Book reviews

Under The Mercy
Sheldon Vanauken Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Sheldon Vanauken Books
New book search
Sheldon Vanauken Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Under The Mercy
"Published in 1985, 'Under The Mercy' is the sequel to his best-selling 'A Severe Mercy', the story of Sheldon's married life to Davy, and the intense nature of their love. I recommend this book to those who enjoyed his first book and wonder what happened next. In his words, this book is "a supplement and continuation...'A Severe Mercy' was a pilgrimage book". The matter here is more focussed on one person, but the style is still Vanauken easy-reading, with flashes of gentle humour. Despite the chances he has, he chooses not to remarry. His ongoing pilgrimage covers the Sixties and his support for the causes of the era, including feminism and segregation in America. He finally rejects the essence of feminism and joins the Catholic church."
Michael JR Jose, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Under The Mercy
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Political/social rights fight Yes
Plotlet: - women fighting for rights
job/profession: - writer
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Phys disability/mental struggle? Yes
Struggle with - religion
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - teacher/professor
Age: - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other people
Physique - average physique

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 5 (an average amount)
United States Yes
Century: - 1960's-1970's

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
Book makes you feel? - encouraged
Is book humorous? Yes
If humorous, kind of humor - gentle
Commentary on society? Yes
Commentary on - religion
Unusual Style: - a lot of flashback and forwards
Writer's slant towards subject: - very favorable
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
Autobiography? Yes
Pictures/Illustrations? - More 6-10 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 26-50% of book
How much is philosophy rather than life story? - 0-25% of book
Most similar books to Under The Mercy
Seeking Enlightenment Hat by Hat by Nevada Barr
My Dark Places by James Ellroy
Simone De Beauvoir: A Biography by Deirdre Bair
A Grand Guy: the art and life of Terry Southern by Lee Hill
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted by E. Lynn Harris


Click here for more information about this book




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Biography books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story?

Big Business story?

Disaster Story

Ethnic/regional/gender

Family, hate

Family, ill

Family, love

Food

Job/profession/poverty story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Life in an institution

Outdoors story

Pal/friendship story

Phys disability/mental struggle?

Political/social rights fight

Road trip

Romance

Royalty bio

Sports story

Taboo Sex Story?

War/Spying



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Online Dating Advice
Frances Salomon Murphy 11:27:09 PM
George W. Bush 10:02:17 PM
Robert Stanek 5:21:14 PM
Southampton Row 4:50:26 PM
Warren Getler and Bob Brewer 4:47:55 PM
David Pelzer 1:27:48 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:22:20 PM
Barack Obama 9:55:05 PM
Sister Souljah 12:29:03 PM
Ray Bradbury 9:11:31 PM
Erin Hunters 7:19:58 PM
Robert Segarra 4:07:19 PM
Robert Newton Peck 4:54:54 PM
Jude Watson 12:40:50 PM
V.C. Andrews 10:03:07 PM
June Lund Shiplett 9:31:25 PM
George Orwell 9:27:23 PM
Aline Countess of Romanones 8:02:27 PM
Wendelin Van Draanen 4:27:35 PM
Libba Bray 6:22:09 PM

More message boards