Tinker's Leave

by Maurice Baring

Reserved and unworldly, young Miles Consterdine and his epiphanic trip to Paris is Maurice Baring’s first bead on this thread of a story based on impressions received by the author in Russia and Manchuria during wartime. From here Baring allows us to peek through windows opening onto tragic and comic episodes in the lives of noteworthy people in remarkable circumstances.

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Maurice Baring OBE (27 April 1874 – 14 December 1945) was an English man of letters, known as a dramatist, poet, novelist, translator and essayist, and also as a travel writer and war correspondent, with particular knowledge of Russia. During World War I, Baring served in the Intelligence Corps and Royal Air Force.

Reviews

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENGLISH: Maurice Baring published in 1927 this partially autobiographical novel about his experience as a reporter in the Russo-Japanese war (1905). There are several memorable conversations between the protagonist, Miles Consterdine, and his Russian friend Aliosha, among other interesting characters. This is just an example:

“But surely,” said Miles, “it is impossible for an educated man to be a believing Christian at this time of day, with all the discoveries in Science —and still more impossible to belong to the Greek or Roman Church?”

“You are talking like a half-baked provincial, like those asses of our intelligentsia who think they are being above religion, and are really being below it. Some one once asked Pasteur how he reconciled his religious faith with his scientific knowledge. He said: ‘My faith is like that of a Breton peasant; and if I knew more, it would be like that of a Breton peasant’s wife.’”
This phrase by Pasteur would be impossible today. We are a lot less free, in expression and in thought, than they were 150 years ago.

Then there is a form of the famous trilemma by C.S. Lewis, formulated about 15 years before Lewis offered it in one of his radio talks, later published as the book Mere Christianity. This is Baring's formulation:

If Our Lord never existed, or existed and was an impostor or a liar or a madman, ... then you have to explain a great deal, and your explanation will be as difficult for a thinking, reasonable sceptic to believe as my creed —more difficult.”

ESPAÑOL: Maurice Baring publicó en 1927 esta novela parcialmente autobiográfica sobre su experiencia como reportero en la guerra ruso-japonesa (1905). Hay varias conversaciones memorables entre el protagonista, Miles Consterdine, y su amigo ruso Aliosha, junto con otros personajes interesantes. Veamos un ejemplo:

-Pero seguramente- dijo Miles "-hoy día es imposible que un hombre educado sea cristiano creyente, con todos los descubrimientos de la ciencia, y aún más imposible que pertenezca a las Iglesias griega o romana.

-Hablas como un provinciano poco educado, como esos asnos intelectuales que piensan que están por encima de la religión y realmente están por debajo. Una vez alguien le preguntó a Pasteur cómo reconciliaba su fe religiosa con sus conocimientos científicos. Contestó esto: "Mi fe es como la de un campesino bretón; y si supiera más, sería como el de la esposa de un campesino bretón".
Esta frase de Pasteur, hoy no habría podido decirla. Somos mucho menos libres en nuestra expresión y nuestro modo de pensar, que hace 150 años.

También formula el famoso trilema de C.S. Lewis, unos 15 años antes de que Lewis lo ofreciera en una de sus charlas de radio, publicada después en el libro Mere Christianity. Esta es la formulación de Baring:

Si Nuestro Señor nunca existió, o si existió y fue un impostor o un mentiroso o un loco, ... entonces tienes que explicar muchas cosas, y tu explicación será tan difícil de creer como mi credo para un escéptico razonable, o más bien más difícil.