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Paul Faber Surgeon [a Novel] George Macdonald Books

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Mark Twain once famously said "there was but one solitary thing about the past worth remembering, and that was the fact that it is past and can't be restored."  Well, over recent years, The British Library, working with Microsoft has embarked on an ambitious programme to digitise its collection of 19th century books.

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Further information on The British Library and its digitisation programme can be found on The British Library website.

Paul Faber Surgeon [a Novel] George Macdonald Books

This is a sequel to the MUCH better "Thomas Wingfold, Curate" and focuses on the atheist surgeon, Paul Faber, who attended Helen's brother Leopold in the previous book.

However, it is nooooooo where near as lively or interesting and was, for me, actually toooooooo slow to read without flipping through. There is ultimately not enough plot, and the character of Paul Faber, as well as that of his pretty patient and later wife, Juliet, were not interesting enough to want to follow very far.

In a nutshell, Dr. Faber, who is smart and atheist, is still so honest that the town and all the characters of the last book like him and long for his conversion. However, his honesty is not so thorough that he is able to avoid being very self-deceiving, and the process of his un-self-deception is the only somewhat satisfying part of the book - and it does not really begin until the very, very, very long book is almost over. His wife, Juliet, is so passive, I could hardly tolerate her - then when in trouble, she was so selfish, demanding, whiny, unreasonable and irritating I could hardly believe there was enough stuffing in her to make a conversion out of, and in fact, she is ultimately converted by a delirious dream instead of by any process of thinking. It would have taken at least another book to get her to think. I felt very sorry for the generous, abused friend who had to care for this mentally, physically, spiritually fragile, character-challenged, annoying nightmare patient.

Thomas Wingfold and his wife Helen, Polwarth and his niece Ruth, Drew the draper, and a few other familiar characters appear, but this time they add little to the story. There are two very minor side-stories - Thomas Wingfold's superior arrives and discovers he has as little true faith as Wingfold started with; and former minister Mr. Drake and his daughter Dorothy both have spiritual struggles. But these are treated in a very minor manner, and they did not rescue the book.

Finally there were two scenes that are kind of typical for books written during the "Romantic" period, but that made me wrinkle my fine aristocratic nose with modern alarm and disgust. In one, a wife creeps under her husband's desk to wrap her arms around his ankles and weep on his feet, begging his forgiveness because she spoke to him in a tone only slightly less loving than usual. Now the husband tells her to stop doing that, but still the scene was a bit much. In the other, a different wife tears her nightgown from her shoulders and hands her husband a whip, begging his forgiveness because she had relations with another man prior to meeting him. Her husband throws away the whip, but surely a few calm sentences in both cases would have done just as well and spared the temporary disfigurement of my nose.

In short, I felt this book was very weak and was surprised - George MacDonald is usually a writer I can hardly recommend more highly. I flipped through the second half of the book, and then with a sensation of just irritation, deleted it from my Kindle!

Product details Paperback 316 pages Publisher The British Library (May 3, 2010) Language English ASIN B003MGLFK8

Tags : Paul Faber, Surgeon. [a Novel.] [George Macdonald] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mark Twain once famously said there was but one solitary thing about the past worth remembering, and that was the fact that it is past and can't be restored.   Well,George Macdonald,Paul Faber, Surgeon. [a Novel.],The British Library,B003MGLFK8
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Paul Faber Surgeon [a Novel] George Macdonald Books Reviews

I met Paul Faber in the Tutor's First Love (dippy title, I know, but great book - not soppy at all!) and fell 'in love' with him, and so wanted to read more about him. So far, the Scottische brogue has stopped me and I am so sad, but my husband found a dictionary online that has helped him through the MacDonald books. One day, I hope to have said dictionary in hand and try this book again. I gave it 5 stars because I am sure it will be a great book. MacDonald's characters are fantastic people one would never forget.
I would recommend this book to any one that wants a good , clean , wholesome read !!!! Another review said that it was overly dramatic at a particular scene when she asked her husband to whip her for speaking in a tone that was not as kind as usual , but she misunderstood . what really happened was she had told her husband that she had been married before him and that she shouldn't have married him as she was already married .
Another thoughtful book by MacDonald. As with all MacDonald's books, the story line is not the main point. I read MacDonald's novels because I find his spiritual insight fresh and helpful. The main character of this book is an atheist. One of the things I love about MacDonald is that he represents all seekers of truth as worthy of respect. Close minded people, and mean-spirited people, are censured regardless of their religious beliefs. I think that those of us who grew up with a "Christian versus non-Christian" view of the world will be enriched by his fresh take on who is a believer or an unbeliever, and who is righteous or unrighteous; as well as he perspective on the value of doubt as a path to true faith. A much needed perspective in the Christian world.
George MacDonald is renowned in his novels, even a hundred years after his death, for characters who realistically illustrate the trials of faith development for those in the Christian tradition. By the end of this novel, the predicament of the title character is so difficult that the reader cannot conceive a way through it, but the ending is a masterpiece that warms the heart and soul. Living with these characters in the way of life of a small Scottish town a century ago is fascinating, and joining them in their spiritual journey stimulates one's own journey to further exploration and growth. This is an excellent sequel to Thomas Wingfold, Curate.
This is the second book in the "Thomas Wingfold" trilogy. The third book is "There and Back." As someone else said, all three stories stand alone, and it doesn't matter what order you read them in.

"Thomas Wingfold" introduces Polwarth, a dwarf with questionable theology. (e.g., he tells a story that suggests he believes in reincarnation) and his niece, Rachel. These characters reoccur in "Paul Faber," but we endure less of Polwarth's dreams and poems, and Rachel's name has been changed to Ruth. I'm guessing MacDonald forgot to check his notes? Or maybe she's Rachel Ruth and using her middle name now? Either way, you really have to feel for Rachel Ruth in the first book. She clearly falls for Wingfold, but he never looks at her twice because she's a dwarf. MacDonald himself points this out, which I very much appreciated. Whatever she may look like on the outside, a woman is still a woman.

There's also a double standard with women in "Paul Faber," where Faber expects his wife to be pure as the wind driven snow, and when he finds out she was taken advantage of by an older man before they married, he reacts in anything but love. That's what makes it difficult to like Faber, despite that fact that everyone (including Wingfold) keeps reassuring us he's an admirable man. By the end of the story he's been humbled and you like him a little better, but I'd still recommend "There and Back" as the best of the trilogy.
This is a sequel to the MUCH better "Thomas Wingfold, Curate" and focuses on the atheist surgeon, Paul Faber, who attended Helen's brother Leopold in the previous book.

However, it is nooooooo where near as lively or interesting and was, for me, actually toooooooo slow to read without flipping through. There is ultimately not enough plot, and the character of Paul Faber, as well as that of his pretty patient and later wife, Juliet, were not interesting enough to want to follow very far.

In a nutshell, Dr. Faber, who is smart and atheist, is still so honest that the town and all the characters of the last book like him and long for his conversion. However, his honesty is not so thorough that he is able to avoid being very self-deceiving, and the process of his un-self-deception is the only somewhat satisfying part of the book - and it does not really begin until the very, very, very long book is almost over. His wife, Juliet, is so passive, I could hardly tolerate her - then when in trouble, she was so selfish, demanding, whiny, unreasonable and irritating I could hardly believe there was enough stuffing in her to make a conversion out of, and in fact, she is ultimately converted by a delirious dream instead of by any process of thinking. It would have taken at least another book to get her to think. I felt very sorry for the generous, abused friend who had to care for this mentally, physically, spiritually fragile, character-challenged, annoying nightmare patient.

Thomas Wingfold and his wife Helen, Polwarth and his niece Ruth, Drew the draper, and a few other familiar characters appear, but this time they add little to the story. There are two very minor side-stories - Thomas Wingfold's superior arrives and discovers he has as little true faith as Wingfold started with; and former minister Mr. Drake and his daughter Dorothy both have spiritual struggles. But these are treated in a very minor manner, and they did not rescue the book.

Finally there were two scenes that are kind of typical for books written during the "Romantic" period, but that made me wrinkle my fine aristocratic nose with modern alarm and disgust. In one, a wife creeps under her husband's desk to wrap her arms around his ankles and weep on his feet, begging his forgiveness because she spoke to him in a tone only slightly less loving than usual. Now the husband tells her to stop doing that, but still the scene was a bit much. In the other, a different wife tears her nightgown from her shoulders and hands her husband a whip, begging his forgiveness because she had relations with another man prior to meeting him. Her husband throws away the whip, but surely a few calm sentences in both cases would have done just as well and spared the temporary disfigurement of my nose.

In short, I felt this book was very weak and was surprised - George MacDonald is usually a writer I can hardly recommend more highly. I flipped through the second half of the book, and then with a sensation of just irritation, deleted it from my !