Runner

Runner by Robert Newton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

High note is probably a reflection of my disappontment with my this year's reading.
Runner is a very down to earth relation of life in poor suburbs of Melbourne just after the I WW.
Charlie, a boy, whose family is fighting for survival after his father's death got a chance to improve their financial condition.
The chance is linked with strange connections and high risk.
Charlie takes all, but at each stage is nurtured by love to his family and loyalty to friends.

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Death comes for the Archbishop

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I found this book very strange.
Basically there is no plot, no story.
There are many facts, but they do not constitute any defined whole.
I felt as travelling in unending Mexican desert without any aim and few times considered quit.
What was OK, then?
Few insights into nature of Mexican catholic church - it's integration with traditional ceremonies and beliefs.
Few local priests not agreeing with discipline and correctness brought from Europe.
In this landscape, 2 French priests looked to me odd and artificial. 

Additional element was their good natured greed, to get money for development of churches.

Somehow al this matched all shortcomings and failures of Catholic Church in today's Europe.


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