Books with author Robert Hught Benson

This visionary dystopian and apocalyptic novel of 1907 presents a future in which secular humanism has triumphed, with religion suppressed and almost non-existent. It follows the fortunes of an M.P. and his wife, who come under the sway of the antichrist figure, the titular Lord of the World, who appears to promise a heaven on earth, and a catholic priest, who is fighting to keep the Church alive through its many tribulations. It is highly readable and seems prescient on many counts - the rise of communist states, the advent of air travel and the dominating power of a forceful leader - but its strong Catholic bias has tended to limit its readership. This handsome new edition has been completely re-typeset to be clear and complete.

The Dawn of All is a classic dystopian novel told in parable. It was widely received by the Catholic faith. Benson’s other writings have been highly recommended by Catholic Church.Dystopian Classic Editions publishes works of dystopian and utopian literature that have survived through the generations and been recognized as classics. A dystopian society is an imagined society in which the people are oppressed, however the government propagandizes the society as being a utopia or a perfect society. Typical themes in dystopian literature include public mistrust, police states, and overall unpleasantness for the citizens. Authors of dystopian works strive to present a worst-case scenario and negative depiction of the way things are in the story so as to make a criticism about a current situation in society and to call for a change. Each Dystopian Classic Edition selected for publication presents such a story.

Come Rack! Come Rope! is a dramatic novel set in England during the Elizabethan era; a time in which religion, and the violence which ensued after the Reformation, played a heavy role in everyday life. True to form, Robert Hugh Benson opens the novel in dramatic style. We are introduced to a seventeen year old couple, Robin Audrey and Marjorie Manners, who have become secretly engaged. While both are Catholic, they and their families live in rural Derbyshire at a time when Catholicism has become subject to persecution. We are led to contemplate not merely how the fate of the young couple will transpire, but how the entire community will cope with the animosity born of religious upheavals. Benson's research of the time shines, as certain characters pledge support to the imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots and contemplate how to survive the violent oppression. The darkness of these days is reflected in the title of the book: the rack and rope were a method of torture, which was employed against many priests and openly religious people at the time. It was a common prelude to violent execution, such as being hung, drawn and quartered in public. Such events were intended to discourage Catholics from challenging the new order, and such terrifying, grisly barbarity commonly succeeded in its aims. Yet Robin, who becomes the novel's protagonist, is not cowed to submission by such horrific acts - he sets off to France to study in the priesthood instead. The scene in which he announces his intentions to his father is the novel's first major turning point; we realize that even the mutual romantic affection between he and Marjorie is not enough to dissuade him from following his calling - Marjorie humbly encourages him to pursue his course as set out by God. The intensity of spiritual beliefs, and consequences of defiance, are a recurring theme throughout this novel. Even when the author published this book in 1912, the 16th century persecutions were becoming less mentioned and remembered. Robert Hugh Benson is keen to reflect historical accuracy and minimize his personal outlook - that he, a Catholic priest, constructed a novel that portrays the time in an evenhanded manner, is a noteworthy accomplishment.

Big children and small will be inspired by the rhymes and the profuse use of line drawings, to make it both simple and smart, throughout the book. The child is invited to "learn by heart" the whole Rule, not only a part. The beautiful line drawings follow a brother and sister throughout their day, when they awake, go to Church, eat their meals, learn their lessons, and have family time. The simple yet charming rhymes will teach a child how to act in Church, what to do when tempted, what to do when troubled, and much more. 28 Pages. By Robert Hugh Benson. A real treasure for young and old!

How is this book unique?Unabridged (100% Original content)Formatted for e-readerFont adjustments & biography includedIllustratedAbout Lord Of The World By Robert Hugh BensonLord of the World is a 1907 novel by Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson that centers upon the reign of the Anti-Christ and the End of the World. It has been called prophetic by Dale Ahlquist, Joseph Pearce, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.According to his biographer, Fr. Cyril Martindale, Mgr. Benson's depiction of the future was in many ways an inversion of the science fiction novels of H. G. Wells. In particular, Benson was sickened by Wells' belief that Atheism, Marxism, World Government, and Eugenics would lead to an earthly utopia. Due to his depiction of a Wellsian future as a global police state, Benson's novel has been called one of the first modern works of dystopian fiction. Writing during the pontificate of Pope Pius X and prior to the First World War, Monsignor Benson accurately predicted interstate highways and passenger air travel using an advanced form of Zeppelin called the "volor". However, he also presumed the survival of the British Empire and predominant travel by rail. Like many other Catholics of the era in which he wrote, Monsignor Benson shares the political and economic views of G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc.

Robert Hugh Benson was an Anglican priest who also wrote Christian works. From the preface: "I am perfectly aware that this is a terribly sensational book, and open to innumerable criticisms on that account, as well as on many others. But I did not know how else to express the principles I desired (and which I passionately believe to be true) except by producing their lines to a sensational point. I have tried, however, not to scream unduly loud, and to retain, so far as possible, reverence and consideration for the opinions of other people. Whether I have succeeded in that attempt is quite another matter."

In or about the year 2000, humanity has reached "that incredibly lofty goal to which its intrinsic efforts can carry it" - but rejected everything but crass materialism. Technology has advanced to the point where no one need work for a living, while the social sciences have achieved a smoothly-running if almost unbearably sterile social order. Formal religious beliefs except for Catholicism have been uprooted and eliminated as coherent systems, and the Catholic Church has been completely discredited in the eyes of the world, finally being outlawed. The result is everything the late Victorians and Edwardians believed would bring human happiness - and which brings nothing but the advent of new superstitions, despair, and the end of the world ... maybe.

[Read by Simon Vance] Civilization rushes headlong toward not only its own destruction but that of the very world in this remarkably prescient novel, one of the first works of modern dystopian fiction. Secular humanism has triumphed. Everything the late Victorians and Edwardians believed would bring human happiness has been achieved: technology has made it so no one need work for a living, the social sciences ensure a smooth-running social order, and in the name of tolerance, religious beliefs have been uprooted and eliminated except for a single holdout: a largely discredited and rapidly shrinking Catholic Church. Yet people are unhappy. What has been created is a sterile world of crass materialism, a world without spiritual dimension, a world where people daily choose legalized euthanasia over the emptiness of existence. Out of this culture of despair, there arises a charismatic leader: Julian Felsenburgh. Soon the masses are in Felsenburgh's thrall and he becomes leader of the world. But in their eagerness for change, have the citizens of the world embraced the Antichrist and hastened the end of days? Father Percy Franklin remains a bastion of stability, even as the Catholic Church disintegrates around him. Finally outlawed and driven underground, it is only this small and shrinking Church that stands against the ''Lord of the World.''