Christy by Catherine Marshall Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Christy
Book Review: An inspiring classic and a great read
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this book 25 years ago and I still remember how much I loved it. I highly recommend it.Book Review: As good now as it was when I was 12 (maybe even better)
Summary: 5 Stars
As good as the TV show is (was), it does not do the book justice! My mother gave me this book when I was 12, and I have had many copies over the years, always giving them to someone else to enjoy. This story is as good now as it was then. I only wish I knew "the rest of the story." I would like to know what happened after the end of the book. Does anyone know if Catherine Marshall ever wrote about that? In a nutshell, this book is a classic.Book Review: Average..
Summary: 3 Stars
Christy is an extremely average book. I say this without malice: average, after all, implies that there are a lot of books worse. However, saying that there are many books worse is not exactly a vote of confidence...The story is a good one. It has been told many times, however: young, innocent girl goes to the frontier to be a schoolteacher, encounters many problems, finds love. I found it rather trite. Its religion is heavy-handed and seems to be the only message in the book; the ending left me with a sour taste in my mouth. The "miraculous" quality was very off-putting, and I had expected that outcoming for a hundred pages or more.
Quite frankly, Christy will not stand the test of time; works like the Great Gatsby, Lolita, 1984, and even some less-appreciated ones such as Farenheit 451 will outlast it. Simply put, it doesn't have the artistry of language, of symbol, and of purpose that most of those do. If you want to read a literary book that deals with disillusionment and the finding of tranquility within one's self, try Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
Book Review: Bad Theology - 2.5 Stars
Summary: 2 Stars
Quoting of the Mass Paperback print:
Page 70: "You see, the religious background of the mountain people is mostly the strict Calvinism of their Scotch-Irish forefathers. It has merits. Breeds Steel in folks. Better than a wishy-washy religion that really has not convictions at all. But it's bequeathed to these people a lot of heart scalds. You'll see for yourself. Their Christianity is one of fear, of taboos - you can't do this and you mustn't do that. If you do, you'll go to hell."
Page 102: (describes a "nine year old who was beaten over and over by her mother's lover, day after day, then finally brutally raped by the same man. The child died the next day." And describes "a woman strung up fro the rafters - swinging - dead. Her imbecile husband was there gaping at the body. He was the murderer. When I asked him why he had done it, his only explanation was `A woman that can't stand hangin' a few hours ain't no woman a-tall.'
Page 102-103: after being asked about God's will with those terrible things above the writer says "He would have to, if He'd given us men and women a genuine freedom of choice." Miss Alice voice was gentle. "I think it's like this...The Creator made the world a cooperative enterprise. In order for it to be that way, God had to give us the privilege of going His way of of refusing to go His way." "But how? How do we go His way?" "He's specific about that". She ticked the points off on her fingers: " `Love ye your enemies', 'Do good', 'Be ye therefore merciful', 'Judge not', 'Forgive', And best of all, `Give, and it shall be given unto you' good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom.' A great promise to claim!"
. . . . "perhaps it will help to explain: God has all kinds of riches for all of us. Not just spiritual riches either. His promises in the Bible are His way of telling us what's available. But this plenty doesn't become ours until we drive in our stake on a particular promise and thus indicate that e accept that gift.
This Arminian writer is obviously very confused as to what Calvinism is. It wouldn't be so bad if she kept it to herself, but she is spreading to millions of readers that Calvinists are legalists and murderers and even "imbeciles". I mean who understands Grace better than Calvinists? And in her explanation as to how to "claim" God's gifts to us she doesn't even say anything about Jesus - but instead she goes off onto doing works. ...
Her writing ability is excellent and the book would truly be a great read if it wasn't overshadowed by this horrific dark cloud of bad-bad theology.
Book Review: Book
Summary: 3 Stars
This book was a creative and imaginative story told by a 19 year old girl named Christy. When Christy leaves Ashville to help the proud and superstitious people who live in a poverty-stricken land, she realizes she is entering an entirely different world. Christy's whole life had been spent in the large city of Ashville. Despite this, Christy grows close to these people. They come to love her. Christy must struggle through the problems that are thrown at her.
Everything seemed to be pulled together so well. I was really enjoying the book. Just when I thought Catherine Marshall had managed to write one of the most extraordinary novels ever written, things started turning around. Usually I don't like ruining books by giving others their endings, but there is nothing I can ruin here. At the end, Christy wakes up from a sickness by the sound of crying(she had just missed a chance to go to heaven) and finds the odd village doctor kneeling by her bed. He is crying and saying he loves her. He keeps smoking from his pipe that he would not put down once in the book. Christy decides to stay on Earth since there is someone there who loves her. It does not say it, but you know she will marry the rude, ugly doctor. When I had finished, I was so angry and upset. I would like to save you from the horrible feelings I went through.