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Seeking the
Divine Spark:
A Satire in the Style of Evelyn Waugh
Reader reviews and comments
A review by Gai Smith, Blaxland NSW
The disordered thinking of society with regard to sexual morality is well portrayed and the utter hypocrisy of the media cannot be missed. When confronted with honesty, sincerity and goodness in the form of people such as Father Champion they seek not only to assassinate their characters but punish them severely and eliminate them entirely from society - as if their message will go away.
My only criticism is that a paragraph or two should have been added where Mudlord is loudly and irrationally blaming [wife] Cheryl to her face for their children's promiscuity and drug dealing. It would have added to the hypocrisy especially because he sweeps the issue under the carpet as he selfishly and completely turns his mind back to his own fulfilment. The Cheryls of this world usually start out being reasonably decent, mildly naive girls who are madly in love with an utter louse and when they fully realise it are at a loss as to how to salvage their marriages, bring up their children and get on with their lives. Often they cannot or will not do anything because they are dependent on their husbands and still love them as well as being used to the luxurious home, lifestyle and money. Usually they go with the flow with a heavy heart, doing their best to help their children who eventually become extremely screwed up. Hazel Hawke comes to mind here.
In ten years time the Mudlords of the world are washed out grey-haired old men who without make-up look twenty years older than their ages and the same for the Samanthas. Both of these characters would have eventually returned to their old habits, e.g. Samantha cheating with Torne or someone else and Mudlord back enjoying the delights of his Gentlemen's Club.
I hope the book is a success, though I wonder whether anyone in the media will identify themselves because, like Mudlord, they are quite comfortable with their sins and see nothing wrong with their lives until they experience a massive personal crisis and even then some of them do not wake up. I see this time and time again.
I have read your revised edition of The Castle of Heavenly Bliss and am very impressed. It is much tighter and I found the story flowed better with a few loose ends better explained. There was no point in this edition where my mind wandered. I cannot wait to read the third book.
I really wish I had your ability and time to write. Today’s society really needs good, wholesome literature that upholds the sanctity of life and marriage and points out the pitfalls of humanist ideology that attacks it. If only people could realise that it is really only in the heart of the Catholic Church and in charity being faithful to God’s will that true happiness lies.
Could you please send me another two books of Seeking the Divine Spark for friends of mine who I think would appreciate it.
Pre-publication reviews and comments
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Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com