A City of Bells: Week 4

Liturgical year, Prodigal Son, New life & Finding Goudge in Henrietta

US edition of A City of Bells by Elizabeth Goudge

“After lunch Jocelyn excused himself to Ferranti. ‘I'll have to leave you this afternoon,’ he said. ‘It's highly necessary that I should become engaged to Felicity immediately.’

'Between lunch and tea?'

‘Yes. You see, Torminster has decided that we shall be married at Christmas and I think that Felicity had better hear about it from me first. Torminster is like that; it is a city that relieves one of all personal responsibility. It decided that I should open a bookshop, so I did. Now it says I am to marry at Christmas, so I shall . . . Good-bye.' "

🍂 Elizabeth Goudge, A City of Bells

Welcome to the last discussion for A City of Bells!

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Liturgical year in Novel form

We have discussed how Goudge wrote her novel at time when much of the world was in a deep depression, both financial and mental. It is true that humans in such circumstances do much better with a rhythm and habits to pull us through the dark days, and that the liturgical calendar in many faith communities binds us together and keeps us always moving forward in the same direction, but also allows us the grace to return again to the truths we need each year. The spring/summer/autumn/winter seasons are reflected in the liturgical rhythms, and these provide a new beginning, a rebirth each season, year upon year.

It is this rhythm that Goudge has woven into the fabric of her novel, and she uses the rhythm of the church to lift, in the most gentle of ways, the unbelieving Jocelyn and Ferranti right off of their feet into the cycle as well. Through consistent love, Grandfather and all of Torminster, help these two men who were blown out of the pattern of secular life to find a new foothold in the pattern of faith. They may have lost their pathways to success in the world, but they are loved and found by the church, and included with all of their gifts and foibles.

Today we are going to take a look how the Pied Piper turned into the Prodigal Son, the theme of new life & and where we can find Goudge herself in Henrietta…

“Vicars’ Close with Wells Cathedral in the background.” Caption and photo by Andrew Cleaver