Latest read – “John Paul the Great”

While having a nice dinner with friends (mentioned in previous post Tom Faranda’s Folly: 6 weeks + one day post-hospital health update ) back on March 11^th, my college roommate Mike mentioned he’d just read Peggy Noonan’s book John Paul the Great and liked it.

(Important personal note – It’s amazing that Mike still talks to me. For two years he tolerated large piles of dirty rugby kit and practice jerseys in our room at Fairfield U. That’s three days of practice a week, and games on Saturday. Hey! At college who has time to do laundry?)

He felt he’d under-appreciated JP II when he was alive and Noonan’s book brought out for him what a great man he was. And he asked a rhetorical question – why weren’t the Pope’s writings more utilized by priests in homilies, etc? (Good question.)

So I went to amazon a couple of days later, and got a pristine hardcover copy from one of their second hand booksellers for less than three dollars, plus shipping. A bargain. I’ve never had anything but good results from the amazon second hand sellers.

John Paul the Great is a good read, It’s not a great book, and it’s not Peggy Noonan’s best book, but it is plenty good. A fine introduction to John Paul.

(Personal note #2. I like Peggy Noonan. A lot. She’s written some wonderful books. Her first book, Present at the Revolution is probably the best book about the Reagan Administration. Noonan was a speechwriter for Reagan, and wrote some of his most memorable speeches, including the one he gave after the Shuttle tragedy, and his speech at Normandy.)

And it is an introduction. It is not an in-depth study of the Pope’s philosophy or theology. Noonan sketches out in broad strokes JP’s thinking, and usually does a good job of it. I say usually because one of the shortcomings of the book is that a couple of times it comes across a bit as Peggy Noonan Teaching Catechism Class.

But that is more than made up for in the chapters covering things like the Pope’s early life, his geopolitical impact, her discussion of the ongoing abuse crisis in the U.S. and what it’s done to the Church, her description of the ceremonies at Mother Teresa’s beatification. AND – her telling of her meeting Cardinal Law (who she’d ripped to shreds in her WSJ newspaper column), not to mention the last chapter on John Paul’s death and the election of Benedict 16 – all excellent stuff. 

So a fine book and a quick read about one of the towering figures of the second half of the 20th century. I would recommend it to anyone, whether they are familiar with John Paul or just curious about what the big deal was when he died, April 2, 2005 – exactly a year and a day ago.

(Personal note #3. Brigid also read it and found it absorbing. One of these days I’ll post the poem she wrote after John Paul’s funeral.)