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Life changing

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 20-11-24

This is a very short book but it contains in essence all you need to know about the enormous significance of the Mass. It changed my view on Mass and I already had a high view of it.

Particularly noteworthy is the books insistence that attending Mass every single day is by far the greatest thing you can do any given day. The graces afforded to someone who does this are illustrated inside this little work.

I have read this book twice and it led me to another classic about the Mass, The Incredible Catholic Mass.

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Disappointing

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Story
2 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 15-11-24

I had high hopes for this book and had I continued beyond the 4 hr mark perhaps something interesting might have actually happened. The volume of this book is low too, so be aware of that

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Wonderful

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 15-11-24

What a life Archie Moore lived. What a boxing career, and what a man. This book was hard to put down. Really well written and well read. All you'd expect. Text book biography

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Great stuff

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 07-11-24

Perfectly useful, having read a number of books on communism and socialism this year, this one was insightful and gripping. Great stuff!

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Brilliant

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-09-24

This may be a perfect novel. It's very entertaining. It's got great characters. It's fast. It's short. It's to the point. Most of all, it's got a very clear philosophical and political message, which is very well expounded throughout. The entire book, as it's well known, is an obvious exposure of the sheer evils and hypocrisy of communism. Superbly done. Tremendous parable.

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Rare, Brilliant

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 04-07-24

Ooooo that was good. That was really really good. It's not often I fly through a book over 10hrs long and finish within a couple of weeks. Could hardly stop listening. And enlightening? My o my, it's answered a lot of questions about the modern agendas. What a cracking thesis. I wish all intellectual books were as addictive and well researched as this one.

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I don't like novels, but...

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 23-06-24

What an exception of a novel this is. I'll do away with all the common 'outstanding', 'terrific work of prose/fiction' etc. The bottom line is that this book is just so gripping. What a story. The characters, the setting. The research that must have gone into 14th century Europe. I love it, and I don't usually like novels. Can't wait to listen to more.

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Could have been awesome

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 12-06-24

I loved the concept of this book since the subject holds great interest for me. The execution, however, is lacking in some significance ways. Each story is really long, about 3 to 4 hours, and goes into the smallest details about how the individual became more and more controlled by the devil. It was rather boring. I struggled to maintain focus. The first story contained some extremely graphic sexual language which took me by surprise since this book was written by a traditional Catholic priest and is seeking to uphold the faith. I get that these were the actual words spoken by the possessed person during an exorcism but do we really need to hear it all, word for word? It created an ugly, revolting image in my mind which I struggled with the following day. The second story dragged a lot, and didn't even finish with a dramatic encounter. In the end I gave up. It's not the best.

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A total classic, excellent

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 13-02-24

Though not the best book I've ever read, it is certainly gripping and thought-provoking. As usual, Tolstoy is not as deep as Dostoevsky (I'm sorry but I find it impossible not to compare and contrast the two giants of Russian and late 19th c literature). Nonetheless, Tolstoy excels in his unique way of pointing out things that we've all seen or know subconsciously, but that we haven't stopped to really ponder.

The story is good though not amazing. It's good enough for the purpose, which is to expose the evil inherent in unredeemed hierarchical systems of government, justice, monetary classes and even in the Orthodox Church.

The main character is great, a very thoughtful man, undergoing a major existential crisis. This could even be regarded as an early existential novel, though with no less inferiority to the 20th c existentialist philosophers. In fact, the philosophy put forward in this novel is just as vibrant, relevant, attractive and necessary as it was when Tolstoy wrote it.

I have two minor criticisms of this great book. The first is that it could have been shorter. There isn't quite enough interaction between the main character and Maslova, the woman he used and now seeks to give himself entirely to. I spent ages going through other side plots - most of which were interesting enough - looking forward to the next encounter between these two dynamic and beautiful characters.

The second criticism has to do with the inherent and subtle contradiction within the philosophy of life Tolstoy offers. Effectively the book promotes a form of anti-catholic and anti-orthodox Christianity. A form of Christianity which not only doesn't need the external Church hierarchy or her sacraments, but where the individual is more than capable of redeeming themselves without the Church. So long as we follow the Sermon on the mount and the principles of conscience we will be fine. This would be perfectly true except that the entire purpose for the coming of the Son of God and for him founding the Holy catholic Church is that almost no one CAN in fact obey their conscience perfectly or Christ's teachings. That's why we need the sacraments, the saints, even the Church hierarchy and most especially the Holy Sacrifice offered all over the world in the Eucharist.

Tolstoy is at his most preachy in this very late novel, not that that's at all a bad thing. In fact I found the tremendous conviction with which he wrote it highly addictive to listen to, even though I couldn't agree with all of it.

It's no where near at good as Anna Karenina, and it's not one of the best novels ever. Yet Resurrection is excellent and a solid work from a great novelist.

8/10, Four stars

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Awesome

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 31-01-24

So many accounts from the life of one of the greatest saints and supernatural humans since the apostles. So much in here to spark faith in God and the invisible realm. Padre Pio is the greatest saint of modern times and is perhaps the greatest proof against atheism and agnosticism that God gave the world in the 20th century.

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