A Canticle for Leibowitz

By: Walter M. Miller Jr.

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Hugo Award Winner, Best Novel, 1961

Winner of the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel and widely considered one of the most accomplished, powerful, and enduring classics of modern speculative fiction, Walter M. Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a true landmark of 20th-century literature - a chilling and still-provocative look at a post-apocalyptic future.

In a nightmarish, ruined world, slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infantile rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From there, the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes.

Seriously funny, stunning, tragic, eternally fresh, imaginative, and altogether remarkable, A Canticle for Leibowitz retains its ability to enthrall and amaze. It is now, as it always has been, a masterpiece.

©1959 Walter M. Miller, Jr. (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Chillingly effective.” (Time)

Apocalyptic Classic

This is one of the classic scifi apocalyptic fictions and it still holds up after 50 years. The first section is perhaps the most engaging due to the character of Francis but the 2 that follow are very well written as well. Though 600 years pass between sections it is easy to "catch up" and worth it. There is a plethora of Latin which is sometimes not translated within the text so it may be worthwhile to look for annotations if you're interested. In either case it is a wonderful novel, full of symbolism and religious allusions and serious issues to debate. Science and religion get rather interestingly mixed. Another novel that I find something new in each time, this being my 3rd. There is humor, but there is also an ominous shadow over the narrative.

Condemned to repeat history

Walter M Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz, which won the 1961 Hugo, outlines a possible future for mankind. Written during the lead up to the "hottest" part of the Cold War, the tale begins 600 years after a global nuclear conflagration remembered as the "Fire Deluge" and ushers in a period of dark ages where science and technology are shunned. A newly formed monastic order of the Catholic church devotes their lives to collecting the writings and drawings of a 20th century physicist named Leibowitz who attempted to preserve accumulated knowledge. Without any true understanding, the monks tend the memorabilia as a sacred duty. Moving ahead another 600 years, the order is central to a world slowly emerging from the dark ages and relearning science. Finally, in another 600, humanity has surpassed the 20th century, but the foibles of humanity remain and the order must decide on continuing their preservation work beyond the bounds of Earth.

There is little in the way of actual sci-fi, save for the very late interstellar travel that is merely taken for granted. This work is firmly in the realm of speculative fiction and follows the fundamental tenet that people don't change, only societies. Over and over again, Miller demonstrates humanity struggling with and repeating the same mistakes and getting hung up on the issues of morality and right vs wrong when church and science collide. The brutal indictment of humanity given the gravity of the nuclear cold war on full display back around 1960 was both sobering and chilling. One could easily imagine similar vignettes starting with global terrorism or cyberwarfare going into overdrive.

The narration is quite well done with a solid mix of voices that spans the various time intervals.

a unique distopian

This book is very different and I appreciate that. It is one of my favorites. I feel i should listen to it many times to somewhat grasp what the artist is trying to say. I think it is a masterpiece.

Science Fiction? / Not Really

This is a very special book. The question that Miller deals with is what if the world should succumb to nuclear war and earth is all but wiped out how would the survivors rebuild. Mankind is never been one to learn from the mistakes of the past. Miller is writing in the late fifties when the threat of war was real; when nations across the world were experimenting with weapons that could wipe out whole cities and destroy whole nations.
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This is a challenging book. I read somewhere-
"The lesson of History is that man does not learn the lessons of history"

The one that sets the standard

A Canticle for Liebowitz takes the nacent ideas fostered by H.G. Wells and Jules Verne (and other fantastical minds of the 19th century) and creates the foundation for intellectual early 20th Century Post-apocalyptic literature.

Every time I read Hugh Howey's Wool series, watch films like Mad Max, et al. I harken back to this precisely written future history.

Liebowitz was a 20th Century Jewish man who lived a rather ordinary life. He left behind a shopping list in a bomb shelter which leads to his sainthood.

The religious order of monks that declare Liebowitz a saint, is only doing what religious practitioners do...making meaning from disorder.

Tom Weiner's narration doesn't get in the way of the story but rather enhances it by staying a respectful distance in the background.

Regardless of how many post apocalyptic tomes have been or will be written, this one sets the pace for them all.

Beautiful in both content and execution

It would be difficult to conceive of a book like this one: one whose execution is lofty enough to match its themes. One of the best books I’ve ever read.

Stay with it, it starts slowly but blossoms!

Would you listen to A Canticle for Leibowitz again? Why?

Yes, I plan to start listening to it all over again right away.

Any additional comments?

It takes some time to get going. Be patient, and don't expect a plot driven story. This book is about ideas, while also funny and poignant.

This book has some wonderful concepts, and the writing is stunning. The author's command of English is masterful. He can make profound insights then a wry comment in dellightful juxtaposition, so the book doesn't get preachy even when a character is ranting about man's inability to avoid making the same mistakes over and over.

I am not religious, but I found the strong presence of the Catholic church fascinating, not offputting. The historical position of the church can't be denied, and its role in maintiaining humankind's knowledge in this book makes perfect sense. It was interesting to me to hear the viewpoint of the believer in some of these debates, but the author shows all sides of human weakness, including that of believers, so it really does not end up with a moral in one way or another.

There are some long segments in Latin, which is hard to look up when you are listening, so I just enjoyed the reader's pronunciation and picked out what words I could. It didn't impede my understanding of the story.

Thought Provoking

This is an excellent story tdo explore the nature of man and the balance between intellect and faith.

Fun musing on Mans Destruction Nature

The story highlights how small gradual steps in the life's of individuals is what creates culture, and rash actions are what destroys it. A fun and interesting setting to explore a lot of ethical questions on pain and suffering.
Post-Apocalyptic monks debate whether or not to Baptize a mutants second head!

Rediscover this book.

I thought I knew it, in the 70s, as merely dark, ironical, and shallow. But it's a remarkable book of ideas, a great tale, compelling characters, and good writing. And ultimately a very hopeful book.