Book Review: The Confession of Brother Haluin (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #15) by Ellis Peters.
(Three Stars)
“There are some born to do penance by nature. Maybe they lift the load for some of us who take it quite comfortably that we’re mankind, and not angels.”
Another yawner, though it has a pleasing denouement. For a change there’s no love-at-first-seeing young lovers. Love and marriage and power were handled differently then.
“It was too late to exact penance from a dying man, and deathbed comfort cannot be priced, only given freely.”
Pargeter explores the nature of repentance and penance. We moderns are quick to apologize because we don’t mean it; we’re sorry we got caught or were inconvenienced. Medieval society had a different attitude toward sin and repentance. Very different.
“No doubt but that pride is a sin, and unbecoming a Benedictine brother, but not so easily shed with the spurs and titles of nobility.”
Cadfael has the most amazing ability to be at just the right place at just the right time. The way he stumbles over bodies, sometimes literally, he should have been afraid to walk in the dark.
“Truth can be costly, but in the end it never falls short of value for the price paid.”
As a Matter of Fancy 