The Jeweler's Shop

By Pope John Paul II

Book Overview

Love is "one of the greatest dramas of human existence," writes Pope John Paul II. In this illuminating three-act play--here in the only English translation authorized by the Vatican--he explores relationships between men and women, the joys--and the pain--of love and marriage.

The action unfolds in two settings at once: a street in a small town, outside the local jeweler's shop (people go to buy their wedding rings there), and the mysterious inner landscape of personal hopes and fears, loves and longings. Each act focuses on a different couple: the first happily planning their wedding, the second long-married and unhappy, the third about to marry but full of doubts. Writing with power and understanding about a love that survives the grave, a love that has withered and died, a love budding out of complexes and insecurities, the Pope addresses such fundamental human concerns as: What does it mean to fall in love? When do we know that a love is real--and can it last? If it dies, how do we go on living--and loving again? There are no easy answers, and there is no happy ending--such is the nature of men and women, and such is the nature of love--but there is hope, if we only acknowledge our need and accept the risks of a deep and lasting commitment.

This is a play full of wisdom on a subject of great relevance to all, and it provides a special insight into the thoughts of the man who, like no other, has captured the imagination of people of all faiths throughout the world. The Jeweler's Shop has been made into a full-length movie now available on video.

Karol Wojtyla--Pope John Paul II--has long been involved with the theater. As a student of literature, then priest, bishop and archbishop, he acted, directed, wrote dramatic criticism, made a Polish translation of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, and has authored six plays.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 089870426X
• ISBN13: 9780898704266
• Release Date: October 1992
• Publisher: Ignatius Press
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent!

This is one of Wojtyla's plays on marriage. I read it in one sitting. It helps in meditating on marriage. For more on marriage by St. John Paul II, you can start with Theology of the Body & Love and Responsibility.

Extraordinary

This work gives one tremendous insight into the creativity and depth of understanding of relationships of Pope John Paul II. For those who might feel that a celibate man committed to a life of service to God can't really understand relationships and the deep interactions between men and women, think again. In combination with "Love and Responsibility" and "Theology of the Body", John Paul II has given all of us a coherent, thorough, and beautiful articulation of what it means to be a person and how we, as persons, should interact at the most intimate levels.

When Love Meets Marriage

This play is a profound philosophical, spiritual and psychological examination of love and marriage that is also achingly human and compassionate. It is a modern drama written in monologue rather than dialogue, but easy to read and compelling. The lyricism of the poetry is soul moving, and that a celibate seems to have such a deep understanding of the various dimensions of love between a man and a woman is, very frankly, surprising. This should be required reading for everyone who is contemplating marriage, and for all those who have already made this most challenging human committment. A forty minute to one hour read that is hard to put down and that stays with the reader for a very long time.

A Dramatic Gem

This book is among the few plays written by the Pope which have made it into print. It deals with relationships between couples, one falling in love, one falling out of love, and various other situations. It's beautifully written. I'm not sure how much was lost in translation, but except for a few hiccups, the writing is beautifully poetic and evocative. The Pope's insights into relationships are quite profound, and very simply illustrated. It's a short and enjoyable read.

A page turner

This play, composed by a young actor and soon to be pope, carries a very clear and strong message of true love, something which has been completely stipped away from today's society. In the geniously written play, Wojtyla touches so many issues, while never taking away the beauty from the writings. Fully recommended.

a fascinating masterpiece

The Jeweler's Shop was originally written as a play for the underground Rhapsodic Theater, and the limitations of the medium made the finished product very stylized. Yet the play is incredibly easy to read and difficult to put down. This brilliant drama is an indispensible meditation on the mystery of marriage. The film did not do it justice.