Dissatisfying, Distasteful, Bizarre, Horrifying - And A Great Read
Written: Apr 09 '05
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Intense, brief, emotionally draining, coarse - utterly awful.
Cons: You think the pros are cons.
The Bottom Line: Read this!
|
|
|
| opinionmaker's Full Review: The Fire Gospels Books |
This book lingers in the mind - involuntarily and unwanted. You can't help but reflect on the events that took place so quickly in this short novel. The story is thrown at you in quick tidy bursts that you have no choice but to follow - even when you begin to question whether this is something that you want to read. Some reviews I've read say it's not developed thoroughly, but I wonder if that was intended. Because what's missing in the book is what you can't help but dwell upon later. The author, Mike Magnuson, doesn't need to explicitly state the complexities behind the drama. It's all there behind the plot of the story for you to realize on your own.
In a small Wisconsin town a handful of characters are followed through the course of three unforgettable days. The Wisconsin region is experiencing bad weather that produces a religious frenzy among the towns people. Where this story goes is unexpected and unwelcome. Your hope is crushed time after time. You are left just as desperate as the characters.
Which made me wonder whether I liked this book or enjoyed reading it. Was it genius or was it bad? Some of it feels so over the top while reading it that I questioned its soundness. Was this childs play or was I reading something great. Some of its language and coarseness repelled me. But I couldn't help and turn each page - I had to know what would happen. The author gives blinding bright glimpses into the characters lives in such brief accounts, with the focus darting between the immediate and the looming. It was real, it could happen, I just didn't want it to.
I didn't come to that decision until after finishing it, though. To the very last page, I was in doubt. It was too much to take in so quickly that it's not truly finished until you have closed the cover, walked away, and had time to think about it.
I found this book in the dollar store, in among a thousand others. It was cheap and had an interesting cover and title, so I picked up up and added it to my stack. That was probably a year ago and it's sat on my shelf since. I'm glad I found this awful gem. I know it will stay with me like others of this kind - the ones that graphically bring horror to life...Crime and Punishment, Angela's Ashes, The Jungle.
This book is harsh with a delicate flair and an outsiders eye with an insiders perspective. The author uses real language and captures the likeness of a small town in every sentence. Another example that small packages contain great treasures.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
opinionmaker
|
|
Location: Somewhere cold. Very, very cold.
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
A little bit of this and a little bit of that.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.