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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%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (95 reviews)
Sales Rank: 28691
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:
 Brilliant and defies categorization! March 9, 2006
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
Willa Cather, one of the best American novelists ever, turned her sights on the southwest frontier in 'Death Comes for the Archbishop'. It has been described as a quiet, gentle novel and a story of faith. It is that, but so much more.
First, this small book defies categorization. Is it a generic novel that just happens to be set in New mexico, or is it historical fiction, ala Michener? Perhaps it is the barely novelized biography of the real first Archbishop of Santa Fe, Jean Baptiste Lamy (Bishop LaTour in the novel).
Whatever the category, this well-written book uses simple, evocative prose to bring the main characters to life. You will feel youy really know Bishop Latour, his assistant Father Valliant, his native guide Jacinto, Kit Carson, and so many more.
Cather's sense of time and place is perfect! I live right where this book is set and let me say that she has every detail down pat: the names of the old Spanish families, the quirks of the locals, the nature of Catholicism in New Mexico, the food, the topography, etc. are all just right. Most of all, Cather has, in prose, somehow captured the lighting and color which have made New Mexico "the land of enchantment."
This tale of a devout French priest sent to bring a neglected land back into the fold, could not be more authentic. A testament to a good man's life and a great writer's pen
Lyrical song of the southwest February 17, 2006
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
"Death Comes to the Archbishop" is one of the most moving books I have ever experienced.
In many ways the American Southwest has never been protrayed better than in this Willa Cather. Quiet as the desert itself, this story evokes the all that is best about the people and the places of that area.
Magical is the best word I can use for this book. Magical in its evoking of the American Frontier. Magical in its representation of a humble servant of God. Magical in Cather's language and images. Magical in its use of language.
One of my favorite novels. My introduction to Cather and her unique style. Whatever happened to writers like this?
Any Cather book is also a treat in audio forms. The beauty of the language is even more apparent when you can hear the words and the images.
Magic.
Faith on the Frontier October 24, 2005
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is essentially a series of short stories dealing with the missionary efforts of French priests in the New Mexico territory in the mid to late 19th century. Willa Cather has pieced together a word portrait of life on the rugged frontier. It is a mature piece of literature intended for a mature and reflective audience.
A Book for Everybody who loves Adventure and Love August 22, 2005
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Well,what a gem this Book proved to be.It should be read by eveybody who loves life and the happiness of others.I rate it 100 Stars so do read it to get on the path to life's happiness.
Faith on the Frontier June 14, 2005
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I've never really read anything like Death Comes for the Archbishop before. The stories of Sara Orne Jewett and other novels by Cather are the only things I know of that are similar, but Death Comes for the Archbishop has something different. There is just something truly sublime in these simple tales collected here.
The novel is basically about these two priests trying to live out their faith in an alien land. It's truly a frontier novel, as so many sorts of frontiers are crossed in the novel. The priests cross the expanse between their own culture and those of their flock. The priests connect with Native Americans, Mexicans, and Americans, and they work toward achieving unity for all these peoples. Ultimately, the priests' goal is to guide these people (and themselves) toward unity with God. That's probably the real beauty of the novel. Each episode of the novel is simply told; these are simple stories of simple people trying to live in a harsh land. However simple and grounded these stories seem to be, though, a closer look reveals them to always be imbued with spiritual portent. Cather writes lovingly of these people and this land, and she finds the holiness located in life on this frontier.
Overall, Death Comes for the Archbishop is such a lovely little novel. There's an extraordinary beauty and wisdom in every image and every word. It's a novel well worth reading and one that I will read several times more.
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