Review for a canticle for leib
Review for a canticle for leibA Canticle for Leibowitz
Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz treats religion very differently than does most science fiction. Miller's Brother Francis is charged with discovering the meaning of faith and God in the wake of total nuclear destruction. The particular religion extent in Miller's future is the venerable Catholic Church, an institution that has survived near-annihilation before.
The novel begins with the discovery of a tomb by a novice, Francis, a tomb that may or may not contain the remains and relics of his order's founder, Leibowitz. Miller thereby introduces questions in the reader's mind about the nature of what Francis has really found, what Leibowitz' soul was really like, and how strong Francis' faith remains. Faith is set apart from knowledge cleanly and clearly in this section.
The next section takes place 500 years later, when a scholar, Thon Taddeo, is trying to piece together the real story of what happened to civilization after the nuclear holocaust. In sharp contrast to Francis' faith, Thon is filled with doubt which becomes his major way of approaching life and finding truths. History is revealed to be inconsistent...
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