A review by canadiyank
Brother Cadfael's Penance by Ellis Peters
4.0
I've enjoyed reading through the Brother Cadfael series and am sorry to get to the end of it. Peters' writing is superb to the very end. I was glad to tie up some loose ends in the series. There's a couple sections I wanted to quote b/c it gives and example of the writing I've really come to enjoy.
"So he took his problem rather to the high altar, directly to the source of all strength, all power, all faithfulness, and for once he was not content to kneel, but prostrated himself in a cross on the cold flags, like an offender presenting his propitiatory body at the end of penance.
With his forehead chill against the stone he discarded words to present his compulsion, and let thoughts express the need that found him lucid but inarticulate."
And, when two men (Cadfael and Hugh), friends throughout the series, were leaving, not knowing if they would see each other again:
"They embraced briefly before mounting, but when they issued from the gate into the street, and separated, they went briskly, and did not look back.
With every yard a fine thread that held them together stretched and thinned, attenuated to breaking point, became a fibre, a hair, a cobweb filament, but did not break."
I love that last sentence. What a beautiful picture of friendship. I'd highly recommend the series.
"So he took his problem rather to the high altar, directly to the source of all strength, all power, all faithfulness, and for once he was not content to kneel, but prostrated himself in a cross on the cold flags, like an offender presenting his propitiatory body at the end of penance.
With his forehead chill against the stone he discarded words to present his compulsion, and let thoughts express the need that found him lucid but inarticulate."
And, when two men (Cadfael and Hugh), friends throughout the series, were leaving, not knowing if they would see each other again:
"They embraced briefly before mounting, but when they issued from the gate into the street, and separated, they went briskly, and did not look back.
With every yard a fine thread that held them together stretched and thinned, attenuated to breaking point, became a fibre, a hair, a cobweb filament, but did not break."
I love that last sentence. What a beautiful picture of friendship. I'd highly recommend the series.