I will be perfectly honest in this review. I did not finish the book. I tried for about three weeks and only got a third in. From what I read, I really enjoyed the story of the young woman, Rachel. She was fascinating and added a lot to the story. I think problem actually through with Peter. I couldn't get into that part of the story and was slogging through it page by page. I may go back and try to read this again at another point, but for now, I couldn't finish it.

The Cloister is yet another amazingly melded and well thought out novel by James Carroll. It takes history and melds it with fiction and comes up with a thought-provoking whole. The two main story lines are 800 years apart. A 20th century priest in New York City crosses paths with a Jewish Holocaust survivor at the beautiful Cloisters Museum—a branch of the Metropolitan Museum Of Art—and they inspire each other to explore what rings true or false in their backgrounds and in their beliefs. This soul searching is set in motion through reading the works of Héloïse and Abelard written centuries earlier. The novel also explores the story of that famous duo—both their theology and their love story. It is a brave novel in that it dares to examine what went right and what went wrong in the Catholic Church throughout the centuries including a persecution of the Jews. It inspires its reader to delve deeper into researching real places and real people. And, it has a driving theme throughout of God’s Love pure and simple and how that manifests itself in the world. As one of the protagonists says: ““For Abelard, everything follows from the first principle: The Creator loves what the Creator creates. Creation itself is God’s act of love.” Thank you Talese/Doubleday and NetGalley for the ARC and for allowing me to review it.

The Cloister was a difficult read; I'm not going to lie. The topic of Heloise and Peter Abelard has always fascinated me. Mainly because I'm the kind of person who is told not to touch the fire because it's hot, but touches it anyway to make sure that I am not being lied to. I was told not to research Heloise and Abelard back in Catholic grammar school and have always thought to look into it someday. This book gave me an opportunity to look at that incident from a fictional standpoint.

What I did not anticipate was that the writer would sound so much like a priest who had lost his faith. I knew nothing about author James Carroll until I read the book, then looked up his bio online. It was just as I had suspected, a disaffected priest, writing the "fictitious" story. It saddened me to read this journey of a priest who allowed his faith and mission to be shattered by a lie. I think though, that the main character had lost faith, and wanted a change, and so, used this terrible, messed up situation as an excuse to flee his vocation, rather than sticking around and trying to fix it from the inside, where it can do the most good. As a devout Catholic, this disturbs me, in all honesty.

The story of Peter Abelard and Heloise seems almost incidental to the main story of Fr. Kavanagh. I very much enjoyed the parts of the story related to Abelard and Heloise. They are sympathetic characters, caught up in a time where men and women of certain ranks did not have much choice in the path of their lives. Clearly, both Heloise and Abelard are brilliant scholars, and to have fallen in love during that time of upheaval in the Catholic Church would definitely have been challenging.

I loved the half of the book that told the tale of Heloise and Abelard. It was well crafted and very interesting. I did not care for the half of the novel regarding Fr. Kavanagh and Rachel Vadette. Fr. Kavanaugh's loss of faith was very disheartening. Mr. Carroll could have written a novel about Fr. Kavanaugh, his research, and his falling out with the Church. A second novel could have been done about Heloise and Abelard. While both stories were about disagreements with the Catholic Church, they are separate stories, not halves of a whole, cohesive novel. This novel is not one that I will be recommending to my friends and family, certainly not to my children.

I offer my thanks to Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

'Thanks Doubleday Books and netgalley for this ARC.

I'm not a religious person and I still loved and enjoyed this book. Learning to love, live, and overcome this worst life can throw your way makes this book a real winner.

The Cloister is a beautifully written book. It features dual timelines with the classic love story of Heloise and Abelard juxtaposed with that of Father Kavanagh and Rachel.

What a beautiful, lyrical, interesting book! This is a book to be savored. Told over 3 different time periods, it is sometimes difficult to follow the plot and the characters but it does not matter because it all comes together at the end. I never became impatient or wished I could rush the story line. I want to read it again.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

This is a good story and told in an interesting way. However, there are so many words that are not in our present vocabulary that the meaning is not clear. Latin and obscure words. They are important to the story and the typical reader might be discouraged and give up reading.

In the second decade of the 12th century, at the height of his fame, Church scholar, theologian, Benedictine monk Peter Abelard engaged in a passionate love affair with his young disciple, Héloïse. For them, their carnal love was an expression of the divine, but their liaison was thwarted in more ways than one, for Héloïse’s uncle avenged that debt of honor, while Church authorities banished Abelard from the pulpit, first, for his desecration of his chastity vows, and, twenty years later, for heresy—his emphasis on reason to explain Church doctrine, his rumored friendship with the Judaic community of France, and his vehement defense of it against the sanctioned practices of the Church, were points of contention.

In modern day Manhattan (c. 1950), Catholic priest Michael Kavanagh is celebrating a Mass when a friend he hadn’t seen since his days as a Seminarian refuses to take communion from him. Father Kavanagh follows his friend to Inwood Park, where, amidst a sudden rainstorm, he takes refuge in the nearby The Cloisters—a museum of medieval art that is an architectural montage from remains of medieval monasteries in France. Coincidentally, Father Kavanagh meets Rachel Vedette, a young museum guide and Jewish scholar, whom enlightens him on the motivations behind the author whose book he is reading.

Over the course of several informal encounters, Rachel and Father Kavanagh discuss theology, Abelard and Héloïse’s epistolary, and the repercussions for the Jewish people—of that era and henceforth— of the Church’s condemnation of Peter Abelard and Its departure from his teachings.

Sensing in Rachel a sympathetic spirit, Father Kavanagh confesses how the reappearance of his long-lost friend has triggered his soul-searching and the quest for answers about what prompted his friend to leave the Seminary long ago. Because of his inherent kindness, she gradually opens up about her horrible experience during the Holocaust.

I did not know anything about Peter Abelard nor Héloïse. I chose to read The Cloister because it was about a religious scholar and I am very much into that. Bring me novels about monasteries and priests and I will be content. Thus, imagine my satisfaction when I start getting comfortable with the pace of the story, and I find out that, unbeknownst to me, I have always agreed with some of Peter Abelard’s ideas.

The Cloister by James Carroll delivers in many ways, and all in spades. Not only it has appeal as a love story because of the transcendent feelings between Peter Abelard and young Héloïse, but it also has the drama and the bitterness of a love thwarted—they faced, together and individually, fascination by the populace (trovadours sang about them), cruelty, bitter rivalries, disillusionment, and banishment. Then there is the subplot of the dangerous ideas that Peter Abelard championed, which went against Church doctrine. In writing about Abelard’s ideas, of his study of the teachings of prominent Jewish scholars of the age, and of his application of logical reasoning to explain the divine mysteries, James Carroll has put anti-Semitism on display and has attacked it head on.

The novel has three separate storylines that happen more or less timelessly, though one can piece together the dates in which events occurred because of the reference to certain historical personages, such as King Louis VII of France, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Senator McCarthy. In medieval times we follow the story of Peter Abelard and Héloise from the time they met to the fate that befell them. In modern times we follow two subplots. First, the story of Jewish father Saul Vedette and his daughter Rachel, who live in Paris during the Nazi-backed Vichy regime. Saul is a scholar of medieval studies writing a book that may challenge conventional thinking on the postures of Abelard towards the Jews. Rachel assists him, but the roundup of Paris’ Jews by French police in 1942, their temporary imprisonment at Vel’ d’Hiv, and subsequent transfer to a concentration camp, change their lives irrevocably. Last, circa 1950s, we meet Catholic priest Michael Kavanagh who is shaken by an awkward encounter with a long-lost friend, which triggers in him a soul-search, quest for answers, and a final reckoning.

Despite me finding the medieval story arc appealing, I found myself preferring Rachel Vedette’s Holocaust story, which was as horrific as it was entrancing. That is usually the case for me with Holocaust stories because each account is horrifyingly unique. I liked the subplot of Father Kavanagh too, despite dealing with the rottener issues of the Church.

The Cloister has a nice pace, neither slow nor fast, just right. James Carroll is a gifted storyteller; I liked his writing style from the very beginning. The novel was a solid four stars from start to finish, though I felt that some passages, especially the ones in which Peter Abelard discussed his theology, dragged a bit. It may be a matter of preference, but abstract ideas tend to bore me; theology is no different in that regard.

Overall, I think The Cloister by James Carroll should be obligatory reading for all Christians. It may challenge what you have been taught.

Disclaimer: I received from the publisher a free e-galley of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book, that could be because I love anything that deals with Judaism. However, this story was captivating. I liked the multiple storylines and tbe look at Catholic vs. Jewish theology. I highly recommend this book.

The Cloister - James Carroll, Mar 6, 4.56, 384 pages
A well-researched piece of historical fiction written by former priest James Carroll. It is based on historically significant people, fascinating subjects who I’d never before heard of.

It is a multi-layered read that spans hundreds of years and begins with philisopher/nun Holoise d’Argenteuil arriving at the Cloister garden to meet the Abbot where he will lead her to the the body of her much older lover Peter Abelard, reflecting on their doomed affair and condemnation. Fast forward 800 years when priest Michael Kavanagh and Holocaust survivor Rachel Vedette, a docent and scholar have a chance meeting at the Cloister that will change their lives. This was the first I heard of Abelard and d’Argenteuil and their historically important story told through different perspectives and eras was complex and very well-done.

Threading three different stories, the novel presents the story of people who are unable to present their cases clearly, or if they do, they are met with judgment and misunderstanding.
The story of World War Two Holocaust when millions of Jews were killed is well known. A victim of this injustice was Rachel Vedette, a French Jew, and her father, a scholar of the Torah. Presenting her story is done as a result of her discussions with Father Michael Kavanagh, a misfit in his group of Catholic priests. What helps Rachel and Father Michael understand each other and deal with their doubts and struggles is the story of Peter Abelard and Heloise. The texts Abelard wrote and Heloise made sure survived the ages showcase a man who dared to write about what he believed in and thought of, despite the shame and excommunication it brought upon him. Above all, the idea of love, in all the forms people try to see it in, is seen throughout the novel. It's what fuels every discussion and change of direction, whether it’s love for God or love for other people.
More than Abelard and Heloise’s, Rachel and Father Michel’s conversation, and relationship, intrigued me. They seemed to play hide and seek, emphasis on seek, during their every encounter. Two people who think of themselves as impostors in their everyday life come face to face with the history of the Jews throughout the centuries and its implications for their personal lives. Two people confined to the self-sufficiency they’ve been used to up to that moment. Two people unable to be honest with each other because of their baggage and out of fear to not say too much or offend. This is what fascinated me.
I personally didn't like how some serious social and religious issues were approached. I haven't read anything by Abelard, and my Catholic knowledge is limited, but I sensed that some ideas the author adhered to were far-fetched. It was as if he wanted to tie everything in a nice bow and give his characters a final resolution and clear purpose, doubts-free.
I enjoyed the foray into history, the musical and poetic language (which made the reading tedious at times, but I powered through) I was exposed to, and the attempt to show how apparently small and insignificant deeds of the 12th century carry weight well into our time.
Despite the heavy topic and at times slow paced reading, it was a good book, certainly appealing to history buffs.

As much as I liked this book I think there was just too much going on...i.e. the obvious base Heloise and Abelard story, the Rachel current AND past story, the Cavanaugh current AND past story. The meanderings from all three made for very interesting reading especially the catholic vs jewish theologies. I just wonder if there wasn't a better way of reaching some of the provocative musings.

Religion, Philosophy and Romance

After an unsettling meeting with an old friend from seminary, Father Kavanagh wanders through Central Park. To escape the rain, he takes shelter in The Cloisters. He’s hoping to be alone, but Rachael Vedette, a museum guide, wanders into his sanctuary. Their unexpected conversation changes their lives.

Rachael is a survivor of the Holocaust in France. Her father, a Medieval scholar, studied Abelard in the hope of bringing Abelard’s ideas to the modern era and garnering him the honor he deserves. Rachael protected her father’s work throughout her own ordeal, now she feels compelled to share it with Father Kavanagh.

The novel revolves around the story of Heloise and Abelard, an iconic love story that echoes through the centuries. It is also the story of Rachael and Kavanagh and the struggle to bring the story of the Jews into the rightful place in philosophical thinking, a task that Abelard paid dearly for.

This is a beautifully written book. It’s a book to be savored, not read quickly. The love story and the foray into philosophy and religion present much food for thought. The characters are real people struggling with mighty issues. The author did an excellent job of making both the middle ages and the modern era into backgrounds that enhanced the novel.

I enjoyed both the romance and the philosophy. It’s a book worth reading more than once.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Carroll has written three story threads in three different time periods. I was ignorant of Peter Abelard and Héloïse but I will never forget them and what they stood for against unbelievable odds. I knew that the Catholic Church had been complicit in the Holocaust but oblivious to the centuries old teaching that as “killers of Christ” they were worthy of scorn, to be wantonly killed - Jews! God’s chosen people!! The second thread takes place during the Holocaust and illustrates the anguish of this evil teaching.

Abelard was an apologist for the Jewish people, portraying them with “total sympathy and respect - an equal to the Christian. The Jew is not an object of conversion, or doomed to an eternity of hellfire.” This is what he taught his students which put him in opposition to the Catholics leaders of France to his physical peril.

The modern day thread follows a chance encounter between a Jewish woman and an Irish Catholic priest who begin a tentative friendship after being drawn together through their fascination with the teachings of Abelard. Both are grappling with grievous issues in their lives that were “out of bounds” but come into focus through conversations about the 12th century lives of Peter and Héloïse. Abelard’s philosophy said “no” to the militant Christ and “yes” to the Prince of Peace, and it was his teachings that opened the door to Father Kavanagh’s inner introspection, though he ultimately credits Héloïse for his greatest understandings.

Carroll, a former priest and practicing Catholic, is not indicting the Church, but he is throwing open the windows and doors and inviting modern Catholics to stop feeling guilty, and to see that more is present, not in the sacrament or in the Church but in the people of the parish themselves, to celebrate. Kavanaugh finally recognized that God’s love for him was no longer contingent on his being a priest. This book is brilliant and certainly more intellectual than I am capable of processing in one reading, all the philosophy and theology, a book of challenge and hope.

I have not read Carroll for a long time but this came along as a Netgalley ARC and well, I was happy to enter his world again. This time he explores the tale of Heloise and Abelard. Father Michael Kavanaugh and Rachel Vedette meet by chance at the Cloisters. Rachel's story, as a survivor of the Holocaust, is beautifully rendered. This well written novel explores a variety of themes- paralleling 12th century France and the 20th century. It's not a fast read but more a thoughtful and erudite one. It's not for everyone but it's got a hopeful message.

Father Michael Kavanagh stepped into the Cloisters, a medieval museum composed of parts of former cloisters brought from Europe by John D. Rockefeller.Jr. The museum was near his blue collar Catholic parish in upper New York City. However the priest had never been inside the museum. While there, he met Rachel Vedette, a Jewish docent who has survived the Holocaust in her native France.

The two struck up an uneasy friendship and cemented it with the information of her late father’s study of the writings of Peter Abelard. Most people know Abelard as the medieval monk who engaged in a torrid affair with the beautiful Heloise. They also know of the savage castration that Abelard suffered when news of the liaison became known. Heloise went on to become a nun and eventually an Abbess of an important Priory. Abelard was disgraced and basically banished to a minor abbey far from Paris.

Both Kavanagh and Rachel had secrets and eventually revealed them to each other. The book, a historical fiction story, alternates between mid 20th century NYC and medieval France. We learn why Abelard’s teachings were so dangerous that other contemporary theologians sought to have them banished by the Catholic Church.

This is an interesting story as it exposes the story behind the romantic tale of Abelard and Heloise Nd their forbidden love.

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and can’t get it out of my mind. After thinking about it for a couple of weeks I don’t know how to tell you it’s worth every minute of your time and do that telling justice. Bear with me and then go buy the book.
I had, somewhere in my life, heard the names Heloise and Abelard. I knew theirs was a love story but that’s I all. I didn’t know their time, their story or their purpose. I do now.
The many layers of The Cloister include the story of a Catholic priest, Father Michael Kavanagh, a Holocaust survivor from France and museum guide, Rachel Vedette, and their crossed paths. One day Fr. Kavanagh has a conversation with Rachel at The Cloisters. He is there spontaneously one day while working through a chance encounter with a friend from another time, Runner Malloy. Neither Fr. Michael nor Rachel realize what that chance encounter would mean to their lives. What is chance, anyway?
Rachel’s father was a Medieval scholar and his life’s work was dedicated to bringing back the honor Abelard was denied in his own time. Abelard, a philosophy scholar and monk, was discredited for his relationship to the Jews and Rachel’s father worked his way minutely through Abelard’s writings hoping to reinstate his philosophy with the world. Rachel protected her father’s work with her life and after her conversations with Fr. Michael she trusts her father’s writings to him. Nothing sinister here. No car chases as she tries to get them back.
Are you still with me?
Heloise and Abelard’s story is one of those immortal love stories and we are told their story interspersed with Rachel and Fr. Michael’s. It is a love story deeply felt. It is also an affirmation of the Jews to their place in history. In their place in philosophical thinking.
The thinking in this novel is deep and intense and brain altering. Yet it’s not so much so there is no audience for this story. It’s the most thought provoking novel I’ve read in years. I haven’t forgotten it, I will read it again (and maybe again) and think about it when I’m not reading it. And, in my opinion, that’s just about a perfect novel.

Fabulous book. Thoroughly loved. Highly recommend!

This is a wonderful book and I was hooked since the first pages. I coudn't believe I never read anything by this writer as he is so incredibly good.
I am still reading it, savouring every page and trying to make it last as long as possible.
Strongly recommended.

"Abelard and Héloïse? Was he not that guy who got castrated?" That was the first thing that came to mind. And that they had joined a monastery afterwards summed up all I knew.

The novel is in fact three stories that intertwine:
- The story of Abelard and Héloïse in 12th century France;
- The story of Jewish Rachel and her father the professor in and around Paris during the Second World War;
- The story of the Father Mike, a priest in New York, of Irish decent who meets Rachel in 1950.

This novel is written by a former Catholic priest who has written a couple of non-fiction books about the history and concepts of Christianity and the relationship of the church with the Jews through history. This book however is a novel but prepare yourself to a lot of debate about theology. I am raised as a protestant but even when you do not know a thing about that religion this book will shake up your braincells. It is no easy read. Philosophy / theology: we see Abelard teaching at university or defending his opinion in front of the bishops. What is important: the intention or the result? Can someone do a bad thing out of good intentions? Had a God who is love according to Jesus really sent his son to earth to die a gruesome death? If the Jewish people were God's beloved people how can Christians kill them?

In the meantime we see Father Mike reflect on his job as a priest. He likes his work but he feels alone in the middle of his fellow priests. He also starts to doubt how the church works.
When he meets Rachel who feels very guilty about what happened during the war, the questions that Abelard put to his students 800 years prior have to be answered by the two of them to make sure they will find inner peace.

Héloïse has the last word in. She did not want to be openly married to Abelard as it would mean the end of his teaching post at the religious institute that university then was. But at the end of her life when she is a famous mother superior of a convent she instructs the nuns to bury her with her wedding ring on her finger for the first time.

The title "The cloister", points to a museum in New York where Rachel and Father Mike meet. It is a monastery that was transported from France to the USA by Rockefeller. It is from the same era in which Abelard and Héloïse lived. in.

Some original writings by Abelard and Héloïse have survived the centuries. After he was castrated and both lived in their own monastery they kept writing each other letters. In one of them, quoted in the book, she writes that when you have a very close intellectually connection you can be very happy and it will not leave room for other passions. Them must have loved each other very much.

(I was given this book for free to read by Netgalley providing I would write a review. Thanks for the opportunity)