed from a very interesting point of view, specially if you believe that God knows it all and that nothing falls short of His plan. If so, one has to start accepting that Cortés had something more than talent and courage in his sack to take like he did such an immense empire. Could it be that God was with him? Well, this should'n't scandalize the liberals since they don't even believe in God, but to us Christians, it is more than a possibility. And not just because a bunch of coincidences and fortunes kept the conquistadors alive and winning against all imaginable odds... maybe God really answered their prayers: because they really and honestly (in the face of enormous dangers to their lives, one believes they prayed honestly) looked to our Lord and Savior for protection.

And every time the conquistadors arrives somewhere and established themselves, the Cross had always to be present, and the name of Christ in they lips ready to shield them from evils. This man Cortés may not have been a saint, or even a good Christian (nobody could say) but there is no doubt that he trusted the Lord for his protection, and that he procured with all his heart to abolish idols and human sacrifices straightfowardly.

If Cortés had always been a heroe to me, now I see him in a new and even greater light.

I had to add this: When Cortes was beaten out of the Aztec capital, during the Night of Sorrow, he saught refuge among the Tlaxcalans, a people who were enemies of the Aztecs. Then...

"Blind old chief Xicotencatl, and his fellow chiefs greeted Cortés with these words: Oh, Malinche, Malinche, how sorry we are about your misfortunes and that of your brothers, and the many of our own people who have been killed along with yours! ... Now it has happened and no more can be done at present but to attend you and give youfood. YOU ARE AT HOME; REST AND SOON WE WILL GO TO OUR TOWN AND PUT YOU UP. Do not think, Malinche, that it was a little thing to escape with your lives from that strong city with its bridges. I tell you that IF BEFORE WE TOOK YOU TO BE VERY BRAVE, NOW WE TAKE YOU TO BE MUCH MORE SO."

All indigenous Mexicans should read this story and think for themselves if it was worth it. Actually they have done so, for only liberals and phony intellectuals pretending to be the protectors of their rights still wish they kept their cults of death and darkness.

Racist Ideologies wrapped in a PhD.......2006-12-25

This book is horrible. It's hard to believe that anyone could in any way justify the slaughter and enslavement of millions of Native people, but this author found a way. Definitely not a text I would use in a scholarly setting, as the author supports the idea that the Natives were enslaved because they "worshipped the Devil." The author and his magical theories reflect the racist, Christian/Euro-centric ideologies so prevalent in America.

This book is offensive, but good for a laugh and reality check as to the state of racism in academia and America.

Very anti-PC.......2006-04-05

I am a practising Catholic, and Carroll's partiality suits me just fine. But even if you disagree with Carroll's viewpoint you still have to respect the information in this book.

Having said that, I have never been keen in seeing the hand of Satan on every bad thing done by humanity. But after reading this book I have made a big exception: there can be no question now that the Aztecs did indeed worship the devil, whether the PC crowd likes it or not. Never before had I read such a clear exposition of the inherently evil organization of the Aztec Empire and its' association with devil-worship. I now find truly revolting to think of having read PC apologists chastising the Spaniards for not "respecting" the Aztecs' "legitimate" religious beliefs. Indeed, it would have been unforgivable for the Spaniards, or whoever had the means, not to put an end to the savagery of the Aztecs.

One must also give weight to Carroll's apology of Cortes' and his Conquistadors. Native allies outnumbered Spaniards at least 50 to 1 when they stormed Tenochtitlan (I loved his observation that Cortes' detractors claim the Spaniards' victory would have been impossible without European-borne diseases which ravaged the Aztecs, yet somehow those diseases spared the Native allies). By simple mathematical probability, therefore, most atrocities would have been committed at the hands of the natives (who clearly were looking for payback), and Spaniards would have been too few to stop them if they had tried. The wholesale conscription of Indians to work for Spaniards occured when Cortes was away chasing Cristobal De Olid, and when Cortes returned he was stripped of his authority. The author also dispels many myths regarding the Spaniards' obsession for gold as their sole motivation for the conquest. In a typical example, mainstream history portrays Spaniards insanely weighted down by loads of gold even as they retreat from Tenochtitlan in desperation. It is therefore rather revealing when Dr Carroll quotes eyewitness Diaz Del Castillo stating that most Spaniards during the retreat carried no gold whatsoever but only the utter fear of being caught prisoner and sacrificed (I now can't wait to get my hands on Diaz Del Castillo's full account). Carroll makes also very clear that the Spaniards in Mexico did not engage in a policy of forcible conversion.

This is not a completely one-sided account, though. The author pulls no punches in condemning the subsequent mistreatment of Native Mexicans and the failure of Church officials to protect them.

The most compelling part of the book, however, was its' ironclad documentation of contemporary sources regarding the apparition of Our Lady in Guadalupe: sources which non-Catholic skeptics still deny exist.

Something which the author does not go into is the purported existence of a prior shrine to an Aztec goddess at Tepeyac, the present Guadalupe site. Detractors have alleged the apparition of Our Lady at Guadalupe was a ploy either by the Catholic Church using the goddess to win the hearts of the Aztecs, or by the Aztecs to secretly continue worshipping the goddess. If so, one of the Aztecs' major male gods impersonating an important male saint would have been a more effective strategy. As it turns out, that goddess was such a minor figure in the Aztec pantheon that it could not possibly account for the overwhelming devotion for Our Lady which developed among Native Mexicans, so probably Carroll did not feel like the subject was worth the effort.

The bottom line is we all know what happened then in Mexico defies rational explanation: Against seemingly impossible odds, an insignificant band of Spaniards brought down the most formidable military machine in America at the time, and Native Mexicans willingly and passionately embraced the Christian faith. If you are a Catholic believer you know what the explanation is.

The Story of the Conversion of Mexico Comes Alive!.......2003-07-13

War, Human Sacrafice, Courage, and A Fight Against All Odds! This books brings to life the struggle against the evil one in Aztec Mexico with the arrival of the Spanish, just after having defeated the Muslims forces in Europe, under the mission of Mary, Mother of God, to bring Christ to millions onto millions. At the same time so many rebelled against the Church of Christ's founding in Europe, so many found it as their salvation against brutal death in the name of pure evil -- the actions of the Spanish guiding the natives to Christ through Mary. And through her, Juan Diago was able to bring full sight in this amazing story and truly conquer evil in a spiritual war (following the actual war) with the victory in baptism of millions. If I could recommend any book to my friends, this would be one of the first!

Great!.......2002-03-29

I loved this book. Absolutely excellent story telling, and explains perfectly well the historical context of the Blessed Mother's famous appearance in Mexico.

Average customer rating:

disappointing
Interesting historically, long-winded mysterically...
Probably the Darkest Book So Far!
strong Sister Fidelma mystery
a fantastically suspenseful read

Our Lady of Darkness: A Celtic Mystery
Peter Tremayne
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312272952

Book Description

In mid-seventh-century Ireland, Sister Fidelma of Cashel-sister to the King of Muman, an advocate of Brehon Courts, and religieuse of the Celtic Church-returns hastily from a pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. James. The news that brings her back is that her companion and friend, the Saxon monk Brother Eadulf, is under arrest for a serious crime in the neighboring kingdom of Laigin. Riding furiously through hostile territory, she arrives only to find out she is too late. Eadulf has already been tried and found guilty of the murder of a young girl. Even worse, Laigin's king has abandoned the traditional judicial code of Ireland in favor of the ecclesiastical Penitential from Rome-and under this code he is to be executed the following morning.

Convinced that her friend is innocent, Fidelma has only twenty-four hours before his execution to come up with evidence persuasive enough to sway the king into allowing an appeal of Eadulf's conviction. Facing a king determined to make an example of Eadulf and an old adversary of her own, Fidelma soon realizes that nothing is as it was portrayed, and behind the heinous crime is an even more shocking conspiracy. Now, Fidelma must unravel her most perplexing puzzle before time runs out for her closest companion.

Customer Reviews:

disappointing.......2004-03-29

This series started out promising (if a bit wooden), but they have not gotten better. The author seems to have a set formula to make the same points about the Irish judicial system in each book (interesting, but phrased like a law school lecture). Instead of developing his characters he spends lots of time and words describing how they snub each other, jockeying for social status. The plots are less and less believable with each new book - this book's plot is as contorted as an advanced yoga position. And despite the female / feminist protagonist, the plots themselves are misogynist; of course there are and were female evildoers, but as the main villain in each book? In this one he ignores the greater social evils he's spent alot of time developing to settle in the end for a sensational baddie out of a _National Enquirer_ "news" story. ...

Interesting historically, long-winded mysterically..........2003-06-09

This was my introduction to Tremayne's books. I am going to leave the jury out until I read a couple more of them. I think maybe this was not his best book for introducing to his series, and I don't like to make judgements about series with just one book (unless it is absolutely atrocious...and I've been wrong before!).

I have to admit the history of Ireland and the legal standing of women at this time period is absolutely fascinating. I'd never read anything concerning the history of Ireland this far back (into the early period of Christianity in Ireland). They certainly seemed to treat women with more respect back then prior to the changing of the legal system to coincide with the legal system of Rome and the Catholic Church.

The story got slow in some parts. Not boring, just slow. Seemed to take a bit of time to get to the point, and many times I made the connection in the murders and the involvement of a variety of religious personages...I am not real crazy about being right concerning who did what so early in the book.

However, I will read some other books from Tremayne. I do have to say for those who like mysteries without the accompanying bad language, violence, overwhelming sexual information that comes with more modern mystery series, these books are very safe that way. The history is absolutely well researched and that I admire. Part of the reason I will continue to read some of Tremayne's books is just to get that historical information. It's fascinating.

Karen SAdler

Probably the Darkest Book So Far!.......2003-06-03

This book is probably the darkest book I've read in this series. As usual the book is well-written and engaging. Sister Fidelma is asked to cut short her pilgrimage so that she can return home to Ireland to save her friend Eadulf who has been accused of the rape and murder of a very young novitiate at the abbey in the kingdom of Laigin. Not only that but she finds out that Eadulf has received a sentence of death for his supposed involvement with this crime. It becomes a real race against time and we wait with bated breath to see whethe or not she can make it in time to save him. The question of capital punishment becomes the cornerstone of this book. The plus and minus issues on this all important topis are all issues that we still deal with today. Fidelma hurries there as fast as she can with three warriors that her brother has assigned to help keep her safe. And these warriors are indeed necessary. When Fidelma arrives she finds a sinister and dark abbey where she finds unspeakable crimes have been committed in the name of lust and of greed. The characters in this book from Laigin are wondefrully depicted. They all seem sinister and menacing. Fidelma's search for the truth becomes desperate and a race against time in a land where she can find no allies. An excellent book!

strong Sister Fidelma mystery.......2002-09-14

Ireland in the middle of the seventh century is a beacon of light in a world of darkness. Scholars from all over the world go there to study and women are considered the equals of men. Sister Fidelma of Cashel, the sister to the king of Muman, a religiouse and a dalaigh wields considerable power, which she doesn't hesitate to use when her friends are in trouble.

When she learns that her friend Brother Eadulf, is going to be hung for the rape and murder of a twelve year old girl, she cuts short her pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James in Iberia and rushes to defend him. It will be one of the most difficult jobs Fidelma has ever undertaken because there is an eyewitness account and plenty of circumstantial evidence.

The Sister Fidelma mysteries are always a treat to read and OUR LADY OF DARKNESS is no exception. Readers really empathize with the strong-willed heroine who fears for her very dear friend. The who-done it is very complex and enthralling with a cast of believable suspects that are all guilty of something. The audience will get a good feel for the culture of Ireland in the seventh century and feel as if they are in twenty-first century America.

Harriet Klausner

a fantastically suspenseful read.......2002-09-02

"Our Lady of Darkness" takes place on the heels of the previous Sister Fidelma mystery novel, "Act of Mercy." "Our Lady of Darkness" opens with Fidelma's breath-neck journey to the kingdom of Laigin, in order to meet with King Fianamail (the boorish young King of Laigin) in order to get him to allow her to investigate the charges against her good and close friend, Brother Eadulf. For those of you not yet familiar with this series, Sister Fidelma is not just any religieuse -- she also happens to be the younger sister of the King of Cashel, as well as an advocate of the courts (a dalaigh). And in spite of the somewhat hostile relationship that seems to flourish between Cashel and Laigin, Fidelma is fairly confident that she can clear up the mess Eadulf seems to have gotten himself into fairly quickly. So that she is both shocked and angry to discover that 1) Eadulf has been accused of raping and murdering a twelve year old novice from the Abbey at Fearna (the Abbey of the Blessed Maedoc); and that 2) the usual (and proper) Irish laws of investigation and passing judegement were not observed, and that Eadulf was judged according to the Roman Rule of Penitentials -- laws that are not yet accepted or observed by the Irish courts. (Not only that, but the Brehon also seems to have conducted a very shoddy investigation and to have bent many laws in order to convict Eadulf of the crime).

Using her legal expertise, Fidelma is able to persuade Fianamail to give her 24 hours to investigate things. With time decidedly against her, Fidelma makes for the Abbey; where she finds that not only does the uneasy relationship between Cashel and Laigin work against her, but also the clash between the Roman Rule of the Penitentials (which the Abbess stringently champions) and the Irish Rule of Colmcille. Add to that the fact that the Brehon of Ferna, Bishop Fossbach, happens to be an old adversary of Fidelma's, who would dearly love to see her fall from grace, and who seems to be completely in the thrall of the Abbess. But Fidelma is nothing if not determined. And in spite of the fact that there happens to be a witness to Eadulf's guilt, Fidelma is determined to get to the bottom of everything, and to clear Eadulf of all charges. Obviously, Eadulf was set up. But by whom, and why? As her investigation progresses, Fidelma comes across a great deal of evidence to support her suspicion that the case against Eadulf was very meticulously arranged, and that there is something truly evil and unwholesome at work at the Abbey. As the hours pass, so too does Fidelma's determination grow to both vindicate Eadulf and to root out the evil at the Abbey.

This is one of Peter Tremayne's more suspenseful efforts. The entire novel unfolded at a swift and brisk pace, though I will admit that things did bog down a little somewhere in the middle of the book. Other than that, I can safely report that this is a rather clever and intriguing plot, complete with a good number of red herring suspects and unexpected plot twists. And the final scene, where Fidelma, like Christie's Hercule Poirot, gathers all the suspects and untangles the mystery for all to see, was a real gem. "Our Lady of Darkness" turned out to be a truly fantastic read.

Average customer rating:
Our Lady Of Darkness
Peter Tremayne
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Smoke in the Wind (Sister Fidelma Mysteries)

Act of Mercy (Sister Fidelma Mysteries)

The Spider's Web

The Haunted Abbot: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland (Sister Fidelma Mysteries)

The Monk Who Vanished

ASIN: 0451212215
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Book Description

Sister Fidelma's beloved friend, Brother Eadulf, is charged with the murder of a young girl. By the time Sister Fidelma arrives at his side, Eadulf has been found guilty-and faces execution in twenty-four hours. Now Fidelma must gather evidence worthy of an appeal. And behind the heinous crime is a shocking conspiracy that only she can stop...

Average customer rating:

Barely Entertaining
Lovecraft's Horror updated to the Mid-Twentieth Century

Our Lady of Darkness
Fritz Leiber
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0441644171

Customer Reviews:

Barely Entertaining.......2003-09-03

I can't understand how this book won the World Fantasy Award. Touted as "horror", it was barely scary. Lieber filled his book with a string of impossible coincidences, then pulled a rabbit out of his hat at the end. Avoid.

Lovecraft's Horror updated to the Mid-Twentieth Century.......2001-06-30

Leiber takes a stab at modernizing the H.P.Lovecraft school of horror in this peculiar novel of mid-twentieth century San Francisco. The story revolves around one Franz Westen, recovering alcoholic and horror writer, whose fascination with the steep, solitary hill called Corona Heights leads him into the creepy world of Thibault de Castries, an eccentric mystic. Anarchist, founder of a secret order, and theorizer of the dreaded paramental entities, de Castries' power has touched the lives of many of San Francisco's most illustrious citizens. Can Franz somehow keep from being drawn into its tantalizing maw?

Leiber does an excellent job of migrating Lovecraft's growing disquiet to mid-twentieth century urban angst, theorizing the existence of dark forces that draw their power from the mass aggregations of metal, electricity and lost humanity that compose our great cities. Still, it's difficult to keep an air of suspense for any great length of time, and much of this book is just a slow buildup without very much tension. Leiber has too much good material here for a short story, but as it stands, the novel could have been cut by 50 pages or more without much loss. For example, the protagonist's friends Gunnar and Saul, who appear in so many scenes, don't do anything and really have no function, while the romantic interest, the intellectual Calpurnia, is usually absent despite the critical role she plays.

Amazon.com

Fritz Leiber (1910-1992) is best known as the creator of the popular heroic-fantasy duo, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, but his accomplishments, far more diverse than this suggests, have been strongly influenced not only by fantasy but also by science fiction and horror. His fiction has won the Hugo, Nebula, Derleth, Gandalf, Lovecraft, and World Fantasy Awards, and he has been honored with the Life Achievement Lovecraft Award and the Grand Master Nebula Award. Two of his best novels are the classic dark fantasies Conjure Wife (in 1943 filmed as Weird Woman and Burn Witch Burn) and Our Lady of Darkness (1978 winner of the World Fantasy Award), available in a single volume as Dark Ladies.

In Conjure Wife, Professor Norman Saylor, ethnologist and rationalist, is enjoying rapid career advancement and a happy marriage until the day he discovers that his wife, Tansy, is a witch. When Norm reminds her that magic is baseless superstition, she destroys her charms and protections--and Norm finds his career disintegrating and himself and his wife in dangers he'd once thought impossible.

Our Lady of Darkness introduces San Francisco horror writer Franz Westen. While studying his beloved city by binoculars from his apartment window, he is astonished to see a mysterious figure waving at him from a hilltop two miles away. He walks to Corona Heights and looks back at his building, to discover the figure waving at him from his apartment window--and to find himself caught in a century-spanning curse that may have destroyed Clark Ashton Smith and Jack London. --Cynthia Ward

Book Description

Filmed twice, as Weird Woman (1944) and Burn Witch Burn (1961), this tale of secret witchcraft on a modern college campus has endured. Our Lady of Darkness, Fritz Leibers dark love song to San Francisco, is one of the greatest works of modern urban fantasy.

Customer Reviews:

CONJURE WIFE REVIEW ONLY.......2007-06-16

I finally got around to reading this horror classic. Conjure Wife is a very literate horror story. It is not needlessly lurid - there is no gore or sex. Like all great horror, most of the nasty things are implied rather than directly described. The premise is that witchcraft is all around us. Over the eons, men - repressed louts that we are - have completely lost touch with magic, leaving it the exclusive domain of women... all women. Professor Saylor is especially slow to believe, considering that he's a sociologist who has written extensively on the "truth" behind myths and superstitions. When he finds conjuring materials among his wife's possessions, it is the cause of a heavy family discussion.

This is a book that has endured over the years and deserves its place in the horror pantheon. Lieber was clearly a gifted writer who could make the outlandish seem believable. If I had a bone to pick, it would be that the action stops occasionally for some kind of explanation of the abnormal goings-on. That, however, is a flaw common to most horror literature (even the movie Psycho did it!). Conjure Wife still holds up and is a good read for any aspiring horror-writer to show how the job should be done.

Two seminal horror classics for the price of one.......2007-03-30

Fritz Leiber's Dark Ladies collects his two best novels: Conjure Wife (1943) and Our Lady of Darkness (1978).

In Conjure wife, Professor Norman Saylor's career is going well and things just seem to be getting better. When he discovers that his wife, Tansy, is in fact a witch (not a mean one, but a witch nonetheless), his career and life will plummet in a downward spiral. Upon confronting her with the situation, she tells him that she was doing it for him, to protect him from the other professors' wives that also happened to be conjurors. After destroying all the charms she had to protect him, Norman soon wishes he'd listened to his wife.

Conjure Wife is a great tale of witchcraft with very interesting and weird characters. Leiber's writing here isn't dated a bit (keep in mind that this novel was written over 60 years ago!). Norman's wife, Tansy, is a good witch and as the story progresses, it becomes obvious that she only did what she did with the best intentions. Everybody's a suspect in this one; and when the bewildering climax comes, you'll be left in awe at Leiber's skills for pulling a one-two punch at you.

Our Lady of Darkness has a very eerie premise: A horror writer, Franz Westen, happens to peer outside his apartment window with his binoculars and sees a lanky figure dancing atop a hill, waving at him a few miles from where he lives. Curious, Franz decides to walk over to the hill and find out more about this strange character. Once there, by looking through his binoculars in the distance, he sees the same figure--this time waving at him from his apartment window! Franz will embark on a search for answers to find out who--or what--this bizarre figure is.

What a uniquely creepy idea; I was hooked with the four-line synopsis alone! Leiber's writing has matured considerably since Conjure Wife, 35 years earlier, and it shows. His skill at reeling you in and leaving you hanging on his every word is astonishing. At first, you're wondering why he's going off in the direction he chose to go, thinking he's losing his momentum, but as the story unfolds, you'll see that he's planned every detail with the meticulousness of a master storyteller. With references to Aleister Crowley and a multitude of mentions of the great H.P. Lovecraft, this tale of Dark Fantasy is a true classic.

Overall, you can't miss with this book. These two short novels are a fast and suspenseful read. The book is worth its price for Our Lady of Darkness alone. If you like enthralling stories, tales of witchcraft or clever Dark Fantasy; then you've come to the right place.

Two Horror Classics.......2006-09-01

Both of these novels are horror classics by the great Fritz Leiber.

In fact, OUR LADY OF DARKNESS is my favorite horror novel of all time (and I've been studying the genre for over 30 years). This work represents the supreme distillation of ideas that Leiber had been exploring for decades. The author's genius lies in portraying San Francisco as a living, breathing entity, haunted by "paramental" beings and distorted by "megapolisomancy". Both of these ideas seem much more plausible - and modern - than do more traditional, supernatural bogeys.

Besides a great cast of characters, there are some finely tuned creep-out moments, such as when the dancing thing on Corona Heights realizes it's being observed. Or when the "scholar's mistress" becomes much, much more than it seems.

This is one of the few horror novels that I relish re-reading over and over.

Both stories lost me in the latter parts.......2005-05-25

I don't know, I was really excited to read both Conjure Wife and Our Lady of Darkness, but after finishing both stories I felt that there was something missing from them. Mr. Leiber definitely knows how to create scenes of "atmosphere" and "dread." And I really enjoyed his descriptions of witchcraft and the paramentals. Maybe it was the slighly abrupt endings, the quick way of wrapping things up that put me off...All I can say is that i've read scarier books.

Eerie and unsettling---"Conjure Wife" is a horror gem........2003-06-25

Let's cut to the chase: if you like tautly paced little terror tales loaded with atmosphere, then you should buy "Dark Ladies."

Fritz Leiber was a Grand Master of Fantasy and Terror fiction, and I pretty much grew up on the sly and cynical exploits of his Sword & Sworcery adventurers Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser. Leiber's stories seemed to my adolescent mind to be more worldly, more sophisticated, than the Conan or Tarl Cabot sagas I devoured when I was 12; Fafhrd and the Mouser were themselves street-smart and cunning, dispatching mortal and demonic foes with a style and alacrity usually lacking in other Sword & Sorcery epics.

Leiber brought that same sense of style and airiness of prose to his terror tales as well, and "Dark Ladies" is a fine example of his literary wizardry over the span of three decades: the book contains two superlative tales of sorcery and the malevolently supernatural intruding into modern life, "Conjure Wife" (written in 1943) and "Our Lady of Darkness" (1978). Both tales are linked by the thread of sorcery, to be sure, but are also reflective of Leiber's tremendous debt to both H.P. Lovecraft and M.R. James: they are heavily atmospheric, pulse with ghostly malevolence, and have at their center unassuming, mild-mannered scholarly protagonists who are unwittingly and reluctantly drawn into dark adventures.

I must confess that I read "Conjure Wife" last, anticipating that it wouldn't be very interesting. It deals with Norman Saylor, a senior professor of Sociology at a small university in rural New Jersey who discovers his wife is a witch. As a rational thinker, Saylor is appalled, and orders his wife to give up her sorcery immediately; she does so, and the fun begins. From the premise, I wasn't very excited; the story seemed a little too "Bewitched" to be scary.

I'm happy to report that I was wrong, and "Conjure Wife" is one of the nastiest, most riveting, and frightening little gems of pure horror ever written. The kind of tale that has you glancing nervously at dark corners, "Conjure Wife" was a pleasure to read, though the ending came far too quickly and left me wanting more.

"Our Lady of Darkness", surprisingly, is the weaker tale of the two, though it was equally atmospheric. San Francisco horror writer Franz Westen, looking at the ragged hilltop of Corona Heights through binoculars, spies a pale, lean, brownish figure cavorting on the hill, which appears to wave at him. The next day he hikes up to the hill; finding no one there, he turns the binoculars on his apartment, two miles away; to his horror the figure appears in his own window, waving back at him!

This tale is erudite and exciting, and plunges Westen into the occult theories of Thibaut de Castries, who lived in San Francisco at the turn of the century and was at the center of a secret society of famous writers, including Jack London and Clark Ashton Smith. More interesting, the story delves into de Castries' notions of megapolisomancy, the theory that cities conjure up unhealthy and malignant energies of their own. Poor Westen has drawn the attention of such a creature, and the tale becomes a kind of scholarly cat and mouse.

Like "Conjure Wife", "Our Lady of Darkness" ends far too swiftly, and leaves the reader wanting more. I would imagine that's a fairly insignificant criticism, and it's certainly better to leave a reader wanting more than the reverse. "Our Lady of Darkness" is also a studied homage to the works of both M.R. James and H.P. Lovecraft, though his tale fails to achieve the soul-curdling terror of either of those masters.

That said, if you're looking for the perfect spooky book to curl up with beside a roaring fire (preferably with a sleeping cat on the other sofa, and lightning flashing outside), then "Dark Ladies" is for you.

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Eppur si muove "nevertheless, it moves"

Hmmm, started out great but couldn't hold me

It's All In Your Mind. Or is it?

Holy Spirits!

An overview of Conjure Wife / Our Lady of Darkness

Conjure Wife/Our Lady of Darkness (Tor Doubles)
Fritz Leiber
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Leiber, Fritz | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0812512960

Book Description

Norman Saylor considered witchcraft nothing but quaint superstition - until he learned his own wife was a practicing sorceress. Even then, he still refused to accept the truth - one that every woman knows but no man dares to believe - that in the secret occult warfare that governs our everyday lives, witchcraft is a matter of life and death. Fritz Leiber's novels are especially well-suited to audio, with rich characterizations and a tone reminiscent of the best noir films of the 1940s and 1950s. Conjure Wife is a masterpiece of witchcraft and dark fantasy and the source of the classic horror film Burn Witch Burn!

Customer Reviews:

Eppur si muove "nevertheless, it moves".......2005-01-03

Professor Saylor and his wife Tansy are newcomers to the university. Even thought they are not of the same conservative material as the others they seem to be doing quite well. Professor Norman Saylor of the sociology department is the author of "Parallelism in Superstition and Neurosis." He gets this irresistible urge to snoop around in Tansy's personals and is surprised to find that she is a practitioner of the craft. He is not really upset, and only wants to help her to free her self by burning all the paraphernalia (except her diary).

It is not hard to guess what happens next. Yep his life falls apart and he is destined to be run over by a truck if other evil things do not get to him first. He finds that there are more evil forces at work (all female of course) each with her own agenda.

The real question is does Norman ever get sucked up in the system or is he still convinced that it is just coincidence?

As with most movies that are an abbreviation of the book the one made for his story has the same feel "Night of The Eagle, aka Burn Witch Burn" (1962) with Peter Wyngarde as Norman, and Janet Bliar as Tansy.

Hmmm, started out great but couldn't hold me.......2004-06-15

When Norman Saylor discovers that his wife Tansy has been dabbling in witchcraft he demands that she cease all witchy activity and then demands that she remove all of her protective spells placed upon their home.

This is a mistake Norman will soon live to regret as his comfortable life begins to unravel. See, it seems that Tansy wasn't the only one practicing witchcraft and the grasping wives of Norman's colleagues at the college have been practicing as well. Now, what with the protections ceasing to exist, the Saylor's are wide open to dangerous forces that do not wish them well!

Initially I found this book very interesting and it pleasantly reminded me of those old black and white creepy movies I used to watch during my childhood. Sadly, as I continued to read I somehow lost my way and found it difficult to maintain my enthusiasm to turn the pages. The story mainly consists of Norman's internal monologue and his attempt to find a solution to the heart-rending predicament in which he finds himself. Maybe it was my mood, maybe it was the dated feel of the story or maybe it was the format but I found the book a tad too slow moving and too easy to put down. Though it was exceptionally creepy at times it just didn't click with me.

It's All In Your Mind. Or is it?.......2004-02-09

What if half the world's population practiced witchcraft? Specifically, what if =women= practiced witchcraft and kept it a secret from men? (At this point, the men in the audience are smiling crookedly and the women are nodding knowingly.)

And what if a husband found his wife's charms, spells and totems and made her destroy them all, considering them dangerous neurotic superstitiousness? And, what if, perhaps somewhat naturally, through suggestion and his own neuroses, things started to go wrong for this selfsame husband?

I think you get the idea behind "Conjure Wife", a typically well-written work from one of the great speculative fiction writers of the 20th century. In typical style, much of the book's "action" is internal. The main character is left to speculate on what he experiences and to question his own sense of reality. I suspect one reason Leiber's works are not routinely made into movies (and when they are made, as in the case of this book, they're not representative at all of Leiber's spirit) is because so much of what they relate is internal.

This book is a bit dated, being essentially WWII-based, but that adds considerably to its charm for me. Very trendy (for the time) talk of neuroses and psychoanalysis. And one of the big issues is restraining co-ed licentiousness on the campus of the small, eastern private college in which the story takes place through chaperoning and dress codes. These conspire to give the novel a sort of quaint feel.

But I suppose the college politics which form the basis of the plot probably haven't changed much.

It's a good, quick read with a fun premise and which resonates greatly on serious themes: How women protect and aid their men behind the scenes, often with their men unaware or even patronizing, for example. Or, one of my favorite themes, what we consider to be real and how strongly we'll cling to those considerations, even if the face of crushing evidence to the contrary.

Although out of print, you can find this novel in the "Dark Ladies" collection, here at Amazon.com.

Holy Spirits!.......2000-10-02

Another one of Leiber's early novles that explores the relationship between science and the supernatural. The story, though simple in its plot, is deep in character and the concept of good vs. evil witchcraft. While not as intrigate as his other stories (ie: Gather, Darkness) it is still an enlightening read, one published ahead of its time. The Gregg Press edition only adds to the understanding by including a forward by Charles L. Grant and Foster Hirsch, and pictures from couple of the movies based on te story.

An overview of Conjure Wife / Our Lady of Darkness.......1997-04-06

Where to start?
Both Conjure Wife and Our Lady of Darkness are masterpeices of supernatural fiction. Conjure Wife, written by Fritz Leiber in the 1940's, is both frightening and thought-provoking, it is also suprisingly up to date. The proposition that all women are witches and utterly control their husbands lives is followed through in a very personal narrative. Don't be put off by the film versions (particularly Night of The Eage, aka Burn Witch Burn), this is a complex story which has an eerie power akin to his famous story 'Smoke Ghost'.
Our Lady of Darkness, was written by Fritz Leiber in the late seventies and is one of his finest novels. Autobiographical (the location, the alcoholism and the loss of his wife are all based on fact) and thus very upsetting in parts. It weaves a magical vision of modern urban horror, a theme that he used throughout his career. At the centre of the book lies horror fiction itself in the form of Lovecraft and particularly Clark Ashton Smith (both of whom Fritz corresponded with). A lot of the book is a voyage of discovery, the central character is recovering from an alcaholic wake and is slowly waking up into reality again.
This volume brings together Fritz Leibers finest supernatural novels, something not to be missed

3 Celtic Mystery Titles By Treymayne - Act of Mercy - Our Lady of Darkness - The Monk Who Vanished

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3 Celtic Mystery Titles By Treymayne - Act of Mercy - Our Lady of Darkness - The Monk Who Vanished
Peter Tremayne
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000T9QVKA

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Our Ladies of Darkness: Feminine Daemonology in Male Gothic Fiction

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Our Ladies of Darkness: Feminine Daemonology in Male Gothic Fiction
Joseph Andriano
Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0271008709

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Our Lady of Darkness
Sinthyia Darkness
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

I am Sinthyia Darkness and I bid you welcome to my first book, titled Our Lady of Darkness. So glad you could join us. Please come in; the night air is chill. I pray the graveyard has not caused you alarm. We Transylvanian nobles have always prided ourselves in tradition and dare not to think our bones may someday lie amongst the common dead. Please stay awhile and enjoy my collection of poetry and short stories, which will take us to real haunted houses and cemeteries around the world . I am certain there is much here that will interest you. A dreadful storm is approaching. I'm afraid there will be no leaving tonight! Forgive me, but it is very late and my servants are unavailable, so I must see to your comfort myself. Be warned! Should sleep overcome you, haste from the library to your own chamber. Your rest shall then be safe. You must understand that this castle is full of memories. Nightmares come to those who wander this castle unwisely. Come, join us for a journey into the darkness...

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