Franz Werfel, an Author Worth Celebrating!

Once upon a time there was newspaper of note that published wonderful articles and astounding editorials, book reviews, and human interest stories. Yes, the New York Times used to operate according to the journalistic principal of reporting the news objectively not twisting and perverting it. But that was a long time ago!

I thought about that while I was looking up information on Franz Werfel's novel, The Pascarella Family. I found a fascinating review in the Times written in 1932 describing it as a "fairy tale."

Franz Werfel's Romantic Novel; "The Pascarella Family" Is Old-Fashioned Pure Narrative, With a Distinctly Fairy-Tale Atmosphere THE PASCARELLA FAMILY. Translated from the German of Franz Werfel. 437 pp. New York: Simon & Schuster. $2.50.

The review basically outlines the entire story, spoilers galore, but it was a delightful read. Werfel wasn't just a novelist, but a poet and playwright. According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, Werfel "advocated pacifism, love for all mankind, and hostility to extreme nationalism and Nazism." Although Jewish, he had a Catholic heart thanks to a devout Catholic governess who often took him to Mass in his youth. His experiences with the Church during his lifetime led to his eleventh hour conversion shortly before he died in 1945.

The only other novel by Werfel that I've read is Song of Bernadette, a beautiful testimony to the miracle of Lourdes. The story behind the novel is fascinating. Werfel, a Jew fled Germany during Hitler's reign. His books were among the works gathered and burned by the Reich. During his escape, Werfel took shelter in the village of Lourdes for five weeks where the people hid him until he escaped into Spain by hiking across the Pyrenees on foot. He finally made his way to the United States where he settled in California until his death. There he wrote his best-selling novel about Lourdes in thanksgiving for the shelter given him by the people and the Catholic order managing the shrine. The novel was later made into a film with Jennifer Jones playing the young saint. And what a beautiful film it is. 

I enjoyed The Pascarella Family so much I want to explore more of Werfel's novels. I found only one at our local independent library in Woodstock and none at the county library. So I will be searching the on-line thrift bookstores for more of his works.  His own life story would make a thrilling novel if it were ever written.

I'm thanking God for him today and praying for the repose of his soul. Won't it be wonderful to meet so many beautiful souls on the other side of the veil. I hope there is a heavenly book club where I can meet all the authors who've had such an influence on my life. And how much they point to the wonder of God, the giver of the gifts. 

May Jesus Christ be praised.