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Summary: If even one person gets closer to Jesus because of this...
Review: ...it is a success! Is it fiction? Yes. Is it based on the Bible? Yes. Is it inspirational? You bet! And I can tell you, as a practicing Catholic, that this series has helped me refine my faith and get back to basics - as in the Bible. I also have always wanted to understand Revelations better, and these books are helping me do so. Is it theologically sound? I don't know, but I have never heard or read anyone who truly understands all of Revelations. Read them, learn from them and read your Bible!
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Summary: The Series Begins...
Review: In a single moment, hundreds of millions of people all over the world suddenly disappear. Chaos reigns over most of the world. Planes that no longer have pilots come crashing down. Cars that no longer have drivers crash into each other. Mother's in the process of giving birth are suddenly barren. Captin Rayford Steele, piloting a trans-atlantic flight when the vanishings occur, immediately knows what has happened. His wife talked about it all the time, but he didn't listen. He saw no reason to listen. Now he is going to wish he had."Left Behind" is an extremely engaging work of fiction that is based on the Bible, especially the "Book of Revelations." From the moment you start reading, you won't want to put it down. Each chapter makes you hungry to read more. As much as you might want to keep your distance, you will find yourself attached to all the characters. You will keep coming back to read more of the book because you want to know what happens to them. This is the first book in what has become one of the most popular book series ever. While many non-Christians may take offense to some of the portrayals in the book, many others will find this book to be captivating and engaging. If you are looking for a book to help you unwind, relax, and take your mind off other things, this is a great book for you.
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Summary: A Good Read?
Review: Like most Science Fiction, enjoyment of this "Christian Sci-Fi" novel depends on your willing suspension of disbelief. In this case the whole plot hangs on a 19th Century fundamentalist interpretation of the Book of Revelation, a late and rather dubious addition to the New Testament. Remember that the New Testament, like the Old, was assembled by a committee of "experts" long after the fact. The rest of the New Testament is biographies of Jesus and rather streightforward accounts of the travels and writings of His immediate followers in the establishment of Christianity. Revelation is an Apocolypse, a fantasy of Devine retribution against the Roman persecutors of the early Christians
The writing in Left Behind starts out fairly good and exciting with the immediate aftermath of the "Rapture" but then bogs down with the seemingly endless talk and soul-searching of the four major characters. There are two authors; one can only assume that one wrote the "thriller" parts and the other fellow the preachy parts. Left Behind picks up again a bit with the introduction of the Antichrist character, Nicolae Carpathia (but please, an evil being actually named "Nick"!)and his rather too easy takeover of the UN.
Overall, except for the too long theological passages, it is an OK Sci-Fi thriller and will probably make a good movie but great literature it is not. And it is based on the fundamentalist premise that people need to be scared into belief... Eugene S. Erdahl
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Summary: An Eye-Opening Page Turner
Review: I started this book as a Christian who had little knowledge of the Rapture. I knew some were pre-trib, some were post-trib, some didn't know--I really didn't care. Now I want to know, I want to learn much more about it. This book (a pre-trib account) certainly got my attention. I was shocked when I saw some of the negative reviews for this book. There can only be a few reasons: 1) Non-Christians who don't believe, 2) Christians who are adamantly post-trib, or 3) Christians who think they know more than the authors. If you are any of the above, then you won't like what the book has to say. This book is for people who want to learn more. It's not meant to be the next ground-breaking novel in literature (although I must say I was captivated). It's a new spin on an old story. Read your Bible.
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Summary: It got my attention
Review: It took me a while to get in to it, but once I did I couldn't put it down. This book is not just a good read, it really makes you think.
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Summary: RIVETING CONCEPT; COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
Review: I must agree with a fellow reviewer in pointing out that this book is underdeveloped; the concepts and themes arising in this book could have received a more profound and complex discussion. Jerry Jenkins' is hardly an accomplished writer, yet the eerie plausibility of the events and global response to them is effectively conveyed. As for Tim La Haye, run a search on the Internet and you will find that his theology and exegesis is controversial at best. This may not be surprising to some, but the teaching of the Rapture does not predate 19th century dispensationalism in America. The Apostles and the Ante-Nicene Fathers NEVER taught such a doctrine, but instead taught of being caught up until the Second Coming of Christ when he shall judge the quick and the dead (see Irenaeus 1.558 and Tertullian 3.455,462). Theological heterodoxy notwithstanding, I found the presentation of the pandemonium from which Antichrist arises is chilling. A handsome, brilliant young man promising peace and order in a time of peril seems to good to be true (of course, we know better). The subtle revelation of his evil nature in the last chaper of the book was haunting. The subject matter of this series makes for promising reading. Despite its many shortcomings, this book can be inspirational for seasoned Christians and believers, and is potentially a catalyst for positive change in seekers of all ages.
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Summary: Excellent Story...Suspenseful Read.
Review: ...one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read. Tim LaHaye conceived the idea of fictionalizing an account of the Rapture and the Tribulation. It is a must read for both christian believers and non-believers. In this book, the reader is introduced to Rayford Steele who has lost his family in the twinkle of an eye. Millions around the world disappear. He is on a mission to find out what happened to his family and eventually the truth as stated in the bible. Believers will applaud this book in a time such as this. With Sept. 11th and other world crisis...it seems as if prophecy is coming to pass. Non-believers may see this as science fiction instead of christian fiction, but should appreciate a well written novel. It may also help them re-think their beliefs. There are over ten novels in this series and also a teen series for kids. You will not want to put this book down and will be rushing to read the entire series.
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Summary: Sometimes Clumsy But Still An Interesting Read
Review: ...The premise of the novel, the period straight after the Rapture, has always intrigued me. I am not ashamed to admit that reading the Book of Revelation still scares me slightly witless. The pace of the novel is slow, as is inevitable in a series such as this where a very large stage has to be set and the main characters' road to faith explained. Not having read the other titles in the series yet, I can only hope the pace quickens. Unfortunately the characters, the Steeles, Williams, Barnes et. al. are not developed enough in this novel to raise them above factory-made fiction cliche status. At times there are glimmers of increased character development, particulaly Rayford and Chloe, but not enough to made them fully rounded people. The dialogue is very clunky at times also, and the fact that it takes everyone so long to realise that Carpathia is the villain defies belief (no pun intended) for some time. I found the transformation of the United Nations too sudden, when it could have been more subtle. In the event it wasn't explained very well given the importance this has to the story to come. Nevertheless, despite these criticisms I liked this novel. It was a compulsive read and certainly raised questions in my mind that I will have to find answers to. The fact that Christian fiction is now breaking over into the "mainstream" says something is happening. The first of the Left Behind novels is a good start to a series I intend to continue to read in the hope of answering some of the questions it has already posed.
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Summary: Absolutely succeeds in what it sets out to do.
Review: LEFT BEHIND is poorly written, but it's easy to read and surprisingly hard to put down. The text is scripturally sound according to what I was always taught in church regarding "the end times." The book blasts the reader with too much negativity, but that goes with the territory. I read LEFT BEHIND, the first in the series, to see why the series is so popular -- and I found out! When you close the book you're ready to start the next one! The authors make no apology for their blatant proseletyzing. That's the book's whole purpose. It successfully incorporates actual Biblical prophecy (as the authors interpret it) with "What if" scenarios. It's all very cleverly done, and is at times tense and page-turning. I'm assured that subsequent books in the series are better written. The authors did what they set out to do. And I must say, in the annals of Christian fiction this is the best at what it tried to achieve.
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Summary: Underdeveloped
Review: This book had me intrigued in the beginning, but as the plot progressed the complexity of the story stagnated. I think the authors were attempting to craft this work without reference to any present day church, but it's simply ludicrous to think that, if the Rapture actually occurs (also a matter of debate), there will be no commentary or response by such institutions as the Vatican, the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Coptic Church, the Metropolitan of Moscow, the twelve bishops of the Methodist church or any of the leaders of other main-line, established Christian denominations. Or, for that matter, any other of the worlds large religious bodies. There is no mention made of any recognized Christian church leaders - the reader receives the religious "viewpoint" on events through "New Hope Church", a small and apparently non-denominational church in Illinois that is the only church anywhere that understands what is occurring. This is a simply ridiculously thin plot basis. The main characters, despite their education and life-experience (airline pilot, top reporter at the fictional equivalent of TIME, a college student) never even question or mention someone like the Pope who, if he was not taken away in the Rapture, would certainly have something to say about it! The dialog as others have noted, is stilted and not imaginative. This book will appeal to readers whose Christian viewpoint is uninfluenced or unexposed to others outside their denomination. Anyone with a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of Christianity - Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox Catholic - will have observe conspicuous gaps in the storyline that ultimately undermine "Left Behind's" believability as a work designed to speak authoritatively to the masses.
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