ANGLO-SAXON ATTITUDES

"I'll whisper it," said the Messenger, putting his hands to his mouth in the shape of a trumpet and stooping so as to get close to the King's ear...However, instead of whispering, he simply shouted, at the top of his voice, "They're at it again!"

Ed. Note: Below is a message that the Reader sent to Christian Order in response to the Australian Geoffrey Hull's review of Work of Human Hands.

Insofar as a book review represents an odd assortment of impressions, it is no more objective than a lyric poem. As a private, albeit publicly shared, reading, a review does not invite (though it may incite) a response. As an unsolicited, personal, even idiosyncratic recommendation or caution, it is neutral to the reader’s written assent to or dissent from the appreciation it offers. A review presumes the maxim de gustibus and like a post-prandial eructation, it is content to be interpreted according to the individual’s taste and culture.

The exception to this implied restraint is Mr. Hull’s erroneous assertion that most of Cekada’s study upholds scholarly standards. That asseveration is an error of fact. The academic shortcomings of Work of Human Hands are legion. First, there is virtually no notion of systematic composition, for sentences are not developed into coherent, unified and structured paragraphs. Second, the author’s diction is not academic but characterized by American regional slang and colloquialisms. Third, the “latinocentric” author commits numerous errors of translation, transcription, and citation from Latin. Fourth, the author, in several cases, has failed to attribute the source of translations. Fifth, the text is littered with non-standard English and unconventional usage. Sixth, typographical errors and misspellings abound. Seventh, as Mr. Hull himself noted, the book contains factual errors. We could continue, but we will not tax your patience. Suffice it to say that Work of Human Hands is at best a mere pantomime of scholarship.

We attribute no malice to Mr. Hull. Perhaps he suffers from an over abundance of charity, and a careful reader of his review will certainly spy Mr. Hull’s dissatisfaction behind the veil of scholarly gentility. However, we also do not expect you or anyone else to take our word for the massive academic failure of Work of Human Hands: simply visit http://www.pistrinaliturgica.blogspot.com and begin reading the posts, starting with the first entry in June.