Rating: 
Summary: A Pagan Review
Review: ....I read this book in two days. It is the first book I have read in entirety since last year. It really moved me, blew me away. I am ready for the rest of the series.Yes, I am Pagan. I did not find the book overly "preachy" as some have said. I enjoyed the characters, especially Chloe. She is torn as I would be, if the decision were thrust into my lap overnight. I have read the bible and know about Revelations, but this book put more meat into it for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Average Plot, not enough though
Review: The book begins with the rapture(the end of the world), and a pilot sad about his wife dying. It does not get better. The terrible writing is hidden through engaging characters, with horrid description. A 3rd grader could read it. It is annonyingly simplistic, but interesting. Read at your own risk.
Rating: 
Summary: Same Old Catholic Bashing
Review: I had the misfortune of reading this whole series because I received it as a gift and couldn't easily exchange it. The characters are poorly developed, the choices they make are obvious and simple. The plot is so transparent that you can see through it. The book is amateurishly written and embarrasingly trite. The treatise of Buck and Chloe's "cookie sharing" in the second book was so saccharine I almost gave up reading it at that point. My biggest concern, even outweighing its amateurish presentation, is the continuous (and NOT subtle) attacks on the Catholic Church (particularly in "Tribulation Farce", er, "Force"). It's time for Christians to get past that and focus on what we agree on, not how we're different. This stuff is a retread of the same Protestant versus Catholic diatribe and slanderous use of biblical misinterpretation that has kept the Church separate since the "reformation." The authors need to get off that holier than thou pulpit.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a novel, a sermon
Review: Except for missionaries hoping to convert others, there is little to recommend this series of bang-you-over-the-head-with-Fundamentalism novels. Nothing wrong with sermonizing, if that's what you're looking for. But if you're hoping for a little more engaging and spiritually challenging read, this isn't it. Probably the best End Times novel ever written is Kleier's epic, THE LAST DAY (Warner Books). It not only offers a realistic, provocative (and frightening) look at how the religious world might react to Judgment Day, but it does so with extraordinary intelligence, suspense and grip-you-by-the-soul thrills. I will finish this series only because I want to see if the authors have it in them to find some unusually noteworthy way to end all this. I can't imagine an ending to rival the one in LAST DAY. Jenkins and LeHaye should have read LAST DAY before attempting this topic, maybe it would have motivated them to raise the quality of their writing. Let's hope the final installment of LEFT BEHIND isn't as predictable as the rest of the series has been.
Rating:
Summary: The "Left Behind" book and movie is worth buying!
Review: I have now enjoyed both the book and the video. A great start to a great story. It is refreshing to see a book such as this take off in sales like it has. However it threatens some and they might say very damaging things about this story of God. It is clear that the review by Williamandrews2 sets a good example of this. Willaimandrews2 states that this book has set the progress in treating people with psychological disorders back by 50 yrs...where does he come up with such a stat? Williamandrews2 states that he is a therapist (MSW? Psy.D? PhD?) and that this book exemplifies a religious belief system that is the largest single (probably meant single largest)obstacle to any meaningful recovery for these people. Sharp words with no substance. I suggest that Williamandrews2 return to school if he believes that this is truly the greatest obstacle to their recovery. I am a psychologist (Ph.D.) deeply troubled by his comments. With great thought and review I highly recommend this book! Remember this is part one of a large series...hard to judge the series by a single book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I was thinking--
Review: If you're looking for a book to flip through while you're trying to relax, this is a good one. Not too heavy or hard to understand(will probably be critisized because of its lack of complexity). Compelling plot(Especially if you're into the end of the world type stuff). It is exceedingly religious though, which will probably turn a lot of readers off. Just keep in mind, it is fiction. In works of fiction, we should seek to understand the world that the author portrays to us. I was mostly interested in the book for the sense of "Christianity" it strove so hard to get across. I am not particularly religious, but I'm always curious about philosophy. I believe that this book gave me an honest view into what being a Chrisitian is all about.
Rating:
Summary: Stirring
Review: Though fiction it parallels enough with biblical history that it had me opening my bible up more and asking more quesitons than I have for a long time. Quite an awakening for my soul. Helped me identify where I am with my religious belief.
Rating:
Summary: not going to finish this book
Review: I tried to read this but I quit. This book is awful. The writing is poor, the story is simple and silly. I hope there is more to a religious life than is portrayed in this book. Fearing god and living only to get wisked away to heaven leaving loved ones behind is a poor existence. As far as this book is concerned I am really left out.
Rating:
Summary: Best in the series!
Review: I have read the 1st three books in this series and the 1st, Left Behind, was the best. It's a book that can stand alone as a good read, but you'll surely want to continue reading the series like me. Others have said the characters are a little too perfect which I will agree with, they're "left behind" in the Rapture and suddenly turn into picture perfect Christians whose faith cannot be swayed. The book is more interesting for it's description of Bible prophecies than for the characters though.
Rating:
Summary: For the Choir...
Review: To be up front about this I have to say that I consider myself an agnostic. I'm definitely turning a critical eye to this book. I'm not automatically adverse to Christianity or Christian fiction. I very much enjoy books, movies, and television that deal with faith, but not just Christian faith. I know two people, both fairly devout Christians, who have read, and recommended I read, this book. I respect their opinions and because of that I've read the first two books. I also found the idea very intriguing.
I thought this book, the first one, was passable at best. I'm not well versed enough with the New Testament to render an opinion on this book's accuracy with prophecy; I can only rate it as a matter of fiction. On that level it's poor. The characters are poorly drawn. The dialogue is atrocious and even accepting the general theme of the book, it's hard to tolerate the inane events. I'm not talking about the Rapture or the rise of the ant-Christ, I'm talking about the simple day-to-day events. These are shockingly stupid characters. I wouldn't tolerate their behavior in any form of literature and it seems as though I'm being asked to lower my standards because this is "Christian Literature." One of the many genres I read is science fiction. If I read this book with the same level of criticism I would read one of those books, I wouldn't be able to recommend it. I certainly wouldn't read the next in the series and I might be inclined to not even finish the first one. I did finish it and I did read the second one. The first book did get better towards the end when finally something started to happen. It was too little, too late for me. I'd hoped that the second one would continue the pace set at the end of the first. I had hoped that the first one was only boring because it was spending a great deal of time trying to establish this world after the Rapture. I enjoyed the events, but why did the character have to be so bland. Don't get me wrong, It's not boring because they spend so much time "discussing" (there's hardly anything approaching a real discussion in the book) Christianity and being born again, it's the way they talk about it. And, when they're not discussing that, they're not discussing much. These are amazingly one dimensional characters.
This is also a very condescending book. Anyone with the slightest doubt as to Jesus being the Messiah, are referred to as "stupid" or "fools." The writers also say that you aren't truly born again unless to spend your every waking moment either reading and studying the Bible or attempting to convert those around you. Those not yet "of Christ" should be treated like they came in on the short bus.
There is a pattern I've found with the first two books. Each starts with a promising beginning, becomes mired with silly dialogue and even sillier, pointless, events for about 80% of the book in an attempt to stretch the book out to "novel" length, and then spends the last 10% with actual events worth reading. The dialogue is usually laughable but more often it frustrating. Your average episode of Dawson's Creek has more intelligent character interaction. Basically, if you're not in the choir, this isn't for you. I would really give this a 2.5 stars.
As a side note; the movie was awful.
|
