The Grip of Desire: The Story of a Parish-Priest

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

France, Hector, 1837-1908

Contributor:

Carrington, Charles, 1867-1921

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Grip of Desire: The Story of a Parish-Priest" by Hector France is a novel likely written in the late 19th century. The narrative explores the inner life of a village priest, known as the Curé, as he grapples with the conflicts between his clerical obligations and his human desires. It dives into the themes of passion, temptation, and morality as the priest navigates his relationships within the parish, particularly in a village setting filled with young women whose presence and allure challenge his vows of chastity. The opening of the novel introduces the Curé of Althausen, a man of thirty who is respected for his teachings yet is suspected to harbor desires beneath his seemingly chaste exterior. He delivers sermons emphasizing love and practical morality to his congregation, which starkly contrasts with traditional religious tenets. As he interacts with the parishioners, he faces temptations, particularly from the lively and youthful women who bring color to his otherwise disciplined life. The beginning establishes a tension between his role as a spiritual leader and his reflections on life, nature, and unfulfilled desires, setting the stage for the unfolding drama of lust and longing that permeates the rest of the story. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

This file was produced by Carlo Traverso, Relka Bihari, Andrea Ball, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team from images generously made available by the Bibliotheque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at http://gallica.bnf.fr

Notes:

Reading ease score: 80.9 (6th grade). Easy to read.

Release date is 2004-02-01