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Logos
Gold Medal winner, 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards for Religious Fiction ("IPPY")
Winner, 2016 Utah Book Award for Fiction
From Kirkus Reviews:
A fictional account of the birth of Christianity.
First-time author Neeleman has pulled off a staggeringly impressive feat: a rigorously researched historical novel that carries its scholarliness lightly and grips the reader with personal drama. Jacob was raised to be an intellectual, reading both Greek and Latin, as well as Hebrew and Aramaic, but also to love his native Jerusalem. He chafes under the oppressive, sometimes-capricious rule of the Roman Empire, however, despite the security such tyranny brings to the Jewish people. Still, he clings to his family, reluctant to endanger them and the quiet life he enjoys. After a ferocious massacre leaves his parents and sister murdered, Jacob's desire for revolution and the autonomy of Jerusalem grows, plunging him into a war for liberty. Neeleman depicts the ensuing drama with a powerful prose that evokes the spirit of the time without devolving into historically archaic vernacular: "Beyond the gates were ranks of torch carrying soldiers marching two abreast, man after man in gleaming helmet; they formed a bristling, seething, shining, gigantic serpent. He heard the tramp of a hundred thousand armor-clad feet and the serpent's awful roaring, joyful in its bloody work: victorious, violent, unbridled." Despite its theological content, the story brims with sensual imagery. Overcoming his original antipathy to Christianity, Jacob eventually becomes the unnamed author of the original Gospel, bearing witness to the extraordinary transformation wrought by Jesus. Sometimes, the Job-like suffering of Jacob can be challenging to weather, and the tale could have been enlivened by a few more lighthearted moments, but this book remains a stirring account of a historically significant time and a deep comment on the nature of Scripture itself.
Especially for those interested in theological history, an extraordinary amalgam of fiction and fact.
Winner, 2016 Utah Book Award for Fiction
From Kirkus Reviews:
A fictional account of the birth of Christianity.
First-time author Neeleman has pulled off a staggeringly impressive feat: a rigorously researched historical novel that carries its scholarliness lightly and grips the reader with personal drama. Jacob was raised to be an intellectual, reading both Greek and Latin, as well as Hebrew and Aramaic, but also to love his native Jerusalem. He chafes under the oppressive, sometimes-capricious rule of the Roman Empire, however, despite the security such tyranny brings to the Jewish people. Still, he clings to his family, reluctant to endanger them and the quiet life he enjoys. After a ferocious massacre leaves his parents and sister murdered, Jacob's desire for revolution and the autonomy of Jerusalem grows, plunging him into a war for liberty. Neeleman depicts the ensuing drama with a powerful prose that evokes the spirit of the time without devolving into historically archaic vernacular: "Beyond the gates were ranks of torch carrying soldiers marching two abreast, man after man in gleaming helmet; they formed a bristling, seething, shining, gigantic serpent. He heard the tramp of a hundred thousand armor-clad feet and the serpent's awful roaring, joyful in its bloody work: victorious, violent, unbridled." Despite its theological content, the story brims with sensual imagery. Overcoming his original antipathy to Christianity, Jacob eventually becomes the unnamed author of the original Gospel, bearing witness to the extraordinary transformation wrought by Jesus. Sometimes, the Job-like suffering of Jacob can be challenging to weather, and the tale could have been enlivened by a few more lighthearted moments, but this book remains a stirring account of a historically significant time and a deep comment on the nature of Scripture itself.
Especially for those interested in theological history, an extraordinary amalgam of fiction and fact.
430 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2015
13 people are currently reading
2,584 people want to read
About the author
John Neeleman
3Ìýbooks131ÌýfollowersI'm delighted to announce the release of my second novel, CHILDREN OF SATURN, a tale of the French Revolution published by Open Books, a stellar literary press. I feel honored and fortunate to join the ranks of Open Books' outstanding authors of distinction.
Although a work of fiction, CHILDREN OF SATURN is rooted in the stranger-than-fiction truth of the French Revolution. The novel's background springs from the written historical record; everything actually happened or is plausible. The characters—women and men prominent in the French Revolution, including the English/American radical Thomas Paine—actually lived. The politically charged trials, the monumental scope of organized crime, the dystopian horror, and the rampant social injustice, all intermixed with romance and the highest humanist aspirations, speak to the important issues that challenge us today.
I am proud of my work and eagerly anticipate your journey into CHILDREN OF SATURN's world of political and personal tumult. I hope you join me on this complex and rewarding exploration of the French Revolution. Visit my publisher's website for more information and updates. I would be grateful if you would pre-order CHILDREN OF SATURN.
Thank you,
John Neeleman, author of LOGOS
- 2016 Utah State Book Award, Fiction Book of The Year
- 2016 Gold Medal Winner, Independent Publisher Book Awards (for Religious Fiction)
- 2016 Foreword Review of Books Gold Medal Finalist for Book of the Year (for Religious, War, and Military Fiction)
Although a work of fiction, CHILDREN OF SATURN is rooted in the stranger-than-fiction truth of the French Revolution. The novel's background springs from the written historical record; everything actually happened or is plausible. The characters—women and men prominent in the French Revolution, including the English/American radical Thomas Paine—actually lived. The politically charged trials, the monumental scope of organized crime, the dystopian horror, and the rampant social injustice, all intermixed with romance and the highest humanist aspirations, speak to the important issues that challenge us today.
I am proud of my work and eagerly anticipate your journey into CHILDREN OF SATURN's world of political and personal tumult. I hope you join me on this complex and rewarding exploration of the French Revolution. Visit my publisher's website for more information and updates. I would be grateful if you would pre-order CHILDREN OF SATURN.
Thank you,
John Neeleman, author of LOGOS
- 2016 Utah State Book Award, Fiction Book of The Year
- 2016 Gold Medal Winner, Independent Publisher Book Awards (for Religious Fiction)
- 2016 Foreword Review of Books Gold Medal Finalist for Book of the Year (for Religious, War, and Military Fiction)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
June 20, 2015
I was attracted to this book because it is purported to be a historical novel about the writer of the first Gospel account of Jesus. I've read quite a bit about the subject so I was curious what this author did with it.
As it turns out very little of this book is about the writing of the Gospel. Most of the book follows the life of a fictional character who participates in the First Jewish–Roman War (66�73 CE). His life's path--as is true in most historical novels--brings him into contact with all the significant historical characters of the time, and he manages to survive while everybody around him is killed or dies. After the fall of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple he wanders around Palestine visiting all the important places related to biblical history including . He and his girl friend seal up the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls are hidden. He ends up in Rome and is inspired to write the first Gospel.
Through most of the book I was planning to compliment the author for his adhering to the facts of history. A good historical novel fills in the unknown details of history with a fictional story that could have happened and still have history turn out the way it did. This book did that mostly until it came to the very end and there is a description of what the main character included in his writing of the Gospel. What is described is a composite of the historical four Gospels that ended up in the New Testament canon.
Though I was disappointed with the book's description of the first Gospel, I do think the book is accurate in its description of the Gospel's intent as being more of an inspirational message than a history in the modern sense. The author of the first Gospel as described in this book was writing some forty years after the death of Jesus and had not met or seen Jesus in person. He had learned about him through stories told by others that provided only a general chronology. So the chronology got filled in with details of the way it should have been based on scriptural prophecies and expectations of people at that time.
That matches what the real historical writer of the Gospel of Mark probably did. The later writers of Matthew and Luke generally followed the chronology of Mark and enhanced it with the sayings of Jesus. The writer of the Gospel of John apparently was unaware of the other three Gospels and developed his own chronology and sayings.
This novel is intended for a popular audience, so it contains enough sex to keep the reader awake. I mention that here as a warning to potential readers who wish to avoid that kind of literature. Then there are the readers who are attracted to that sort of literature who will accept my words as an invitation instead of a warning.
As it turns out very little of this book is about the writing of the Gospel. Most of the book follows the life of a fictional character who participates in the First Jewish–Roman War (66�73 CE). His life's path--as is true in most historical novels--brings him into contact with all the significant historical characters of the time, and he manages to survive while everybody around him is killed or dies. After the fall of Jerusalem and the burning of the Temple he wanders around Palestine visiting all the important places related to biblical history including . He and his girl friend seal up the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls are hidden. He ends up in Rome and is inspired to write the first Gospel.
Through most of the book I was planning to compliment the author for his adhering to the facts of history. A good historical novel fills in the unknown details of history with a fictional story that could have happened and still have history turn out the way it did. This book did that mostly until it came to the very end and there is a description of what the main character included in his writing of the Gospel. What is described is a composite of the historical four Gospels that ended up in the New Testament canon.
Though I was disappointed with the book's description of the first Gospel, I do think the book is accurate in its description of the Gospel's intent as being more of an inspirational message than a history in the modern sense. The author of the first Gospel as described in this book was writing some forty years after the death of Jesus and had not met or seen Jesus in person. He had learned about him through stories told by others that provided only a general chronology. So the chronology got filled in with details of the way it should have been based on scriptural prophecies and expectations of people at that time.
That matches what the real historical writer of the Gospel of Mark probably did. The later writers of Matthew and Luke generally followed the chronology of Mark and enhanced it with the sayings of Jesus. The writer of the Gospel of John apparently was unaware of the other three Gospels and developed his own chronology and sayings.
This novel is intended for a popular audience, so it contains enough sex to keep the reader awake. I mention that here as a warning to potential readers who wish to avoid that kind of literature. Then there are the readers who are attracted to that sort of literature who will accept my words as an invitation instead of a warning.
February 9, 2015
Logos is a fantastic read that provides an alternative universe take on the story of the creation of the Good News that people know of. What is most intriguing about the story is how the events that occur in Jacob's life come together to help form the basis of that.
Weaknesses of the book mainly came from extensive details for many locations. I often found that the exposition given to detail people, buildings included homes, places, and backstory for minor characters or locations ruined the pacing of the story. For example because of numerous details the book took over 60 pages to finally take off. Then further one finds themself just glancing through many paragraphs waiting for the next big event to occur. Thankfully, because of the time period this is set in there were numerous big events so the writing did at least not feel that it was bogged down or slowed for long periods of time by this exposition.
Otherwise, it is a fantastic read and one that shows the struggle of a man as he is faced with choosing different sides for his religion, as well as his struggle with life as he goes on through the years.
Weaknesses of the book mainly came from extensive details for many locations. I often found that the exposition given to detail people, buildings included homes, places, and backstory for minor characters or locations ruined the pacing of the story. For example because of numerous details the book took over 60 pages to finally take off. Then further one finds themself just glancing through many paragraphs waiting for the next big event to occur. Thankfully, because of the time period this is set in there were numerous big events so the writing did at least not feel that it was bogged down or slowed for long periods of time by this exposition.
Otherwise, it is a fantastic read and one that shows the struggle of a man as he is faced with choosing different sides for his religion, as well as his struggle with life as he goes on through the years.
February 20, 2015
“Logos is a fiction book about Jacob, a Jewish architect and craftsman living in Jerusalem at the time of the First Jewish Revolts. He and his family are caught between those who want a revolution and those who wish to keep the status quo and thus peace. Eventually Jacob must suffer the consequences of his actions and is forced to battle his inner demons as he travels the world in order to understand the part his God has set for him to play.�
If you love historical fiction you will enjoy Logos. Jacob as a main character was an interesting choice. He is neither a hero nor a villain but a personable guy who displays both traits. He is not the most handsome man, the strongest, wisest or smartest but he has a lot of heart. He loves his family and his country, and it’s that love that is the source of his suffering. You find yourself rooting for him, despite almost always failing at what he sets out to do, however all is explained. The author tends to put him through a lot, but at the end all of his pain and suffering is explained as part of the process and very much necessary to the ending. His emotions always seem to run to the extremes, and his constant outpouring of grief wears on you after a while.
The book has plenty of supporting characters, some of whom you may recognize if you have some Jewish/Christian, background but they don`t seem to have much substance, usually only displaying one emotion or one function to the plot. I will say the author has a talent for describing the scenery, the landscape and vegetation almost becoming another character in the novel with personality affecting the main character and in turn being affected by him. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough, I felt that the characters and the plot could have been delved into deeper and I was left wanting more of their story and to see it developed further.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think the author took an interesting take on a well-known and beloved story.
If you love historical fiction you will enjoy Logos. Jacob as a main character was an interesting choice. He is neither a hero nor a villain but a personable guy who displays both traits. He is not the most handsome man, the strongest, wisest or smartest but he has a lot of heart. He loves his family and his country, and it’s that love that is the source of his suffering. You find yourself rooting for him, despite almost always failing at what he sets out to do, however all is explained. The author tends to put him through a lot, but at the end all of his pain and suffering is explained as part of the process and very much necessary to the ending. His emotions always seem to run to the extremes, and his constant outpouring of grief wears on you after a while.
The book has plenty of supporting characters, some of whom you may recognize if you have some Jewish/Christian, background but they don`t seem to have much substance, usually only displaying one emotion or one function to the plot. I will say the author has a talent for describing the scenery, the landscape and vegetation almost becoming another character in the novel with personality affecting the main character and in turn being affected by him. My only complaint is that it wasn't long enough, I felt that the characters and the plot could have been delved into deeper and I was left wanting more of their story and to see it developed further.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and I think the author took an interesting take on a well-known and beloved story.
July 10, 2015
Have you taken time lately to think about your spiritual origin?
(A Reader Review- Copy of LOGOS provided by Novel Publicity)
I will start by telling you that I am not a simple person. I do not conform to any specific belief in a higher power even though I grew up in a home where I attended services and activities at a Lutheran church regularly. Through the years and the many things that have gone on in my life, I have struggled with my belief in God or any higher power because I believe my destiny is in my own hands. I never felt that 'connection' with God like so many do. A lot of that had to do with being forced to study the Bible- a book where nobody could explain who wrote it or how this accounting of stories was ever recorded. How was I to believe something that couldn't be proven? What I do know, is I love any kind of historical fiction that can give a story to some event that's shaped the past. If you're looking for a fictional account of how the bible was written, this is the book for you.
Obviously a lot of research was put into this novel because of the immense detail that was put into every page. The scene in the Prologue captivated my interest from the start. I will tell you it is not an easy read, but it makes you think. Even though it is a work of fiction, it is based upon commonly known historical information and it gave a new and thought-provoking twist to exactly how the bible was written. The bible is not an easy text to follow and it does appear to have been written in code. If you think about it, it makes total sense that the bible had to be written in code during the oppression of Christianity. How else could one share their beliefs at that time without being crucified for it?
If you are looking for a novel that really makes you think about life, the world around you, where you came from, LOGOS is one I would suggest checking out.
(A Reader Review- Copy of LOGOS provided by Novel Publicity)
I will start by telling you that I am not a simple person. I do not conform to any specific belief in a higher power even though I grew up in a home where I attended services and activities at a Lutheran church regularly. Through the years and the many things that have gone on in my life, I have struggled with my belief in God or any higher power because I believe my destiny is in my own hands. I never felt that 'connection' with God like so many do. A lot of that had to do with being forced to study the Bible- a book where nobody could explain who wrote it or how this accounting of stories was ever recorded. How was I to believe something that couldn't be proven? What I do know, is I love any kind of historical fiction that can give a story to some event that's shaped the past. If you're looking for a fictional account of how the bible was written, this is the book for you.
Obviously a lot of research was put into this novel because of the immense detail that was put into every page. The scene in the Prologue captivated my interest from the start. I will tell you it is not an easy read, but it makes you think. Even though it is a work of fiction, it is based upon commonly known historical information and it gave a new and thought-provoking twist to exactly how the bible was written. The bible is not an easy text to follow and it does appear to have been written in code. If you think about it, it makes total sense that the bible had to be written in code during the oppression of Christianity. How else could one share their beliefs at that time without being crucified for it?
If you are looking for a novel that really makes you think about life, the world around you, where you came from, LOGOS is one I would suggest checking out.
Read
June 27, 2015My world has been surrounded by death lately, whether in the media, people I know at a few of the places I work, or my own family. The deathwatch is exhausting, and in the past I’ve experienced the guilty wave of relief when life is finally over for those who are suffering. I’ve learned, though, that the freeing feeling often accompanied by someone passing, doesn’t always occur.
Sometimes, there is just sadness & pain and more death.
All this turmoil, and introspective life ‘stuff� happened while reading LOGOS.
It’s a long, slow and purposeful read. This is not a book to take lightly, or rush through. Each page and I would argue each word is carefully chosen and important to the story. Neeleman does a fantastic job of storytelling and the book is like a slow burning candle.
The candle is lit, flame low and somber in a dim light. It burns through the night, the only light in a dark room filled with mystery, half-truths and a story with a message. That’s how I felt reading LOGOS � sometimes.
The other part of me, probably the history & scholar leaning side read single pages over and over again digesting each word, and having long internal conversations with myself and all the ghosts around me.
Neeleman has harnessed the power of words, and focusing on Jacob was refreshing. When I read the excerpt before signing up for the tour, I had high hopes that this would not be ‘just another happy Jesus� book.
It’s not, and it doesn’t take a standard, or complacent view of anything Christianity related. If you are happy in your religious box, whatever that may be, this probably isn’t the book for you. This book will make you think, question and meditate on spirituality, religion, violence and social unrest.
Part 2 of this review will appear this afternoon around noon. Until then, take a reading break with a religious/spiritual theme of it’s own. It’s even book related! Author Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer have recently experienced the loss of a great friend through tragic circumstances, all while on a path of their own to welcome new life into the world.
Check out Amanda’s post here: , and Gaiman’s post here: and listen to this while you read them.
So, technology hates me and ate the rest of my review :(
However, even if it’s a day or two late, I think it’s important to finish this review and talking about it’s subject matter is one area I have always been both intrigued by and wary of.
Ashlee said it best in her review on The Wandering Writer.
I don’t agree with the novel’s overall premise that the creation of the Gospels was part of a “conspiracy� intended to make Jesus the man into Christ the myth, and readers should know that the novel’s approach is merely one interpretation of a complex historical record that still has a lot of missing pieces.
I on the other hand, was really intrigued by the conspiracy theory in LOGOS, but then, I love a good conspiracy theory any day. (I also love picking them apart.) At the end of the day though, this conspiracy theory (basically that the the gospel is all made up � but that’s a huge over-simplification), is plausible.
I was (very briefly) a biblical scholar. I have an intense historical curiosity, and reading LOGOS brought me back to the days of picking apart medieval texts and canonical writings. Neeleman does a very good job of being historically accurate & descriptive to the max. While I wanted more from Jacob, part of his beauty as a character is his weaknesses. I loved the attention to landscape and all the parallels and allegories mixed in.
Finally, I have to put in my word about the sex scenes. Neeleman is one of the ONLY male authors who writes amazing sex scenes, and it’s in a religious based book, and while none of the sex scenes are specifically gay or bi, that plays a role too. I WISH there were more. He makes no bones about homesexuality, bi-sexuality and multiple wives being part of Greco-Roman culture. Neeleman deserves a big kudos here � if only leaving me wanting more. :)
Read this book if you want to explore, and be swept into a tumultuous & treacherous past. Don’t be afraid of opening your mind, and go on the journey of LOGOS.
See the rest of the post here:
Sometimes, there is just sadness & pain and more death.
All this turmoil, and introspective life ‘stuff� happened while reading LOGOS.
It’s a long, slow and purposeful read. This is not a book to take lightly, or rush through. Each page and I would argue each word is carefully chosen and important to the story. Neeleman does a fantastic job of storytelling and the book is like a slow burning candle.
The candle is lit, flame low and somber in a dim light. It burns through the night, the only light in a dark room filled with mystery, half-truths and a story with a message. That’s how I felt reading LOGOS � sometimes.
The other part of me, probably the history & scholar leaning side read single pages over and over again digesting each word, and having long internal conversations with myself and all the ghosts around me.
Neeleman has harnessed the power of words, and focusing on Jacob was refreshing. When I read the excerpt before signing up for the tour, I had high hopes that this would not be ‘just another happy Jesus� book.
It’s not, and it doesn’t take a standard, or complacent view of anything Christianity related. If you are happy in your religious box, whatever that may be, this probably isn’t the book for you. This book will make you think, question and meditate on spirituality, religion, violence and social unrest.
Part 2 of this review will appear this afternoon around noon. Until then, take a reading break with a religious/spiritual theme of it’s own. It’s even book related! Author Neil Gaiman & Amanda Palmer have recently experienced the loss of a great friend through tragic circumstances, all while on a path of their own to welcome new life into the world.
Check out Amanda’s post here: , and Gaiman’s post here: and listen to this while you read them.
So, technology hates me and ate the rest of my review :(
However, even if it’s a day or two late, I think it’s important to finish this review and talking about it’s subject matter is one area I have always been both intrigued by and wary of.
Ashlee said it best in her review on The Wandering Writer.
I don’t agree with the novel’s overall premise that the creation of the Gospels was part of a “conspiracy� intended to make Jesus the man into Christ the myth, and readers should know that the novel’s approach is merely one interpretation of a complex historical record that still has a lot of missing pieces.
I on the other hand, was really intrigued by the conspiracy theory in LOGOS, but then, I love a good conspiracy theory any day. (I also love picking them apart.) At the end of the day though, this conspiracy theory (basically that the the gospel is all made up � but that’s a huge over-simplification), is plausible.
I was (very briefly) a biblical scholar. I have an intense historical curiosity, and reading LOGOS brought me back to the days of picking apart medieval texts and canonical writings. Neeleman does a very good job of being historically accurate & descriptive to the max. While I wanted more from Jacob, part of his beauty as a character is his weaknesses. I loved the attention to landscape and all the parallels and allegories mixed in.
Finally, I have to put in my word about the sex scenes. Neeleman is one of the ONLY male authors who writes amazing sex scenes, and it’s in a religious based book, and while none of the sex scenes are specifically gay or bi, that plays a role too. I WISH there were more. He makes no bones about homesexuality, bi-sexuality and multiple wives being part of Greco-Roman culture. Neeleman deserves a big kudos here � if only leaving me wanting more. :)
Read this book if you want to explore, and be swept into a tumultuous & treacherous past. Don’t be afraid of opening your mind, and go on the journey of LOGOS.
See the rest of the post here:
July 4, 2015
I am a Hindu and I know about Christianity only through my Christian friends and movies. It's so popular that many movies are taken even in my regional language. So, I entered this book with as much nervousness when one has on their interview day. As far as I am concerned, this book is just plain fiction to me, but the research work and hard work of the author can be noticed.
The story follows Jacob, whose life traverses along various historic life events. Jacob is not the usual hero type material. He is the hero, who is common man. So, seeing history through his eyes is definitely a story, that is commendable. Jacob faces so much tragedy in his journey, but still comes up with confidence and heart in each instance.
Facts and fiction play side by side in the novel and the readers will be kept interested enough to get absorbed into the life of Jacob. The real story, as said by John Neeleman, questions some major beliefs of the society. Well, I am not good with Christianity or history, so I am not the right person for judging this part.
A new perspective on history!
The story follows Jacob, whose life traverses along various historic life events. Jacob is not the usual hero type material. He is the hero, who is common man. So, seeing history through his eyes is definitely a story, that is commendable. Jacob faces so much tragedy in his journey, but still comes up with confidence and heart in each instance.
Facts and fiction play side by side in the novel and the readers will be kept interested enough to get absorbed into the life of Jacob. The real story, as said by John Neeleman, questions some major beliefs of the society. Well, I am not good with Christianity or history, so I am not the right person for judging this part.
A new perspective on history!
October 17, 2015
The author sent me a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. Honestly, I did not like reading the book. It was more fantasy than fiction. Other reviewers have given the book high praise making me believe that my Christian upbringing and graduating from an all girl Christian college had a profound effect on my life.
For the parts of the book which I believe were based on faith and sound history, I thought the author exercised good writing mechanics.
Thank you, Mr. Neeleman, for a good read.
For the parts of the book which I believe were based on faith and sound history, I thought the author exercised good writing mechanics.
Thank you, Mr. Neeleman, for a good read.
August 21, 2015
I won the book through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ firstreads program
I was interested in the book because I know the Logos and thought I might enjoy a historical telling of the times. The writing is easy to follow and understand. The first chapter was an interesting perspective on the demise of Paul the apostle. I did not finish the book because of offensive sexual content and would not recommend it for a follower of Christ.
I was interested in the book because I know the Logos and thought I might enjoy a historical telling of the times. The writing is easy to follow and understand. The first chapter was an interesting perspective on the demise of Paul the apostle. I did not finish the book because of offensive sexual content and would not recommend it for a follower of Christ.
June 3, 2016
Unfortunately, I think most reviewers based their ratings based more on Neeleman’s ambition and intent, as opposed to the finished product itself. Simply put, he tried to craft an epic, tried to make “Logos� exemplary in every way. He over-reached and as a result, every dimension which the novel held was miserably mediocre (at best).
The story is not one of the “origins of Christianity� as the write up claimed. Early Christianity is only in the periphery for most of the story and the narrative ends on a heretical note which would insult any devout Christian (and any historian for that manner). The story is too fantastic and unrealistic for good historical fiction, yet too bogged down in the historic minutia to be a compelling adventure.
The main character is too pat to be relatable and the dialogue too expository to be believable. There are gratuitous sex scenes which take distract from the narrative and on top of all this the book is simply too long.
I can see what Neeleman was after. He wanted to weave history, drama, sex, mystery, and watered-down religion into a masterful epic. Maybe I can give him an A for effort but the end result is a mess that fails at all goals by attempting to achieve them all. Despite the claims, “Logos� is barely about Christianity (historic Christianity at least), a stilted narrative, and an awkward approach to illuminating history.
Quite honestly, given the breadth of books already in circulation, I cannot think of a single person (or type of person) who I could ever recommend this book to. Whatever motivation you had for approaching “Logos� you should know that there are better books for you, and far better uses of your time.
The story is not one of the “origins of Christianity� as the write up claimed. Early Christianity is only in the periphery for most of the story and the narrative ends on a heretical note which would insult any devout Christian (and any historian for that manner). The story is too fantastic and unrealistic for good historical fiction, yet too bogged down in the historic minutia to be a compelling adventure.
The main character is too pat to be relatable and the dialogue too expository to be believable. There are gratuitous sex scenes which take distract from the narrative and on top of all this the book is simply too long.
I can see what Neeleman was after. He wanted to weave history, drama, sex, mystery, and watered-down religion into a masterful epic. Maybe I can give him an A for effort but the end result is a mess that fails at all goals by attempting to achieve them all. Despite the claims, “Logos� is barely about Christianity (historic Christianity at least), a stilted narrative, and an awkward approach to illuminating history.
Quite honestly, given the breadth of books already in circulation, I cannot think of a single person (or type of person) who I could ever recommend this book to. Whatever motivation you had for approaching “Logos� you should know that there are better books for you, and far better uses of your time.
April 14, 2015
A Superb Debut Novel on the Birth of Christianity
Debut novelist John Neeleman's "Logos" should be viewed as one of the most notable works of fiction published this year - and one of this year's notable debut novels - and one that should have been published by a major New York City publishing house. This is a compelling, quite fascinating, account of the life of Jacob Ben Aaron, whom Neeleman establishes as the author of the unknown "proto-Gospel" that apparently inspired several of the Gospels found in the New Testament. While Jacob is entirely fictional, the novel introduces us to such key historical figures as Roman general Tiberius Julius Alexander, a Romanized Jew who was the deputy commander the Roman legion which lay siege to Jerusalem in AD 70, the enigmatic historian Flavius Josephus, and Roman emperor TItus. It is through Jacob's eyes that we see a most spellbinding account of Jewish religious and political strife in the streets of Jerusalem leading up to and during the first Roman-Jewish war (AD 66 to AD 73), and the gradual rise of Christianity, seen initially as a heretical Essene sect. Neeleman has done for 1st Century AD Palestine and Rome, what Hilary Mantel has done in covering the life and times of King Henry VIII in her novels "Wolf Hall" and "Bringing up the Bodies", demonstrating his own fine gifts for historical research, storytelling and prose. For those seeking a credible, historical fictional account of the birth of Christianity, then "Logos" should rank high on their lists.
Debut novelist John Neeleman's "Logos" should be viewed as one of the most notable works of fiction published this year - and one of this year's notable debut novels - and one that should have been published by a major New York City publishing house. This is a compelling, quite fascinating, account of the life of Jacob Ben Aaron, whom Neeleman establishes as the author of the unknown "proto-Gospel" that apparently inspired several of the Gospels found in the New Testament. While Jacob is entirely fictional, the novel introduces us to such key historical figures as Roman general Tiberius Julius Alexander, a Romanized Jew who was the deputy commander the Roman legion which lay siege to Jerusalem in AD 70, the enigmatic historian Flavius Josephus, and Roman emperor TItus. It is through Jacob's eyes that we see a most spellbinding account of Jewish religious and political strife in the streets of Jerusalem leading up to and during the first Roman-Jewish war (AD 66 to AD 73), and the gradual rise of Christianity, seen initially as a heretical Essene sect. Neeleman has done for 1st Century AD Palestine and Rome, what Hilary Mantel has done in covering the life and times of King Henry VIII in her novels "Wolf Hall" and "Bringing up the Bodies", demonstrating his own fine gifts for historical research, storytelling and prose. For those seeking a credible, historical fictional account of the birth of Christianity, then "Logos" should rank high on their lists.
December 29, 2015
I finally reached the last page. This is not worth the time. Sorry to say that. My friend won this from give away and gave it tome. The book is about the view of the writer of how Christian belief, especially how the Bible-Logos, came to the world. In order to bring the idea alive the writer set up fictional characters and knitted them around historical events that are well recognized in the Bible and in the Jews history. Jacob Ben Aron-from the house of David, the main character, a priest in Holly Temple of Jerusalem, went trough a terrible experience due to the Roman aggression over Jerusalem. Jacob lost his parents, his wife and his only son during the siege of Jerusalem. Not only Jacob hurt physically, he also spiritually wounded because the Holly Temple was ruined by Roman and He departed his homeland. Later on He met another woman, an Ismaelites, but God took her from Him in another tragic way leave him mad and wondering in wilderness but that's not the end. Later on He made it to Rome and became a member of royal court and with his fellow Jews plotting against Roman. Friendship and betrayal, nationalism and hypocritical, gore war and lust in a very descriptive way possible were presented. One other thing is the book should came with a map,since not all readers got A in Geography. I will also not recommend this book for a Christian.
Aso Thanks for the book. Jangan kecewa karena review saya gak bagus dan jangan bosan ngasih saya buku :) this is just my honest feeling. Bukunya sampai morat marit saking lamanya baru habis.
Aso Thanks for the book. Jangan kecewa karena review saya gak bagus dan jangan bosan ngasih saya buku :) this is just my honest feeling. Bukunya sampai morat marit saking lamanya baru habis.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2016
I am writing this review for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ. I did not like this book. The author seems to have a bias against the Christian religion. I can neither prove nor disprove the Gospels nor can the author. That is why, I presume, he used historic fiction to put forth his anti-Christian agenda. If you are a person of faith, by all means skip this book.
July 18, 2015
Before I get to the review itself, it ought to be stated I received this book through a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway.
I must admit I'm not a religious nor spiritual person. These are matters I merely have some academic interest in as someone with a fascination towards the human psyche, most of all. As it turned out, I ended up truly enjoying the book less for the psychology of the characters presented, and more for the fact Neeleman has done a staggering level of historical research for his book. Who doesn't love a well researched historical novel? Best of all, Neeleman provides a bibliography of the works most influential in shaping the event, environmental, and cultural details of his story at the end of the book. I admire the scholarly approach he has taken. The author deserves his praise for staying very true to history, as well as providing an interesting, logical take on the intentions behind the written Word.
There's some quite detailed sex scenes present in the book. They weren't the greatest descriptions of consensual intercourse I've ever read, but I will give credit to the author for paying attention also to the female experience. While the sex scenes were largely following the age old "dipping the d in and poking around with it is enough" kind of philosophy, I did take note of a couple of occasions where the woman was allowed to attend to her own pleasure more than that of Jacob. Also, oral sex where the female is the receiving partner. Points for including that, just because I don't see many male authors ever bothering to embrace the whole aspect of sex not being 1. only about the guy, and 2. only about penis and the penile things you can do with the all-ecstasy inducing penis.
Something I hope Neeleman will pay attention to in the future, should he feel compelled to write more after this debut work, is variation in female characters. In Logos, the only female characters worth mentioning by name were the ones who were beautiful. That, in itself, isn't wrong. What makes it bothersome is when "beautiful" equals each female being shaped in the exact same mold. All love interests of Jacob were described as having shapely figures. That EXACT word keeps recurring with the females. They are all shapely, witty, good humoured, sparkly eyed young babes. This got so bothersome after halfway through the book that it actually sucked out much of my enjoyment of the story. Jacob never struck me as a character with insane animal charm, but I suppose I got proven wrong at every turn of events in this book, judging by the reactions all these ladies that be like DAMN! had towards him. That felt like lazy writing to me, and it's generally very bothersome to me when the ladies get described in ways nearly identical to each other. Maybe Jacob has an extremely specific taste, and that was the intention of the author - I don't know. But I still feel Neeleman ought to take it to heart that there are numerous ways to describe female people, and that if he is going to go ahead and make them such a big part of the story, he should f***ing invest on them. Imagine if not just a few but all male characters worth mentioning in the book were all narrow waisted, athletically muscled bronze-skinned adonises with thick dark eyelashes.
That, however, is my only real criticism of Neeleman's writing. His prose is beautiful, very rich in detail, and his attention to historical accuracy is very rigorous indeed. His debut novel definitely deserves more attention, and is one of the absolute best books I've read this year, even being among the better books I've read to date in my entire life.
For anyone with even a passing interest in theological matters and philosophy, Logos presents a satisfyingly challenging read while still managing to be purely entertaining in its detailed, often graphic dramatization of the events. Much recommended.
---
Bonus whine to Homebound Publications:
Now, I am not one to judge a book by its cover, however, I am one of those people who narrow their eyes at the sight of a bad resolution image being printed on the cover. There is noticeable pixelation on the image of the relief, suggesting the image has been made far too large for the cover dimensions to be displayed properly. The copy of the book I received also had a slightly diagonal cut for its back cover, creating a white edge for the darkly coloured design. Of these two, however, it is the pixelation that felt more bothersome, as it makes the entire design work itself seem somewhat on the cheap side - like someone just paint bucketed a Microsoft Paint canvas and slapped a text and a Google search image on it. Tsk! A little more care, Homebound Publications, will you?
I must admit I'm not a religious nor spiritual person. These are matters I merely have some academic interest in as someone with a fascination towards the human psyche, most of all. As it turned out, I ended up truly enjoying the book less for the psychology of the characters presented, and more for the fact Neeleman has done a staggering level of historical research for his book. Who doesn't love a well researched historical novel? Best of all, Neeleman provides a bibliography of the works most influential in shaping the event, environmental, and cultural details of his story at the end of the book. I admire the scholarly approach he has taken. The author deserves his praise for staying very true to history, as well as providing an interesting, logical take on the intentions behind the written Word.
There's some quite detailed sex scenes present in the book. They weren't the greatest descriptions of consensual intercourse I've ever read, but I will give credit to the author for paying attention also to the female experience. While the sex scenes were largely following the age old "dipping the d in and poking around with it is enough" kind of philosophy, I did take note of a couple of occasions where the woman was allowed to attend to her own pleasure more than that of Jacob. Also, oral sex where the female is the receiving partner. Points for including that, just because I don't see many male authors ever bothering to embrace the whole aspect of sex not being 1. only about the guy, and 2. only about penis and the penile things you can do with the all-ecstasy inducing penis.
Something I hope Neeleman will pay attention to in the future, should he feel compelled to write more after this debut work, is variation in female characters. In Logos, the only female characters worth mentioning by name were the ones who were beautiful. That, in itself, isn't wrong. What makes it bothersome is when "beautiful" equals each female being shaped in the exact same mold. All love interests of Jacob were described as having shapely figures. That EXACT word keeps recurring with the females. They are all shapely, witty, good humoured, sparkly eyed young babes. This got so bothersome after halfway through the book that it actually sucked out much of my enjoyment of the story. Jacob never struck me as a character with insane animal charm, but I suppose I got proven wrong at every turn of events in this book, judging by the reactions all these ladies that be like DAMN! had towards him. That felt like lazy writing to me, and it's generally very bothersome to me when the ladies get described in ways nearly identical to each other. Maybe Jacob has an extremely specific taste, and that was the intention of the author - I don't know. But I still feel Neeleman ought to take it to heart that there are numerous ways to describe female people, and that if he is going to go ahead and make them such a big part of the story, he should f***ing invest on them. Imagine if not just a few but all male characters worth mentioning in the book were all narrow waisted, athletically muscled bronze-skinned adonises with thick dark eyelashes.
That, however, is my only real criticism of Neeleman's writing. His prose is beautiful, very rich in detail, and his attention to historical accuracy is very rigorous indeed. His debut novel definitely deserves more attention, and is one of the absolute best books I've read this year, even being among the better books I've read to date in my entire life.
For anyone with even a passing interest in theological matters and philosophy, Logos presents a satisfyingly challenging read while still managing to be purely entertaining in its detailed, often graphic dramatization of the events. Much recommended.
---
Bonus whine to Homebound Publications:
Now, I am not one to judge a book by its cover, however, I am one of those people who narrow their eyes at the sight of a bad resolution image being printed on the cover. There is noticeable pixelation on the image of the relief, suggesting the image has been made far too large for the cover dimensions to be displayed properly. The copy of the book I received also had a slightly diagonal cut for its back cover, creating a white edge for the darkly coloured design. Of these two, however, it is the pixelation that felt more bothersome, as it makes the entire design work itself seem somewhat on the cheap side - like someone just paint bucketed a Microsoft Paint canvas and slapped a text and a Google search image on it. Tsk! A little more care, Homebound Publications, will you?
July 3, 2015
I was given a copy of this book as part of a Novel Publicity tour.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Logos. Even as I trudged through the first few chapters, I wasn’t sure what I was reading. From the description, I knew it had something to do with Jesus and the origins of Christianity, a subject that I’ve long been academically interested in. The prologue was about somebody named Paul in prison, set to die. I assumed (correctly, as I learned later) that this was the Saul of the New Testament.
But then the story took us to a young Jewish boy named Jacob. I wondered what he had to do with Jesus, but I kept reading. The narrative style seemed a little detached and formal, but the more I got into the story the more the characters fleshed out, and the more I began to think that the style was deliberate. There is something almost but not quite Biblical about the narration itself.
We follow Jacob’s life, as he gets dragged into a Jewish rebellion in Jerusalem, which ends badly for his people and catapults his life out of the comforts of home and into the larger world. This is when the story really gets interesting. As we follow Jacob, his story is woven by bits and pieces into the story that would become the Gospels. We see a martyr named James utter the final words attributed to Jesus. We hear the story of the prophet Yeshua from an old man who met him. We experience the flight to Bethlehem and the birth in a manger.
As Jacob struggles with his own faith, he meets people along the way who help shape his new paradigm. Words he hears lay out the author’s thesis bit by bit:
I am telling the tale of the Jews. Yet I must write in circumlocutions. Someday these scrolls will be discovered. I do not know if enemy or friend of God’s people will find them. Thus I write in language that only men with understanding will appreciate.
It is one thing that many people forget, yet it is so integral a part of religious writings, particularly early Christian. During the persecution of Christians, any writings or stories had to be written almost in code. Oppression always leads to this. We see it in the songs of African slaves in the southern US. We see it in the martial art of capoera, which Brazilian slaves created to look like a dance so they could practice without being discovered. So it is little wonder that stories of Jesus may be more concerned with the purpose of the writing than the facts.
Even in the first century BCE, learned people were aware of the parallels between many different traditions.
The story follows the same formula, does it not?–a man of noble class dressed in the finery of kings and priests and anointed with oils most holy, is cast into the wilderness, losing all and experiencing every misery and deprivation, finally rises up again and is revealed as the savior of humankind and the bearer of a word and bringer of a new and better age.
And in many aspects, Jacob’s own story also follows the same formula. There is little to support this as more than a thought exercise on the author’s part, but the beauty of Logos is that it is entirely plausible. In a way, Jacob legitimizes Christian mythology: he absolutely had to go through the trials he experienced in his life, from his noble birth to the deepest loss and despair, for the story of Jesus to be what it is. Indeed, for the story of Jesus to have been collected and written at all.
I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Logos. Even as I trudged through the first few chapters, I wasn’t sure what I was reading. From the description, I knew it had something to do with Jesus and the origins of Christianity, a subject that I’ve long been academically interested in. The prologue was about somebody named Paul in prison, set to die. I assumed (correctly, as I learned later) that this was the Saul of the New Testament.
But then the story took us to a young Jewish boy named Jacob. I wondered what he had to do with Jesus, but I kept reading. The narrative style seemed a little detached and formal, but the more I got into the story the more the characters fleshed out, and the more I began to think that the style was deliberate. There is something almost but not quite Biblical about the narration itself.
We follow Jacob’s life, as he gets dragged into a Jewish rebellion in Jerusalem, which ends badly for his people and catapults his life out of the comforts of home and into the larger world. This is when the story really gets interesting. As we follow Jacob, his story is woven by bits and pieces into the story that would become the Gospels. We see a martyr named James utter the final words attributed to Jesus. We hear the story of the prophet Yeshua from an old man who met him. We experience the flight to Bethlehem and the birth in a manger.
As Jacob struggles with his own faith, he meets people along the way who help shape his new paradigm. Words he hears lay out the author’s thesis bit by bit:
I am telling the tale of the Jews. Yet I must write in circumlocutions. Someday these scrolls will be discovered. I do not know if enemy or friend of God’s people will find them. Thus I write in language that only men with understanding will appreciate.
It is one thing that many people forget, yet it is so integral a part of religious writings, particularly early Christian. During the persecution of Christians, any writings or stories had to be written almost in code. Oppression always leads to this. We see it in the songs of African slaves in the southern US. We see it in the martial art of capoera, which Brazilian slaves created to look like a dance so they could practice without being discovered. So it is little wonder that stories of Jesus may be more concerned with the purpose of the writing than the facts.
Even in the first century BCE, learned people were aware of the parallels between many different traditions.
The story follows the same formula, does it not?–a man of noble class dressed in the finery of kings and priests and anointed with oils most holy, is cast into the wilderness, losing all and experiencing every misery and deprivation, finally rises up again and is revealed as the savior of humankind and the bearer of a word and bringer of a new and better age.
And in many aspects, Jacob’s own story also follows the same formula. There is little to support this as more than a thought exercise on the author’s part, but the beauty of Logos is that it is entirely plausible. In a way, Jacob legitimizes Christian mythology: he absolutely had to go through the trials he experienced in his life, from his noble birth to the deepest loss and despair, for the story of Jesus to be what it is. Indeed, for the story of Jesus to have been collected and written at all.
September 30, 2015
I'm so glad I didn't have to pay a cent for this book! I RECEIVED IT FREE THROUGH GOODREADS' FIRST READS GIVEAWAY.
I'm not going to waste anymore time than I need to since I wasted precious reading time on this travesty so I'll skip describing the few merits of it. (If you're looking for those, go to the next review because you won't find them here.)
I was fully aware that this book was FICTION. (We have got to make that clear--95% of this book isn't true and pure fantasy. Please do not be fooled). I was also aware that it was going to be a creative "what if?" bildungsroman about the author of the THEORIZED "Q" manuscript. (For the uninitiated, many Bible scholars theorize that the writers of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were aided by the content of an anonymously written manuscript about the life of Jesus which they used as framework for their versions.) Neither of those things bothered me.
What bothered me was that Neeleman's book is actually an attempt to explain how the MYTH of Jesus came about. It was advertised as a historical novel based on the authoring of Gospel Q. That's not what it was.
The plot? Basically all the little connections and scenarios that Neeleman's overactive imagination produced to explain away pretty much every major thing about Jesus and ancient Christianity were strung together and wrapped around the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century A.D. It's like he gathered every significant aspect of the Gospels (pretty much all of it) and much of what we know about the Early church and wrote an entire book about how each of those things were lies by concocting a bogus story explaining the "real" reason why XYZ is XYZ.
It's hard to explain examples without giving spoilers, but here's a vague-ish one: the reason Jesus' mother is named Mary is because the main character's lover "Maryam" dies in childbirth delivering his bastard son in a stable/cave in Bethlehem, attended by Persian Zoroastrians (which explains the Magi/wisemen from the east). The entire book is chock full of b*llsh*t, like this from almost the first page. Not too mention the lack of flow, the choppiness and the wooden characters. This book just sucked. Stick to being a lawyer, Neeleman. (Huh. Now it all makes sense).
This was obviously Neeleman's way of flipping the bird to his religious upbringing. He states on the back of his book that he comes from a long line of Mormons but he "rebelled." I'm not Mormon. But I can tell that his resentment or whatever negative emotions he has towards his religious past is screaming between the lines of this book. He deliberately sought to write a book that discounts everything that people of a certain faith believes. (Any other religion, nobody would dare. But because it is Christianity-- you know, no big deal).
Instead of writing a scholarly book that would be pretty straight forward about it's premise (How the "myth" of Jesus came to be), he writes a nasty, disrespectful narrative that poses as truth so that people who are curious about this faith or even those who are practicing but doubting their faith in Christ can stumble on this nonsense that he passes off as entertainment.
This is the worst book (out of 44) I've read all year. I'm SO GLAD I didn't have to pay a cent for this book! I RECEIVED IT FREE THROUGH GOODREADS' FIRST READS GIVEAWAY.
I'm not going to waste anymore time than I need to since I wasted precious reading time on this travesty so I'll skip describing the few merits of it. (If you're looking for those, go to the next review because you won't find them here.)
I was fully aware that this book was FICTION. (We have got to make that clear--95% of this book isn't true and pure fantasy. Please do not be fooled). I was also aware that it was going to be a creative "what if?" bildungsroman about the author of the THEORIZED "Q" manuscript. (For the uninitiated, many Bible scholars theorize that the writers of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were aided by the content of an anonymously written manuscript about the life of Jesus which they used as framework for their versions.) Neither of those things bothered me.
What bothered me was that Neeleman's book is actually an attempt to explain how the MYTH of Jesus came about. It was advertised as a historical novel based on the authoring of Gospel Q. That's not what it was.
The plot? Basically all the little connections and scenarios that Neeleman's overactive imagination produced to explain away pretty much every major thing about Jesus and ancient Christianity were strung together and wrapped around the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century A.D. It's like he gathered every significant aspect of the Gospels (pretty much all of it) and much of what we know about the Early church and wrote an entire book about how each of those things were lies by concocting a bogus story explaining the "real" reason why XYZ is XYZ.
It's hard to explain examples without giving spoilers, but here's a vague-ish one: the reason Jesus' mother is named Mary is because the main character's lover "Maryam" dies in childbirth delivering his bastard son in a stable/cave in Bethlehem, attended by Persian Zoroastrians (which explains the Magi/wisemen from the east). The entire book is chock full of b*llsh*t, like this from almost the first page. Not too mention the lack of flow, the choppiness and the wooden characters. This book just sucked. Stick to being a lawyer, Neeleman. (Huh. Now it all makes sense).
This was obviously Neeleman's way of flipping the bird to his religious upbringing. He states on the back of his book that he comes from a long line of Mormons but he "rebelled." I'm not Mormon. But I can tell that his resentment or whatever negative emotions he has towards his religious past is screaming between the lines of this book. He deliberately sought to write a book that discounts everything that people of a certain faith believes. (Any other religion, nobody would dare. But because it is Christianity-- you know, no big deal).
Instead of writing a scholarly book that would be pretty straight forward about it's premise (How the "myth" of Jesus came to be), he writes a nasty, disrespectful narrative that poses as truth so that people who are curious about this faith or even those who are practicing but doubting their faith in Christ can stumble on this nonsense that he passes off as entertainment.
This is the worst book (out of 44) I've read all year. I'm SO GLAD I didn't have to pay a cent for this book! I RECEIVED IT FREE THROUGH GOODREADS' FIRST READS GIVEAWAY.
October 4, 2015
I finished Logos this afternoon by John Neeleman, and I have to say it’s a long read. Most of that length, however,is necessary as a story vehicle. Neeleman takes you on a walking tour of the main character Jacob’s life, from childhood until an ultimately happy ending (more on that later). The story starts in the opulence of Roman occupied Jerusalem and ends in the opulence of Rome. Along the way are sojourns in the barren deserts of Palestine and the lush oasises of the Levant. The landscape itself is featured so often that it is a major character central to the plot. The character of Jacob, a rich Jew and son-in-law of Ananias of Bible fame, goes from having everything, to having nothing, to slowly climbing his way back onto the top, very similar to Barabbas. He even comes to a reconciliation with the Christians at the end, just like Barabbas. However, Jacob is an emotional child through out much of the book. He reflects a lot of men and people. He rages when he should be calm and loses his nerve when he needs it the most. While the loss of nerve is a realistic character trait, Jacob’s naivety and ability to be easily won over by those that have terribly altered his life is somewhat beyond the suspension of disbelief.
Logos deals not only with one man’s life journey, but also with the fictionalized lineage of the Christian faith. Turns out the Baptists were wrong. The story of Christ is just a made up story, pulled from tidbits of reality, the myths of the Middle Eastern world, and the Jewish belief in a Messiah. Modern Pagans have been saying this for years. While of course this is a figment of Neeleman’s imagination, this story is very plausible. And, just as I always suspected, Paul is a very slimy person and a liar. And gay. In fact a lot of these characters come across as gay, bi, and into dominance and submission. Of course, in reality, that’s the whole of the Roman world. Although Jacob has three wives, one legal and two common law, he still engages in common adolescent and early adult bi-curiosity. Jacob is often put into positions of power and expected to be dominant, but he is never able to fulfill that role and constantly defers to the Alphas around him. He may look like a bear for most of the novel, but all he really wants to be is a cub.
Neeleman never gives in to the temptation to explore the homosexuality that is constantly poking at the robes of this novel begging to get out, but he does indulge his readers in several incredibly hot heterosexual sex scenes, which is wonderfully refreshing. Sex between Jacob and Hannah, the legal first wife, is very kosher and married. Sex between Jacob and Maryam, his second wife, is fiery and wild, just like the sand they lie in. Sex between Jacob and Hypathia, his third wife, is opulent and bestial.
It helps to have a small background in Biblical history, but it’s not necessary. If you want to read related books, I suggest Agrippa’s Daughter by Howard Fast, and Dr. Hillman’s double trouble duo: Original Sin and Hermaphrodits, Gynomorphs, and Jesus.
So, what about this ending I alluded to? Well, the ending had such promise to go so many ways, yet in the end it went the way you could see it headed toward, which left me a little disappointed. I had really hoped that Jacob would finally get a steel rod for a backbone, but Neeleman never gave him one.
Logos deals not only with one man’s life journey, but also with the fictionalized lineage of the Christian faith. Turns out the Baptists were wrong. The story of Christ is just a made up story, pulled from tidbits of reality, the myths of the Middle Eastern world, and the Jewish belief in a Messiah. Modern Pagans have been saying this for years. While of course this is a figment of Neeleman’s imagination, this story is very plausible. And, just as I always suspected, Paul is a very slimy person and a liar. And gay. In fact a lot of these characters come across as gay, bi, and into dominance and submission. Of course, in reality, that’s the whole of the Roman world. Although Jacob has three wives, one legal and two common law, he still engages in common adolescent and early adult bi-curiosity. Jacob is often put into positions of power and expected to be dominant, but he is never able to fulfill that role and constantly defers to the Alphas around him. He may look like a bear for most of the novel, but all he really wants to be is a cub.
Neeleman never gives in to the temptation to explore the homosexuality that is constantly poking at the robes of this novel begging to get out, but he does indulge his readers in several incredibly hot heterosexual sex scenes, which is wonderfully refreshing. Sex between Jacob and Hannah, the legal first wife, is very kosher and married. Sex between Jacob and Maryam, his second wife, is fiery and wild, just like the sand they lie in. Sex between Jacob and Hypathia, his third wife, is opulent and bestial.
It helps to have a small background in Biblical history, but it’s not necessary. If you want to read related books, I suggest Agrippa’s Daughter by Howard Fast, and Dr. Hillman’s double trouble duo: Original Sin and Hermaphrodits, Gynomorphs, and Jesus.
So, what about this ending I alluded to? Well, the ending had such promise to go so many ways, yet in the end it went the way you could see it headed toward, which left me a little disappointed. I had really hoped that Jacob would finally get a steel rod for a backbone, but Neeleman never gave him one.
July 13, 2015
Original review at:
I am so happy to be a part of this blog tour for the book Logos. I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion of it.
I was pretty stoked when I seen the description for this book on the Novel Publicity's website for upcoming blog tours. That description blew me away and I knew; just knew I had to take part in this tour. Logos is really one of kind and I don't think there will ever be a book that can come to close to the it in this magnitude.
First off, we need to make sure you know this is a fiction story. It is a theory on who could have been the creator of the Bible and therefore, the Christianity movement. So, when you come in to the story, you definitely need to have an open mind. I think the story appealed to me because I consider myself more spiritual than religious, per say. I love historical fictions and this creative mystery was one of the best!
I love that the author, Mr. Neeleman, gave us an inside view into the religious concepts we learned from the Bible, but with a twist to it. This twist is what really makes Logos become an epic journey for one man and in many ways, for ourselves as well. Logos makes us expand our mind as we give in to the "what if" situation that has presented itself.
I was just amazed at the amount of research and hard work that went into making Logos. As you read through the story, you see this huge amount of diversity of the different peoples known to inhabit that area in that time period. The descriptions are so well laid out it turns Logos into a 3 D artistic design instead of just a book.
Logos also introduces us to some well known and beloved characters but changes them up to make them seem new to us all over again. Many familiar names pop up in Logos, including Paul, Josephus,and Yeshua (Jesus) too; but we are also introduced to some new characters as well.
Our main protagonist, Jacob, is a complex character that goes through some serious hardships to become a very important person. I love that we see Jacob as a human with flaws and misgivings, and he learns through his mistakes as he goes through many battles, to become wise in his years.
As much as I did love the creativity put in the pages of the book; Logos was also terribly long. It seemed to pay attention to detail a little too much, insofar as describing every little thing intensely. I love detailed world building, but at the same time you have to know when to pull back.
All in all, Logos was a spectacular journey into the fictional beginnings of Christianity through the eyes of a man that goes through many spiritual and physical changes to find himself. Logos has massive twists and turns that surprised me over and over. It has a mixture of emotions running through it, including love as well as heartbreak. I found myself crying at the horrors Jacob witnessed and experienced in his life. Mr. Neeleman created a interesting story that combines politics, historical accounts, religion, mystery, and even romance to make a well rounded novel for someone with an open mind to enjoy.
I am so happy to be a part of this blog tour for the book Logos. I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion of it.
I was pretty stoked when I seen the description for this book on the Novel Publicity's website for upcoming blog tours. That description blew me away and I knew; just knew I had to take part in this tour. Logos is really one of kind and I don't think there will ever be a book that can come to close to the it in this magnitude.
First off, we need to make sure you know this is a fiction story. It is a theory on who could have been the creator of the Bible and therefore, the Christianity movement. So, when you come in to the story, you definitely need to have an open mind. I think the story appealed to me because I consider myself more spiritual than religious, per say. I love historical fictions and this creative mystery was one of the best!
I love that the author, Mr. Neeleman, gave us an inside view into the religious concepts we learned from the Bible, but with a twist to it. This twist is what really makes Logos become an epic journey for one man and in many ways, for ourselves as well. Logos makes us expand our mind as we give in to the "what if" situation that has presented itself.
I was just amazed at the amount of research and hard work that went into making Logos. As you read through the story, you see this huge amount of diversity of the different peoples known to inhabit that area in that time period. The descriptions are so well laid out it turns Logos into a 3 D artistic design instead of just a book.
Logos also introduces us to some well known and beloved characters but changes them up to make them seem new to us all over again. Many familiar names pop up in Logos, including Paul, Josephus,and Yeshua (Jesus) too; but we are also introduced to some new characters as well.
Our main protagonist, Jacob, is a complex character that goes through some serious hardships to become a very important person. I love that we see Jacob as a human with flaws and misgivings, and he learns through his mistakes as he goes through many battles, to become wise in his years.
As much as I did love the creativity put in the pages of the book; Logos was also terribly long. It seemed to pay attention to detail a little too much, insofar as describing every little thing intensely. I love detailed world building, but at the same time you have to know when to pull back.
All in all, Logos was a spectacular journey into the fictional beginnings of Christianity through the eyes of a man that goes through many spiritual and physical changes to find himself. Logos has massive twists and turns that surprised me over and over. It has a mixture of emotions running through it, including love as well as heartbreak. I found myself crying at the horrors Jacob witnessed and experienced in his life. Mr. Neeleman created a interesting story that combines politics, historical accounts, religion, mystery, and even romance to make a well rounded novel for someone with an open mind to enjoy.
June 24, 2015
Perspective, Choice and Change
Deep, I know. However, I knew that this would be a deeper and more thought provoking review the moment I picked up Logos. Initially I was turned away by the thought that it was a religious text. Then I read the blurb and saw that it is a new look into the writing of the religious texts, not about the actual religion at all.
Then, I connected with the book, well beyond what I thought I would. The author writes the story, overall, from a very different perspective than it is seen in the local churches. Here, we see the lives of those who take part in and wrote the words so many people base their lives on. This change in perspective connected with me, as recently I found that I have a chronic (lifelong) illness. At first, I tried to live my life exactly as I had before. It was hard and I soon became downtrodden. However, one day it hit me. I didn’t need to live my life as I used to. I needed a new perspective, a new look at myself. Once I started looking at the illness as an opportunity to start fresh, to rediscover myself, I found that I was beyond happy and able to move forward.
In this way, I connected with the author’s words. They are a fresh, new perspective on an old text. I have never been religious, myself, but my family are, so I grew up with the bible’s words handed to me. As I grew and realised I wasn’t a believer, I soon started to wonder where the words and text came from. Who could write something so profound and believable that millions would read and follow? Logos looks at that perspective and it is written in such a way that I found the book engrossing and completely addicting. I ate page after page, wanting to know the lives of the people involved in such a text.
Throughout the book, two subjects are approached � choice and change � frequently those who live and influence the words that are written in the text are given choices, ones that have a more profound effect on life and change than they could ever imagine.
Throughout Logos, I was stopping to consider my own thoughts and even extended to considering what I would do if I were in the place of one of the characters. I found this book extremely thought provoking, filled with depth and so beautifully written that I could not put it down. It is a fantastic read and one I highly recommend to anyone who wants a new perspective on such a regarded religious text.
Deep, I know. However, I knew that this would be a deeper and more thought provoking review the moment I picked up Logos. Initially I was turned away by the thought that it was a religious text. Then I read the blurb and saw that it is a new look into the writing of the religious texts, not about the actual religion at all.
Then, I connected with the book, well beyond what I thought I would. The author writes the story, overall, from a very different perspective than it is seen in the local churches. Here, we see the lives of those who take part in and wrote the words so many people base their lives on. This change in perspective connected with me, as recently I found that I have a chronic (lifelong) illness. At first, I tried to live my life exactly as I had before. It was hard and I soon became downtrodden. However, one day it hit me. I didn’t need to live my life as I used to. I needed a new perspective, a new look at myself. Once I started looking at the illness as an opportunity to start fresh, to rediscover myself, I found that I was beyond happy and able to move forward.
In this way, I connected with the author’s words. They are a fresh, new perspective on an old text. I have never been religious, myself, but my family are, so I grew up with the bible’s words handed to me. As I grew and realised I wasn’t a believer, I soon started to wonder where the words and text came from. Who could write something so profound and believable that millions would read and follow? Logos looks at that perspective and it is written in such a way that I found the book engrossing and completely addicting. I ate page after page, wanting to know the lives of the people involved in such a text.
Throughout the book, two subjects are approached � choice and change � frequently those who live and influence the words that are written in the text are given choices, ones that have a more profound effect on life and change than they could ever imagine.
Throughout Logos, I was stopping to consider my own thoughts and even extended to considering what I would do if I were in the place of one of the characters. I found this book extremely thought provoking, filled with depth and so beautifully written that I could not put it down. It is a fantastic read and one I highly recommend to anyone who wants a new perspective on such a regarded religious text.
July 14, 2015
This book is very interesting. Having been raised Catholic, I never learned much history about the Jewish community in ancient times. I loved how the author gave us a personal view of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and, in fact, the Jews themselves. We follow Jacob's life. He is the son of a priest/carpenter. He loves the beautiful work his father creates but is torn by all the poverty he sees. His personal struggles with choosing sides in the unending debate about what the Torah really means is very detailed. The author gives us a lot to think about concerning the story of Jesus and how the Christian religion's Bible actually was created. The author offers lots of details about the different Jewish factions, the tales of Jesus, and the religions of the other societies under Roman rule. I especially noted the way ancient scrolls were translated and recopied. Since each faction had their own ideas concerning the law, you have to wonder which version is even close to being original. Also, as they are translated, you need to discover which area the person translating was from. Some words don't mean the same thing from one area of a country to another (just have a person from New York try to talk with a person from Alabama and you will see what I mean). It offers a lot to think about when deciding how much is really true.
There were two things that did detract from the story for me. The author's details about the Roman legions attire was interesting...the first time he described it. That much detail every time Jacob viewed the soldiers was annoying in my opinion.
The second thing that bothered me was the detailed sex scenes. I felt that they were unnecessary to the story and seemed to be added for shock value. The fact that Jacob had sex was irrelevant.
The book is well written and edited and for the most part I enjoyed it.
There were two things that did detract from the story for me. The author's details about the Roman legions attire was interesting...the first time he described it. That much detail every time Jacob viewed the soldiers was annoying in my opinion.
The second thing that bothered me was the detailed sex scenes. I felt that they were unnecessary to the story and seemed to be added for shock value. The fact that Jacob had sex was irrelevant.
The book is well written and edited and for the most part I enjoyed it.
July 19, 2015
This book was a passion felt work of art.. I enjoyed the flow of the story, and the journey of Jacob's life. the heart-break and love he went through was very moving.. Jacob is a great character in this book, he has a good heart, pride, and confidence. John Neeleman is such an amazing writer, this novel held me captive with the writers emotional felt words. This book is wrote with both religious and philosophical, and it has also historical events, this book keeps your interest held, this was such a wonderful book!
This book of Christianity, is very insightful and it may have different meanings for each person that reads it!! When I finished
Logos gave me perspective. made me really think of church and faith.
Logos, my view or what I felt from Jacob's tragedy that he faced, Jacob found his way to forgiveness and he releases that weight of being wronged that he's been carrying for so many years.. Plus a deeper understanding what choosing to have your own beliefs cost so very many people, but they stilled held strong to their belief no matter what.. After reading this, I felt more comfortable in my faith.
I know that some might read this book, and not like it for their own beliefs, but that shows us how much we've grown in this world, we can choice to have our belief's and no one can say that we can not!!
Finally I add, this book is great fictional read, I like that the writer did research on the historical events, but made the book his..
I recommend this to any and all that would enjoy a great fiction religion book, this is my second an I just loved reading it so very much!! Recommended for all 18 and older!!
This book of Christianity, is very insightful and it may have different meanings for each person that reads it!! When I finished
Logos gave me perspective. made me really think of church and faith.
Logos, my view or what I felt from Jacob's tragedy that he faced, Jacob found his way to forgiveness and he releases that weight of being wronged that he's been carrying for so many years.. Plus a deeper understanding what choosing to have your own beliefs cost so very many people, but they stilled held strong to their belief no matter what.. After reading this, I felt more comfortable in my faith.
I know that some might read this book, and not like it for their own beliefs, but that shows us how much we've grown in this world, we can choice to have our belief's and no one can say that we can not!!
Finally I add, this book is great fictional read, I like that the writer did research on the historical events, but made the book his..
I recommend this to any and all that would enjoy a great fiction religion book, this is my second an I just loved reading it so very much!! Recommended for all 18 and older!!
July 2, 2015
All I can say is if this is Johns debut novel I cannot wait to see what else he comes out with! In "Logos" Johns walks us through a fictional account of the foundational beginning of Christianity while using historical facts coupled with a great story telling ability that leaves you on the edge and wanting more. Taking a stab at explaining when, where, why and how the first gospels came about Johns covers the First Jewish–Roman War and the rise and fall of Jerusalem, while incorporating notable historical figures such a Josephus, the emperor Titus and Tiberius Julius Alexander.
The story begins in first century Jerusalem, following a Palestinian Jew/Rabbi, Jacob Ben Aaron, throughout his life.As the book unfolds we travel along side Jacob as he deals with issues of pain, pride, ignorance, suffering, and loss at the hands of the Romans, and ending with a destiny and purpose filled with faith, love and hope that is found in his experiences with Jesus.
There were only two things I disliked about this book. First, the author spent too much time on detailing out every location and home. Second, the dialogue with characters is rough and often they loose their voice. Outside of this the book was very good. It has a interesting plot, lots of twists that keep you engaged and a writing style that immerses you into the story.
Also, please note that this is NOT religious in nature. It is a fictional imagining of the origin of Christianity, better suited to non-Christian readers. If you are a Christian though, like myself, take the book for what it is-fiction- and enjoy the ride.
The story begins in first century Jerusalem, following a Palestinian Jew/Rabbi, Jacob Ben Aaron, throughout his life.As the book unfolds we travel along side Jacob as he deals with issues of pain, pride, ignorance, suffering, and loss at the hands of the Romans, and ending with a destiny and purpose filled with faith, love and hope that is found in his experiences with Jesus.
There were only two things I disliked about this book. First, the author spent too much time on detailing out every location and home. Second, the dialogue with characters is rough and often they loose their voice. Outside of this the book was very good. It has a interesting plot, lots of twists that keep you engaged and a writing style that immerses you into the story.
Also, please note that this is NOT religious in nature. It is a fictional imagining of the origin of Christianity, better suited to non-Christian readers. If you are a Christian though, like myself, take the book for what it is-fiction- and enjoy the ride.
July 10, 2015
A book is delivered to my home. I tear open the packaging and then see a historical fiction novel, 'Logos', based on the spread of Christianity in 1st century AD. I was elated but wondering who has sent this to me. I was even composing a message thanking a friend for gifting me a book and commending him on understanding my tastes so well. But just on a hunch I checked the year of printing, which was 2015. I realized I can find out the buyer from the Amazon bill (Sometimes the brain works slow). It had the author's name. It was a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway that I had entered about 2 months ago.
The novel is the story of a fictional character, Jacob, who participates as one of the leaders of the 1st Jewish-Roman War which saw the destruction of the 2nd Jewish Temple of Jerusalem. The first half chronicles the war and its various characters. The war has been described accurately. Unfortunately for me, the politics was missing. But this story is not about the war or the politics but about Jacob and his emotions and incidents affecting him. The second half follows a distraught and revenge thirsty Jacob. The story meanders for sometime during the transition from first part to the second. And after that the story becomes very interesting. The last hundred pages are pacy and the author has skillfully used fiction to fill blanks in history.
As I have implied earlier, the author has not tried to alter history nor has he created major event 'lost' to history. There are few important conversations which I felt should have been longer. The story meanders in between but picks up again soon. For these reasons I have docked a star. Overall a good book to be read.
The novel is the story of a fictional character, Jacob, who participates as one of the leaders of the 1st Jewish-Roman War which saw the destruction of the 2nd Jewish Temple of Jerusalem. The first half chronicles the war and its various characters. The war has been described accurately. Unfortunately for me, the politics was missing. But this story is not about the war or the politics but about Jacob and his emotions and incidents affecting him. The second half follows a distraught and revenge thirsty Jacob. The story meanders for sometime during the transition from first part to the second. And after that the story becomes very interesting. The last hundred pages are pacy and the author has skillfully used fiction to fill blanks in history.
As I have implied earlier, the author has not tried to alter history nor has he created major event 'lost' to history. There are few important conversations which I felt should have been longer. The story meanders in between but picks up again soon. For these reasons I have docked a star. Overall a good book to be read.
October 11, 2015
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
So I have to confess, I'm actually not that much of a fan of historical fiction, which makes it problematic when I'm occasionally called on to review such a book at CCLaP, because I find it difficult to determine the difference between a great one and a mediocre one. Take the recent Logos by John Neeleman for a good example; a fictional account of the start of Christianity, which for those who don't know didn't really become a codified religion until decades after the death of the actual "historical Jesus" (that is, the actual guy who really was a radical Jewish prophet during the height of the Roman Empire, whether or not you believe he was the literal son of God), this is a nicely complicated look at the various "strains" of Judaism that existed in those years, including the poor, philosophical, apocalyptic ones who originally founded Christianity as a "death cult" akin to the contemporary Heaven's Gate, the whole thing written in the style of a modern action tale. But is it actually a good read? That's hard for me to tell, because I nod out of such stories pretty quickly regardless of their quality; so I suppose I will give a middle-of-the-road score today, leaning on the good side since there wasn't anything here that was actively terrible, although with the warning that if you don't naturally find modern three-act novels set in ancient times to be inherently interesting already, this book certainly isn't going to change that.
Out of 10: 8.0
So I have to confess, I'm actually not that much of a fan of historical fiction, which makes it problematic when I'm occasionally called on to review such a book at CCLaP, because I find it difficult to determine the difference between a great one and a mediocre one. Take the recent Logos by John Neeleman for a good example; a fictional account of the start of Christianity, which for those who don't know didn't really become a codified religion until decades after the death of the actual "historical Jesus" (that is, the actual guy who really was a radical Jewish prophet during the height of the Roman Empire, whether or not you believe he was the literal son of God), this is a nicely complicated look at the various "strains" of Judaism that existed in those years, including the poor, philosophical, apocalyptic ones who originally founded Christianity as a "death cult" akin to the contemporary Heaven's Gate, the whole thing written in the style of a modern action tale. But is it actually a good read? That's hard for me to tell, because I nod out of such stories pretty quickly regardless of their quality; so I suppose I will give a middle-of-the-road score today, leaning on the good side since there wasn't anything here that was actively terrible, although with the warning that if you don't naturally find modern three-act novels set in ancient times to be inherently interesting already, this book certainly isn't going to change that.
Out of 10: 8.0
July 2, 2015
I found this to be a book that I would not consider to be light reading. For me, that is most likely because of the author's style of writing and attention to a lot of detail. I thought that often there was almost too much detail. While I did find the book to be interesting, at times it was difficult to get through a chapter because I got bogged down.
It is a good historical account of many things that did happen, and many that could have happened. There are fictional characters and actual people from history woven into the story line.
It follows Jacob, a well educated man who goes through so much in his life ... love, joy, sorrow, suffering. He loves his native Jerusalem. He is adverse to Christianity, but becomes a great witness to all that Jesus did in the lives of those he knew and taught. The author writes that Jacob wrote the first gospels after he experiences his awakening. I do not believe that is how the first gospels were written, but it does make you think.
This book gives a new perspective on the time after Jesus death along with the trials and struggles of Christians after His death. The author, John Neeleman has definitely done his research.
I did find the last half of the book a little more enjoyable, and overall I enjoyed the book. It is a book I would recommend. I know it will offend some Christians and Non-Christians alike. I look at it as a piece of historical fiction with a basis of some actual events. I know that I learned a few things, and that is always a good thing.
It is a good historical account of many things that did happen, and many that could have happened. There are fictional characters and actual people from history woven into the story line.
It follows Jacob, a well educated man who goes through so much in his life ... love, joy, sorrow, suffering. He loves his native Jerusalem. He is adverse to Christianity, but becomes a great witness to all that Jesus did in the lives of those he knew and taught. The author writes that Jacob wrote the first gospels after he experiences his awakening. I do not believe that is how the first gospels were written, but it does make you think.
This book gives a new perspective on the time after Jesus death along with the trials and struggles of Christians after His death. The author, John Neeleman has definitely done his research.
I did find the last half of the book a little more enjoyable, and overall I enjoyed the book. It is a book I would recommend. I know it will offend some Christians and Non-Christians alike. I look at it as a piece of historical fiction with a basis of some actual events. I know that I learned a few things, and that is always a good thing.
July 14, 2015
Believable, Exciting and Thought Provoking
Logos by John Neeleman reads like an Irving Stone historical novel, it is that well written. Logos pulls into the era (45 to85 A.D.) with ease. I am far from an authority on the time period, but I did random searches as I read the book and everything I looked up was historically accurate. Which of course made the read that much more convincing and gives a feel of realism.
Jacob the protagonist has a long arduous journey that make his choices plausible. Jacob is an anonymous writer of the first Gospels and his motivation is a believable one. Betrayal and disappointment in society are to date great motivators, certainly a credible premise and a very worthwhile read.
The story in and of itself has great twists, turns and surprises, I loved that there was much that was far from predictable.
Logos by John Neeleman reads like an Irving Stone historical novel, it is that well written. Logos pulls into the era (45 to85 A.D.) with ease. I am far from an authority on the time period, but I did random searches as I read the book and everything I looked up was historically accurate. Which of course made the read that much more convincing and gives a feel of realism.
Jacob the protagonist has a long arduous journey that make his choices plausible. Jacob is an anonymous writer of the first Gospels and his motivation is a believable one. Betrayal and disappointment in society are to date great motivators, certainly a credible premise and a very worthwhile read.
The story in and of itself has great twists, turns and surprises, I loved that there was much that was far from predictable.
July 24, 2015
I won this book from goodreads, and very much looked forward to reading it. I really enjoyed the book, but must say that the dozens of names of cities and towns that I didn't recognize, or remember from the bible, made the reading very slow...and normally I am a pretty quick reader. Even though it was a novel, I learned a lot from the reading of the book. All the characters were pretty well fleshed out, except for Jacob's son who died...I hadn't reached the point of really feeling I knew him before he died. The action and intrigue were pretty much unbeatable in this type of story...so all in all, I give it 4 stars. It would have been 5 stars if it had not had such constant reference to so many locales that were meaningless to me. I may read it again, and look up the cities as I read.
July 6, 2015
Even though this novel wasn't supposed to be a book about Christianity, the author did a fabulous job of writing the historical bible facts in a fashion that made the book very readable. There was a lot of detail and names were difficult to keep up with at times. The descriptions of the war between the Romans and the Jews of Jerusalem and the war between the Jews themselves in Jerusalem were very intense. I really enjoyed reading this book.
I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy as part of a Novel Publicity tour.
I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy as part of a Novel Publicity tour.
September 6, 2015
I won it on one of the Giveaways. I didn't now what to expect because it was a style I've never read before -I´m more of a fantasy reader-
And I was surprised because it was certainly amazing. The topic is really interesting.
I didn´t give it five stars because for moments I got lost or I still had a lot of questions after the explanations.
But I liked it a lot and I´m sure people who already know about the topic could enjoy it even more.
Thanks for the book.
-I apologize because my English is not really good-
And I was surprised because it was certainly amazing. The topic is really interesting.
I didn´t give it five stars because for moments I got lost or I still had a lot of questions after the explanations.
But I liked it a lot and I´m sure people who already know about the topic could enjoy it even more.
Thanks for the book.
-I apologize because my English is not really good-
February 17, 2016
Time well spent
Wow! I was Leary about this novel, written as the religion of Christianity was born, but I needn't have been. I really enjoyed the entire novel. Well written, captivating both in story line and the characters, it is a must read. Gory at times, it reflects the time period in which it was to have taken place. The first century was a time of greAt change, political, and personal upheaval. Read this book. It is a wonderful historical novel well worth your time.
Wow! I was Leary about this novel, written as the religion of Christianity was born, but I needn't have been. I really enjoyed the entire novel. Well written, captivating both in story line and the characters, it is a must read. Gory at times, it reflects the time period in which it was to have taken place. The first century was a time of greAt change, political, and personal upheaval. Read this book. It is a wonderful historical novel well worth your time.
December 29, 2015
Thought provoking
I found this book slow going at first. As the author developed the character of Jacob, I became enthralled in the storyline. It is a work of fiction, yet is very thought provoking. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical novels and has a fascination of world religion.
I found this book slow going at first. As the author developed the character of Jacob, I became enthralled in the storyline. It is a work of fiction, yet is very thought provoking. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical novels and has a fascination of world religion.
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