The legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller seems to
have risen in the Middle Ages, and is today considered entirely
folklore. Possibly inspired by the story of Oedipus, it tells of a young
man of noble family cursed to commit an appalling, shameful crime. As
with Oedipus, his very efforts to make the crime impossible actually
bring it about, but Christians added the element of redemption, a
demonstration that no crime is beyond the mercy of God.
Author and clergyman Walter Wangerin Jr. has written Saint Julian, a version of the legend (published 2003) in his own dreamy, poetic style. It's not his best work, but it's worth reading for those with eyes to see.
Medieval Christians believed that Julian lived at the beginning of the Christian era, but Wangerin places it in the epoch that produced it—somewhere in the Middle Ages, apparently during the Crusades. His book combines the classic style of the hagiographical tale with the allegory of Pilgrim's Progress. Julian is a sort of Everyman, or Everychristian. Born to many advantages, blessed with physical beauty and rich natural gifts, he falls—almost innocently, one might say—into the sin of pride, seeing no need to curb his desires. His immoderation leads to a great sin, which brings upon him the curse of the tale. And when he commits his crime, it is again because of his intemperance. What follows is a long journey to discover the miracle of grace, a journey in which God is always guiding, generally unseen, along hard and painful roads.
Saint Julian lacks the emotional peaks and valleys that broke so many of our hearts in Wangerin's greatest novel, the delightful The Book of the Dun Cow. In his attempt to mimic the style of medieval chroniclers, the author starts the book slowly, and probably loses a lot of readers along the way. The very universality of his themes tends to make the characters one-dimensional, like figures in a Gothic church painting.
Author and clergyman Walter Wangerin Jr. has written Saint Julian, a version of the legend (published 2003) in his own dreamy, poetic style. It's not his best work, but it's worth reading for those with eyes to see.
Medieval Christians believed that Julian lived at the beginning of the Christian era, but Wangerin places it in the epoch that produced it—somewhere in the Middle Ages, apparently during the Crusades. His book combines the classic style of the hagiographical tale with the allegory of Pilgrim's Progress. Julian is a sort of Everyman, or Everychristian. Born to many advantages, blessed with physical beauty and rich natural gifts, he falls—almost innocently, one might say—into the sin of pride, seeing no need to curb his desires. His immoderation leads to a great sin, which brings upon him the curse of the tale. And when he commits his crime, it is again because of his intemperance. What follows is a long journey to discover the miracle of grace, a journey in which God is always guiding, generally unseen, along hard and painful roads.
Saint Julian lacks the emotional peaks and valleys that broke so many of our hearts in Wangerin's greatest novel, the delightful The Book of the Dun Cow. In his attempt to mimic the style of medieval chroniclers, the author starts the book slowly, and probably loses a lot of readers along the way. The very universality of his themes tends to make the characters one-dimensional, like figures in a Gothic church painting.
Fans of Wangerin will enjoy Saint Julian, but not consider it his finest work. Those new to him would do best to start with The Book of the Dun Cow.
Lars Walker is a Minnesota fantasy author. His latest novel is West Oversea.
Walter Wangerin and, to be honest, you Mr. Walker, are the only contemporary writers that I can think of who can bring me to tears. I've actually never read The Book of the Dun Cow, but I remember St. Julian as being a very pivotal book in my spiritual formation. It offered hints of the orderly-yet-wild medieval beauty that I later discovered in full in classics like Gawain and the Green Knight and Piers Plowman.
Posted by: Maggie | June 17, 2010 at 01:17 AM
Glad to know there are readers with eyes to see out there, Maggie (referring to Wangerin's work, not my own books, but thanks for the praise on those, too). You really need to read The Book of the Dun Cow, though. It's a marvel; magic between two boards.
Posted by: Lars Walker | June 17, 2010 at 08:37 AM