Novels by Compton Mackenzie

[Eagle&Child]

Have people any opinions on the religious attitudes sent out in novels by Compton Mackenzie ? As well as "Sinister Street" he wrote a set about a Ritualist priest which have a melancholy air...there's also an interesting patch where he delineates perfectly hopeless adolescent religiosity (not faith)so that the youth is convinced that a young girl is like one of The Holy Women.
The books are supposed to have influenced a whole generation of English Anglo-Catholics.

I'd like to see them filmed in the manner of "Black Narcissus"

[TomUK]

Never read any of his work, and have only ever heard his name in passing. Will have to check them out.

What were your thoughts on them, Eagle&Child?

[Eagle&Child]

Hi , I was rather taken by his cleverly accurate descriptions of religion as a type of hobby.It is a thing to be outgrown, but CM makes a classic evocation.I would recommend some of the chapters to inform on religious psychology-They are almost as good as parts of Madame Bovary.We have a popular Jewish writer over here who writes sensible things on "When your religion goes Wrong" Without sounding too judgmental and fully aware that they are novels, the CM books about a priest (One is called "The Altar Steps") disguise quite a heavy assault on famous clerics and secretly refer to perennial problems.
I'm interested in children and youth who develop religious preoccupation (I was one myself)and elucidate much suffering as well as happiness from this.I believe there is a writer Shane Leslie who was even more vicious than Mackenzie and became convinced that young men involved themselves in ritualist religion for totally the wrong reason.It is understandable in an era minus pop music and drugs.
Check the books out-don't let me influence you one whit.