I wasn't really expecting to like this, it being about the Catholic Church and all, but I did. The author does a good job of describing his character's feelings, and I actually related to father Kennedy (I know that's weird). It was something about being Irish-American and relating to the neuroses of an Irish family. ( )

I enjoyed this telling of the trials and tribulations catholic priests endure while serving the community. The protagonist is Father Hugh Kennedy, a priest for the slightly rundown, ethnically diverse parish of St. Paul's and a recovering alcoholic. Still, the story revolves around a strange and annoying man named Charlie Carmody and his family. Some narratives are long-winded, but the author's witty and heartfelt characters make this a charming and worthwhile read. ( )

A soft and slow-to-unfold story. A gentle, drowsy novel with great character description, comprised primarily of well-written dialogue that made characters vivid. I'm not sure I like this book, but I'm glad to have read it. ( )

Pulitzer Prize Winner 1962. You know how I always rant about the non-literary quality of christian fiction? Well.... Rant over. I found the novel I've always been wanting to read.

The book tells the story of a fallen Catholic Priest, fallen into alcoholism after his father died. This is his story of recovery and ministry, an exploration of how he fell into sin, and a journey of how he came back. It is also the story of his childhood family friends, the Carmodys. The Carmodys are a sprawling, Irish-Catholic family living in Boston with quirky temperaments and sometimes strange behaviors.

The novel has a true literary nature, with philosophical moments, beautiful descriptions, and lengthy sentences. It's beautiful.

Several people have asked me if the book is sad. Not really. The first 500 pages are not really sad-- thought-provoking, but not really sad. The ending of the book is sad and hopeful at the same time.

The themes explore the dangers of isolation, of being busy for the sake of busyness, of hating your fellow man. Sometimes, what's right for us is not what we want. When you are talking about Christian ministry this takes on another dimension all on its own. ( )

Starting off, I was totally into the book about a priest, Hugh Kennedy, who has been moved to a run-down and dying parish after a period of rehabilitation from alcoholism. Fr. Kennedy soon get a call from an old family friend and ... ( )