Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. This is a classic literary offering with all the delicious quandaries and insights. I love to read books written by men about men... they are so much more authentic than books about men written by women or vice versa. This has the same flavor that "A Prayer for Owen Meany" had.

The last line ought to be carved in stone somewhere . . . Find it. Read it. You'll be a better person for having done so'I Feel Like This Book Should Be Up There With The Best Of The Books About WWI In Fiction, Although, By The Descriptions, It’s Almost Possible To Believe This Book As Fact. When the call to the front line comes, the men start to understand what really lies in front of them and the true horrors of war. Thank you to the members of the jury, I mean the members of The Southern Literary Trail, for bringing to my attention books of great merit which should not be forgotten, but read and enjoyed and passed on to others in want of great reads.

Gonorrhea,” Dietrich said softly, and a hundred solid citizens experienced immediate relief. Thus, the proprieties; the comforts of a dead language. A rose by any other name often smells sweeter. Covenant” takes place in a small southwestern town that, in 1922, was “part frontier, part plantation, part pleasure, part cruelty, part old Mexico, part clanking modernity and, as noted, part murder.” It is this murder that is explored by the author, bringing forward details of the act, the arrest, the trial, and subsequent aftermath that befalls the alleged murderer. The narrator is a twenty-nine year old inexperienced judge who is beset with life’s problems, none of which seem particularly earth shattering until he takes charge of the legal proceedings that follow the actual trial. His confidence is shaken. Your covenant with Death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not last. When the overwhelming catastrophe passes through, you will be trampled.

So in Isaiah he talks about Jesus setting them free through dying on the cross. Even Paul states that the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” How to describe this book? A sophisticated literary novel with such inventive vocabulary, you might need a dictionary (“borborygmus”—stomach gurgle and groan!) or a law degree. A crime novel that takes place in 1923 but has a kind of ribald, irreverent humor that feels contemporary—so perhaps it’s timeless and it is merely generational arrogance that fancies it invents it. A noir story about a small-town big-psyche crime and dilemma, written with far more psychological complexity, depth, fury, and despair than is usually demonstrated in the noir genre. This is a very interesting book and still relatively easy to find - the challenge is finding an example with the seal still intact! Then your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be trampled by it.

There's a very telling insight where Mark Fenner, the main protagonist, admits he didn't think 'Your Country Needs You' meant people like him who weren't from the aristocracy that supplied the officers or the working class rank and file. Unlike most of Europe, there was no conscription in Britain and you get a real sense of what was different about the 'New Army', as Kitchener's recruits were officially known. Because you have said, "We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception." And while I wasn't invested in the story, I think there are many who would find it a captivating look at a courtroom drama. The language and the style takes a little getting used to - it was written in 1960 I think - but this is the first novel I have read that seems to truly capture the initial passions, the excitement and the sheer optimism of the volunteer Pal's Battalions, an array of feelings that are to be subsequently quashed by the reality of war. And Sour league with death shall be abolished, and your covenant with hell shall not stand: when the overflowing scourge shall pass, you shall be trodden down by it.However, as it was written about 50 years ago, the style took a little getting used to and the writing, phrases etc were very dated. The storyline - friends joining up, going through training, building up a camaraderie with others in their battalion etc took rather a long time to get to the point. Your covenant with death will be canceled, And your pact with Sheol will not stand; When the overwhelming scourge passes through, Then you become its trampling place.