Well, this book was certainly a step up for me in regards to Rice's "Christ the Lord..." books. In a way, it's vintage Anne Rice. Her characteristic historical narration and wonderfully descriptive prose are back in full force here, and it's good to see.
I was little cautious about this book from the get go, because I was afraid Rice would get too preachy, and she almost does in a couple of places. Honestly, there are a couple of real gag me moments early on in the book if you're not a real religious person, plus, not being raised Catholic, I had a bit of a tough time with some of her allusions and imagery, which probably wouldn't be an issue to Catholics.
Honestly though, the idea of the story is interesting and executed very well. The main character is a hit man, who as a child wanted to be a priest, but never capitalized on that due to a series of unfortunate things in his life, and he becomes a killer for hire. After his latest "assignment" an angel appears to him and offers to give him another chance to do something good with his life and help others. He's then whisked away to medieval England and dropped right into the conflicts between the Jews and Christians of the day. The result is entertaining and a decent read.
The book took a little while to really get warmed up, and I almost lost my patience with it. I'm glad I hung in there though, for Rice fans, it's a worthy read. I would, however, submit that there is room to criticize the book as a rehashing of The Vampire Lestat in a Christian setting, which is a little weird. Still, it will be interesting to see where she takes the rest of the series.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Book Thoughts: "Letter to a Christian Nation" by Sam Harris
Dawkins is Scientific, Hitchens is journalistic. Sam Harris writes his arguments against God in a simple, well thought out letter format. Whether you're religious or not, you should read this book. It will make you think. I doubt it's really going to change anyone's mind, but it at least ought to get you thinking about the belief system so many of us cling to.
One area Harris spends a lot of time on is the "moral authority" of the Bible. He in fact points out more than one scripture in both the old and new testaments that explicitly promotes the practice of slavery, something any civilized person in this day and age would say is both horrible and wrong.
Harris begs to confront you with the question: Either the Bible is the perfect word of a divine being or it isn't. There's no in between. Maybe you don't think it's that black and white, but if more people would actually think about that question, our world might be a totally different place today, considering how much of a prescription for our society we find in the "good book."
One area Harris spends a lot of time on is the "moral authority" of the Bible. He in fact points out more than one scripture in both the old and new testaments that explicitly promotes the practice of slavery, something any civilized person in this day and age would say is both horrible and wrong.
Harris begs to confront you with the question: Either the Bible is the perfect word of a divine being or it isn't. There's no in between. Maybe you don't think it's that black and white, but if more people would actually think about that question, our world might be a totally different place today, considering how much of a prescription for our society we find in the "good book."
Friday, September 3, 2010
Book Thoughts: "The Book of the Dead," by Preston and Child
This book was definitely worth the read, finished the last 2/3 of it in about an hour. It was just one of those books that gets a hold on you and doesn't let go. I just couldn't stop until I knew how everything turned out.
I've actually had this book on my shelf for quite a while, but I was unimpressed by the book that came before it in the Pendergast Trilogy, "Dance of Death." There was just way too much going on in that book, though the ending dove-tailed together quite well. In "The Book of the Dead," Preston and Child do a wonderful job of bringing the arch of all that story and info from the previous novel into a wonderful and thrilling conclusion.
All of Preston and Child's usual characters are on the scene, including Agent Pendergast, Vinne D'Agosta, Nora Kelly, Smithback, Margo Green, just to name a few, and they all have their part to play in this story. I love the way these guys use their characters.
The best thing about the book though is the pacing. Most of the chapters are short, which gives the reader a sense of progress, but not so short as to only a be a paragraph or two, which is what a lot of thriller writers do these days. Also, the action is totally spread throughout the book, never a dull a moment. Finally, the story is predictable when the authors want it to be, but not when they want to spring the twists and turns.
All in all, great book, read it. You should especially read it if you're a fan of thrillers and adventure stories, mixed with just a touch of cop drama. However, you should at least read "Dance of Death" first, and you should probably start with "Brimstone" and read the whole trilogy.
I've actually had this book on my shelf for quite a while, but I was unimpressed by the book that came before it in the Pendergast Trilogy, "Dance of Death." There was just way too much going on in that book, though the ending dove-tailed together quite well. In "The Book of the Dead," Preston and Child do a wonderful job of bringing the arch of all that story and info from the previous novel into a wonderful and thrilling conclusion.
All of Preston and Child's usual characters are on the scene, including Agent Pendergast, Vinne D'Agosta, Nora Kelly, Smithback, Margo Green, just to name a few, and they all have their part to play in this story. I love the way these guys use their characters.
The best thing about the book though is the pacing. Most of the chapters are short, which gives the reader a sense of progress, but not so short as to only a be a paragraph or two, which is what a lot of thriller writers do these days. Also, the action is totally spread throughout the book, never a dull a moment. Finally, the story is predictable when the authors want it to be, but not when they want to spring the twists and turns.
All in all, great book, read it. You should especially read it if you're a fan of thrillers and adventure stories, mixed with just a touch of cop drama. However, you should at least read "Dance of Death" first, and you should probably start with "Brimstone" and read the whole trilogy.
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