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Christopher Plummer and Gregory Peck play arch-enemies in this story of a remarkable Irish Monsignor living in the Vatican who runs a network of safehouses for Jews, escaped POWs and others seeking refuge in Nazi-occupied Rome. Monsignor O'Flaherty (Gregory Peck) boldly collects funds for his work at high-profile parties and events and narrowly escapes capture at every turn. As Nazi Commandant Hoffer (Christopher Plummer) realizes the scope of O'Flaherty's threat to Nazi purposes, the good Monsignor's danger increases. Virtually a prisoner in the Vatican, he invents daring disguises in order to keep his network running and often remove refugees to safety just moments before the Nazis show up for an arrest attempt. This is a great movie - true story, compelling plot, great cast, etc. My only uncertainty is whether Sir John Gielgud's portrayal of Pope Pius XII is fair (he comes across as rather wimpy), but this is a rather minor part of the movie.

After thoroughly enjoying the BBC/A&E production of Pride and Prejudice, I was thrilled to see that they also had done the Scarlet Pimpernel, which is one of my favorite stories. Unfortunately, my expectations were completely shattered by this production which is really more of a television series loosely based on the books. It seems intended for those who enjoy rather steamy romance novels. While some of the original elements of the story and the truths regarding the evils of the French Revolution remain intact (and there are a few funny and creative scenes), there is little else to recommend this production - and many reasons not to bother. I haven't read all of the Pimpernel books, but there was very little reminiscent of the main book from which it takes its name (none of the principal characters even wore disguises!) and there is a lot of raunchy material that I found extremely difficult to tolerate (and I'm a relatively tolerant person when it comes to annoying parts in movies). The writers seem intent on creating heinous female villains and turning Marguerite St. Just into a more politically correct character. Chauvelin, to whom they attempt to give some "sex appeal", makes me nauseous. I found the scenes in Paris indicative of the disintegrating culture absolutely revolting, and these were not even treated as revolting by the production. Instead, for example, Sir Percy Blakeney makes a flippant joke about losing one's virginity when one of his companions is sensually undressed by a group of women at a party. Please, please, please, don't waste your money on this one like I did!

The Seashell on the Mountaintop is a very welcome biography of St. Neils Stenson, also known as Nicholas Steno and about 16 other variations. The good news is that, after years of neglect, this convert, this holy man, and this founder of the science of geology is being pulled from the edge of oblivion to be remembered for his true greatness. The title of the book refers to the presence of fossil shells in the mountain soils of Italy and , among other places, and the long effort to interpret such a curiosity. As a Dane, Neils had not grown up in the presence of fossils, but he went to Italy as an adult and joined the academy that had been Galileo's fellowship a generation earlier. Here he took an interest in everything around, including the hills of Tuscany and their shells.

The geology part is interesting because Steno's ideas were so far ahead of others' that those who were interested in figuring out the fossil puzzle read them for a hundred years before they were able to take the next step in building the science. During his own lifetime, Neils was famous for he was a seminal thinker on several topics, but by the time the geologists were able to build on his work, his extraordinary personality was almost forgotten although, even today, the principles expressing our basic understanding of sedimentation are still called Steno's laws.

Cutler's gives a striking account of the competing ideas about fossils in Stenson's days – late 17th century. Did shell forms naturally grow in the soil? And if so, did they grow with breakages and wormholes and all, just as if they'd been on the shore? Were they dropped by Noah's Flood? If so, how had they come so far inland; many thought that Noah's finding a live tree branch after the flood meant it could not have brought salt water all the way inland everywhere. Cutler presents all this material thoughtfully and in a manner respectful of the mental challenges of another age, so easy to underestimate.

Not only the shells interested Neils, but also the faith of Italy, and though welcomed by the Florentine academy as a Lutheran, he became a Catholic in time, then a priest, and finally a very holy bishop of a vast tract of Lutheran Europe, for whose salvation he relinquished his scientific investigations and then sacrificed his health.

This is a good introduction to the 17th century, to geology, and to a saint with a wonderful, Renaissance mind.

This is a story with many layers waiting to be discovered. On the surface, it's about a lonely boy who likes to spend time with his squirrel friends. The townspeople think him strange, but he is better understood by the priest. The squirrels and the boy have interesting adventures and the tale is engaging in itself. It's not hard to see, however, that there's more to the story than this - but what exactly is "the Secret"? An Indian with a beautiful old rosary and a very sad tale adds to the mystery. The reader begins to uncover the first layer of the story and sees some real insights into life - how we view the world and others in it and how our judgment can be clouded by our faults. And still there's more. Fortunately Alfred Noyes gives us a series of study questions which enable us to really study the story and begin to uncover the mysterious secret. The questions aren't easy and will probably be answered most effectively as a family. To be sure, there's a lot to be gained by parents in studying it alongside their children. Besides uncovering the important messages woven into this unique story, studying the story is a good exercise in reading literature in a meaningful way.
Recommended in Catholic Authors: 4-Sight Edition