A must have for any Lord of the Rings fan. Sure to be a family keepsake, handed down from parents to children, this three-volume hardcover boxed set edition is lavishly illustrated in full color by Alan Lee. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind themIn ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth still it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo disappeared bequeathing to his young cousin, Frodo, the Ruling Ring, and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard, the hobbits Merry, Pippin and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

The Lord of the Rings

This beautiful four-volume, deluxe pocket boxed set contains J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterworks The Hobbit and the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King). Each book features a leatherette cover with stamped title and all four books are held in a leatherette bound box with gold foil stamping. In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in Hobbiton by the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves. He finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the dwarf; Legolas the elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. J.R.R. Tolkien's three volume masterpiece is at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale--a story of high and heroic adventure set in the unforgettable landscape of Middle-earth.

This beautiful four-volume, deluxe pocket boxed set contains J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterworks The Hobbit and the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King). 
Each book features a leatherette cover with stamped title and all four books are held in a leatherette bound box with gold foil stamping.
In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in Hobbiton by the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves. He finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.
The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the dwarf; Legolas the elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.
J.R.R. Tolkien's three volume masterpiece is at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale--a story of high and heroic adventure set in the unforgettable landscape of Middle-earth.

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Boxed Set - Compact Leatherette

Experience all of The Chronicles of Narnia in full color in this seven-book paperback box set. Readers of all ages--whether they are experiencing Narnia for the first time or returning once again to the magical world--will love seeing the creatures and landscapes of C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series in gorgeous color. The Chronicles of Narnia have enchanted millions of readers for over sixty years, for here is a world where a witch decrees eternal winter; where there are more talking animals than people; and where battles are fought by Centaurs, Giants, and Fauns. This box set includes all seven titles in The Chronicles of Narnia--The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle--with full-color illustrations by Pauline Baynes, the original artist.

Experience all of The Chronicles of Narnia in full color in this seven-book paperback box set. Readers of all ages--whether they are experiencing Narnia for the first time or returning once again to the magical world--will love seeing the creatures and landscapes of C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series in gorgeous color. The Chronicles of Narnia have enchanted millions of readers for over sixty years, for here is a world where a witch decrees eternal winter; where there are more talking animals than people; and where battles are fought by Centaurs, Giants, and Fauns. This box set includes all seven titles in The Chronicles of Narnia--The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle--with full-color illustrations by Pauline Baynes, the original artist.

The Chronicles of Narnia Full-Color Box Set (Collectors Edition - Paperback)

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation--and triumph over it--ever written.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation--and triumph over it--ever written.

The Screwtape Letters

C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce is a classic Christian allegorical tale about a bus ride from hell to heaven. An extraordinary meditation upon good and evil, grace and judgment, Lewis's revolutionary idea in the The Great Divorce is that the gates of Hell are locked from the inside. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis' The Great Divorce will change the way we think about good and evil.

C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce is a classic Christian allegorical tale about a bus ride from hell to heaven. An extraordinary meditation upon good and evil, grace and judgment, Lewis's revolutionary idea in the The Great Divorce is that the gates of Hell are locked from the inside. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis' The Great Divorce will change the way we think about good and evil.

The Great Divorce

All the Father Brown stories from five classic volumes--in one definitive edition.With his cherubic face and unworldly simplicity, his glasses and huge umbrella, Father Brown is one of the most unforgettable characters in literature.The Complete Father Brown Stories brings together all the stories featuring G. K. Chesterton's amateur sleuth--plus two additional cases, The Donnington Affair and The Mask of Midas, that were discovered in Chesterton's papers after his death. An introduction by Chesterton scholar Michael D. Hurley sheds new light on the beloved detective series. For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

All the Father Brown stories from five classic volumes--in one definitive edition. With his cherubic face and unworldly simplicity, his glasses and huge umbrella, Father Brown is one of the most unforgettable characters in literature.The Complete Father Brown Stories brings together all the stories featuring G. K. Chesterton's amateur sleuth--plus two additional cases, The Donnington Affair and The Mask of Midas, that were discovered in Chesterton's papers after his death. An introduction by Chesterton scholar Michael D. Hurley sheds new light on the beloved detective series.
 For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Complete Father Brown Stories

This unique collection of Father Brown mysteries links tales by G.K. Chesterton with the Ten Commandments. The connection is often surprising, however, for the criminal is not necessarily the worst sinner in the story, nor is his crime necessarily the worst offense. When Chesterton created the character of Father Brown, he brought a new dimension to mystery stories--the distinction between crime and sin. As the priest-detective applies his powers of observation to solve a case, he picks up clues about other offenses, such as those against the Sabbath or one's parents. Father Brown's main concern is not the laws of the State but the Commandments of God. As Dorothy Sayers once wrote, G.K. Chesterton was the first man of our time to introduce the great name of God into a detective story . . . to enlarge the boundaries of the detective story by making it deal with death and real wickedness and real, that is to say, divine judgment. This edition includes footnotes not available in other versions, which help to clarify the literary and historical allusions made by Father Brown. It is based on the texts of Chesterton's original editions, for assurance of authenticity, and is set in easily readable type.

This unique collection of Father Brown mysteries links tales by G.K. Chesterton with the Ten Commandments. The connection is often surprising, however, for the criminal is not necessarily the worst sinner in the story, nor is his crime necessarily the worst offense.
 When Chesterton created the character of Father Brown, he brought a new dimension to mystery stories--the distinction between crime and sin. As the priest-detective applies his powers of observation to solve a case, he picks up clues about other offenses, such as those against the Sabbath or one's parents. Father Brown's main concern is not the laws of the State but the Commandments of God.
 As Dorothy Sayers once wrote, G.K. Chesterton was the first man of our time to introduce the great name of God into a detective story . . . to enlarge the boundaries of the detective story by making it deal with death and real wickedness and real, that is to say, divine judgment.
 This edition includes footnotes not available in other versions, which help to clarify the literary and historical allusions made by Father Brown. It is based on the texts of Chesterton's original editions, for assurance of authenticity, and is set in easily readable type.

Father Brown and the Ten Commandments: Selected Mystery Stories

The beloved G.K. Chesterton presents a well-crafted and joyous work of political fantasy about a small group of rebels who rail against the government's attempt to impose prohibition in England. Humphrey Pump, a pub owner, accompanied by Captain Patrick Dalroy, a flamboyant giant with a tendency to burst into song, take to the road in a donkey cart with a cask of good rum, a large block of cheese, and the signpost from his pub, The Flying Inn. The two men bring good cheer to an increasingly restless populace as they attempt to evade the law. In a journey that becomes a rollicking madcap adventure, the two travel round England, encountering revolution, romance, and a cast of memorable characters.

The beloved G.K. Chesterton presents a well-crafted and joyous work of political fantasy about a small group of rebels who rail against the government's attempt to impose prohibition in England. 
Humphrey Pump, a pub owner, accompanied by Captain Patrick Dalroy, a flamboyant giant with a tendency to burst into song, take to the road in a donkey cart with a cask of good rum, a large block of cheese, and the signpost from his pub, The Flying Inn. The two men bring good cheer to an increasingly restless populace as they attempt to evade the law. In a journey that becomes a rollicking madcap adventure, the two travel round England, encountering revolution, romance, and a cast of memorable characters.

The Flying Inn

G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday is a thrilling novel of deception, subterfuge, double-crossing and secret identities, and this Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Matthew Beaumont. The Central Anarchist Council is a secret society sworn to destroy the world. The council is governed by seven men, who hide their identities behind the names of the days of the week. Yet one of their number - Thursday - is not the revolutionary he claims to be, but a Scotland Yard detective named Gabriel Syme, sworn to infiltrate the organisation and bring the architects of chaos to justice. But when he discovers another undercover policeman on the Council, Syme begins to question his role in their operations. And as a desperate chase across Europe begins, his confusion grows, as well as his confidence in his ability to outwit his enemies, unravelling the mysteries of human behaviour and belief in a thrilling contest of wits. But he has still to face the greatest terror that the Council has: a man named Sunday, whose true nature is worse than Syme could ever have imagined ... In his introduction, Matthew Beaumont examines the book's themes of identity and confrontation, and explores its intriguing title. This edition also contains a chronology, notes and suggested further reading. G.K. Chesterton (1874-1938) attended the Slade School of Art, where he appears to have suffered a nervous breakdown, before turning his hand to journalism. A prolific writer throughout his life, his best-known books include The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1922) and the Father Brown stories. Chesterton converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922 and died in 1938. If you enjoyed The Man Who Was Thursday, you might enjoy Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent, also available in Penguin Classics. 'The most thrilling book I have ever read' Kingsley Amis, author of Lucky Jim

G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday is a thrilling novel of deception, subterfuge, double-crossing and secret identities, and this Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction by Matthew Beaumont. The Central Anarchist Council is a secret society sworn to destroy the world. The council is governed by seven men, who hide their identities behind the names of the days of the week. Yet one of their number - Thursday - is not the revolutionary he claims to be, but a Scotland Yard detective named Gabriel Syme, sworn to infiltrate the organisation and bring the architects of chaos to justice. But when he discovers another undercover policeman on the Council, Syme begins to question his role in their operations. And as a desperate chase across Europe begins, his confusion grows, as well as his confidence in his ability to outwit his enemies, unravelling the mysteries of human behaviour and belief in a thrilling contest of wits. But he has still to face the greatest terror that the Council has: a man named Sunday, whose true nature is worse than Syme could ever have imagined ...
In his introduction, Matthew Beaumont examines the book's themes of identity and confrontation, and explores its intriguing title. This edition also contains a chronology, notes and suggested further reading. G.K. Chesterton (1874-1938) attended the Slade School of Art, where he appears to have suffered a nervous breakdown, before turning his hand to journalism. A prolific writer throughout his life, his best-known books include The Napoleon of Notting Hill (1904), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1922) and the Father Brown stories. Chesterton converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922 and died in 1938. If you enjoyed The Man Who Was Thursday, you might enjoy Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent, also available in Penguin Classics. 'The most thrilling book I have ever read' Kingsley Amis, author of Lucky Jim

The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare

Dr. Tom More has created a stethoscope of the human spirit. With it, he embarks on an unforgettable odyssey to cure mankind's spiritual flu. This novel confronts both the value of life and its susceptibility to chance and ruin

Dr. Tom More has created a stethoscope of the human spirit. With it, he embarks on an unforgettable odyssey to cure mankind's spiritual flu. This novel confronts both the value of life and its susceptibility to chance and ruin

Love in the Ruins

Returning home to the small Louisiana parish where he had praticed psychiatry, Dr. Tom More quickly notices something strange occuring with the townfolk, a loss of inhibitions. Behind this mystery is a dangerous plot drug the local water supply, and a discovery that takes More into the underside of the American search for happiness.

Returning home to the small Louisiana parish where he had praticed psychiatry, Dr. Tom More quickly notices something strange occuring with the townfolk, a loss of inhibitions. Behind this mystery is a dangerous plot drug the local water supply, and a discovery that takes More into the underside of the American search for happiness.

The Thanatos Syndrome

Will Barrett (also the hero of Percy's The Last Gentleman) is a lonely widower suffering from a depression so severe that he decides he doesn't want to continue living. But then he meets Allison, a mental hospital escapee making a new life for herself in a greenhouse. The Second Coming is by turns touching and zany, tragic and comic, as Will sets out in search of God's existence and winds up finding much more.

Will Barrett (also the hero of Percy's The Last Gentleman) is a lonely widower suffering from a depression so severe that he decides he doesn't want to continue living. But then he meets Allison, a mental hospital escapee making a new life for herself in a greenhouse. The Second Coming is by turns touching and zany, tragic and comic, as Will sets out in search of God's existence and winds up finding much more.

The Second Coming

Will Barrett is a 25-year-old wanderer from the South living in New York City, detached from his roots and with no plans for the future, until the purchase of a telescope sets off a romance and changes his life forever.

Will Barrett is a 25-year-old wanderer from the South living in New York City, detached from his roots and with no plans for the future, until the purchase of a telescope sets off a romance and changes his life forever.

The Last Gentleman

Lancelot Lamar is a disenchanted lawyer who finds himself confined in a mental asylum with memories that don't seem worth remembering. It all began the day he accidentally discovered he was not the father of his youngest daughter, a discovery which sent Lancelot on modern quest to reverse the degeneration of America. Percy's novel reveals a shining knight for the modern age--a knight not of romance, but of revenge.

Lancelot Lamar is a disenchanted lawyer who finds himself confined in a mental asylum with memories that don't seem worth remembering. It all began the day he accidentally discovered he was not the father of his youngest daughter, a discovery which sent Lancelot on modern quest to reverse the degeneration of America. Percy's novel reveals a shining knight for the modern age--a knight not of romance, but of revenge.

Lancelot

Selected by Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the century, this "absolutely delightful" novel (New York Times) movingly and comically chronicles the breakdown of a marriage and the disintegration of English society in the years after World War I. After seven years of marriage, the beautiful Lady Brenda Last has grown bored with life at Hetton Abbey, the Gothic mansion that is the pride and joy of her husband, Tony. She drifts into an affair with the shallow socialite John Beaver and forsakes Tony for the Belgravia set. In a novel that combines tragedy, comedy, and savage irony, Evelyn Waugh indelibly captures the irresponsible mood of the "crazy and sterile generation" between the wars.

Selected by Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the century, this "absolutely delightful" novel (New York Times) movingly and comically chronicles the breakdown of a marriage and the disintegration of English society in the years after World War I. 
After seven years of marriage, the beautiful Lady Brenda Last has grown bored with life at Hetton Abbey, the Gothic mansion that is the pride and joy of her husband, Tony. She drifts into an affair with the shallow socialite John Beaver and forsakes Tony for the Belgravia set. In a novel that combines tragedy, comedy, and savage irony, Evelyn Waugh indelibly captures the irresponsible mood of the "crazy and sterile generation" between the wars.

A Handful of Dust

Evelyn Waugh's "irresistible" first novel (New York Times) is a brilliant and hilarious satire of English school life in the 1920s. Sent down from Oxford after a wild, drunken party, Paul Pennyfeather is oddly surprised to find himself qualifying for the position of schoolmaster at a boys' private school in Wales. His colleagues are an assortment of misfits, rascals and fools, including Prendy (plagued by doubts) and Captain Grimes, who is always in the soup (or just plain drunk). Then Sports Day arrives, and with it the delectable Margot Beste-Chetwynde, floating on a scented breeze. As the farce unfolds in Evelyn Waugh's dazzling debut as a novelist, the young run riot and no one is safe, least of all Paul.

Evelyn Waugh's "irresistible" first novel (New York Times) is a brilliant and hilarious satire of English school life in the 1920s. 
Sent down from Oxford after a wild, drunken party, Paul Pennyfeather is oddly surprised to find himself qualifying for the position of schoolmaster at a boys' private school in Wales. His colleagues are an assortment of misfits, rascals and fools, including Prendy (plagued by doubts) and Captain Grimes, who is always in the soup (or just plain drunk). Then Sports Day arrives, and with it the delectable Margot Beste-Chetwynde, floating on a scented breeze. As the farce unfolds in Evelyn Waugh's dazzling debut as a novelist, the young run riot and no one is safe, least of all Paul.

Decline and Fall

"A wickedly witty and iridescent novel" (Time) from one of England's greatest satirists takes aim at the generation of Bright Young Things that dominated London high society in the 1920s. In the years following the First World War a new generation emerged, wistful and vulnerable beneath the glitter. The Bright Young Things of 1920s London, with their paradoxical mix of innocence and sophistication, exercised their inventive minds and vile bodies in every kind of capricious escapade. In these pages a vivid assortment of characters, among them the struggling writer Adam Fenwick-Symes and the glamorous, aristocratic Nina Blount, hunt fast and furiously for ever greater sensations and the hedonistic fulfillment of their desires. Evelyn Waugh's acidly funny satire reveals the darkness and vulnerability beneath the sparkling surface of the high life.

"A wickedly witty and iridescent novel" (Time) from one of England's greatest satirists takes aim at the generation of Bright Young Things that dominated London high society in the 1920s. 
In the years following the First World War a new generation emerged, wistful and vulnerable beneath the glitter. The Bright Young Things of 1920s London, with their paradoxical mix of innocence and sophistication, exercised their inventive minds and vile bodies in every kind of capricious escapade. In these pages a vivid assortment of characters, among them the struggling writer Adam Fenwick-Symes and the glamorous, aristocratic Nina Blount, hunt fast and furiously for ever greater sensations and the hedonistic fulfillment of their desires. Evelyn Waugh's acidly funny satire reveals the darkness and vulnerability beneath the sparkling surface of the high life.

Vile Bodies

Selected by Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the century and called "Evelyn Waugh's finest achievement" by the New York Times, Brideshead Revisited is a stunning exploration of desire, duty, and memory The wellsprings of desire and the impediments to love come brilliantly into focus in Evelyn Waugh's masterpiece -- a novel that immerses us in the glittering and seductive world of English aristocracy in the waning days of the empire. Through the story of Charles Ryder's entanglement with the Flytes, a great Catholic family, Evelyn Waugh charts the passing of the privileged world he knew in his own youth and vividly recalls the sensuous pleasures denied him by wartime austerities. At once romantic, sensuous, comic, and somber, Brideshead Revisited transcends Waugh's early satiric explorations and reveals him to be an elegiac, lyrical novelist of the utmost feeling and lucidity. "A genuine literary masterpiece." --Time"Heartbreakingly beautiful...The twentieth century's finest English novel." --Los Angeles Times

Selected by Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of the century and called "Evelyn Waugh's finest achievement" by the New York Times, Brideshead Revisited is a stunning exploration of desire, duty, and memory
The wellsprings of desire and the impediments to love come brilliantly into focus in Evelyn Waugh's masterpiece -- a novel that immerses us in the glittering and seductive world of English aristocracy in the waning days of the empire.
Through the story of Charles Ryder's entanglement with the Flytes, a great Catholic family, Evelyn Waugh charts the passing of the privileged world he knew in his own youth and vividly recalls the sensuous pleasures denied him by wartime austerities. At once romantic, sensuous, comic, and somber, Brideshead Revisited transcends Waugh's early satiric explorations and reveals him to be an elegiac, lyrical novelist of the utmost feeling and lucidity.
"A genuine literary masterpiece." --Time "Heartbreakingly beautiful...The twentieth century's finest English novel." --Los Angeles Times

Brideshead Revisited

"A work of art as rich and subtle and unnerving as anything its author has ever done" (New Yorker), The Loved One is Evelyn Waugh's cutting satire of 1940s California and the Anglo-American cultural divide. Following the death of a friend, the poet and pets' mortician Dennis Barlow finds himself entering the artificial Hollywood paradise of the Whispering Glades Memorial Park. Within its golden gates, death, American-style, is wrapped up and sold like a package holiday--and Dennis gets drawn into a bizarre love triangle with Aim e Thanatogenos, a na ve Californian corpse beautician, and Mr. Joyboy, a master of the embalmer's art. Waugh's dark and savage satire depicts a world where reputation, love, and death cost a very great deal.

"A work of art as rich and subtle and unnerving as anything its author has ever done" (New Yorker), The Loved One is Evelyn Waugh's cutting satire of 1940s California and the Anglo-American cultural divide. 
Following the death of a friend, the poet and pets' mortician Dennis Barlow finds himself entering the artificial Hollywood paradise of the Whispering Glades Memorial Park. Within its golden gates, death, American-style, is wrapped up and sold like a package holiday--and Dennis gets drawn into a bizarre love triangle with Aim e Thanatogenos, a na ve Californian corpse beautician, and Mr. Joyboy, a master of the embalmer's art. Waugh's dark and savage satire depicts a world where reputation, love, and death cost a very great deal.

The Loved One

Evelyn Waugh's personal favorite of his novels and "a superlatively well done book" (Chicago Tribune) set in the age of Emperor Constantine. Helena is the intelligent, horse-mad daughter of a British chieftain who is thrown into marriage with the man who will one day become the Roman emperor Constantius. Leaving home for lands unknown, she spends her adulthood seeking truth in the religions, mythologies, and philosophies of the declining ancient world, and becomes initiated into Christianity just as it is recognized as the religion of the Roman Empire. Helena--a novel that Evelyn Waugh considered to be his favorite, and most ambitious, work--deftly traverses the forces of corruption, treachery, enlightenment, and political intrigue of Imperial Rome as it brings to life an inspiring heroine.

Evelyn Waugh's personal favorite of his novels and "a superlatively well done book" (Chicago Tribune) set in the age of Emperor Constantine. 
Helena is the intelligent, horse-mad daughter of a British chieftain who is thrown into marriage with the man who will one day become the Roman emperor Constantius. Leaving home for lands unknown, she spends her adulthood seeking truth in the religions, mythologies, and philosophies of the declining ancient world, and becomes initiated into Christianity just as it is recognized as the religion of the Roman Empire. Helena--a novel that Evelyn Waugh considered to be his favorite, and most ambitious, work--deftly traverses the forces of corruption, treachery, enlightenment, and political intrigue of Imperial Rome as it brings to life an inspiring heroine.

Helena

Winner of the National Book Award The publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O'Connor's monumental contribution to American fiction. There are thirty-one stories here in all, including twelve that do not appear in the only two story collections O'Connor put together in her short lifetime--Everything That Rises Must Converge and A Good Man Is Hard to Find. O'Connor published her first story, The Geranium, in 1946, while she was working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, Judgement Day--sent to her publisher shortly before her death--is a brilliantly rewritten and transfigured version of The Geranium. Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century. Also included is an introduction by O'Connor's longtime editor and friend, Robert Giroux

Winner of the National Book Award
The publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O'Connor's monumental contribution to American fiction. There are thirty-one stories here in all, including twelve that do not appear in the only two story collections O'Connor put together in her short lifetime--Everything That Rises Must Converge and A Good Man Is Hard to Find.
O'Connor published her first story, The Geranium, in 1946, while she was working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, Judgement Day--sent to her publisher shortly before her death--is a brilliantly rewritten and transfigured version of The Geranium.
Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century. Also included is an introduction by O'Connor's longtime editor and friend, Robert Giroux

The Complete Stories

A brilliant, innovative novel, acutely alert to where the sacred lives--and where it does not First published in 1960, The Violent Bear It Away is a landmark in American literature--a dark and absorbing example of the Gothic sensibility and bracing satirical voice that are united in Flannery O'Connor's work. In this, O'Connor's second novel, the orphaned Francis Marion Tarwater and his cousin, the schoolteacher Rayber, defy the prophecy of their dead uncle that Tarwater will become a prophet and baptize Rayber's young son, Bishop. A series of struggles ensues, as Tarwater fights an internal battle against his innate faith and the voices calling him to be a prophet while Rayber tries to draw Tarwater into a more reasonable modern world. Both wrestle with the legacy of their dead relative and lay claim to Bishop's soul. All this is observed by O'Connor with an astonishing combination of irony and compassion, humor and pathos.

A brilliant, innovative novel, acutely alert to where the sacred lives--and where it does not First published in 1960, The Violent Bear It Away is a landmark in American literature--a dark and absorbing example of the Gothic sensibility and bracing satirical voice that are united in Flannery O'Connor's work.
In this, O'Connor's second novel, the orphaned Francis Marion Tarwater and his cousin, the schoolteacher Rayber, defy the prophecy of their dead uncle that Tarwater will become a prophet and baptize Rayber's young son, Bishop. A series of struggles ensues, as Tarwater fights an internal battle against his innate faith and the voices calling him to be a prophet while Rayber tries to draw Tarwater into a more reasonable modern world. Both wrestle with the legacy of their dead relative and lay claim to Bishop's soul. All this is observed by O'Connor with an astonishing combination of irony and compassion, humor and pathos.

The Violent Bear It Away

Flannery O'Connor's haunting first novel of faith, false prophets, and redemptive wisdom Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor's astonishing and haunting first novel, is a classic of twentieth-century literature. It is the story of Hazel Motes, a twenty-two-year-old caught in an unending struggle against his inborn, desperate fate. He falls under the spell of a blind street preacher named Asa Hawks and his degenerate fifteen-year-old daughter, Sabbath Lily. In an ironic, malicious gesture of his own non-faith, and to prove himself a greater cynic than Hawks, Motes founds the Church Without Christ, but is still thwarted in his efforts to lose God. He meets Enoch Emery, a young man with wise blood, who leads him to a mummified holy child and whose crazy maneuvers are a manifestation of Motes's existential struggles. This tale of redemption, retribution, false prophets, blindness, blindings, and wisdom gives us one of the most riveting characters in American fiction.

Flannery O'Connor's haunting first novel of faith, false prophets, and redemptive wisdom Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor's astonishing and haunting first novel, is a classic of twentieth-century literature. It is the story of Hazel Motes, a twenty-two-year-old caught in an unending struggle against his inborn, desperate fate. He falls under the spell of a blind street preacher named Asa Hawks and his degenerate fifteen-year-old daughter, Sabbath Lily. In an ironic, malicious gesture of his own non-faith, and to prove himself a greater cynic than Hawks, Motes founds the Church Without Christ, but is still thwarted in his efforts to lose God. He meets Enoch Emery, a young man with wise blood, who leads him to a mummified holy child and whose crazy maneuvers are a manifestation of Motes's existential struggles. This tale of redemption, retribution, false prophets, blindness, blindings, and wisdom gives us one of the most riveting characters in American fiction.

Wise Blood

Flannery O'Connor was working on Everything That Rises Must Converge at the time of her death. This collection is an exquisite legacy from a genius of the American short story, in which she scrutinizes territory familiar to her readers: race, faith, and morality. The stories encompass the comic and the tragic, the beautiful and the grotesque; each carries her highly individual stamp and could have been written by no one else

Flannery O'Connor was working on Everything That Rises Must Converge at the time of her death. This collection is an exquisite legacy from a genius of the American short story, in which she scrutinizes territory familiar to her readers: race, faith, and morality. The stories encompass the comic and the tragic, the beautiful and the grotesque; each carries her highly individual stamp and could have been written by no one else

Everything That Rises Must Converge: Stories

Sophia House is set in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. Pawel Tarnowski, a bookseller, gives refuge to David Schafer, a Jewish youth who has escaped from the ghetto, and hides him in the attic of the book shop. Throughout the winter of 1942-43, haunted by the looming threat of discovery, they discuss good and evil, sin and redemption, literature and philosophy, and their respective religious views of reality. Decades later, David becomes a convert to Catholicism, and is the Carmelite priest Fr. Elijah Schafer called by the Pope to confront the Anti-Christ in Michael O'Brien's best-selling novel, Father Elijah: an Apocalypse. In this prequel, the author explores the meaning of love, religious identity, and sacrifice viewed from two distinct perspectives. The cast of characters also includes the notorious Count Smokrev, a literate Nazi Major, a French novelist, a terrifying Polish bear, the Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev, and Pawel's beloved Kahlia, the elusive figure who moves through the story as an unseen presence. As the story unfolds, the loss of spiritual fatherhood in late Western society is revealed as a problem of language in the heart and soul, and as one of the gravest crises of our times. The story points the way to rediscovery of our Father in heaven, and also shows us the path to renewal of human fatherhood. This is a novel about small choices that shift the balance of the world.

Sophia House is set in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. Pawel Tarnowski, a bookseller, gives refuge to David Schafer, a Jewish youth who has escaped from the ghetto, and hides him in the attic of the book shop. Throughout the winter of 1942-43, haunted by the looming threat of discovery, they discuss good and evil, sin and redemption, literature and philosophy, and their respective religious views of reality. Decades later, David becomes a convert to Catholicism, and is the Carmelite priest Fr. Elijah Schafer called by the Pope to confront the Anti-Christ in Michael O'Brien's best-selling novel, Father Elijah: an Apocalypse. 
In this prequel, the author explores the meaning of love, religious identity, and sacrifice viewed from two distinct perspectives. The cast of characters also includes the notorious Count Smokrev, a literate Nazi Major, a French novelist, a terrifying Polish bear, the Russian icon painter Andrei Rublev, and Pawel's beloved Kahlia, the elusive figure who moves through the story as an unseen presence. As the story unfolds, the loss of spiritual fatherhood in late Western society is revealed as a problem of language in the heart and soul, and as one of the gravest crises of our times. The story points the way to rediscovery of our Father in heaven, and also shows us the path to renewal of human fatherhood. This is a novel about small choices that shift the balance of the world.

Sophia House

Christian Fiction

"I am the way, and the truth, and the Life." What better focus for our prayer, reading, and study than the person of Jesus. We've put together a collection of works to bring you deeper into the mystery of the Incarnate Word and deeper into intimacy with the bridegroom of your soul. Any study of Christ should begin with Sacred Scripture. Scripture truly is the privileged place to ponder the glorious face of Christ our Savior. To supplement our prayer and study of scripture, prayerful commentaries provide supports from great guides of the spiritual life for our journey to and with Jesus. In the last century, we've been blessed by a number of great works from great minds and holy souls on the life of Jesus. What treasures can be found in a study of the life of Christ! Not only has the Church been blessed by great intellectuals, but also great mystics. Classics such as St. Faustina's Diary or the writings of Anne Catherine Emmerich on the Passion of Jesus grant us access to the great love and desire that Jesus has for our salvation. In all of the mysteries of the life of Christ, those of his passion are a uniquely rich source of grace for our prayer and contemplation. Jesus, grant in our study we may know you more and in knowing you more we may love you all the more!

"I am the way, and the truth, and the Life." What better focus for our prayer, reading, and study than the person of Jesus. We've put together a collection of works to bring you deeper into the mystery of the Incarnate Word and deeper into intimacy with the bridegroom of your soul. 
Any study of Christ should begin with Sacred Scripture.  Scripture truly is the privileged place to ponder the glorious face of Christ our Savior.  To supplement our prayer and study of scripture, prayerful commentaries provide supports from great guides of the spiritual life for our journey to and with Jesus.
In the last century, we've been blessed by a number of great works from great minds and holy souls on the life of Jesus.  What treasures can be found in a study of the life of Christ!
Not only has the Church been blessed by great intellectuals, but also great mystics.  Classics such as St. Faustina's Diary or the writings of Anne Catherine Emmerich on the Passion of Jesus grant us access to the great love and desire that Jesus has for our salvation.  In all of the mysteries of the life of Christ, those of his passion are a uniquely rich source of grace for our prayer and contemplation.
Jesus, grant in our study we may know you more and in knowing you more we may love you all the more!

Knowing Jesus

When Saint Norbert founded our Order in the 12th Century, he was part of the great Gregorian Reform movement that was restoring holiness to the Church and the world of his day. The Church and the world are still very much in need of renewal, and we Norbertines at St. Michael's Abbey strive to be a driving force of that renewal. When a young man comes to our monastery to take up the Norbertine way of life, he very quickly discovers that evangelization, renewal, growth in holiness has to begin first inside his own heart, and so he begins to pray a lot ... and to read a lot! Many of the books on this Spiritual Life reading list are books that a young religious will encounter, either before he hears Our Lord's call to enter the monastery and to study for the priesthood, or after he enters and begins to dive deeply into the Catholic tradition. Most of them are books that will be a tremendous source of inspiration and encouragement to anyone who wants to become a woman or a man of deep prayer, anyone who wants to become a Saint. You'll find here a wide variety of texts from authors ancient and new. Some will help you love Our Lord and Lady even more than you already do (The Imitation of Christ, Life of Christ, True Devotion to Mary). Others will give you the powerful example of real people who became real Saints (Confessions, The Way of Perfection, Story of a Soul). There are a few books to help you learn better how to live a committed Christian life and how to pray (Introduction to the Devout Life, The Practice of the Presence of God, Abandonment to Divine Providence, Conversation with Christ). Finally, there are few of the great monuments of 20th Century Catholic/Christian literature (Screwtape Letters, Orthodoxy, Diary of a Country Priest). Are you eager to be a part of the renewal of the Church and the world that Our Lord and Lady are undertaking in our times? With Our Holy Father Saint Norbert and all the great spiritual giants of our Catholic lineage, that renewal begins in every one of our hearts, and this reading list will help. I once heard a holy old priest say, "There are only so many times that your eyes can pass across a printed page in your lifetime. We don't have time to read good books. We only have time to read great books!" God bless you. - Father Ambrose

When Saint Norbert founded our Order in the 12th Century, he was part of the great Gregorian Reform movement that was restoring holiness to the Church and the world of his day. The Church and the world are still very much in need of renewal, and we Norbertines at St. Michael's Abbey strive to be a driving force of that renewal.
When a young man comes to our monastery to take up the Norbertine way of life, he very quickly discovers that evangelization, renewal, growth in holiness has to begin first inside his own heart, and so he begins to pray a lot ... and to read a lot! 
Many of the books on this Spiritual Life reading list are books that a young religious will encounter, either before he hears Our Lord's call to enter the monastery and to study for the priesthood, or after he enters and begins to dive deeply into the Catholic tradition. Most of them are books that will be a tremendous source of inspiration and encouragement to anyone who wants to become a woman or a man of deep prayer, anyone who wants to become a Saint. 
You'll find here a wide variety of texts from authors ancient and new. Some will help you love Our Lord and Lady even more than you already do (The Imitation of Christ, Life of Christ, True Devotion to Mary). Others will give you the powerful example of real people who became real Saints (Confessions, The Way of Perfection, Story of a Soul). There are a few books to help you learn better how to live a committed Christian life and how to pray (Introduction to the Devout Life, The Practice of the Presence of God, Abandonment to Divine Providence, Conversation with Christ). Finally, there are few of the great monuments of 20th Century Catholic/Christian literature (Screwtape Letters, Orthodoxy, Diary of a Country Priest).
Are you eager to be a part of the renewal of the Church and the world that Our Lord and Lady are undertaking in our times? With Our Holy Father Saint Norbert and all the great spiritual giants of our Catholic lineage, that renewal begins in every one of our hearts, and this reading list will help.
I once heard a holy old priest say, "There are only so many times that your eyes can pass across a printed page in your lifetime. We don't have time to read good books. We only have time to read great books!" God bless you. 
- Father Ambrose

Holiness and the Spiritual Life

Carmelite Spirituality. What is it? When one thinks of Carmel, one thinks of seeming opposites. Mountain. Desert. The zeal of Elijah. The quiet whispering of the wind. Joy and penance. Ascent and Descent. Light and darkness. All and nothing. Carmel can also give the impression of being something “beyond me” when you hear words like contemplation, mystics, the indwelling connected to it. At the same time, why is it that people from all walks of life and all ages are time and time again drawn to Carmel? What is it about this particular spirituality that seems to speak to so many people? Simply put, Carmelite spirituality speaks to the heart. It is in essence, recognizing the deep desire that resides in each person, the desire and hunger for God, whether they know it or not. Carmelites want to see God now. And prayer is that open door through which one begins to enter in, to see and experience the depths that can be explored within each soul, simply because God dwells in each human heart. Carmel offers something extraordinary to the ordinary people of today, you and me. We come to see that God is walking right alongside me, that He enters into the messiness of my life and transforms it and me in the process. One begins to see with St. Therese how holiness comes to life in the little things. To be a Carmelite is to be like the prophet Elijah who said, “With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord, God of Hosts”. To be a Carmelite is to be like our Blessed Mother who said, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.” Seeming opposites. Yet together, a spirituality that speaks of strength and gentleness, great passion and great discipline. It speaks in all things of great love. Are you seeking Carmel? Here is a collection of books providing an overview of the Carmelite spirit, with an emphasis on prayer, the presence of God in our daily lives, as well as the lives of two soon to be great Carmelite saints: Maria Teresa Quevado and Mother Luisita.

Carmelite Spirituality. What is it? When one thinks of Carmel, one thinks of seeming opposites. Mountain. Desert. The zeal of Elijah. The quiet whispering of the wind. Joy and penance. Ascent and Descent. Light and darkness. All and nothing.
Carmel can also give the impression of being something “beyond me” when you hear words like contemplation, mystics, the indwelling connected to it. At the same time, why is it that people from all walks of life and all ages are time and time again drawn to Carmel? What is it about this particular spirituality that seems to speak to so many people? 
Simply put, Carmelite spirituality speaks to the heart. It is in essence, recognizing the deep desire that resides in each person, the desire and hunger for God, whether they know it or not. Carmelites want to see God now. And prayer is that open door through which one begins to enter in, to see and experience the depths that can be explored within each soul, simply because God dwells in each human heart. 
Carmel offers something extraordinary to the ordinary people of today, you and me. We come to see that God is walking right alongside me, that He enters into the messiness of my life and transforms it and me in the process. One begins to see with St. Therese how holiness comes to life in the little things. To be a Carmelite is to be like the prophet Elijah who said, “With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord, God of Hosts”. To be a Carmelite is to be like our Blessed Mother who said, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.” Seeming opposites. Yet together, a spirituality that speaks of strength and gentleness, great passion and great discipline. It speaks in all things of great love.
Are you seeking Carmel? Here is a collection of books providing an overview of the Carmelite spirit, with an emphasis on prayer, the presence of God in our daily lives, as well as the lives of two soon to be great Carmelite saints: Maria Teresa Quevado and Mother Luisita.

Climbing the Mountain of God

Although the Church is always in need of renewal, it is difficult to not feel the unique urgency of this call in the modern world. As many of us know, it was from the crucifix that Jesus spoke these words to St. Francis, "Francis, rebuild my Church." While this work of renewing, rebuilding and repenting was not uniquely entrusted to St. Francis, his sons and daughters can't help but resonate with this call deep in their souls. As young men move to New York City and begin their journey as Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, they will begin their education in participating in God's work of rebuilding. While prayer, communal life, and working are essential components to this formation, so is their intellectual formation. This list of books provides the intellectual foundation for these aspiring re-builders. We begin our formation with the Word of God. The study of scripture will often be complimented by one of the CFR's favorite commentaries, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word and an in depth study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (it's wisdom cannot be overlooked). Of course, without a deep prayer life, our building is in vain! For this reason, we look to the great Carmelite Mystics, St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Avila, for our instruction on prayer. As the men grow in relationship with God's word and interiorize it through daily prayer, we focus in on the person of Jesus and his Holy Mother through classics like Fulton Sheen's The Life of Christ and Fr. Michael Gaitley's 33 Days to Morning Glory. Then we take a deep look at St. Francis himself, God's greatest instrument of renewal after Our Lord and Our Lady. While a number of great works have been created studying St. Francis, two great biographies are by Omer Englebert and St. Bonaventure. To help our men translate their prayer and study into their modern situation, many will pick up books from Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Andrew Apostoli, and of course we always look at "Our Holy Aunt" Mother Teresa whose life and work closely resonate with Seraphic hearts. This "short-course" for rebuilding the Church is certainly not for the faint of heart, but neither is the task at hand! May the Holy Spirit, the one who makes all things new, anoint your study and lead you deeply into the heart of God. A portion of all proceeds will go to help the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in their work to rebuild the Church among the poor in New York City and around the world.

Although the Church is always in need of renewal, it is difficult to not feel the unique urgency of this call in the modern world. As many of us know, it was from the crucifix that Jesus spoke these words to St. Francis, "Francis, rebuild my Church." While this work of renewing, rebuilding and repenting was not uniquely entrusted to St. Francis, his sons and daughters can't help but resonate with this call deep in their souls.  
As young men move to New York City and begin their journey as Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, they will begin their education in participating in God's work of rebuilding. While prayer, communal life, and working are essential components to this formation, so is their intellectual formation. This list of books provides the intellectual foundation for these aspiring re-builders.
We begin our formation with the Word of God. The study of scripture will often be complimented by one of the CFR's favorite commentaries, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word and an in depth study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (it's wisdom cannot be overlooked).
Of course, without a deep prayer life, our building is in vain! For this reason, we look to the great Carmelite Mystics, St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Avila, for our instruction on prayer.
As the men grow in relationship with God's word and interiorize it through daily prayer, we focus in on the person of Jesus and his Holy Mother through classics like Fulton Sheen's The Life of Christ and Fr. Michael Gaitley's 33 Days to Morning Glory. 
Then we take a deep look at St. Francis himself, God's greatest instrument of renewal after Our Lord and Our Lady. While a number of great works have been created studying St. Francis, two great biographies are by Omer Englebert and St. Bonaventure. 
To help our men translate their prayer and study into their modern situation, many will pick up books from Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Andrew Apostoli, and of course we always look at "Our Holy Aunt" Mother Teresa whose life and work closely resonate with Seraphic hearts. 
This "short-course" for rebuilding the Church is certainly not for the faint of heart, but neither is the task at hand!  May the Holy Spirit, the one who makes all things new, anoint your study and lead you deeply into the heart of God.
A portion of all proceeds will go to help the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in their work to rebuild the Church among the poor in New York City and around the world.

Rebuild my Church

Widely proclaimed a classic work of Christian faith, Life of Christ has been hailed as the most eloquent of Fulton J. Sheen's many books. The fruit of many years of reflection, prayer, and research, it is a dramatic and moving recounting of the birth, life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ, and a passionate portrait of the God-Man, the teacher, the healer, and, most of all, the Savior, whose promise has sustained humanity for two millenia.With his customary insight and reverence, Sheen interprets the Scripture and describes Christ not only in historical perspective but also in exciting and contemporary terms -- seeing in Christ's life both modern parallels and timeless lessons. His thoughtful, probing analysis provides new insight into well-known Gospel events.An appealing blend of philosophy, history, and biblical exegesis, from the best-known and most-loved American Catholic leader of the twentieth century, Life of Christ has long been a source of inspiration and guidance. For those seeking to better understand the message of Jesus Christ, this vivid retelling of the greatest story ever lived is a must-read.

Life of Christ

As no sensible person would make a long road trip without first consulting a map, so the person intent upon gaining Heaven should first resort to a competent guide to reach that Goal of all goals. And no better guide to Heaven exists than An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Doctor of the Church. It is at once easy to read, being laid out in short chapters, yet thorough, authoritative, reliable, kind and gentle a mirror of its author. It is a book, moreover, for all, because all are called to the devout life. True devotion to God, the author points out, adorns every vocation. The devout life, moreover, is a lovely, a pleasant, and a happy life. (p. 5) Addressed as a personal letter to Philothea, the lover of God which genuinely represents the reader the book covers: our first desire to lead a devout life to our full resolution to do so, how we should approach God in prayer and the Sacraments, the practice of 16 important virtues, remedies against ordinary temptations, and becoming confirmed in our practice of devotion. St. Francis says, Devotion is spiritual agility and vivacity, by means of which charity works in us, or we in her, with love and readiness; and as charity leads us to obey and fulfill all God s Commandments, so devotion leads us to obey them with promptitude and diligence. (p. 3) An Introduction to the Devout Life is a book to be read with pencil in hand. It is a book to be read again and again. It is a book to make your guide for the rest of your life. It goes to the heart of becoming good. Its aim is to help you be rid of sin and even the inclinations to sin. Alone, its 10 brief meditations in Part I will orient you toward God for the rest of your life. No one will come away without being profoundly impressed and without being motivated to enter upon the devout life... which leads ultimately to God and to Heaven. This is the original TAN edition now with updated typesetting, fresh new cover, new size and quality binding, and the same trusted content.

As no sensible person would make a long road trip without first consulting a map, so the person intent upon gaining Heaven should first resort to a competent guide to reach that Goal of all goals. And no better guide to Heaven exists than An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Doctor of the Church. It is at once easy to read, being laid out in short chapters, yet thorough, authoritative, reliable, kind and gentle a mirror of its author.
It is a book, moreover, for all, because all are called to the devout life. True devotion to God, the author points out, adorns every vocation. The devout life, moreover, is a lovely, a pleasant, and a happy life. (p. 5)
Addressed as a personal letter to Philothea, the lover of God which genuinely represents the reader the book covers: our first desire to lead a devout life to our full resolution to do so, how we should approach God in prayer and the Sacraments, the practice of 16 important virtues, remedies against ordinary temptations, and becoming confirmed in our practice of devotion.
St. Francis says, Devotion is spiritual agility and vivacity, by means of which charity works in us, or we in her, with love and readiness; and as charity leads us to obey and fulfill all God s Commandments, so devotion leads us to obey them with promptitude and diligence. (p. 3)
An Introduction to the Devout Life is a book to be read with pencil in hand. It is a book to be read again and again. It is a book to make your guide for the rest of your life. It goes to the heart of becoming good. Its aim is to help you be rid of sin and even the inclinations to sin. Alone, its 10 brief meditations in Part I will orient you toward God for the rest of your life. No one will come away without being profoundly impressed and without being motivated to enter upon the devout life... which leads ultimately to God and to Heaven. This is the original TAN edition now with updated typesetting, fresh new cover, new size and quality binding, and the same trusted content.

Philothea; Or an Introduction to the Devout Life

"...while offerings by lamas and yogis have been plentiful, books on Western mystics were - and are - hard to find. The Paulist Press has just published... an ambitious series that should help remedy this situation." Psychology Today Catherine of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogue translation and notes by Serge Hughes introduction by Benedict J. Groeschel, O.F.M. Cap. preface by Catherine de Hueck Doherty "All that I have said is nothing compared to what I feel within, the witnessed correspondence of love between God and the Soul; for when God sees the Soul pure as it is in its origins, He tugs at it with a glance, draws it and binds it to Himself with a fiery love which by itself could annihilate the immortal Soul." Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) Catherine, who lived for 60 years and died early in the 16th century, leads the modern reader directly to the more significant issues of the day. In her life she reconciled aspects of spirituality often seen to be either mutually exclusive or in conflict. This married lay woman was both a mystic and a humanitarian, a constant contemplative, yet daily immersed in the physical care of the sick and the destitute. For the last five centuries she has been the inspiration of such spiritual greats as Francis de Sales, Robert Bellarmine, Fenelon, Newman and Hecker. Friedrich von H gel's famous Mystical Element of Religion was a study of the spirituality of Catherine. Purgation and Purgatory is a collection of sayings on spiritual purification in this life and the next. The Spiritual Dialogue gives us a readable and coherent inner history of Catherine. The translation and notes for the volume are by Serge Hughes, Professor of Italian at Hunter College of the City University of New York. Dr. Hughes is best known for his The Fall and Rise of Modern Italy and The Little Flowers of St. Francis. Dr. Benedict J. Groeschel, who authored the Introduction, is Director of the Office for Spiritual Development of the Archdiocese of New York. He teaches pastoral psychology and ascetical-mystical theology at Iona and Fordham, and at St. Joseph's, Immaculate Conception and Maryknoll Seminaries. The Preface has been written by Catherine de Hueck Doherty, the founder and Director General of Madonna House. She is author of such well known books as Poustinia and The Gospel Without Compromise.

"...while offerings by lamas and yogis have been plentiful, books on Western mystics were - and are - hard to find. The Paulist Press has just published... an ambitious series that should help remedy this situation." Psychology Today
Catherine of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogue translation and notes by Serge Hughes introduction by Benedict J. Groeschel, O.F.M. Cap. preface by Catherine de Hueck Doherty 
"All that I have said is nothing compared to what I feel within, the witnessed correspondence of love between God and the Soul; for when God sees the Soul pure as it is in its origins, He tugs at it with a glance, draws it and binds it to Himself with a fiery love which by itself could annihilate the immortal Soul." Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)
Catherine, who lived for 60 years and died early in the 16th century, leads the modern reader directly to the more significant issues of the day. In her life she reconciled aspects of spirituality often seen to be either mutually exclusive or in conflict. This married lay woman was both a mystic and a humanitarian, a constant contemplative, yet daily immersed in the physical care of the sick and the destitute.
For the last five centuries she has been the inspiration of such spiritual greats as Francis de Sales, Robert Bellarmine, Fenelon, Newman and Hecker. Friedrich von H gel's famous Mystical Element of Religion was a study of the spirituality of Catherine. Purgation and Purgatory is a collection of sayings on spiritual purification in this life and the next. The Spiritual Dialogue gives us a readable and coherent inner history of Catherine.
The translation and notes for the volume are by Serge Hughes, Professor of Italian at Hunter College of the City University of New York. Dr. Hughes is best known for his The Fall and Rise of Modern Italy and The Little Flowers of St. Francis. Dr. Benedict J. Groeschel, who authored the Introduction, is Director of the Office for Spiritual Development of the Archdiocese of New York. He teaches pastoral psychology and ascetical-mystical theology at Iona and Fordham, and at St. Joseph's, Immaculate Conception and Maryknoll Seminaries. The Preface has been written by Catherine de Hueck Doherty, the founder and Director General of Madonna House. She is author of such well known books as Poustinia and The Gospel Without Compromise.

Catherine of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, the Spiritual Dialogue

Find the path to following Christ in one of the most treasured devotional books of all time. Encouraging the renunciation of worldly vanities and vices, Thomas Kempis shows us how to lead a disciplined and simple spiritual life modeled on the teachings of Jesus. This beautifully bound edition contains the unabridged text of the original four books, prayers and reflections to apply the readings to everyday life, and a helpful appendix.

Find the path to following Christ in one of the most treasured devotional books of all time. Encouraging the renunciation of worldly vanities and vices, Thomas   Kempis shows us how to lead a disciplined and simple spiritual life modeled on the teachings of Jesus. This beautifully bound edition contains the unabridged text of the original four books, prayers and reflections to apply the readings to everyday life, and a helpful appendix.

Imitation of Christ

The Glories of Mary, widely regarded as Saint Alphonsus Liguori's finest masterpiece, has for two and a half centuries stood as one of the Catholic Church's greatest expressions of devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Written as a defense of Our Lady at a time when Jansenistic writers were ridiculing Marian devotion, this classic work combines numerous citations from the Fathers and Doctors of the Church with Saint Alphonsus' intense personal piety to produce a timeless treasury of teachings, prayers, and practices.

The Glories of Mary, widely regarded as Saint Alphonsus Liguori's finest masterpiece, has for two and a half centuries stood as one of the Catholic Church's greatest expressions of devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Written as a defense of Our Lady at a time when Jansenistic writers were ridiculing Marian devotion, this classic work combines numerous citations from the Fathers and Doctors of the Church with Saint Alphonsus' intense personal piety to produce a timeless treasury of teachings, prayers, and practices.

The Glories of Mary

St Catherine of Siena's Dialogue describes the entire spiritual life through a series of conversations between God and the soul, represented by Catherine herself. Readers of The Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena, will find her revelations from God as informative - and formative - as those who recognized her sanctity during her life. The universally applicable yet intimately personal messages she received from God are as much for us as they were for Catherine. We can read God's communications to his beloved daughter with detached awe or we can receive His messages to us through her writings. Do you long for certainty that Divine Providence exists in the midst of our chaotic world? Does your prayer seem too dry, or too routine? Have you sought guidance for the challenges of your life from unhelpful people or things? Or has pride kept you from humble obedience to the Church? If so, The Dialogue will provide consolation, encouragement, and hope.

The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena

This is the second edition of Volume One of The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, first woman doctor of the church. The translators have taken full advantage of all that recent scholarship has contributed to a better understanding of Teresa and her writings. This volume includes her first major work, The Book of Her Life, and two of her shorter works, the Spiritual Testimonies and the Soliloquies. Clear and contemporary, this rendering captures Teresa's spirit while remaining faithful to her thought. Includes general and biblical index.

The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 1

This volume contains two of Teresa's most popular works: The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle. Shortly after writing The Book of Her Life for her confessor, St. Teresa wrote The Way of Perfection at the request of her nuns who were eager to learn about prayer and contemplation. Throughout this work she teaches her nuns about prayer and also teaches us. Toward the end of her life, after she had experienced both the spiritual betrothal and spiritual marriage, Teresa wrote The Interior Castle, her own panoramic view of her relationship with God, from the lowest stages to the highest. Teresa here demonstrates her great gift for writing about that relationship and attracting us to explore the possibility of pursuing it. Along with these two classics, Volume Two also includes one of Teresa's minor works, her Meditations on the Song of Songs. Includes general and biblical index.

The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 2

This is the book that sparked The Divine Mercy devotion -- one of the fastest growing movements in the Catholic Church today. Diary is a dramatic telling of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska's amazing encounter with The Divine Mercy -- our Lord Jesus Christ. On Mercy Sunday 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said, "The mystery of the merciful love of God was the center of the pontificate of my venerable predecessor [Pope John Paul II] ... evidencing that the devotion to Divine Mercy is not a secondary but an integral dimension of a Christian's faith and prayer." Diary chronicles God's message given through St. Faustina to the world to turn to His mercy. In it, we are reminded to trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus and seek His forgiveness. And as Christ is merciful, so, too, are we instructed to be merciful to others. The message of Divine Mercy has become an integral part of Catholic faith, including the celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter as Jesus had requested of St. Faustina. Diary is truly a book that inspires people to turn with trust to Jesus and guides the reader through an intimate journey of prayer and devotion that ultimately leads to God's mercy. Includes 24-page photo section.

This is the book that sparked The Divine Mercy devotion -- one of the fastest growing movements in the Catholic Church today.
Diary is a dramatic telling of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska's amazing encounter with The Divine Mercy -- our Lord Jesus Christ. On Mercy Sunday 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said, "The mystery of the merciful love of God was the center of the pontificate of my venerable predecessor [Pope John Paul II] ... evidencing that the devotion to Divine Mercy is not a secondary but an integral dimension of a Christian's faith and prayer." Diary chronicles God's message given through St. Faustina to the world to turn to His mercy. In it, we are reminded to trust in the Divine Mercy of Jesus and seek His forgiveness. And as Christ is merciful, so, too, are we instructed to be merciful to others. The message of Divine Mercy has become an integral part of Catholic faith, including the celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter as Jesus had requested of St. Faustina. Diary is truly a book that inspires people to turn with trust to Jesus and guides the reader through an intimate journey of prayer and devotion that ultimately leads to God's mercy. Includes 24-page photo section.

Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul

Perhaps Bernard's most delightful tract, On Loving God posits that everything good in human persons is an expression of God's love and by love the person may participate in the being of the triune God. In a new analytic commentary, Stiegman examines Bernard's language, logic, and theology, demonstrating the vital importance of reading medieval authors on their own terms, without superimposing categories developed by later generations.

Perhaps Bernard's most delightful tract, On Loving God posits that everything good in human persons is an expression of God's love and by love the person may participate in the being of the triune God. In a new analytic commentary, Stiegman examines Bernard's language, logic, and theology, demonstrating the vital importance of reading medieval authors on their own terms, without superimposing categories developed by later generations.

On Loving God

This. revised edition of The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross was produced to mark the fourth centenary of the death of St. John of the Cross (1542 1591). The result is an English translation of his writings that preserves the authentic meaning of the great mystic's writings, presents them as clearly as possible, and at the same time gives the reader the doctrinal and historical information that will lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the teachings of the Mystical Doctor.Included in The Collected Works are St. John's poetry, The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, and The Living Flame of Love, as well as his extant letters and other counsels.In addition to the respective page listings in the contents, this new edition features gray page tabs that separate the individual works, enabling the reader to more easily locate a desired section of the book.Complementing St. John's writings are a comprehensive General Introduction for the entire work, as well as brief, enlightening introductions for each specific work, explaining theme and structure. These are enhanced by new and expanded footnotes, a glossary of terms, and general and scriptural indices.About the TranslatorsKieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D.Father Kieran, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, made his profession as a Discalced Carmelite in 1947. He has held several important positions within the order, including prior, formation director, and provincial councilor. A founding member of the Institute of Carmelite Studies, he subsequently served as its chair, as well as publisher of ICS Publications.Father Kieran's major contributions in the field of Carmelite studies are his translations from the Spanish of the works of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, in collaboration with Father Otilio Rodriguez. He also was the English translator of God Speaks in the Night: The Life, Times and Teaching of St. John of the Cross, a pictorial biography of St. John of the Cross commemorating the 400th anniversary of his death, published in several languages. In addition to translations, Father Kieran is also the author of two ICS Publications study editions of the works of St. Teresa, and has written several other books on St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross. Father Kieran has lectured and written widely on the teaching of both of these Carmelite saints. He is a member of the Discalced Carmelite community in Washington, D.C.Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D.Father Otilio was born in Mantinos, Palencia, Spain, and was a Carmelite for more than fifty years. He was provincial of the Burgos province several times and also served as rector of the Discalced Carmelites international pontifical theological faculty, the Teresianum, in Rome. Father Otilio was one of the founders of the Institutum Historicum Teresianum and was a member of the Institute of Carmelite Studies. Both internationally and throughout the United States he gave retreats and lectures on Carmelite history and spirituality and wrote extensively on Carmelite subjects. Father Otilio died in Rome in 1994.

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross

Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae remains one of the great seminal works of philosophy and theology, while extending to subjects as diverse as law and government, sacraments and liturgy, and psychology and ethics. We are now witnessing in the United States a revival of orthodox Catholic theological education, rooted explicitly in the theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas, as countless popes and Church documents recommend. Surprisingly, however, there does not yet exist an affordable, high-quality edition of the saint’s greatest systematic work of dogmatic and moral theology, the Summa Theologiae. The Aquinas Institute is therefore proud to announce the publication of the Summa Theologiae. • English text based on the translation of the Fathers of the English Dominican Province, edited and corrected by the Institute’s faculty and staff• Durable synthetic leather hardcover, quality binding in an 8 volume set• Affordable price

Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae remains one of the great seminal works of philosophy and theology, while extending to subjects as diverse as law and government, sacraments and liturgy, and psychology and ethics.
We are now witnessing in the United States a revival of orthodox Catholic theological education, rooted explicitly in the theology of Saint Thomas Aquinas, as countless popes and Church documents recommend.
Surprisingly, however, there does not yet exist an affordable, high-quality edition of the saint’s greatest systematic work of dogmatic and moral theology, the Summa Theologiae. The Aquinas Institute is therefore proud to announce the publication of the Summa Theologiae.
• English text based on the translation of the Fathers of the English Dominican Province, edited and corrected by the Institute’s faculty and staff • Durable synthetic leather hardcover, quality binding in an 8 volume set • Affordable price

Summa Theologica: Complete Set

Reflecting Josemar a Escriva's belief that God can be found in professional and everyday settings, The Way blends passages from sacred Scripture with anecdotes drawn from Escriva's life and work, snatches of conversation, and selections from his personal letters. The direct, conversational writing style and its deeply felt humanity are among the book's main attractions and beautifully convey the belief that the human is not foreign to the divine and that the fully Christian spiritual attitude can be described as unity of life. Since it was first published in 1939, more than four and a half million copies of The Way have been sold in forty-three different languages. This handsome paperback edition will take its place alongside such seminal works as John of the Cross's Dark Night of the Soul, Thomas Kempis's Imitation of Christ, and Teresa of vila's The Interior Castle.

Reflecting Josemar a Escriva's belief that God can be found in professional and everyday settings, The Way blends passages from sacred Scripture with anecdotes drawn from Escriva's life and work, snatches of conversation, and selections from his personal letters. The direct, conversational writing style and its deeply felt humanity are among the book's main attractions and beautifully convey the belief that the human is not foreign to the divine and that the fully Christian spiritual attitude can be described as unity of life.
Since it was first published in 1939, more than four and a half million copies of The Way have been sold in forty-three different languages. This handsome paperback edition will take its place alongside such seminal works as John of the Cross's Dark Night of the Soul, Thomas Kempis's Imitation of Christ, and Teresa of vila's The Interior Castle.

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