I've read two books recently that I want to recommend. These are probably the most powerful books on relationships I've ever read (granted, I haven't read many, but these books were still tremendously powerful).
If you are looking for authentic, highly practical, and radical books on Christian relationships -- or really, if you're looking for books on Christian relationships at all -- these are for you: When Dreams Come True and When God Writes Your Love Story, both by Eric and Leslie Ludy. (Eric Ludy is the same author of another book I reviewed recently, The Bravehearted Gospel.)
When Dreams Come True is the inspiring, entirely true love story of Eric and Leslie Ludy. This book is a gripping read; it is written like a novel, and I found it impossible to put down. It chronicles a beautiful, emotional love story that "only God could write"; one that flies in the face of modern Hollywood's twisted misconceptions on romance. This book is an amazing example of how God can write a love story infinitely better than any fictional book or movie we could ever slap together. If you want to witness a moving, eye-opening romance that defies our culture, then read When Dreams Come True.
When God Writes Your Love Story is a perfect companion to When Dreams Come True. In it, the authors dive much deeper into the themes touched in When Dreams Come True. It is filled to the brim with challenging, thought-provoking, and practical advise, applicable regardless of your age, or if you're years away from entering a serious relationship. All in all, I highly recommend it; read it, and then let your friends read it.
Learn more about the Ludys' books by checking out these links:
A couple days ago, I finished Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti. I just want to briefly say that this was an excellent book. It's been a long time since I read a novel and thought, "This is why I want to write!" It was also one of the best examples I've seen of how a story can be the best way to express a message.
In Nightmare Academy, Peretti paints a disturbing picture of a society stripped of its standards for truth. What would it be like to live without right and wrong? Without good and evil? With a morality that is relative? Also, this book deals with a chilling take on communism and world domination. And if you're wondering what the connection is between truth, morality, communism, and world domination... well, you're just going to have to read this book.
As with all Peretti's novels, Nightmare Academy is a thrilling and intriguing read, that will grip you and keep you turning the pages way past bedtime. But, I wouldn't recommend reading it at night...
This is the kind of book that makes you uncomfortable, that says things that are not normally said, that opposes our culture, that dives into those difficult areas we normally never explore, and brings a truth we so desperately need to hear. Truth.
The title of my blog is "Pursuing the Truth". This book, The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy, is one of the few books I've ever read that captures the essence of that idea so perfectly and entirely. It is one of the few books I've ever read that is simply bursting with the concept I think of when I say... "Pursuing the Truth."
Truth. This book is just oozing with it. This book is about a new way -- or rather, an old way -- of looking at Christianity and our relationship with Jesus. It is "new" in the sense that it is very different, in certain respects, from the church at large today. It is "old" in the sense that it is what the basis of Christianity is all about. This is what Christianity used to be like... but something has been lost.
For all who are craving something more in the Church... for all who are concerned about the modern state of Christianity... for all who desire a Christianity that "actually works"... for all who are hungering for more meatiness, meaning, power, and adventure in their walk with Jesus... this book is for you!
I would encourage you to watch the short film below. This very powerful short film embodies much of the essence of this book (the voice you hear is the author, Eric Ludy). If this film stirs you at all... the book, The Bravehearted Gospel, will stir you even more.
As always, here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book, to give you even more of an idea of what this book is made of. :-)
"Most
people today attempt to make a sales pitch for the gospel as if it were
sweet plums and fairy dust, when it more accurately should be cast as
an adventure full of blood, death, insurrection, trouble, persecution,
and certain difficulty, with a shocking and ultra-dramatic final chapter
in which the good guys win. In my opinion, this adventure dimension
should be our sales pitch."
"Christianity is about a kingdom, a glory, a power, a love, a grace, a righteousness, an eternal triumph, and yielding to the all-powerful King who is bringing it all about."
"All
I care about is this Someone [Jesus] who has intoxicated my soul with
effusive passion. I love Him so much it hurts with the most beautiful
hurt."
"The gospel life is an adventure, plain and simple."
"The bravehearted path... [is] a violent and effusive love story between a Bridegroom and His bride, in which the Bridegroom radically spends His life to rescue His bride and then the bride, in turn, radically spends her life for the fame and renown of her Groom."
"The stuff of the Bravehearted Gospel is the stuff of frontline soldiers. It's the stuff of martyrs and mighty men."
"The Bravehearted Gospel is not just another idea; it's historic Christianity. It's the way it has always been and must always continue to be."
Interested yet? Read more about The Bravehearted Gospel, or buy it on Amazon.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Word...
Now, I have a few comments I want to make on two of the concepts in the book. But, I would encourage you to read the book first, and then come back and read my thoughts... because you won't be able to amply appreciate these thoughts out of context.
Thought #1 In chapter 10, Ludy talks about Christians trying to be "cool". I think I agree with him in this chapter, but we need to be careful; I don't think there's anything wrong with wearing cool clothes, unless their immodest. It's the heart that's important. I don't think there's anything wrong with "being cool" in general, unless it means doing things that are immoral. (You can still wear torn jeans and be 100% on fire, in love with Jesus.)
Cool is fine -- unless you're changing what Christianity is in order to be cool. And I think that's his point.
Thought #2
In the section of the book entitled "The Canon-mind", Ludy talks about having a "canon-minded" view of scripture, versus an "open-minded" view. (By the way, this is an awesome chapter -- I highly recommend it. You can read part of it here.) Once again, I think Ludy is right, but we need to be careful. :-)
Open-mindedness isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I see it. When he talks about open-mindedness, he's talking about being open and receiving all forms of faith and all perspectives, and treating them on the same level as GOD's truth, as if they're all "just as right". As he says on page 183, "It's all-accepting, tolerant of all thoughts, opinions, ideas, and religions." Of course, that is wrong. Ludy is right on that.
But open-mindedness doesn't always have to mean that. I'm not talking about unquestioning acceptance of all other beliefs; I'm talking about avoiding the "Matthew Brady" stereotype. Brady, in the movie "Inherit the Wind", was a falsely portrayed Christian who believed in Christianity and Creation "just because". He had no reasons or evidence for his beliefs; he believed it with unquestioning certainty simply because "the Bible said so", because that's just what he believed. (Whereas Eric Ludy presents a very sound reason for trusting the Bible in this chapter! Again, I really recommend it.)
Brady had never read or looked at the other side -- not once -- and he was proud of it. He was unreasonable, and irritatingly unpersuadable -- not because he was firmly grounded, convinced, and confident in the truth -- but simply because that's what he had chosen to believe, and that was that. He was "close-minded". (Read more about my thoughts on Inherit the Wind and Matthew Brady.)
When Christians have this mindset, it is very hard for nonbelievers to find us believable. "And why do you believe that? Oh, because the Bible says so..." The Bible is the source of all truth. But if it is, (which it is), it should stand up against all other false beliefs and worldviews. An open-minded Christian, as I see it, knows that the Bible is 100% true, the source of all things true and right... but will look at other views anyway, for the sake of arguing with and persuading nonbelievers.
"And, why do you believe that?"
"Well, let me show you why I know the Bible is true, and why all these things are true..."
This way, we have an answer. (1 Peter 3:15-16)
An "open-minded" Christian, as I see it, goes into the world of foreign, false beliefs, armed with the knowledge and assurance that the Bible, that Christianity, is the only correct way... not because they are seeking other alternatives with an "adulterous"-like heart, but because they are looking to prove that God is right -- for the sake of persuading others, and for a strengthened faith in their own heart. I guess this is a biased way of searching out truth, but I believe it is right... it is biased with the truth.
~~~~~~~~~
Well, if you're still reading this article, what are you waiting for?! Go to Eric Ludy's site right now and check out his book, The Bravehearted Gospel. (Then, of course, buy it... either on Ludy's site or on Amazon.) You will never be the same!
I just finished another book: Mere Christianity. Since it's such a famous, classic book in Christian literature, I'm not going to go into a detailed review, but I will say a couple things.
First, I'm going to share a quote that I thought applies pretty well to Mere Christianity. I found it on the back cover of my copy of the book:
"C. S. Lewis is the ideal persuader for the half-convinced, for the good man who would like to be a Christian but finds his intellect getting in the way." - Anthony Burgess, New York Times Book Review
But Mere Christianity is not just for unbelievers. It is for believers as well, to see Christianity with a fresh, different perspective, to be more equipped for Christian apologetics and for sharing their faith with unbelievers, and to become more solid in their own beliefs.
Mere Christianity deals with a lot of tough questions, and uses logic and reasoning to answer them. It can be pretty deep and often makes you think, but C. S. Lewis frequently uses excellent analogies and metaphors that make all of his concepts seem simple, straight-forward, and easy to understand. In fact, I think this is probably one of his best gifts as a writer: his beautiful use of analogies.
My personal copy of the book is scribbled all over with notes, underlining, and stars, with a few pages dog-eared for my favorite quotes. Below are some of my favorite quotes from the book. (I'm putting brief phrases and questions at the beginning of each quote, so you can tell, at a glance, what topics they're on.)
We are at war, in enemy-occupied territory...
"Christianity agrees with Dualism that this universe is at war. But it does not think this is a war between independent powers. It thinks it is a civil war, a rebellion, and that we are living in a part of the universe occupied by the rebel.... Enemy-occupied territory -- that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage."
Something even better than earthly romance
"The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water."
Why do Christians still sin??
"A live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can to some extent repair itself. In the same way a Christian is not a man who never goes wrong, but a man who is enabled to repent and pick himself up and begin over again after each stumble -- because the Christ-life is inside him, repairing him all the time, enabling him to repeat (in some degree) the kind of voluntary death which Christ Himself carried out."
What does Christianity say about totalitarianism and democracy?
"And immortality makes this other difference, which, by the by, has a connection with the difference between totalitarianism and democracy. If individuals live only seventy years, then a state, or a nation, or a civilisation, which may last for a thousand years, is more important than an individual. But if Christianity is true, then the individual is not only more important but incomparably more important, for he is everlasting and the life of a state or a civilisation, compared with his, is only a moment."
A "big" sin vs. a "small" sin
"One man may be so placed that his anger sheds the blood of thousands, and another so placed that however angry he gets he will only be laughed at. But the little mark on the soul may be much the same in both. ... The bigness or smallness of the thing, seen from the outside, is not what really matters."
The desire for another world...
(Two quotes on this topic.)
"The Christian says, 'Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthy pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.' "
"I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others to do the same."
How can God be three persons in one??
"In God's dimension, so to speak, you find a being who is three Persons while remaining one Being, just as a cube is six squares while remaining one cube. Of course we cannot fully conceive a Being like that: just as, if we were so made that we perceived only two dimensions in space we could never properly imagine a cube."
Our free will is like a choosing compass...
"Their [unbelievers'] free will is trembling inside them like the needle of a compass. But this is a needle that can choose. It can point to its true North; but it need not. Will the needle swing round, and settle, and point to God?"
I just read the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. It continues in somewhat of the same tradition as Epic and Wild at Heart (two books also written by John Eldredge). Captivating specifically focuses on the unique soul of a woman. I highly recommend it; I think every woman, or young woman, should read this book at least at some point in their lifetime.
Like Eldredge's other books, Captivating is about the deepest meaning of life... a passionate, romantic relationship with Jesus. You'll see yourself, God, and the world in general from a different perspective after reading these books.
There were two things that I especially liked about Captivating. First, it offers a definition for true femininity; and out of the few books I've read on the topic, none came anywhere close to the powerful, liberating, beautiful presentation of femininity that John and Stasi Eldredge describe.
For an example, I loved how they addressed the issue of feminine "strength". It's been often said, in answer to the feminist movement, that women can be just as "strong" as men; we just have a different kind of strength, even though it isn't always physical. I've always believed that; always believed that females have their own kind of strength... but I've never understood how that plays out, exactly. Sure, okay, we are strong in other ways... I know that... but what ways are they? Exactly? What are some examples of this? Captivating answers this question perfectly, beautifully. Yes, women do have their own form of Godly, feminine strength... and it is just as powerful and influential as a man's strength. But, you will have to read the book to know the answer... I'm not going to spoil it for you. :-)
Second, I loved how the Eldredges answered another major question: the question of beauty. In the church, we often say that true beauty flows from the inside out, not vice versa (1 Peter 3:3-4). Well... that's a great saying... but what does that mean, exactly? Captivating answers this question; it shows how absolutely, totally true this concept is. The answer is amazingly real and applicable, for every single woman on earth.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book...
"Nature is not primarily functional. It is primarily beautiful."
(Just look at the picture above! I took it while on vacation in Florida, on a tiny island close to Tampa. I thought that sunset was such a gorgeous display of God's beauty and romance. Sometimes nature can be God's version of chocolates or flowers...)
"It is God who longs for Romance; it is God who longs to be our ezer [someone we desperately need, as if in a life-or-death situation where He is our only hope]; it is God who reveals beauty as essential to life. You are the image bearer of this God. That is why you long for those things to."
(The context of this quote is this: man and woman were both made in the image of God; we each reflect different things about who He is. Thus, this is some of how women bear His image. Isn't that an amazing concept?)
"Following hard after Jesus is the heart's natural response when it has been captured and has fallen deeply in love with him."
" 'To be spiritual is to be busy.' 'To be spiritual is to be disciplined.' 'To be spiritual is to be dutiful.' No, to be spiritual is to be in a Romance with God. The desire to be romanced lies deep in the heart of every woman. It is for such that you were made. And you are romanced, and ever will be."
" 'Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.' (1 Peter 3:3-4)
"First, Peter is not saying that we shouldn't enjoy wearing pretty things. What he's trying to say is that true beauty comes from the inner part of us. Our hearts. ... To have a gentle and quiet spirit is to have a heart of faith, a heart that trusts in God, a spirit that has been quieted by his love and filled with his peace."
"A woman wants to feel beautiful. The strength of a good man makes her feel so. A man wants to feel strong. The beauty of a good woman makes him feel so."
"No matter how wonderful a taste of relational fullness you have, you will want more. If you had an amazing connection yesterday with someone, when you wake this morning, you will want it again. Eve possesses a bottomless well of longing. Jesus alone is the never-ending fount, which can slake her thirst. No other source, no other relationship will fully satisfy."
"If you are called, God will make a way. Either where you are or through a change of circumstances. Follow your Lover; respond to his invitations. With him, there is no stopping you."
Hey there! Is that one of your cries of woe? To you find economics or government just too dull, complicated, or confusing to understand?
If that's the case, I highly recommend two books to you:
Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? (economics)
and
Whatever Happened to Justice? (government)
both by Richard J. Maybury.
These books are short, (Penny Candy is 150 pages and Justice in 250 pages), fun to read, and extremely easy to understand. You will never feel that the information goes over your head; instead, you will walk away from these books feeling like you completely understand the basics of economics and government.
These books are especially important for today's economy! After reading these books, you will understand why the economy is where it is today, and you will know how to face the future; you will know how to prepare, if and when things get worse. For this reason, I strongly believe that everyone in America should read these books... even if only to understand the economic troubles we are experiencing right now; and to know what steps we, as a nation, should take next.
These books work great as supplements for school economics/government courses, or just as fun, leisure reading.
Now, I will say that the author is sometimes opinionated in these books, and I don't agree with everything he says. I think that sometimes he just misses the truth because he doesn't have a Christian worldview, but he does come close. But, for the most part, I agree wholeheartedly with his books; and even if you don't agree with his opinions, you will benefit from understanding the concepts he teaches.
If you want to view these books on Amazon, here are the links:
I want to conclude with this quote from Whatever Happened to Justice:
"Always beware of anyone who tells you a topic is above you or better left to experts. This person may, for some reason, be trying to shut you out. You can understand almost anything. If you know you are giving it your best effort and you are still finding an explanation difficult to grasp, it may be because the expert has poor communication skills. It could also be that the expert doesn't want you to grasp it. Many people are twice as smart as they think are, but they've been intimidated into believing some topics are above them." (Page 20)
This applies to both economics and government! Youcan understand!
If you do, then there's a book you have to read. Like, HAVE to read. It's this book below:
I don't care if you're a newbie writer or if you've been writing for many years. Whatever level you're at, you'll get something from this.
As for me, this book gave me a MAJOR inspiration boost. The wheels of my mind just went flying. I had a piece of paper with me at all times while I was reading it, just so I could jot down ideas. And it also taught me a lot about writing. Here are just a few things I benefited from:
* Using the dumb puppet trick
* Tips on how to write descriptions
* How to handle profanity in Christian fiction
* How to introduce a character
* How to juggle lots of characters and plots in a big novel
* Using the "or-else" component, or the "ticking time bomb", to add suspense in a story
* Including the hero's inner journey
Click here to buy the book on Amazon; click here to buy the book from the original publishers.
Thanks, Whisper, for recommending this book to me! ;-)
So, here's Part 2 of my book review on Sword in the Stars.(Read the first part here.) I'm just listing random thoughts about the book, more or less in the order they occurred to me as I read it.
* Throughout the book, Batson uses a lot of strong, powerful, universal themes. I thought they were very effective in making the story more real and relatable. Some examples: judgmental and legalistic religion, the "evils" of drunkenness, forgiveness,love, (those two went hand in hand), healthy marriages, redemption, sacrifice/heroism, thirst for power, parenting/growing up/family.
* I actually didn't like the cover (shown above). It was a really good book (especially once you get about 1/3-1/2 of the way through), and I somehow didn't feel like the cover really represented that. But, there is some fun symbolism on the cover. It was fun when it suddenly clicked for me, after I had begun reading the book: "Oh, that's what that means on the cover!" * The romance in this book I actually liked. That means a lot coming from me; I'm normally very annoyed with romance in books. In this book, the romance is not cheap, it's not obnoxious, it's not silly, it's not pointless, and it's not sensual or focused chiefly on appearances or feelings. On the contrary, it is quite the opposite. It is not about a couple kids or teens becoming infatuated with each other; it's about two grown people who are old enough and mature enough to get married. It is a picture of what a right, healthy romantic relationship should look like, in my opinion. It does not feel like it was just thrown in there JUST for the sake of adding romance; it very much has to do with the story, and again, it is a picture of a good relationship. It actually helps illustrate one of the biggest themes -- if not THE biggest theme -- of the book (that being redemption). It is about true love; true love for who someone is, for the honorable traits in them; true love that develops slowly.
* Allastair (the main protagonist) is such an amazing, heroic, sacrificial, honorable character! He embodies a strong, STRONG roll model that is painfully, sorely lacking in many books and movies today. (You just have to keep reading the book before you realize what a good character he is... he certainly isn't perfect, just like any real person isn't perfect, and some of his imperfections stand out strongly at the beginning of the book. But you have to keep reading... I found myself admiring him at the end.)
* Just gotta say, if you're a fan of Wayne Batson's writing, you should definitely read this book. :-)
* The ending is awesome. There was a realization at the end that had to do with the evil in the book... it left me stunned and disturbed... quite a bomb to drop on the reader right as the book ends. :-)
Conclusion: This books successfully passes my strict book-critiquing standard. I label it: highly recommended. 5 out of 5 stars. *applause* *cheers*
I finished Sword in the Stars a few days ago! Here are my thoughts on the book, more or less in the order they came to me while I was reading it... since I have so much to say, I'm going to split it into two parts, so it's not so overwhelming!
About the book... Title: Sword in the Stars Author: Wayne Thomas Batson Series: The Dark Sea Annals Genre: Fantasy
My thoughts...
* It has a good opening chapter. The very first sentence grabs your attention: "Alastair Coldhollow tried to wipe the blood from his hands but failed." The rest of the chapter introduces mystery and intrigue that instantly makes you interested in the story.
* Myriad, the fantasy world of the book, seems to be a well-developed world. There is diversity among the different races and people groups. There are bits of literature and history that start off every chapter. (I especially liked the "Books of Lore"; the equivalent of the Bible in their world.) There is a developed geography. (Although, I found the geography a little -- just a little -- hard to visualize without a map.) Batson also created a complete dating system for the world, and even a speech dialect! It feels like you could just step into "Myriad", as if it were a real place.
* I found it interesting how the book deals with the Alastair's (the main protagonist's) past. It is a mystery at first that you have to discover as you read. This aspect of the story reminded me of Behold the Dawn (click here to see my review for that book).
* One thing I didn't like: "Gorracks", one of the creatures/races of the story, looked too much like "orcs" to me (especially since they played a similar role in the story that orcs play in Lord of the Rings). It seemed like the word "orcs" with a bunch of letters added in. Maybe other people wouldn't make that association, but I did.
* The characters in this book are the best characters Batson has ever made. I felt like the characters in The Door Within, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire were a little bit flat, but these characters were entirely dynamic and three-dimensional. My favorites were probably King Aravel and Alastair. When I heard (or rather, read) their names, an entire image and personality came instantly to mind; almost like with real people. I found myself COMPLETELY, ENTIRELY drawn in to these characters; sitting on the edge of my seat to see what would happen to them, and watching with total suspense and intrigue as some of them revealed certain dark secrets (you'd have to read the book to know what I'm talking about). I was glued to the story; grabbed by the throat, and it would not let me go... the reason, though, was because of the characters... much, much more so than the plot.
* Although... (this is in continuation of the last point), I would have to say that it took until I was about 1/3 of the way through the book before it really grabbed me, and it got really good. You've got to get through the first third of the book... just trust me. Just read through 1/3 of it, and if you're not hooked by then, well... that's probably not going to happen, so I'll leave it at that. =)
Original 3D art by Wayne Thomas Batson: Shepherd Hollow, from the Dark Sea Annals
* About 1/4 of the way through the book, King Morlan (the antagonist) did not feel very scary to me. He was not an exceptionally convincing villain yet. But then, about 1/3 of the way through, this changes entirely. He has an encounter with "Sabryne", the source of ultimate evil in this story (seems to be the equivalent of Satan), and King Morlan becomes a different person. The evil in the book (which also includes Cythraul, another villain who I thought was creepier than Morlan) gets really creepy, even violently disturbing. Sabryne, Morlan, and Cythraul are very "Batson-style" bad-guys, reminding me of Batson's other great villains: Paragor from The Door Within and Bartholomew Thorne from Isle of Swords/Fire. In fact, the evil in Sword in the Stars was possibly the most disturbing out of all Batson's books so far. * Batson uses some familiar fantasy creatures (like dragons), but he also creates a lot of his own. Some of them are based off of familiar fantasy creatures, (the Willowfolk, for an example, are a lot like fairies), and others are completely of his own making. It creates a somewhat fresh feel to the familiar genre.
* I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the theme of redemption in this story! The way he deals with redemption is immensely, profoundly powerful. It's worth reading the whole book just for this.
* The book is very imaginative. Batson sure has quite an imagination. =) I found it inspiring, too... especially the way he developed his characters... it inspired me with my own fantasy story. (I intend to begin writing my fantasy story after I finish my futuristic novel.)
* I think this is the first time we're seeing Batson's own, unique fantasy writing style really develop. With The Door Within Trilogy, he was writing his very first books; just starting his writing career, or just putting his foot in the water, if you will. With the pirate books, he was developing his craft some more; but they weren't actually fantasy. Then, he wrote the Berinfell Prophecies with Christopher Hopper, and developed his craft a little more; but the books weren't completely his own, unique works. Now, with The Dark Sea Annals,and he is finally writing his own, unique fantasy stories. While I was reading the book, I couldn't really say, "This is Tolkienesque," or "This is very Lewis," or "This is very any-other-author;" all I could say was, "This is Wayne Thomas Batson." I feel like in this book, he's showing us his real, true fantasy style for the first time. (Not that The Door Within Trilogy was not Batson's real fantasy style; it just wasn't as developed yet, I don't think.)
* There's some fun symbolism and foreshadowing throughout the book that literature people would like. (I expect that is caused, at least in part, by the fact that Batson is an English teacher...)
That's all for now... I'll tell you the rest of my thoughts later!
"You can only succeed, if you do everything everyone else tells you not to do to succeed."
People can tell you what you need to do in order to make a best-selling book or a winning film. Your book or movie may be famous, a big hit, a mark of success, for a little while; and then it will be entirely forgotten. Think about it: can you name the #1 New York Times Bestseller from fifty years ago? Twenty years ago? Ten years ago? Five years ago? Two years ago? Who cares anymore? But, can you name a book that was written hundreds of years ago, maybe wasn't too famous in its day, but is still read and appreciated today? I could name lots. I'm sure you could too.
To really succeed, I think, you have to break away from the conventional, present set of rules for how to become a "best-seller" (those rules are always changing anyway) and write something that transcends your day and the current fads that go with it. How do I know? I don't know for sure, because I haven't experienced anything like that before (the extent of my published writing "career" has only been one newspaper, one magazine, and this blog itself); but I know that other people have experienced this.
Take J. R. R. Tolkien for an example. People told him that his writing style was not publish-worthy; it was not the way things were preferred to be written at the time; he should change it; yada yada. (One thing that was criticized was the way he switched between characters, not writing things chronologically.) But what ended up happening? He became the father of the modern fantasy genre. "Tolkienesque" became a word to describe the genre he helped begin.
What if he had written the way people told him to? I don't know. Maybe he would have ended up being one of those best-selling authors from decades ago that have been completely forgotten.
Now, there is of course a limit to this. In a general sense, we definitely should listen to the advice of writers who are published or more experienced than we are; they know what they're talking about! (I, on the other hand, do not. *Smile*.) They might say you need to have round, believable characters. Okay, we should probably listen to that advice. Or they might say we need to have a strong climax, or a grabbing first chapter, or that we should use strong verbs and adjectives. Okay, we should probably listen to those bits of advice, too. Just don't follow the guidelines too religiously. Develop your own style. Shout with your own voice.
I finished this book a few weeks ago, and I have to say, it's one of my favorite books that I've read over the last year. I thought I'd share my thoughts about it in a sort of bullet-point style...
General Info...
Title:Behold the Dawn Author:K. M. Weiland Genre: Novel, historical fiction Setting: Europe / Holy Land during the King's Crusade Thoughts...
* It has a gripping beginning; one that doesn't just capture you in the first sentence, but continues to draw you in during the remaining paragraph (and the paragraphs that follow it). As soon as I read the beginning, I was hooked. Here's the first paragraph so you can see for yourself:
"Marcus Annan had killed before. He had killed so many times he could no longer remember them all... so many times he had become inured to the ache of sorrow as he stared into the faces of the dead."
* The book "brings history to life", as the common saying goes. For me, reading it felt almost like living in that time period.
* The characters' responses to pain, injury, killing, death, and war in general felt very realistic, especially in consistency with the time period it was set in. It was refreshing to read this, as I have read many other books (especially fantasy books that had Medieval-like warfare) where this was not the case. In these books, there will often be kids who have never had any experience in war, and when they are suddenly thrust into some epic, brutal, fantasy warfare, and are wounded to some degree in battle, will then say: "Oh, it's just a scratch." Real people don't act like that!! *grips book and bangs it against the wall* Maybe if they had been an experienced war veteran of twenty plus years they would act like that, but that's different. HOWEVER, in Behold the Dawn, I found to my relief that the characters' treatment of war seemed believable. (At least, according to my limited knowledge of war!)
* I could tell the book was very researched. The author clearly understood her topic before she wrote about it.
* The book had substance; I felt like I was reading something that had been written a long time ago, even though the style was still quite consistent with modern-day trends. It seemed to me like the kind of book that people will still read and appreciate in one hundred years, (or longer); unlike some books that may perfectly fit the modern day style, may become ultra best-sellers, but then are totally forgotten in ten or twenty years. This novel, while still feeling completely modern, has the substance that will allow it to survive the passing of time, I believe, even when the trends of literature change.
* It has a good use of suspense, in the form of a secretive, mysterious past belonging to the protagonist. His past gets slowly revealed to us in bits and pieces as the story moves along, prompting us to keep reading to learn more.
* I like how the author expresses emotions in the novel. She uses physical actions of the characters to capture their emotions -- e.g. a jaw tightening, a spine straightening, a look in someone's eyes or the tone in their voice -- all expressed in a descriptive manner. (Something I realized I needed to use more in my own writing!)
* The characters feel very real; they behave in believable ways, and they're easy to relate to because they seem to act like real people.
* It had a satisfying ending. I didn't close the book feeling like there should have been more, like there should have been more story, such as a sequel or a series that followed it. I was content... everything was resolved, everything was concluded in a strong and agreeable way. (Although, it certainly did NOT end the way I expected it to! Let that just be a warning to future readers...) Anyway, in my opinion, it was a very well-done ending.
* And of course, an important point for Christians! The book has a powerful message of redemption that makes it worth reading, in of itself!
All that said, I have a word of caution: This book is not for young readers; there are some themes that are mature, although they are in no way inappropriate for older readers.
If you want to learn more about Behold the Dawn, check it out on K. M. Weiland's website:
Note: This is not a negative assessment of the entire book of Robinson Crusoe. I actually enjoyed the book very much. This is just a literary examination into on small topic addressed in the book: slavery.
It was the age of imperialism; the era of adventure, of exploring unknown worlds, and of building vast overseas empires that demonstrated the dominant power of Europe over the rest of the world. It was during this time period – the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries – that Robinson Crusoe, the classic novel by Daniel Defoe, was written, and consequently, when it was set. Here in this novel we see a queer attitude from the main character, Robinson Crusoe, that may have been reflective of the European culture at the time: the attitude toward slavery. Throughout the book, Crusoe seems to find it totally normal and natural to enslave men that are “beneath” him – in other words, the non-European “savages” of Africa and the Americas – but not to be enslaved by them.
The first indication that Crusoe has this attitude is toward the beginning of the novel, when he is taken captive by African pirates and made a slave for two years. It is clear that Crusoe does not enjoy his experience of being a slave, for he calls it “miserable” (page 17). This word obviously expresses his discomfort and displeasure of the situation, even though his master is not cruel to him.
He also says, “Here [while looking after my master's ship] I meditated nothing but my escape and what method I might take to effect it” (page 17). This quote shows that he was anxious and desperate to get out of this situation, as soon as possible. Certainly, one would assume that someone who was “miserable” (page 17) in slavery and constantly meditating of a way to escape it, would not – once freed from his captivity – ever support such inhumane practice again in his life. However, as it becomes apparent further on in the book, this is not the case.
The second hint of Crusoe's feelings about slavery appears after he escapes from the Africans, with the help of a local boy named Xury. When his small boat is noticed and picked up by a Portuguese ship, the captain offers to buy Xury as a slave: “He [the captain] offered me also sixty pieces of eight more for my boy Xury, which I was loath to take; not that I was unwilling to let the captain have him, but I was very reluctant to sell the poor boy's liberty, who has assisted me so faithfully in procuring my own” (page 30).
At first glance of this quote, one might think that Crusoe hated to sell Xury into slavery because he had recently been a slave, and could not bear to put anyone else through that awful experience. However, upon looking at Crusoe's words more closely, one can see that he was not “unwilling to let the captain have him” (page 30). Or in other words, he was not opposed to the idea of selling Xury in general, but because Xury had “assisted [him] so faithfully” (page 30) in securing his own freedom, he did not want to remove that freedom from Xury. He his not opposed to slavery; Xury is just an exception. Crusoe's views about slavery have not been changed by his own time spent in slavery.
The fact that his views are the same is confirmed when, after he actually decides to sell Xury, he then owns a black slave in Brazil; and a few years later boards a ship bound to Africa to bring back more “negroe” slaves to South America! While he clearly dislikes being under the yoke of slavery, he seems to have no problem with administering the yoke of slavery over someone else.
17th Century European ship
Source: http://www.branchvillesoho.com/images/houlihan/houlihan.htm. By artist Ray Houlihan.
Many years later, the issue of slavery arises in the book again. Toward the end of Crusoe's twenty-plus-year exile on an uninhabited island, he finally comes in contact with other humans again. However, these humans are not the company he was hoping for; they are cannibals who occasionally visit the island to cook and eat their enemies. Crusoe eventually decides to rescue one of these cannibals' victims and make him his slave, so he will have both the company and someone to help him escape the island. Although his relationship with the native ends up becoming more like a servant-and-master rather than slave-and-master, it is the word “slave” that he uses beforehand in his plans.
As he considers carrying out his plan to acquire the slave, he says: “... I fancied myself able to manage one, nay, two or three savages, if I had them, so as to make them entirely slaves to me, to do whatever I should direct them, and to prevent their being able at any time to do me any harm” (page 188). This quote shows that he is completely unhesitant, and in fact eager, to make one – or even two or three – of the “savages” his slaves. This is partially in order to protect himself, but even if he did not need the protection, it is doubtful that he would have been any more hesitant to enslave the Carib natives.
Crusoe's attitude in the book, which is probably just reflective of the common, European way of thinking in that day, seems to consist of treating less developed peoples like they are somehow inferior, and thus deserving of being made into slaves. It is almost as if he is saying, “Oh, those barbarians, those savages that are beneath us; let us make them into our slaves.” It is surprising that he does not realize how this ideology contradicts itself.
Owning, selling, and buying other human beings is just as barbaric as eating other human beings. Many Europeans did not realize it, but because they practiced slavery, they were no different than so-called savages in Africa and America; they just wore more clothes and were a little more advanced scientifically. In reality, they were no more advanced morally.
In the novel Robinson Crusoe, slavery is treated by the main character as a common, acceptable thing for non-European “savages” to be subjected to, but an undesirable and unnatural thing for Europeans. This opinion is revealed by Crusoe's desperation to escape slavery in Africa, which shows that he does not enjoy being under the yoke of slavery himself; followed by his failure to even think twice about putting other people into slavery afterwards. This possibly mirrors the culture of Europe in that day, of which Crusoe – and the author of the book, Daniel Defoe – were only products of.
Although Europeans thought of themselves as somewhat superior to, and exalted over, much of the rest of the world, their own pride during the age of imperialism was what truly brought them down to the level of the “lowest” civilizations in the world.
Note: All page numbers are from the Focus on the Family edition of Robinson Crusoe; Focus on the Family Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO, 1997.
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