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The Miracles of Antichrist
Lagerlof was the first woman and the first Swedish author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1909. She was considered one of Sweden's most beloved authors; the Swedish Academy declared that their recognition of her was "for reason of the noble idealism, the wealth of imagination, the soulful quality of style, which characterize her works."
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1897
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296 people want to read
About the author
Selma Lagerlöf
1,357 books707 followersSelma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was a Swedish author. In 1909 she became the first woman to ever receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings". She later also became the first female member of the Swedish Academy.
Born in the forested countryside of Sweden she was told many of the classic Swedish fairytales, which she would later use as inspiration in her magic realist writings. Since she for some of her early years had problems with her legs (she was born with a faulty hip) she would also spend a lot of time reading books such as the Bible.
As a young woman she was a teacher in the southern parts of Sweden for ten years before her first novel Gösta Berling's Saga was published. As her writer career progressed she would keep up a correspondance with some of her former female collegues for almost her entire life.
Lagerlöf never married and was almost certainly a lesbian (she never officially stated that she was, but most later researchers believe this to be the case). For many years her constant companion was fellow writer Sophie Elkan, with whom she traveled to Italy and the Middle East. Her visit to Palestine and a colony of Christians there, would inspire her to write Jerusalem, her story of Swedish farmers converting into a evangelical Christian group and travelling to "The American Colony" in Jerusalem.
Lagerlöf was involved in both women issues as well as politics. She would among other things help the Jewish writer Nelly Sachs to come to Sweden and donated her Nobel medal to the Finnish war effort against the Soviet union.
Outside of Sweden she's perhaps most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils).
Born in the forested countryside of Sweden she was told many of the classic Swedish fairytales, which she would later use as inspiration in her magic realist writings. Since she for some of her early years had problems with her legs (she was born with a faulty hip) she would also spend a lot of time reading books such as the Bible.
As a young woman she was a teacher in the southern parts of Sweden for ten years before her first novel Gösta Berling's Saga was published. As her writer career progressed she would keep up a correspondance with some of her former female collegues for almost her entire life.
Lagerlöf never married and was almost certainly a lesbian (she never officially stated that she was, but most later researchers believe this to be the case). For many years her constant companion was fellow writer Sophie Elkan, with whom she traveled to Italy and the Middle East. Her visit to Palestine and a colony of Christians there, would inspire her to write Jerusalem, her story of Swedish farmers converting into a evangelical Christian group and travelling to "The American Colony" in Jerusalem.
Lagerlöf was involved in both women issues as well as politics. She would among other things help the Jewish writer Nelly Sachs to come to Sweden and donated her Nobel medal to the Finnish war effort against the Soviet union.
Outside of Sweden she's perhaps most widely known for her children's book Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils).
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October 14, 2018
There are many beautiful passages in this unfairly forgotten 1897 novel by the great Selma Lagerlöf. The following one, which comes right at the end, I liked so much that I have to try my hand at translating it:
There is a story, said the old pope, that when Our Lord was making the world, he wanted to know how much work he had left to do. And so he sent out San Pietro to see if the world was complete.
When San Pietro returned, he said: "Everyone is crying and wailing and moaning."
"Then the world is not complete," said Our Lord, and he continued with his work.
Three days later, Our Lord sent San Pietro once again to Earth.
"Everyone is laughing and playing and rejoicing," said San Pietro, when he returned.
"Then the world is not complete," said Our Lord, and he continued with his work.
San Pietro was sent out a third time.
"Some people are crying and some people are laughing," he said, when he returned.
"Then the world is complete," said Our Lord.
And so it is and so it shall be, said the old pope. No one can save people from their sorrows, but much shall be forgiven the one who gives them new courage to bear them.
There is a story, said the old pope, that when Our Lord was making the world, he wanted to know how much work he had left to do. And so he sent out San Pietro to see if the world was complete.
When San Pietro returned, he said: "Everyone is crying and wailing and moaning."
"Then the world is not complete," said Our Lord, and he continued with his work.
Three days later, Our Lord sent San Pietro once again to Earth.
"Everyone is laughing and playing and rejoicing," said San Pietro, when he returned.
"Then the world is not complete," said Our Lord, and he continued with his work.
San Pietro was sent out a third time.
"Some people are crying and some people are laughing," he said, when he returned.
"Then the world is complete," said Our Lord.
And so it is and so it shall be, said the old pope. No one can save people from their sorrows, but much shall be forgiven the one who gives them new courage to bear them.
February 24, 2020
Achei um livro verdadeiramente excelente!!!Mas tenho a certeza que muita gente vai odiá-lo... Porque? Simplesmente porque não é socialmente correcto (para os dias de hoje) relativamente a muitas ideias que expressa,mas confesso que preenche muito bem a minha quota de socialmente incorrecto!Gostei também da forma como foram expostas as ideias e a história construída a partir delas(ou para elas)! Realmente Selma Lagerlöf é,sem dúvida,uma escritora que deve ser lida! Excelente forma de escrita e excelente construção da história!Mesmo muito bom!
April 14, 2013
Something I enjoy about many pre-1945 novels is the kind of explicitly philosophical bent that they take. Of course, contemporary novels don't necessarily eschew philosophical ideas. Rather, those ideas don't seem to me to be as on the surface either because I, as a contemporary, am too close to the material to see what the author is doing within a historical perspective or because contemporary novels, bound within the morass that is postmodernism, are a-philosophical (there is no discussion of belief, morality, etc., because such things do not exist--there is only, ultimately, the personal).
Lagerlof is of an earlier era. In Miracles she explores the contours of belief and how belief in and of itself shapes our world. The world, for Lagerlof, is still split between two camps, the Christian and the anti-Christian, the spiritually focused and the earthly focused. And what we believe--which one we believe in--ultimately colors our perception of that world. Is a miracle a miracle or merely happenstance that we correlate as miracle? And even if it is a miracle, what does that miracle mean?
To bring this story to bear, Lagerlof uses what really to me felt like a narrative from the fantastic realist school of writing, yet which predates those Latin American geniuses by half a decade or more. The tale is that of a statue--a Christchild statue that sits in a cathedral and does miracles for those who pray to it. One English woman, so swept up by the beauty of the statue, steals it and replaces it with a cheap replica, the crown of which reads, "My kingdom is only of this world." (The statue itself miraculously returns to the cathedral on its own and deposes the fake, but the fake lingers on in the possession of various collectors. Much, in the book, counterposes the mythic era of the distant past with our own tawdry one, as if miracles are best explained in the distant past.)
Step in many decades later, and that fake statue has now somehow made its way into yet another cathedral. It arrives with the tolling of bells that no one has pulled. Are the bells a miracle, a sign for Donna Micaela as she believes even though everyone else can hear them? Or are they in fact a warning about what is to unfold?
The story is set around the actions of Gaetano, a young man who eventually converts to socialism--to working for the good of the poor people of the world--and of Micaela, a believer who falls in love with Gaetano but who sees Gaetano's lack of faith as a great evil. One night, after Gaetano is sent to prison for his socialist activity, Micaela receives a vision that she believes is key to gaining Geatano's release, as well as restoring his faith in God. She must build a railroad to the town. The railroad will bring riches to the town's poor people. Each time something in her plan fails, she returns to the statue, prays, and seemingly miraculously the trouble is lifted and the next stage in building the rail is able to go forward. Soon the townspeople themselves begin to believe, and the Christchild garners a huge following.
Perhaps one of the best examples of this focus on belief comes in the character of the man with the evil eye. He is a man around which bad luck seems to congregate. People come to believe he has an evil eye, and eventually, despite his own best thinking, he comes to believe such also and becomes a hermit. Micaela, knowing the man's railroad skills, seeks him out, and though evil seems to come with his appearance, when the two step before the Christchild, all evil is lifted. Or is it merely all perception of evil, for the evil-eyed man himself claims that his evil eye is merely superstition. In the end, it doesn't matter. Either way, belief is what makes the man evil, and belief in the Christchild's healing power is what makes the man good.
But what is the antichrist, if this Christchild can change so much in the world? In fact, we learn, after the railway is built, that not much really does change. It is the world outside that causes things to continue on as before, those who don't believe in the Christchild, those of the town come to believe. But when the real identity of the Christchild is exposed as being that of the fake, all faith is spurned. If these were not miracles performed by the Christchild, what were they?
Antichrist looks like the Christ, Lagerlof notes. They both perform miracles. But antichrist, like the socialists, concerns himself with the things of this world, while Christ focuses on the things of the next world. Antichrist is a replica of Christ--one concerned only with physical well-being. Is the Church better off pointing people to the true Christ and spurning movements like that of socialism, or is it better to embrace the concern for the physical well-being of people and use that to point toward the greater spiritual well-being that even antichrist must bow to?
Lagerlof is of an earlier era. In Miracles she explores the contours of belief and how belief in and of itself shapes our world. The world, for Lagerlof, is still split between two camps, the Christian and the anti-Christian, the spiritually focused and the earthly focused. And what we believe--which one we believe in--ultimately colors our perception of that world. Is a miracle a miracle or merely happenstance that we correlate as miracle? And even if it is a miracle, what does that miracle mean?
To bring this story to bear, Lagerlof uses what really to me felt like a narrative from the fantastic realist school of writing, yet which predates those Latin American geniuses by half a decade or more. The tale is that of a statue--a Christchild statue that sits in a cathedral and does miracles for those who pray to it. One English woman, so swept up by the beauty of the statue, steals it and replaces it with a cheap replica, the crown of which reads, "My kingdom is only of this world." (The statue itself miraculously returns to the cathedral on its own and deposes the fake, but the fake lingers on in the possession of various collectors. Much, in the book, counterposes the mythic era of the distant past with our own tawdry one, as if miracles are best explained in the distant past.)
Step in many decades later, and that fake statue has now somehow made its way into yet another cathedral. It arrives with the tolling of bells that no one has pulled. Are the bells a miracle, a sign for Donna Micaela as she believes even though everyone else can hear them? Or are they in fact a warning about what is to unfold?
The story is set around the actions of Gaetano, a young man who eventually converts to socialism--to working for the good of the poor people of the world--and of Micaela, a believer who falls in love with Gaetano but who sees Gaetano's lack of faith as a great evil. One night, after Gaetano is sent to prison for his socialist activity, Micaela receives a vision that she believes is key to gaining Geatano's release, as well as restoring his faith in God. She must build a railroad to the town. The railroad will bring riches to the town's poor people. Each time something in her plan fails, she returns to the statue, prays, and seemingly miraculously the trouble is lifted and the next stage in building the rail is able to go forward. Soon the townspeople themselves begin to believe, and the Christchild garners a huge following.
Perhaps one of the best examples of this focus on belief comes in the character of the man with the evil eye. He is a man around which bad luck seems to congregate. People come to believe he has an evil eye, and eventually, despite his own best thinking, he comes to believe such also and becomes a hermit. Micaela, knowing the man's railroad skills, seeks him out, and though evil seems to come with his appearance, when the two step before the Christchild, all evil is lifted. Or is it merely all perception of evil, for the evil-eyed man himself claims that his evil eye is merely superstition. In the end, it doesn't matter. Either way, belief is what makes the man evil, and belief in the Christchild's healing power is what makes the man good.
But what is the antichrist, if this Christchild can change so much in the world? In fact, we learn, after the railway is built, that not much really does change. It is the world outside that causes things to continue on as before, those who don't believe in the Christchild, those of the town come to believe. But when the real identity of the Christchild is exposed as being that of the fake, all faith is spurned. If these were not miracles performed by the Christchild, what were they?
Antichrist looks like the Christ, Lagerlof notes. They both perform miracles. But antichrist, like the socialists, concerns himself with the things of this world, while Christ focuses on the things of the next world. Antichrist is a replica of Christ--one concerned only with physical well-being. Is the Church better off pointing people to the true Christ and spurning movements like that of socialism, or is it better to embrace the concern for the physical well-being of people and use that to point toward the greater spiritual well-being that even antichrist must bow to?
September 18, 2019
Valahogy nálam nem érte el azt a hatást, amit a Gösta Berling vagy a Jeruzsálem. Hogy azért nem, mert hiányzott belőle valami, vagy azért nem, mert volt benne valami, ami nem kellett volna legyen, azon bizony eleget tépelődtem. Ha van Lagerlöfnek utánozhatatlan specialitása, az az, hogy egy mozaikosra tördelt epikus ívet meg tud tölteni a babonák és a spiritualitás mágikus hangulatával – így egy olyan szöveget hoz létre, ami éppen szaggatottságában válik inspiratívvá. Most azonban, bár a szöveg bőven szaggatott, de hogy inspiratív-e… efelől komoly kétségeim vannak.
Egyrészt az volt a benyomásom, hogy a szerző olyan mélységben ismeri Szicíliát, ahogy egy turista ismerheti, aki eltöltött ott egy-két hónapot: tud pár autentikus népi hiedelmet, látott már echte dél-olasz siratóasszonyt, körmenetben körülhordozott Fekete Madonnát – de azért ez még kevés. Ezt az érzésemet nyilván fel is erősítette, hogy ezek a szereplők nekem nem álltak össze sehogy. Elbóklásztak, tették a dolgukat, szenvedtek, beszéltek, szerettek, de valahogy egyikhez sem sikerült határozott arcot rendeltem. Ez már csak azért is komoly probléma, mert így nem maradt más a könyvben, mint a tanmese az Antikrisztusról – és ettől a tanmesétől nekem bizony időnként borsódzott a hátam.
Lagerlöf ugyanis tulajdonképpen a szocializmus eredettörténetét vázolja fel nekünk, ami interpretációjában egy hamis Bambino-kegyszobor machinációi következtében született, mely szobron „Az én országom csak ebből a világból való” felirat szerepel – ebben pedig lendületből megláttam az a tipikusan "nem publikus" érvet, ami ugyan egy keresztény számára jelenthet valamit, de a másik oldal számára totálisan értelmezhetetlen. Innentől kezdve pedig nem szűntem meg gyanakodni a szerzőre, hogy olyasmit akar rám tukmálni, amire nekem aligha van szükségem – ez a gyanú egészen a legutolsó fejezetig tartott, amelyben Lagerlöf csavarint egyet ezen az értelmezésen, rögvest elfogadhatóbbá téve azt számomra. Csak sajnos attól tartok, ekkorra már nagyon szilárdan kialakultak bennem a könyvvel kapcsolatos vélekedéseim – legfeljebb egy fél csillagocskát lennék hajlandó korrigálni rajtuk, de olyan meg nincs. Amit tényleg sajnálok – sokat vártam ettől a könyvtől.
August 10, 2017
Neste meu desiderato em tentar apropriar-me da leitura de algumas das obras escritas pelos galardoados com o prémio Nobel da Literatura de todos os tempos, encontrei neste “Os Milagres do Anti-Cristo” da escritora sueca Selma Lagerlöf, a razão dessa minha vontade! Tendo sido a primeira mulher a receber a agraciação da Academia Sueca em 1909 pelo cômputo da sua obra, é natural que não resistisse à curiosidade em confirmar a justiça de tão importante e ambicionado prémio.
Nas minhas deambulações pela minha livraria preferida, apenas encontrava aquela que é considerada a sua obra-prima “A Saga de Gösta Berling”, escrita em 1891 que, pela sinopse, nessa altura, não tinha cativado, por aí além, a minha atenção. Até que me deparei com este livro que, só pelo título, me fez crer que tinha alcançado o caminho para desbravar a obra de Lagerlöf.
“Os Milagres do Anti-Cristo”, como previra, não dececionou. Muito pelo contrário pois trata-se de uma narrativa extraordinária naquilo que nos faz conhecer, na forma como nos transporta para uma cidade pequena, Diamantina, localizada no interior da Sicília, cuja ação se desenvolve, em finais do século 19 com todas as suas problemáticas isolacionistas que, urgentemente, necessitava de algo que a fizesse acreditar num futuro melhor. E essa crença não advinha sob a forma de um incipiente e embrionário movimento socialista mas sim de uma imagem do Menino Jesus cujo original pertencia à belíssima igreja de Aracoeli em Roma. Uma cópia dessa escultura, extraordinariamente ornamentada, com colares, anéis e sapatos de ouro (na sua versão original) receberia uma inscrição, na cópia, na sua coroa determinando que “o vosso reino pertence e só a este mundo”. A partir da criação dessa emulação, que acabaria por parar na pequena vila de Diamantina, tudo mudou. Essa imagem, idolatrada, levaria à realização de todos os desejos da população, inclusivamente, dos propósitos da personagem principal, Dona Micaela Palmiri mais tarde Ferrante.
Não pude deixar de refletir, e talvez tenha sido essa a intenção da autora, sobre os conflitos endógenos que sempre opuseram a igreja às teorias marxistas próprias dos finais do século 19 mas com a particularidade de serem vivenciadas numa província siciliana com o Etna a servir de pano de fundo! E isto tudo indo de encontro à realização de expectativas terrenas sem que ninguém se importasse a dicotomia “o vosso reino pertence e só a este mundo”/o vosso reino é algo intensamente metafísico!
E o que dizer da formidável galeria de personagens que dão vida à narrativa? Notáveis em todos os seus aspetos! Selma Langerlöf revela aqui a sua enorme criatividade, brilhante que é na construção de todos os seress que enformam esta maravilhosa ficção! Mereceu, só por este livro, a compreensão e o reconhecimento da Academia Sueca. Fiquei com vontade de ler “A Saga de Gösta Berling”
Nas minhas deambulações pela minha livraria preferida, apenas encontrava aquela que é considerada a sua obra-prima “A Saga de Gösta Berling”, escrita em 1891 que, pela sinopse, nessa altura, não tinha cativado, por aí além, a minha atenção. Até que me deparei com este livro que, só pelo título, me fez crer que tinha alcançado o caminho para desbravar a obra de Lagerlöf.
“Os Milagres do Anti-Cristo”, como previra, não dececionou. Muito pelo contrário pois trata-se de uma narrativa extraordinária naquilo que nos faz conhecer, na forma como nos transporta para uma cidade pequena, Diamantina, localizada no interior da Sicília, cuja ação se desenvolve, em finais do século 19 com todas as suas problemáticas isolacionistas que, urgentemente, necessitava de algo que a fizesse acreditar num futuro melhor. E essa crença não advinha sob a forma de um incipiente e embrionário movimento socialista mas sim de uma imagem do Menino Jesus cujo original pertencia à belíssima igreja de Aracoeli em Roma. Uma cópia dessa escultura, extraordinariamente ornamentada, com colares, anéis e sapatos de ouro (na sua versão original) receberia uma inscrição, na cópia, na sua coroa determinando que “o vosso reino pertence e só a este mundo”. A partir da criação dessa emulação, que acabaria por parar na pequena vila de Diamantina, tudo mudou. Essa imagem, idolatrada, levaria à realização de todos os desejos da população, inclusivamente, dos propósitos da personagem principal, Dona Micaela Palmiri mais tarde Ferrante.
Não pude deixar de refletir, e talvez tenha sido essa a intenção da autora, sobre os conflitos endógenos que sempre opuseram a igreja às teorias marxistas próprias dos finais do século 19 mas com a particularidade de serem vivenciadas numa província siciliana com o Etna a servir de pano de fundo! E isto tudo indo de encontro à realização de expectativas terrenas sem que ninguém se importasse a dicotomia “o vosso reino pertence e só a este mundo”/o vosso reino é algo intensamente metafísico!
E o que dizer da formidável galeria de personagens que dão vida à narrativa? Notáveis em todos os seus aspetos! Selma Langerlöf revela aqui a sua enorme criatividade, brilhante que é na construção de todos os seress que enformam esta maravilhosa ficção! Mereceu, só por este livro, a compreensão e o reconhecimento da Academia Sueca. Fiquei com vontade de ler “A Saga de Gösta Berling”
December 2, 2018
This is a deeply philosophical story of Christian belief told in Lagerlofs beautiful prose. The story has as its main protagonists Gaetano a non-believer whose dedication is to Socialism and Donna Micaela a believer. Theirs is a love story that can not be because of their differences. The story centers around the antichrist in the form of a statue that Micaela prays to which seems to perform apparent miracles that are indistinguishable from those of Christ.
For some reason I just really enjoy Lagerlofs writing. This is a story that I normally would have no interest in except for her writing. She has a certain flare in her writing that has a melodrama quality to it and, at times, is overly dramatic and grandiose but it somehow resonates with me. To my mind her writing usually seems to read as if she is telling a fairy-tale or folklore.
For some reason I just really enjoy Lagerlofs writing. This is a story that I normally would have no interest in except for her writing. She has a certain flare in her writing that has a melodrama quality to it and, at times, is overly dramatic and grandiose but it somehow resonates with me. To my mind her writing usually seems to read as if she is telling a fairy-tale or folklore.
October 22, 2025
Meh. Jag hade högre förväntningar på boken. Handlingen och personerna greppade aldrig riktigt tag i mig. Ska bli intressant att höra hur andra i bokklubben tänkt kring läsningen.
Två av de starkare citaten: ”De sicilianska kvinnorna veta vad som väntar dem, när de sårat sin mans ära”
”Ingen kan frälsa människorna från deras sorger, men den förlåtes mycket, som föder hos dem nytt mod att bära dem”
Två av de starkare citaten: ”De sicilianska kvinnorna veta vad som väntar dem, när de sårat sin mans ära”
”Ingen kan frälsa människorna från deras sorger, men den förlåtes mycket, som föder hos dem nytt mod att bära dem”
August 20, 2018
Zo mooi hoe Lagerlöf dit verhaal vertelt... Als de kleine Gaetano die priester wil worden door een onbekende oudtante wordt overgehaald met haar mee te gaan naar een dorpje nabij de Etna, puur door haar verhaal over hoe het daar is, wil je ook mee. Lagerlöf verhaalt van schrijnende armoede en groot onrecht, maar zo sprookjesachtig. Ik kreeg heimwee naar het dorpje Diamante. Daar naar het poppentheater van don Antonio te kunnen gaan, de blinde zangers te horen, een heiligenbeeld aan te roepen voor hulp... Van veel personages wordt (een deel van) hun levensverhaal verteld en nergens wordt dat vervelend. Je gaat houden van miss Tottenham, donna Micaela, Gaetano, donna Elisa. Zij lijken vaak te berusten in een zeker noodlot, maar dan ineens nemen zij het heft in handen om een situatie naar hun hand te zetten. Meesterlijk hoe donna Micaela haar vader, die haar blijft afwijzen, terwijl zij haar hele leven in zijn dienst stelt, weet te vermurwen. Of hoe donna Elisa het lot van de blinden in Diamante weet te keren. Een hele wereld wordt hier geschapen. Je krijgt veel mee over de zeden en gebruiken omstreeks 1900 op Sicilië, een tijd waarin er opstanden waren, geleid door socialisten, er grote armoede was en de eerste spoorweg op het punt stond een feit te zijn. Op het einde zou je bijna geloven dat het socialisme inderdaad veroorzaakt is door de Antichrist, maar dat we deze leer niet hoeven te verwerpen, ondanks dat ze ‘slechts van deze wereld’ is, maar alleen tot christus hoeven brengen, zodat de hemel niet vergeten wordt...
November 18, 2011
Os Milagres do Anticristo é um romance de Selma Lagerlöf, a primeira mulher a receber um prémio Nobel da literatura em 1909.
A história desta obra recai sobre a temática da religião/política, sendo certo a relação entre ambos os temas só se descortina nas últimas páginas do livro.
Este livro conta-nos várias pequenas histórias, todas relacionadas com os mesmos intervenientes, uma imagem de Cristo, Donna Micaela, uma cidade absorta numa realidade onde a pobreza é rainha que é Diamante, sendo que todos os milagres são resultado da intervenção da imagem de Cristo.
A especificidade desta imagem de Cristo reside no facto de a mesma ser a cópia de uma outra, sendo que esta tem a inscrição “o meu reino é só deste mundo”, ou seja, exactamente o oposto daquela que deveria ser a verdadeira mensagem de Cristo.
Depois de um longo excurso em que se narram os milagres desta imagem de Cristo, chega-nos a relação com a política, mais precisamente com o socialismo e a forma como ele se expressa em Itália, mais particularmente na Sicília.
A relação que se estabelece entre estas duas realidades é apenas imediata no final da obra, sendo certo que corresponde a uma ideia não comummente aceite ou generalizada.
Pela minha parte tenho de confessar que não gostei desta obra. É enfadonha, com uma história que considero pouco cativante, com personagens pouco atraente e sobre uma temática que – pela forma como foi colocada – não me suscita grande interesse.
Seja como for, há quem discorde desta ideia, como por exemplo no blog À Margem.
Depois de compararem as críticas, façam a vossa opção.
A história desta obra recai sobre a temática da religião/política, sendo certo a relação entre ambos os temas só se descortina nas últimas páginas do livro.
Este livro conta-nos várias pequenas histórias, todas relacionadas com os mesmos intervenientes, uma imagem de Cristo, Donna Micaela, uma cidade absorta numa realidade onde a pobreza é rainha que é Diamante, sendo que todos os milagres são resultado da intervenção da imagem de Cristo.
A especificidade desta imagem de Cristo reside no facto de a mesma ser a cópia de uma outra, sendo que esta tem a inscrição “o meu reino é só deste mundo”, ou seja, exactamente o oposto daquela que deveria ser a verdadeira mensagem de Cristo.
Depois de um longo excurso em que se narram os milagres desta imagem de Cristo, chega-nos a relação com a política, mais precisamente com o socialismo e a forma como ele se expressa em Itália, mais particularmente na Sicília.
A relação que se estabelece entre estas duas realidades é apenas imediata no final da obra, sendo certo que corresponde a uma ideia não comummente aceite ou generalizada.
Pela minha parte tenho de confessar que não gostei desta obra. É enfadonha, com uma história que considero pouco cativante, com personagens pouco atraente e sobre uma temática que – pela forma como foi colocada – não me suscita grande interesse.
Seja como for, há quem discorde desta ideia, como por exemplo no blog À Margem.
Depois de compararem as críticas, façam a vossa opção.
May 19, 2022
I came to read this book despite never having heard of the author because I came across her children's book, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, in a bookstore in Key West, and it seemed out of place among all the recent fiction there. It also had discount upon discount and I thought that if I didn't buy it, no one ever would. Well, Nils was perfectly enchanting, and while it perhaps didn't have the most original plot overall, it was replete with happy observations and clever details. I was curious about the author and when I learned she was the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, I decided to read one of her adult books. I chose this one because it had the most provocative title.
Well, it certainly has the nice observations and details of Nils, so there is no disappointment there. It also preserves something from Nils that I thought was only present because Nils was a fairy story for children, and that is that the majority of the chapters function more or less like short stories or fairy tales, with a firm beginning and end. Sometimes, some the chapters in this book are only tangentially related to the plot, and this made the book something of trial to get through because I constantly felt like I was stopping and starting. It's kind of difficult to stay involved with something when you come to a complete stop and then start the next chapter in a new setting with new characters to meet.
The overall story is a love that I also found a bit hard to care too much about. The lovers don't have much to do with one another and even in the few scenes where they are together, they remain in their own world without even to seem to hear one another says. They certainly are not passionate about the same things. One is passionate about Socialism and the other about the more...superstitious aspects of Christianity. I suppose the question is less whether they will get together physically so much as whether they will ever have any kind of a meeting of minds.
That brings me to moral of the book. Right away at the beginning, Lagerlof tells her readers that socialism is the antichrist. This might have been enough for me stop reading by itself had I not been charmed by Nils first. A religious argument against a political movement is never very convincing to me. I rather think the concept of "separation of church and state" started with Jesus when he said "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's," rather than it being some invention of the Founding Fathers. But I was a bit interest to think what possible evidence Lagerlof could cite for saying Socialism, of all things, was antichristian. After all, it seems to me that the early church was run on Socialist principals. And really communities like those of monks and nuns continue to be structured so, with no private property and everyone giving according to his abilities to those according to their needs.
I never received the evidence I needed from Lagerlof, she never quotes from the Bible and never even retells and stories or parables from it to illustrate her ideas. There is even a truly objectionable centerpiece of sorts in the books where she tells the story of a rich Englishwoman who gives money and food to the poor and crippled only to be very cruelly repaid, that amounts to a rebuke of charity in general. How is there any defense for this position in Christianity, I said, after reading it. Didn't Jesus feed the 5,000 and heal the cripples? If this is antichristian to Lagerlof, Jesus must be the first antichristian.
Well, in the end, the book is not a bunch of nonsense, because eventually Lagerlof does get around to supporting her premise (though I will point out that in doing so, she never feels she needs the Bible to support her views about Christianity). Her idea, and I suppose she says it in brief in the prologue, so I'm not really spoiling anything, is that if Socialism is successful (and let me just say that she seems to think it will be, she is not antisocialist in the way someone like Ayn Rand is. They couldn't be further apart.) if Socialism is successful, and everyone is without want, no one will be concerned over their immortal souls and everyone, I suppose, will end up in Hell. It's kind of interesting, I think it kind of deals with the Problem of Pain from a different angle. It's still not based on anything from the Bible. Jonah needed to go through some trials to get the picture; Job, on the other hand, was an upright man right from the beginning. Also, it seems to me that the most selfish people are the poor and the rich. The poor are selfish because they have to be to survive. "It's a dog eat dog world." and the rich are selfish, I suppose because of the reasons Lagerlof says, they can't even comprehend what it means to be poor. "if Millennials didn't waste their money on avocado toast, they could save up for a house like their parents did." I feel like being somewhere in the middle gives you the opportunity to both kind of know what hard times are and to want to help other people through them. That's just my feeling though. It's not based on any studies or anything. The goal of Socialism, it seems to me, isn't to make everyone rich, but to put everyone in the middle, even it out. It's not just "to each according to his needs" but also "from each according to his ability."
I don't think those arguments would convince Lagerlof, however. Except for the bizarre anticharity section of the book, her issue isn't really with socialism. She is, I'm sure, just as against capitalism and any other ism. Her issue is with worldliness. We shouldn't be concerned with improving the world or our fellowmen. We should only be concerned with our immortal souls. I have the same problem with this as when I think of Buddhism. All this inward looking self-improvement is very selfish to me. I think you certainly need some of it, don't get me wrong. I'm all for meditation and prayer, even physical improvement like learning new skills and calisthenics. You do need all that reflection to become a better person. But I guess I think there's a goal to that beyond the Buddhist nonexistence or the Christian reunion with God, and that's improving the lives of the people around you. Like, you know, Jesus did.
Well, it certainly has the nice observations and details of Nils, so there is no disappointment there. It also preserves something from Nils that I thought was only present because Nils was a fairy story for children, and that is that the majority of the chapters function more or less like short stories or fairy tales, with a firm beginning and end. Sometimes, some the chapters in this book are only tangentially related to the plot, and this made the book something of trial to get through because I constantly felt like I was stopping and starting. It's kind of difficult to stay involved with something when you come to a complete stop and then start the next chapter in a new setting with new characters to meet.
The overall story is a love that I also found a bit hard to care too much about. The lovers don't have much to do with one another and even in the few scenes where they are together, they remain in their own world without even to seem to hear one another says. They certainly are not passionate about the same things. One is passionate about Socialism and the other about the more...superstitious aspects of Christianity. I suppose the question is less whether they will get together physically so much as whether they will ever have any kind of a meeting of minds.
That brings me to moral of the book. Right away at the beginning, Lagerlof tells her readers that socialism is the antichrist. This might have been enough for me stop reading by itself had I not been charmed by Nils first. A religious argument against a political movement is never very convincing to me. I rather think the concept of "separation of church and state" started with Jesus when he said "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's," rather than it being some invention of the Founding Fathers. But I was a bit interest to think what possible evidence Lagerlof could cite for saying Socialism, of all things, was antichristian. After all, it seems to me that the early church was run on Socialist principals. And really communities like those of monks and nuns continue to be structured so, with no private property and everyone giving according to his abilities to those according to their needs.
I never received the evidence I needed from Lagerlof, she never quotes from the Bible and never even retells and stories or parables from it to illustrate her ideas. There is even a truly objectionable centerpiece of sorts in the books where she tells the story of a rich Englishwoman who gives money and food to the poor and crippled only to be very cruelly repaid, that amounts to a rebuke of charity in general. How is there any defense for this position in Christianity, I said, after reading it. Didn't Jesus feed the 5,000 and heal the cripples? If this is antichristian to Lagerlof, Jesus must be the first antichristian.
Well, in the end, the book is not a bunch of nonsense, because eventually Lagerlof does get around to supporting her premise (though I will point out that in doing so, she never feels she needs the Bible to support her views about Christianity). Her idea, and I suppose she says it in brief in the prologue, so I'm not really spoiling anything, is that if Socialism is successful (and let me just say that she seems to think it will be, she is not antisocialist in the way someone like Ayn Rand is. They couldn't be further apart.) if Socialism is successful, and everyone is without want, no one will be concerned over their immortal souls and everyone, I suppose, will end up in Hell. It's kind of interesting, I think it kind of deals with the Problem of Pain from a different angle. It's still not based on anything from the Bible. Jonah needed to go through some trials to get the picture; Job, on the other hand, was an upright man right from the beginning. Also, it seems to me that the most selfish people are the poor and the rich. The poor are selfish because they have to be to survive. "It's a dog eat dog world." and the rich are selfish, I suppose because of the reasons Lagerlof says, they can't even comprehend what it means to be poor. "if Millennials didn't waste their money on avocado toast, they could save up for a house like their parents did." I feel like being somewhere in the middle gives you the opportunity to both kind of know what hard times are and to want to help other people through them. That's just my feeling though. It's not based on any studies or anything. The goal of Socialism, it seems to me, isn't to make everyone rich, but to put everyone in the middle, even it out. It's not just "to each according to his needs" but also "from each according to his ability."
I don't think those arguments would convince Lagerlof, however. Except for the bizarre anticharity section of the book, her issue isn't really with socialism. She is, I'm sure, just as against capitalism and any other ism. Her issue is with worldliness. We shouldn't be concerned with improving the world or our fellowmen. We should only be concerned with our immortal souls. I have the same problem with this as when I think of Buddhism. All this inward looking self-improvement is very selfish to me. I think you certainly need some of it, don't get me wrong. I'm all for meditation and prayer, even physical improvement like learning new skills and calisthenics. You do need all that reflection to become a better person. But I guess I think there's a goal to that beyond the Buddhist nonexistence or the Christian reunion with God, and that's improving the lives of the people around you. Like, you know, Jesus did.
June 1, 2018
This is far more explicit a novel of ideas than the several other Lagerlof books I've read, and yet her brilliant plotting and loving character development do not at all suffer for that.
Lagerlof takes a brave stance here, in 1897, by employing the philosophical novel to examine the inherent flaws of socialism. At the same time, it is an imaginative treatment of Catholicism just as her novels "Jerusalem" and "The Holy City" dealt with a radical Protestant viewpoint.
All this may make the book sound dry and preachy; it is anything but that. As usual, Lagerlof is so generous in her literary offering that the reader finds every chapter a delight. And, oh, the bitter-sweetness of this story! Even finishing the penultimate chapter, I worried that Lagerlof would let me down and fail to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Yet, in the short, final chapter, she does it: she delivers--in a very simple, gentle and yet masterful manner--on all the ideas, on everything she has set up for us.
I've said it before. It's a crime that, despite her 1909 Nobel Prize for literature, Lagerlof isn't well known internationally.
Lagerlof takes a brave stance here, in 1897, by employing the philosophical novel to examine the inherent flaws of socialism. At the same time, it is an imaginative treatment of Catholicism just as her novels "Jerusalem" and "The Holy City" dealt with a radical Protestant viewpoint.
All this may make the book sound dry and preachy; it is anything but that. As usual, Lagerlof is so generous in her literary offering that the reader finds every chapter a delight. And, oh, the bitter-sweetness of this story! Even finishing the penultimate chapter, I worried that Lagerlof would let me down and fail to deliver a satisfying conclusion. Yet, in the short, final chapter, she does it: she delivers--in a very simple, gentle and yet masterful manner--on all the ideas, on everything she has set up for us.
I've said it before. It's a crime that, despite her 1909 Nobel Prize for literature, Lagerlof isn't well known internationally.
June 5, 2012
There were many things to like about this book, but really, it was the way Lagerlof told her tale. Her ability to mix the past with the present was beautifully done - starting a chapter with a story from long ago, then bringing it to the present with it's affects on today. In this way, characters were developed on their own and within the stories of others, creating a rich history of Sicilian life in the late 1800s.
January 19, 2026
Selma Lagerlöf foi a primeira mulher a receber um prémio Nobel da literatura em 1909.
Esta obra suscitou-me imensa curiosidade pelo título, mas não tem nada a ver com o que eu estava à espera.
Inspirada numas férias na Sicília e a partir de uma crença generalizada na Sicília de que o Anticristo teria a mesma aparência que Cristo e da substituição de uma imagem de altar por outra falsa, a escritora cria uma narrativa de reflexão sobre a confusão da ideia política de socialismo e da mensagem do cristianismo (ambas contextualizadas na terra siciliana e com recurso ao estilo de vida siciliano), mas também sobre comportamentos sociais, ideologias políticas e fé religiosa.
Na colina romana do Capitólio uma sibila profetizou a César Augusto que ali se adoraria Cristo ou o anticristo, mas não o homem fraco. Foi ali onde, após a conversão de Roma, se construiu a Igreja Aracoeli, onde uma imagem de Cristo foi venerada durante séculos para evitar a adoração do mal. Esta imagem era dotada de uma enorme beleza, adornada por jóias e com a inscrição “o meu reino é só deste mundo”, ou seja, exactamente o oposto daquela que deveria ser a verdadeira mensagem de Cristo.
No entanto, cerca do ano de 1800, uma inglesa fica encantada com a imagem e pretende-a obter para si, pelo que procede à sua troca. No entanto, o embuste é descoberto e acaba por ficar com a falsa. A imagem viaja por muitos locais onde se operam maravilhas, até ir parar a um altar numa pequena e pobre cidade da Sicília, Diamantina, tendo como pano de fundo o imponente vulcão Etna, e nesta comunidade esquecida, ocorre a trama principal de uma devota apaixonada - Dona Micaela - por um revolucionário socialista - Gaetano - até que se descobre a verdade das origens da imagem "milagreira" que só agia a favor do interesse mundano.
Pode-se considerar que o Anticristo é o emergente socialismo do final do século XIX, que deixara toda a Europa em alvoroço, com a sua fascinante promessa de uma vida melhor para todos na Terra, sem qualquer preocupação com a alma - o que o tornou inimigo declarado do Cristianismo.
O livro contrapõe milagres religiosos e “milagres” humanos — como solidariedade, sacrifício e mudança social — questionando o que realmente salva as pessoas: a fé espiritual ou a acção concreta em favor dos outros. Ao longo da narrativa, Lagerlöf mostra os conflitos entre cristianismo, socialismo e poder, sem respostas simples, convidando o leitor a refletir sobre moral, esperança e responsabilidade humana.
Assim, a história desta obra recai sobre a temática da religião cristã/socialismo, ainda que a relação entre ambos os temas apenas se descortina nas últimas páginas do livro. Confesso que, apesar de adorar ambas as temáticas, não gostei desta obra. Achei-a um pouco enfadonha, com uma história e personagens que considerei pouco cativantes.
Esta obra suscitou-me imensa curiosidade pelo título, mas não tem nada a ver com o que eu estava à espera.
Inspirada numas férias na Sicília e a partir de uma crença generalizada na Sicília de que o Anticristo teria a mesma aparência que Cristo e da substituição de uma imagem de altar por outra falsa, a escritora cria uma narrativa de reflexão sobre a confusão da ideia política de socialismo e da mensagem do cristianismo (ambas contextualizadas na terra siciliana e com recurso ao estilo de vida siciliano), mas também sobre comportamentos sociais, ideologias políticas e fé religiosa.
Na colina romana do Capitólio uma sibila profetizou a César Augusto que ali se adoraria Cristo ou o anticristo, mas não o homem fraco. Foi ali onde, após a conversão de Roma, se construiu a Igreja Aracoeli, onde uma imagem de Cristo foi venerada durante séculos para evitar a adoração do mal. Esta imagem era dotada de uma enorme beleza, adornada por jóias e com a inscrição “o meu reino é só deste mundo”, ou seja, exactamente o oposto daquela que deveria ser a verdadeira mensagem de Cristo.
No entanto, cerca do ano de 1800, uma inglesa fica encantada com a imagem e pretende-a obter para si, pelo que procede à sua troca. No entanto, o embuste é descoberto e acaba por ficar com a falsa. A imagem viaja por muitos locais onde se operam maravilhas, até ir parar a um altar numa pequena e pobre cidade da Sicília, Diamantina, tendo como pano de fundo o imponente vulcão Etna, e nesta comunidade esquecida, ocorre a trama principal de uma devota apaixonada - Dona Micaela - por um revolucionário socialista - Gaetano - até que se descobre a verdade das origens da imagem "milagreira" que só agia a favor do interesse mundano.
Pode-se considerar que o Anticristo é o emergente socialismo do final do século XIX, que deixara toda a Europa em alvoroço, com a sua fascinante promessa de uma vida melhor para todos na Terra, sem qualquer preocupação com a alma - o que o tornou inimigo declarado do Cristianismo.
O livro contrapõe milagres religiosos e “milagres” humanos — como solidariedade, sacrifício e mudança social — questionando o que realmente salva as pessoas: a fé espiritual ou a acção concreta em favor dos outros. Ao longo da narrativa, Lagerlöf mostra os conflitos entre cristianismo, socialismo e poder, sem respostas simples, convidando o leitor a refletir sobre moral, esperança e responsabilidade humana.
Assim, a história desta obra recai sobre a temática da religião cristã/socialismo, ainda que a relação entre ambos os temas apenas se descortina nas últimas páginas do livro. Confesso que, apesar de adorar ambas as temáticas, não gostei desta obra. Achei-a um pouco enfadonha, com uma história e personagens que considerei pouco cativantes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2021
Lagerlöf reste med sin vän Sophie Elkan till Sicilien 1896 och stannade där flera månader. Helt klart var det en inspirerande resa, vilket gjorde att båda ville skriva om sina erfarenheter. Jag började nyss läsa ett urval av Selmas brev till Sophie, och efter nämnda resa tallar honjust om skapandet av detta roman. Hur hon samlat tidningar och böcker om Sicilien, och liksom sin debut och genombrott om Gösta Berling, som samlat äventyr och legender om värmlänningar, ville hon nu knyta samman en historia om Sicilien, i synnerhet den lilla staden på Etnas sluttning, som i boken kallas Diamante, men är inspirerad av Taormina.
Boken har aldrig rönt samma intresse som många andra av Lagerlöfs verk. När jag köpte en inbunden samling av hennes verk utgiven i slutet av 1970-talet, saknas 'Antikrists mirakler'. Att jag själv läser den nu beror på att jag hittat originalutgåvan från 1897, i skinnband, hos myrorna. En ädelsten i min samling, papperskvaliten är helt blank och oförstörd trots 125 år på nacken.
Kanske har intresset för romanen återuppväckts nu på 2000-talet, med tanke på nämnda brev som blev offentliga nu först på 2000-talet. Jag vet inte. Men där talas om hur huvudpersonen Donna Micaela, inspirerats av just Sophie Elkan, inte bara till utseendet, men hur skrivarbetet inte lossnade helt förrän Lagerlöf lösgjorde sig från väninnans öde och skapade en historia i sin egen rätt, som alltid med skrivande, när texten tar över och formar sitt eget öde.
Själv känner jag att historien i sig låg i framkant, och hade minst 50 år av krig och elände framför sig innan idén hade en chans att få människor att förstå grundtanken. Och att detta egentligen inte lossnat förrän nu på 2000-talet. Att förankra en positiv jämlikhet och gott liv - redan här på jorden.
Boken har aldrig rönt samma intresse som många andra av Lagerlöfs verk. När jag köpte en inbunden samling av hennes verk utgiven i slutet av 1970-talet, saknas 'Antikrists mirakler'. Att jag själv läser den nu beror på att jag hittat originalutgåvan från 1897, i skinnband, hos myrorna. En ädelsten i min samling, papperskvaliten är helt blank och oförstörd trots 125 år på nacken.
Kanske har intresset för romanen återuppväckts nu på 2000-talet, med tanke på nämnda brev som blev offentliga nu först på 2000-talet. Jag vet inte. Men där talas om hur huvudpersonen Donna Micaela, inspirerats av just Sophie Elkan, inte bara till utseendet, men hur skrivarbetet inte lossnade helt förrän Lagerlöf lösgjorde sig från väninnans öde och skapade en historia i sin egen rätt, som alltid med skrivande, när texten tar över och formar sitt eget öde.
Själv känner jag att historien i sig låg i framkant, och hade minst 50 år av krig och elände framför sig innan idén hade en chans att få människor att förstå grundtanken. Och att detta egentligen inte lossnat förrän nu på 2000-talet. Att förankra en positiv jämlikhet och gott liv - redan här på jorden.
September 1, 2025
Det här var romanen Lagerlöf skrev efter "Gösta Berlings saga" och mycket känns igen:
* Det är episodiskt berättat.
* Stämningen är någonstans mellan skröna och magisk realism.
* Huvudpersonerna är unga, vackra, olyckliga älskande!
* Många små sidohistorier om gubbar och gummor och kufar och original! (mina favoriter)
Men det finns många viktiga skillnader!
* Vi är inte längre i 1820-talets Värmland. Vi är istället på Sicilien vid Etnas svarta sluttningar, och under det sena 1800-talet - Selmas egen samtid.
* Detta är en idéroman om Kristendomen och Socialismen. (och om någon inte fattat poängen så dyker själva påven upp i slutet av boken och reder ut exakt hur man ska förstå symboliken). Tror det blir för mycket av en spoiler om jag avslöjar vad Lagerlöfs budskap är - men det är mer nyanserat än vad man kanske skulle kunna tro av bokens inledning.
* Gaetano Alagona, den unga helgonsnidaren som blir socialistisk agitator, är mer av en helyllekille än Gösta Berling vilket gör honom till ett tråkigare kärleksintresse.
* Allt är väldigt katolskt istället för protestantiskt!
Vem är då Antikrist i den här storyn? Jo, det är en liten bild av jesusbarnet som kommer till småstaden Diamante och som åstadkommer många mirakel. Men bilden är endast en förfalskning - och den har ett eget motto: "mitt rike är endast av denna världen".
Bokens huvudperson(?) är donna Micaela som älskar socialisten Gaetano högt. I bokens andra halva bestämmer hon sig för att konstruera en järnväg till Diamante för att hjälpa de fattiga men också för att hon hoppas få Gaetano att återvända till sin kristna tro. Det blir ett svårt projekt - ingen vill hjälpa henne. Tills hon frågar den lilla jesusbilden om hjälp...
En kul, lite mer okänd Selma-roman.
* Det är episodiskt berättat.
* Stämningen är någonstans mellan skröna och magisk realism.
* Huvudpersonerna är unga, vackra, olyckliga älskande!
* Många små sidohistorier om gubbar och gummor och kufar och original! (mina favoriter)
Men det finns många viktiga skillnader!
* Vi är inte längre i 1820-talets Värmland. Vi är istället på Sicilien vid Etnas svarta sluttningar, och under det sena 1800-talet - Selmas egen samtid.
* Detta är en idéroman om Kristendomen och Socialismen. (och om någon inte fattat poängen så dyker själva påven upp i slutet av boken och reder ut exakt hur man ska förstå symboliken). Tror det blir för mycket av en spoiler om jag avslöjar vad Lagerlöfs budskap är - men det är mer nyanserat än vad man kanske skulle kunna tro av bokens inledning.
* Gaetano Alagona, den unga helgonsnidaren som blir socialistisk agitator, är mer av en helyllekille än Gösta Berling vilket gör honom till ett tråkigare kärleksintresse.
* Allt är väldigt katolskt istället för protestantiskt!
Vem är då Antikrist i den här storyn? Jo, det är en liten bild av jesusbarnet som kommer till småstaden Diamante och som åstadkommer många mirakel. Men bilden är endast en förfalskning - och den har ett eget motto: "mitt rike är endast av denna världen".
Bokens huvudperson(?) är donna Micaela som älskar socialisten Gaetano högt. I bokens andra halva bestämmer hon sig för att konstruera en järnväg till Diamante för att hjälpa de fattiga men också för att hon hoppas få Gaetano att återvända till sin kristna tro. Det blir ett svårt projekt - ingen vill hjälpa henne. Tills hon frågar den lilla jesusbilden om hjälp...
En kul, lite mer okänd Selma-roman.
July 19, 2024
Un libro che sorpende e ti cattura cogliendo in pieno lo spirito più profondo dell'isola siciliana nonostante , l'autrice, non sia del luogo.
Una storia semplice , fluida , ben tradotta, che saprà regalare momenti di gioia e tensione e il tutto in una cornice di una dolcissima love-story.
L'ambientazione durante il periodo dei Fasci Siciliani e le relazioni con il Socialismo rende ancor più coinvolgente tutta la narrazione. Parlando , poi, l'autrice molto della quotidianità dei vari personaggi si ha un maggiore coinvolgimmento nella psiche che muove ognuno.
Ps. il titolo può esssere fuorviante! E' un libro molto più Religioso di quanto non si creda!!
Una storia semplice , fluida , ben tradotta, che saprà regalare momenti di gioia e tensione e il tutto in una cornice di una dolcissima love-story.
L'ambientazione durante il periodo dei Fasci Siciliani e le relazioni con il Socialismo rende ancor più coinvolgente tutta la narrazione. Parlando , poi, l'autrice molto della quotidianità dei vari personaggi si ha un maggiore coinvolgimmento nella psiche che muove ognuno.
Ps. il titolo può esssere fuorviante! E' un libro molto più Religioso di quanto non si creda!!
March 4, 2025
Jerusalem, Portugallia. Selma Lagerlof è una scrittrice sublime e questo romanzo, purtroppo, non sembra avere molto a che fare con la straordinaria capacità di costruire personaggi reali, emozioni reali, presenti nelle altre opere di questa meravigliosa scrittrice. Piatto, monocorde, assolutamente improbabile se non in alcuni tratti di Micaela, protagonista disegnata ispirandosi all’amica del cuore di Selma. Leggerò quanto prima Gosta Bering per innamorarmi di nuovo di Selma Lagerlof
December 1, 2023
Trots att jag upplevde att verket hade kvaliteer ( en saga med vissa moraliska förtecken) så kunde jag bara läsa halva boken. Blev helt enkelt inte berörd konstigt nog. Tror det berodde på språket som var ålderdomligt. Första gången jag försökt läsa Selma. Undrar om jag känner likadant inför Jerusalem som alltid lockat mig till läsning.
September 15, 2019
Jag kanske är orättvis, men jag tycker ändå att Lagerlöf brukar kunna bättre än så här. Huvudkaraktärerna får inte tillräckligt med mänsklighet för att man ska investera ordentliga känslor i dem, vilket är en nödvändighet när intrigen är som den är. Kärlekshistorien är också i mossigaste laget.
December 28, 2018
En vindlande berättelse som liknar latinamerikansk berättartradition en hel del. Varvade med annan läsning.
Want to read
January 18, 2022E/LE(J)0022-LAG
August 22, 2024
1001 böcker
Sidan 42, mening 1:
”>>Det är Mongibello, Mongibello, >>sade pater Josef, >>ingen kan stå emot Mongibello.>>”
Sidan 42, mening 1:
”>>Det är Mongibello, Mongibello, >>sade pater Josef, >>ingen kan stå emot Mongibello.>>”
September 23, 2024
Bellissimo. Il racconto ruota sulla figura di una statuetta di Gesù bambino a cui tutti si affidano... ma attenzione perchè il suo regno è di questo mondo!
April 3, 2016
One of the best novel I`ve ever read. No wonder that Selma Lagerlöf received the Nobel Prize for Literature.
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