I'm not particularly fond of the fabulist genre because, in my limited experience, I think there is a lack of specific character descriptions as well as a tendency towards religiosity. That said, I enjoyed "Simple Prayers." It still clung to the Christian religion, but it at least created a small, specific world for the story to spin in. It's a pretty easy read, characteristic of the fabulist genre (only 300 very small pages), so even without the strong attraction to the novel, it's easy to move through it. I'd say that if you're at all Christian, you'll probably enjoy this book more than me, because the themes will resonate more with your beliefs than my amorphous agnostic/areligious (and apparently alliterative) beliefs. For you, I'd recommend the book. And for those of you who are stridently atheist, you'll probably enjoy the book less than I did, if at all, because there are very explicit links to God, Jesus, faith, communal sacrifice, etc. On the whole, I found that the book was pretty well crafted though, a good balance and shift of character points of view. Sometimes the sentences leaned a little too heavy on exposition (a lot of thoughts for a multiple point of view book, especially with the small word count), but when describing the action and the world, the sentences colorfully illuminate the world. I'm glad I read it, though I'm not sure if it'll be one of those books that "stays with me."
I picked this up on impulse at a used book sale, and then it took me forever to dip into it. It is unlike anything I've ever read. I've read the other reviews and don't think I'd call it charming, as they did. Instead, I'd say it was thought-provoking. I think I saw each of the7 capital sins in control of a villager, and I think they struggled to connect something they were doing with what dire things were happening to their island. Others may think I'm crazy, but that's why (and not because of the title) I put it on my religious book shelf.
What do You think about Simple Prayers (1996)?
Loved this! Simple Prayers is a good example of the novel as an art form. Michael Golding creates a world where colors are said to be so brilliant that they "woke the rabbits". The prose resounded with this sort of simple brilliance throughout the book. Several times during its reading, phrases would stop me in my tracks, prompting multiple re-reads in order to savor the beauty/magic. The story is set in 14th century Italy during a very difficult time (to put it mildly) which leads to a rather dark conclusion. The beauty of the language and the craft with which the novel is constructed more than make up for this, though. Thanks, Kattie!!!
—Marcy
