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The Last Confession
Bruno was that perilous thing, a free spirit, and suffered death for his right to certain concepts. I knew from conversations with Morris that Giordano Bruno was a soul mate, someone with whose life history Morris identified, even though Morris possessed a somewhat less strident temperament than Broads. Failed priest, as Morris has Bruno declare in this tale, fugitive monk, magus with a box of conjuring tricks, boaster, prevaricator, would be torchbearer trudging through his own darkness, garrulous in dialogue, viperous in debate.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
Morris L. West
128 books159 followersMorris Langlo West was born in St Kilda, Melbourne in 1916. At the age of fourteen, he entered the Christian Brothers seminary ‘as a kind of refuge’ from a difficult childhood. He attended the University of Melbourne and worked as a teacher. In 1941 he left the Christian Brothers without taking final vows. In World War II he worked as a code-breaker, and for a time he was private secretary to former prime minister Billy Hughes.
After the war, West became a successful writer and producer of radio serials. In 1955 he left Australia to build an international career as a writer. With his family, he lived in Austria, Italy, England and the USA, including a stint as the Vatican correspondent for the British newspaper, the Daily Mail. He returned to Australia in 1982.
Morris West wrote 30 books and many plays, and several of his novels were adapted for film. His books were published in 28 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies.
West received many awards and accolades over his long writing career, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the W.H. Heinemann Award of the Royal Society of Literature for The Devil's Advocate. In 1978 he was elected a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1985, and was made an Officer of the Order (AO) in 1997.
Morris West died at his desk in 1999.
After the war, West became a successful writer and producer of radio serials. In 1955 he left Australia to build an international career as a writer. With his family, he lived in Austria, Italy, England and the USA, including a stint as the Vatican correspondent for the British newspaper, the Daily Mail. He returned to Australia in 1982.
Morris West wrote 30 books and many plays, and several of his novels were adapted for film. His books were published in 28 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies.
West received many awards and accolades over his long writing career, including the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the W.H. Heinemann Award of the Royal Society of Literature for The Devil's Advocate. In 1978 he was elected a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1985, and was made an Officer of the Order (AO) in 1997.
Morris West died at his desk in 1999.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 10, 2021
La última novela (inconclusa) de Morris West, magnífico autor de, entre otras “Las sandalias del pescador” (llevada al cine, con Anthony Quinn de protagonista).
Giordano Bruno, monje dominicano y persona de mente demasiado abierta para su época. Uno de los personajes más importantes del momento, que pagó cara la osadía de expresar sus opiniones ante la todopoderosa iglesia romana y apostólica. Aquí se novelan los últimos días de su existencia, antes de ser conducido a la hoguera en el Campo di Fiori. Tuvo la osadía, entre otras, de defender que el sol era simplemente una estrella más de las muchas que había, y que nuestro planeta no sólo no era el centro del universo (¿os suena?), sino que giraba en torno a este miserable cuerpo celeste, ergo, nuestro planeta no podía ser tan importante como la iglesia nos quería hacer creer. Infatigable defensor de la razón y de la experimentación sobre la fe. Ocho años de prisión y tormento, hasta que Clemente VIII, no teniéndolas todas consigo, se decidió a condenarlo. “Tembláis acaso más vosotros al anunciar esta sentencia, que yo al recibirla”. Ese era Giordano Bruno. Hoy, una estatua en la misma plaza intenta borrar la infamia de este crimen. Si visitáis Roma, no olvidéis rendirle tributo.
Como queda dicho, West no pudo finalizar esta novela, que fue completada a posteriori. No es su mejor obra, pero, aunque sólo sea por el homenaje que le rinde a este gran humanista, vayan por delante mis cuatro estrellas. Y, además, se lee de un tirón.
Giordano Bruno, monje dominicano y persona de mente demasiado abierta para su época. Uno de los personajes más importantes del momento, que pagó cara la osadía de expresar sus opiniones ante la todopoderosa iglesia romana y apostólica. Aquí se novelan los últimos días de su existencia, antes de ser conducido a la hoguera en el Campo di Fiori. Tuvo la osadía, entre otras, de defender que el sol era simplemente una estrella más de las muchas que había, y que nuestro planeta no sólo no era el centro del universo (¿os suena?), sino que giraba en torno a este miserable cuerpo celeste, ergo, nuestro planeta no podía ser tan importante como la iglesia nos quería hacer creer. Infatigable defensor de la razón y de la experimentación sobre la fe. Ocho años de prisión y tormento, hasta que Clemente VIII, no teniéndolas todas consigo, se decidió a condenarlo. “Tembláis acaso más vosotros al anunciar esta sentencia, que yo al recibirla”. Ese era Giordano Bruno. Hoy, una estatua en la misma plaza intenta borrar la infamia de este crimen. Si visitáis Roma, no olvidéis rendirle tributo.
Como queda dicho, West no pudo finalizar esta novela, que fue completada a posteriori. No es su mejor obra, pero, aunque sólo sea por el homenaje que le rinde a este gran humanista, vayan por delante mis cuatro estrellas. Y, además, se lee de un tirón.
March 12, 2013
There where moments in History when thinking differently could mean the death penalty. The Inquisition was one of those dark times, to be honest, the darkest in the history of the Catholic Church. Giordano Bruno was a free spirit and, for that reasson a threat to the status quo of the Church. Probably he was one of the most famous victims of the Inquisition.
Morris West found in him a soul-mate, sharing the same love for freedom and human kind. He recreated in this book the last days of the monk's life, before he was burned at the stake in Campo Di Fiori, bringing to life the spirit and the fears of this Renaissance man.
What makes this book even more special is that this was Morris West last work. He couldn't finish it, but thanks to his family and editors we are able, to read once again the words of one of the most profound writers who ever lived.
This is the cover of the book I just finished reading http://bimg1.mlstatic.com/morris-west...
Morris West found in him a soul-mate, sharing the same love for freedom and human kind. He recreated in this book the last days of the monk's life, before he was burned at the stake in Campo Di Fiori, bringing to life the spirit and the fears of this Renaissance man.
What makes this book even more special is that this was Morris West last work. He couldn't finish it, but thanks to his family and editors we are able, to read once again the words of one of the most profound writers who ever lived.
This is the cover of the book I just finished reading http://bimg1.mlstatic.com/morris-west...
February 7, 2024
Sin más..
May 3, 2024
Libro sobre la biografía de Giordano Bruno, no al estilo de una crónica si no más bien una novela con aires de ficción (no-ficción) histórica. Intentaré una estrategia alternativa de reseña: dejar que la obra hable por si misma.
"Tenía un anhelo de amistad, y sin embargo era torpe y quisquilloso en su práctica. Agotaba las amistades muy rápido sin entender muy bien por qué. Había una inocencia especial en su convicción de que la verdad, como la piedra filosofal, tenía una virtud propia que transmutaría la escoria en oro y pondría fin a toda discusión."
"Ahora demasiado tarde, estoy convencido de que es una locura entrar en polémicas con cualquier Estado o religión establecida. Las ideas nuevas son una amenaza para la estabilidad. Por consiguiente, deben ser suprimidas (...) Ningún argumento en el mundo puede triunfar sobre el ejercicio del simple poder."
"En el fondo, los romanos han sido juristas toda la vida. Hacen que todo -aun el misterio último- encaje en el contexto de la ley; entonces la usan para golpearlo a uno hasta someterlo. Es un callejón sin salida. Busque otro camino"
"(...) la verdad se defiende a sí misma y que nadie puede enterrarla tan profundamente que no vuelva a salir a la superficie, ratificada su gloria."
"El saber es como el aire que todos respiramos. No podéis conservarlo en una botella y ponerle un corcho como al vino para vuestro uso exclusivo"
"Nos deleita el color; no uno, si no la unidad que a todos los rodea. Nos deleita el sonido; no el de una única nota, sino la armonía de muchas"
"Tenía un anhelo de amistad, y sin embargo era torpe y quisquilloso en su práctica. Agotaba las amistades muy rápido sin entender muy bien por qué. Había una inocencia especial en su convicción de que la verdad, como la piedra filosofal, tenía una virtud propia que transmutaría la escoria en oro y pondría fin a toda discusión."
"Ahora demasiado tarde, estoy convencido de que es una locura entrar en polémicas con cualquier Estado o religión establecida. Las ideas nuevas son una amenaza para la estabilidad. Por consiguiente, deben ser suprimidas (...) Ningún argumento en el mundo puede triunfar sobre el ejercicio del simple poder."
"En el fondo, los romanos han sido juristas toda la vida. Hacen que todo -aun el misterio último- encaje en el contexto de la ley; entonces la usan para golpearlo a uno hasta someterlo. Es un callejón sin salida. Busque otro camino"
"(...) la verdad se defiende a sí misma y que nadie puede enterrarla tan profundamente que no vuelva a salir a la superficie, ratificada su gloria."
"El saber es como el aire que todos respiramos. No podéis conservarlo en una botella y ponerle un corcho como al vino para vuestro uso exclusivo"
"Nos deleita el color; no uno, si no la unidad que a todos los rodea. Nos deleita el sonido; no el de una única nota, sino la armonía de muchas"
July 10, 2014
Morris West (Melbourne, 1916 - Sydney, 1999), noto scrittore australiano, famoso soprattutto nel mondo anglosassone, una vita travagliata, al confine fra il Cristianesimo e la critica sferzante alla Chiesa, è morto nel 1999 sulla sua scrivania, appena dopo aver trascritto un passo del personaggio Gallo nel De monade di Giordano Bruno.
Il passo recita:
Ho lottato, e molto: credetti poter vincere, e la sorte e la natura repressero lo studio e gli sforzi. Ma qualche cosa è già l'essere stato in campo, giacché vincere vedo che è nelle mani del fato. Ma fu in me quel che poteva, e che nessuna delle generazioni future mi negherà, qual che un vincitore poteva metterci di suo: non aver temuto la morte, non aver ceduto con fermo viso a nessun simile, aver preposta una morte animosa a una vita imbelle.
Leggi tutto sulla rivista on line Ritiri Filosofici, qui: http://www.ritirifilosofici.it/?p=3057
Il passo recita:
Ho lottato, e molto: credetti poter vincere, e la sorte e la natura repressero lo studio e gli sforzi. Ma qualche cosa è già l'essere stato in campo, giacché vincere vedo che è nelle mani del fato. Ma fu in me quel che poteva, e che nessuna delle generazioni future mi negherà, qual che un vincitore poteva metterci di suo: non aver temuto la morte, non aver ceduto con fermo viso a nessun simile, aver preposta una morte animosa a una vita imbelle.
Leggi tutto sulla rivista on line Ritiri Filosofici, qui: http://www.ritirifilosofici.it/?p=3057
November 20, 2020
Rimasto incompiuto, racconta, con l'espediente dell'autobiografia scritta durante il periodo del carcere prima di essere giustiziato, la vita di Giordano Bruno. Ne esce un ritratto vivo e intenso di un uomo che cercò per tutta la vita la risposta alle sue domande, non accontentandosi mai di una verità precostituita. Uno studioso vissuto in un tempo che non permetteva il libero pensiero e che costringeva a cercare protezione e aiuto presso mecenati e nobili per riuscire ad andare avanti.
March 16, 2009
This book is a true confirmation of the gray area within the dogma of the Christian religion and one’s own dogma within personal beliefs. This book is about a trial where there is no truth except rhetoric, and only for rhetoric’s sake. Both sides of the Inquisition had their merits in this true story of the final days of a rebel; and both sides have their fallacies. After reading this book I was left to ponder the realities of judgment; both from the church and from the independent desire to live life to the fullest. My personal conclusion: Only God knows the heart, and, that life is a multitude of colors, brightly reflecting off of a gray background.
I’ll soon be reading another of West’s books called, The Devil’s Advocate.
I’ll soon be reading another of West’s books called, The Devil’s Advocate.
May 6, 2010
This is the account of a "questioning" scholarly Dominican monk, Giordano Bruno whose beliefs and writings were considered heretical. The story follows his life, his break from monastic life, his travels through Europe and eventual capture, imprisonment and trial before the Inquisition. He was tortured and eventually burned at the stake in 1600.
The author died before completing the story, but that in no way diminishes the book. I think the audio version would be preferable to the written, as the reader was excellent; portraying a very convincing Bruno.
The author died before completing the story, but that in no way diminishes the book. I think the audio version would be preferable to the written, as the reader was excellent; portraying a very convincing Bruno.
November 28, 2014
I was interested to learn about Giovanni Bruno after seeing his statue in Rome. This was a great book for that, though the author, himself, died before finishing it.
July 8, 2021
This book helps understand West as a person. It is sad that he was unable to complete the text or finish it, but it does hold together well.
July 16, 2019
Un buen libro para adentrarse en la iglesia católica.
January 3, 2022
I was a great fan of this author in the late 80's and 90's. I thought I had read his final book - Eminence. What a wonderful book that was/is. West was a master of Papal/Catholic intrigue.
This book is different in its writings and yet it is directly related to the church and its inner workings.
The Last Confession concerns itself on the figure of Filipo Giordano Bruno - a failed Dominican Monk, philosopher, scholar and convicted heretic of the 16th Century.
It is the incarcerated musings and writings of the man who spent the last 8 years of his life being periodically tortured, bodily deprived and tormented by the papal inquisitors.
It seems that Bruno questioned everything; physical existence, as well as the meaning of just about anything in the natural world, the sciences and the scriptures.
In the 15th Century under the watchful eye of Pope Sixtus and the those who seek favour with the Church, every lecture, public offering, publication, or drunken muttering offered by Bruno was eventually used against him; his Venetian patron, Marcenigo, the one who turned the screws. But, others followed in their eagerness to ensure favour, to cement their own validity of faith with the church.
An inspirational life for one born in these times. Possessing a mind that was eager to question beyond what he was told to believe in an era where any questioning of the Catholic faith....by a man of God, albeit a failed and womanising non conformist, was certain death. And so it was in February 1600 that this imperfect, scholarly and inquisitive man was burned at the stake.
**It was almost 300 years later (1889) that the University of Rome recognised this man; a statute in the Campo dei Fiori (Field of Flowers), on the spot where he died. **Noted in the epilogue.
This book is different in its writings and yet it is directly related to the church and its inner workings.
The Last Confession concerns itself on the figure of Filipo Giordano Bruno - a failed Dominican Monk, philosopher, scholar and convicted heretic of the 16th Century.
It is the incarcerated musings and writings of the man who spent the last 8 years of his life being periodically tortured, bodily deprived and tormented by the papal inquisitors.
It seems that Bruno questioned everything; physical existence, as well as the meaning of just about anything in the natural world, the sciences and the scriptures.
In the 15th Century under the watchful eye of Pope Sixtus and the those who seek favour with the Church, every lecture, public offering, publication, or drunken muttering offered by Bruno was eventually used against him; his Venetian patron, Marcenigo, the one who turned the screws. But, others followed in their eagerness to ensure favour, to cement their own validity of faith with the church.
An inspirational life for one born in these times. Possessing a mind that was eager to question beyond what he was told to believe in an era where any questioning of the Catholic faith....by a man of God, albeit a failed and womanising non conformist, was certain death. And so it was in February 1600 that this imperfect, scholarly and inquisitive man was burned at the stake.
**It was almost 300 years later (1889) that the University of Rome recognised this man; a statute in the Campo dei Fiori (Field of Flowers), on the spot where he died. **Noted in the epilogue.
March 14, 2019
The fictionalized memoir of a dissident Catholic priest, not entirely wrongly accused - but certainly frames with exaggerated accusations - faces imprisonment, torture and eventually death during the Inquisition. I thought this would be very interesting, not to mention disturbing. As a Catholic myself, this dark period stands out as one of several bad times in the history of Christianity. I hoped against hope the book, nonetheless, would not be too anti-Catholic but rather anti-corruption and anti-dogmatic distortion of the true Christian principles (something Miller's The Crucible and Huxley's Devils of Loudun did well). While not indictment of Christ, or even Christians, Morris does seem somewhat incensed at the Catholic doctrine. This is not to the detriment of the book, it just prevented me from becoming too endeared to the doomed protagonist. While nobody deserves the treatment he and many others got, I do understand why they came after him. He was a pretty "out there" guy, who blatantly violated the requirements of his Holy Orders.
Also, as I listened to this on audio book, the reader didn't help matters. Given the fact that the characters were primarily Italian, I don't know why the reader employs an exaggerated, neurotic British accent. He came off as disingenuous, like he thought the story was a parody rather than a dark historic character study. It took away greatly from any tension and drama the book otherwise might have had. I try not to hold this against the book itself, but even then, I didn't much like the story anyway.
Also, as I listened to this on audio book, the reader didn't help matters. Given the fact that the characters were primarily Italian, I don't know why the reader employs an exaggerated, neurotic British accent. He came off as disingenuous, like he thought the story was a parody rather than a dark historic character study. It took away greatly from any tension and drama the book otherwise might have had. I try not to hold this against the book itself, but even then, I didn't much like the story anyway.
October 19, 2021
Eu tinha ouvido falar de Giordano Bruno numa aula de filosofia e cheguei a procurar algum documentário sobre ele no youtube. Gostei muito de ter encontrado esse livro porque ele serve como uma introdução ao seu pensamento, como um guia. Morris West nos ajuda a entender em quais circunstâncias os textos de Giordano foram escritos. Além de toda a informação histórica a narrativa é ágil e realmente prende a sua atenção. Recomendo ler na companhia de uma garrafa de vinho, com certeza você vai ganhar o dia.
June 25, 2024
very good story of G bruno
Not a completely finished story of Bruno but well worth reading. The author details Bruno’s story and goes into details of his life and perhaps his to trusting of his fellow man. I enjoyed the story and highly recommend it.
Not a completely finished story of Bruno but well worth reading. The author details Bruno’s story and goes into details of his life and perhaps his to trusting of his fellow man. I enjoyed the story and highly recommend it.
June 13, 2022
Está muy bien narrado. Parece que estés en la misma celda con Giordano Bruno, recordando su vida y viviéndola con él.
October 27, 2009
Despite being a long-time fan of Morris West, I was unable to finish this book. Bruno is a fascinating figure, but West's version of his story is long on "I traveled here and taught there" and short on the kinds of dramatic action and character development that make his other novels so compelling.
West was not able to actually finish this book before he died, so it's entirely possible that he would have gone back and amplified some of these scenes. But as it stands, this is a far less engaging than his other works.
West was not able to actually finish this book before he died, so it's entirely possible that he would have gone back and amplified some of these scenes. But as it stands, this is a far less engaging than his other works.
May 22, 2012
Morris West's last and unfinished novel is the story of a Catholic Priest who is burned at the stake for questioning the church. He maintains that God is a loving God and not an angry, vengeful God as taught by the church.
October 7, 2017
Interesting title to be the last book this writer wrote. In fact, he died before finishing it. It was finally completed by Tomas Keneally. I remember that I liked this book. I was especially keen on middle ages topics when I was around 15 years old.
September 25, 2017
Me produce malestar el comportamiento de muchos miembros de la iglesia a través de la historia, su doble moral... como se dijo en otro texto: "El poder corrompe, el poder absoluto corrompe absolutamente".
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews