Review of A Curate in Love

[Tomy Chandrafrost]

[Following is a volunteer review of "A Curate in Love" by Richard Hughes.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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"A Curate in Love" by Richard Hughes takes us on Richard's journey as a theology graduate who chooses the path of an assistant curate.
 
Idealism and reality collide as he discovers that many things don't always conform to what he learned in lectures.
 
Navigating promotions and responsibilities within the church, he faces various conflicts of interest, such as choosing between the person he loves and being a church leader with a good image. This dilemma will be well depicted in the story.
 
I learned a lot about life as a curate in the church, especially in the Catholic Church. The church he serves, St. Mary's Church, has had a long history since 1490, which is extensively portrayed in the book.
 
From this book, I also learned many things about the Christian religion, such as the existence of the Book of Common Prayer, morning and evening prayers, sermons, and various rituals in sacred ceremonies. I also learned a bit about the church leadership system and some terms like Mattins, Parish, Curate, and so on.
 
The church culture in Asia and Europe is certainly different. In my own area, there are more Protestant adherents from the Lutheran tradition, so this book provided many insights into the Catholic Church. As someone who only studied Christianity for 3 years in school, this learning provided an understanding of the interesting diversity in religion.
 
I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 because of its detailed portrayal of life as a pastor, which is quite engaging. Although the storyline is somewhat slow, the book has flawless editing, vivid descriptions, and complex social and historical contexts within the story.
 
As for its shortcomings, the book's plot feels slow due to the abundance of details the author tries to explain. The author introduces many terms that non-Christians may need to learn a bit about before fully understanding the book. It would be helpful if the book included a section providing pre-knowledge about Christianity to make it easier to understand.
 
Nevertheless, I appreciate the author's effort to portray a romance story alongside the struggles in the path of serving God. I recommend this book to those interested in Christian history, understanding the internal workings of the church, and learning about the experience of being a curate in the church. 

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A Curate in Love
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[Priya Murugesan]

A very good review! But I don't like religious book. So I will pass this one.

[Harshitha Nayak]

Oh this is Christian religion based view story! Entanglement of love with God belief is like walking with blind faith or trusting upon God to guide us.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

I'm with Priya on this; I might give this one a miss. It has a broad audience sure, but I'm not one of them. Great review.

[Yashi Shukla]

I am quite fond of the books that gives me the opportunity to explore about other cultures and religions and I don't actually mind slow burn books so might give this one a go.

[Gerry Steen]

Your review has piqued my interest. The Catholic Church has had difficulties in regards to priesthood and romantic love co-existing. I am interested to know what this story has to offer to enlighten our minds. Great review.

[Cristina-Ioana Toader]

I truly appreciate your insightful review. Your observations on the protagonist's journey and the book's portrayal of Christian practices offer valuable insights.

[Anozie Stephanie]

I love the reviewer likes in this book as I believe the history of the church in this books plays a good role.

[_Rhea Jacob]

The book sounds very interesting, however, I think I may skip the book as I am not too interested in reading about Christian history. Thank you for writing a detailed review!

[Julie Basil]

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed reading this book despite its slow pace and that you found it helpful in learning more about the Christian religion. Keep up the good work!

[Tomi Ahmed]

"A Curate in Love" by Richard Hughes offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of a theology graduate navigating the complexities of church service. The book provides rich insights into the Catholic Church's history, rituals, and leadership, making it educational for readers unfamiliar with this tradition. Despite a slower pace due to detailed descriptions, the story is engaging and well-edited, effectively balancing romance with the challenges of a curate's path. It's a valuable read for anyone interested in Christian history and the inner workings of church life.

[Cristiano Bellucci]

Thank you very much for your review. This is an intriguing topic. As you highlight, there are conflicts between personal life and career, or devoting your own life to religion.

[Risper Ouma Anyango]

Its so sad how Christianity will divide loved ones because of its various rules. I am already discouraged from reading this when I kesrn that he battles the choice between love and Christianity. Personally, I would choose love. Nice review though.

[Runan]

Converting ideals into reality is a huge task. A church pastor's dilemma between whom he loves and his duty as a church pastor will be interesting to read about. This story seems to tackle several societal issues. I really liked your personalised approach in your review. Keep it up!

[Jenna Padayachee]

An exciting book that will perhaps contribute to my existing understanding of Christianity ( which appears basic , compared to the information provided in your review).
I am curious as to the path Richard takes ultimately concerning his predicament of love and the image he is expected to project.
This actually, upon thought, is a battle most us face in terms of keeping up with societal and religious expectations versus the truth in our hearts.