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Jo's Reviews > Babette's Feast
Babette's Feast
by
by
** spoiler alert **
The story is wonderfully written. Sparse, almost spartan, yet deep. The simplicity of the writing highlights the extravagance of the feast. Philip Yancey was so right to use it to explain God's grace.
“Through all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: Give me leave to do my utmost!” -- would that all Christians made this their life's cry!
QUOTES:
‘May my food my body maintain,
may my body my soul sustain,
may my soul in deed and word
Give thanks for all things to the Lord.’
"God’s paths were running even across the salt sea, and the snow‐clad mountains, where man’s eye sees no track."
"It was, they realized, when man has not only altogether forgotten but has firmly renounced all ideas of food and drink that he eats and drinks in the right spirit."
"‘The only things which we may take with us from our life on earth are those which we have given away!’"
‘Man, my friends,’ said General Loewenhielm, ‘is frail and foolish. We have all of us been told that grace is to be found in the universe. But in our human foolishness and short‐sightedness we imagine divine grace to be finite. For this reason we tremble. . .’ Never till now had the General stated that he trembled; he was genuinely surprised and even shocked at hearing his own voice proclaim the fact. ‘We tremble before making our choice in life, and after having made it again tremble in fear of having chosen wrong. But the moment comes when our eyes are opened, and we see and realize that grace is infinite. Grace, my friends, demands nothing from us but that we shall await it with confidence and acknowledge it in gratitude. Grace, brothers, makes no conditions and singles out none of us in particular; grace takes us all to its bosom and proclaims general amnesty. See! that which we have chosen is given us, and that which we have refused is, also and at the same time, granted us. Ay, that which we have rejected is poured upon us abundantly. For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss have kissed one another!’
‘No, I shall never be poor. I told you that I am a great artist. A great artist, Mesdames, is never poor. We have something, Mesdames, of which other people know nothing.’
They had been brought up and trained, with greater expense than you, my little ladies, could ever imagine or believe, to understand what a great artist I am. I could make them happy. When I did my very best I could make them perfectly happy.’
Yet this is not the end! I feel, Babette, that this is not the end. In Paradise you will be the great artist that God meant you to be! Ah!’ she added, the tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘Ah, how you will enchant the angels!’
“Through all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: Give me leave to do my utmost!” -- would that all Christians made this their life's cry!
QUOTES:
‘May my food my body maintain,
may my body my soul sustain,
may my soul in deed and word
Give thanks for all things to the Lord.’
"God’s paths were running even across the salt sea, and the snow‐clad mountains, where man’s eye sees no track."
"It was, they realized, when man has not only altogether forgotten but has firmly renounced all ideas of food and drink that he eats and drinks in the right spirit."
"‘The only things which we may take with us from our life on earth are those which we have given away!’"
‘Man, my friends,’ said General Loewenhielm, ‘is frail and foolish. We have all of us been told that grace is to be found in the universe. But in our human foolishness and short‐sightedness we imagine divine grace to be finite. For this reason we tremble. . .’ Never till now had the General stated that he trembled; he was genuinely surprised and even shocked at hearing his own voice proclaim the fact. ‘We tremble before making our choice in life, and after having made it again tremble in fear of having chosen wrong. But the moment comes when our eyes are opened, and we see and realize that grace is infinite. Grace, my friends, demands nothing from us but that we shall await it with confidence and acknowledge it in gratitude. Grace, brothers, makes no conditions and singles out none of us in particular; grace takes us all to its bosom and proclaims general amnesty. See! that which we have chosen is given us, and that which we have refused is, also and at the same time, granted us. Ay, that which we have rejected is poured upon us abundantly. For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss have kissed one another!’
‘No, I shall never be poor. I told you that I am a great artist. A great artist, Mesdames, is never poor. We have something, Mesdames, of which other people know nothing.’
They had been brought up and trained, with greater expense than you, my little ladies, could ever imagine or believe, to understand what a great artist I am. I could make them happy. When I did my very best I could make them perfectly happy.’
Yet this is not the end! I feel, Babette, that this is not the end. In Paradise you will be the great artist that God meant you to be! Ah!’ she added, the tears streaming down her cheeks. ‘Ah, how you will enchant the angels!’
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Reading Progress
November 13, 2012
–
Started Reading
November 13, 2012
– Shelved
November 14, 2012
–
Finished Reading
