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| Death Comes for the Archbishop (Vintage Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Willa Cather
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $11.95
Buy New: $1.93
You Save: $10.02 (84%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $1.93
Avg. Customer Rating:  (95 reviews)
Sales Rank: 26484
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0679728899
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.52
EAN: 9780679728894
ASIN: 0679728899
Publication Date: June 16, 1990
Release Date: June 16, 1990
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 91-95 of 95 | | « PREV 1 ... | | |
Easy going bedtime story April 27, 1998
This is a short novel that reads effortlessly. The story was interesting, not very busy- yet it held a certain pace. While reading it I often thought this book was intended for children, it is simple yet effective, bordering on lore. It is a tale, the type of book that captures you, takes you to a strange and distant land for light adventure and brings you back in one piece. This book might appeal to a wide age group, I think a sixth- grade reader could enjoy it. Cather creates a beautiful atmosphere with her words, and the story seems to take place on it's own.
Strange... very, very, very strange March 30, 1998
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I picked up this book in the library purely because of the title. There are certain book titles which, upon seeing, compel me to pick up the book and read it, no matter the content, and "Death Comes for the Archbishop" was one of them. I was expecting to read a dark, gothic novel with deep, philosophical discussions about the nature of good and evil, perhaps with Death and the Archbishop sitting down to a game of chess or something. Instead what do I get? Some thinly veiled Christian dogma set in an "Oh, California" textbook.
But here's the strange part... I actually LIKED this book. For no tangible reason, I couldn't put it down. Now, to reiterate, this was what I would have considered, by any normal standards, to be an extremely stupid, boring book. There is no plot, to speak of. There are pages and pages, entire chapters almost, devoted solely to describing how peaceful and beautiful the arid New Mexican landscape is. And although it spans almost fifty years, it moves at the pace of a lone French missionary jorneying through the desert. But despite all this, I found myself liking it more intensely than almost any other book I've ever read. I found myself caught up in its slow, quiet, undulating rhythm. In fact, towards the end, I practically had tears in my eyes from the beauty of it all.
I would have given it a ten, if I didn't find this whole thing so damn unsettling.
A moving description of the travels of a missionary bishop. March 17, 1998
Even though Willa Cather was not a Catholic, she has created a moving description of the dedication of a missionary bishop in New Mexico, and the difficulties he encountered in his work. Carefully crafted writing and the integration of the historical facts make this a must-read.
 One of my top 5 picks (from almost 5 decades of reading) December 9, 1997
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
A very simple review . . . If I am blessed with the knowledge that my life will end within a predictable time frame, I will ask close friends to sit at my bedside and read to me aloud this story / this allegory / this magnificent, peaceful, evocative prose . . .
A great story of harsh life in the wild west. September 27, 1997
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I picked up this book during the summer of 1997 in Bandelier National Monument, near Santa Fe, NM. A park guide recommended it & said that Ms. Cather visited the park in the 1920's, when there were no roads to the park. This book will be a treat to anyone who has travelled to or has lived in Enchanting NM. The places that she describes (Pecos, Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque) are all very familiar places today. I could not put it down on my 4 hour flight back home from NM. Ms. Cather leads you on the Archbishop's adventures through the wild areas of NM. You will eat in the indian villages, the indian guides will lead you through a snow storm on horseback, you will sleep in a sacred cave and will have to swear to the indians that you will not reveal the secret, you will have a run in with an arrogant, corrupt missionary, you will happen upon a murderous loner in the desert and help his beaten wife escape the tyrant, you will even stay with Kit Carson for a grand dinner party!
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