The Bishop's Man (2009)

I found this disappointing. Characters lied to each other or (more frequently, indeed most of the time) gave half-answers or answered obliquely or changed the subject. It was as if they were walking around trying not to clarify anything ever. The ending was something of a revelation, but also a bit of an anti-climax.

I liked the writing, but it was a frustrating read. ( )

A surprising book, well told and appropriately honored with the Giller. Superb characterization of the protagonist and the supporting cast. It brings humanity and realness into the Catholic priesthood. ( )

2.5 stars

This was about a priest (Duncan?) in Nova Scotia in the mid-90s, during the time of the sexual abuse and cover-ups.

I wasn't impressed. I thought it was extremely cryptic, and therefore confusing. I liked the first couple of sentences, and thought the writing seemed like I might like it. But, it was slow and I had trouble focusing on it. About a third of the way through, I actually thought something was going to happen (!), and maybe it would pick up, but it didn't take long before it went back to cryptic and confusing. Overall it was boring, nothing really happened. Things might have been insinuated, but nothing happened. I think that, given the topic of the book, it actually could have been interesting, but it wasn't.

Despite all my negative comments, at first I thought the book was o.k., but I also expected it to pick up and/or for something to happen, so my rating dropped as I continued through it and nothing did happen. I'm having a hard time rating it, especially in comparison to others I've read this year that I probably should have marked lower. In comparison to those, I will give this 2.5 stars, slightly higher than my review might indicate. ( )

Started out good but became boring. Time frame jumping all over the place was not well done and I was constantly restarting paragraphs to figure out what was going on. ( )

The Bishop’s Man won the prestigious Giller Prize in 2009. In the story, Duncan MacAskill, a Catholic priest who has a genius touch for ‘resolving’ church scandals quickly and quietly is now assigned to an insignificant parish in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The effects of the cover-ups which MacAskill orchestrated are starting to haunt him, causing overdrinking and the decision to give his past journals to a reporter.

The book was published in the midst of the ongoing sexual abuse scandal case in the Antigonish Nova Scotia diocese, which eventually resulted in a $15 million settlement by the Catholic Church.

I found the back-and-forth-in-time format a little distracting but this is a sickening and powerful story.

4 stars ( )