Rating: 
Summary: Good book but needs work
Review: I'd heard many good reviews on this book but I didn't start reading the series until one of my friends recommended it to me. The idea of these books is great the plots of most of them are good, but (as some other reviewers before me have stated) the writing style is a bit simple. That is not the books' problem, though. The simple style makes the books quick reads, but the characters are a little underdeveloped. Many of them just come out of nowhere with hardly any background or history and very few of them seem real. They're too PERFECT. None of them seem to exhibit any raw emotion and, though all throuought almost every one of the books the Biblical verse of none being perfect is quoted, none of the characters ever run into any spiritual hardships. I am a Christian (Southern Baptist), but in this world, sometimes maintaining faith gets hard but none of these obviously fictional characters seem to experience any of that. But don't get me wrong: these are wonderful books and I'm glad they're helping to lead people to Christ, but they are NOT the Gospel and should NOT be read as it. Good luck to the author and in the future books, I hope Mr. Jenkins will make the characters seem a little more realistic.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book You CAN'T Put Down!
Review: I just started reading this series, and I cannot put this book down. I read half of the book in just one sitting! Anyone who is interested in Christ's coming back will absolutely love this book. I feel like I am right there in the book and feel what is going on with the characters. An absolute MUST BUY for anyone!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I learned about the Left Behind Series for the first time recently on the Larry King Live show on CNN when Larry had the two authors as his guests. This was at the time the seventh book in the series was published. A caller on the show said she's addicted and was jokingly asking if there was a 12-step program for this addiction. The books were already on the N.Y.Times Best-seller list (I don't know how or why.) When I checked the reviews on Amazon.com (and there is a lot of them), most were favorable! Some readers mentioned that this series can be enjoyed by anybody whether he/she is a believer/Christian or not. So, I decided to order just the first book of the series and see if I will be induced or persuaded to buy the subsequent books. After dragging myself through the first book, I decided it was a very good idea that I didn't order more than this one, and of course no more of this.I respectfully disagree with the readers who said this book/series can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their belief system. I submit that if you are not a Christian and especially one who takes the Bible/Bible prophecy very literally, this whole book would be nonsense to you. It is not even religious in any way. What happened here is that Dr. LaHaye provided the account of the Rapture and Tribulation from the Bible, and Mr. Jenkins came up with not such a good story and characters to fit that scenario exactly. As I said, it was a drag that started on the first page with a sexual fantasy to hook the reader and ended with a love interest and (in the last 20 pages of the first book) with a laughable detective mystery type event to hook the readers to look for the next book. I imagine this would happen in each of the subsequent books of the series. In short, this was not an intellectual reading for me, and I consider it a waste of time. My recommendation would be: Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Content vs. Theory vs. Writing
Review: I am going to put the same review on each of the "Left Behind" series books because my reaction to each of them is basically the same. (For actual content, read Amazon's description above. For my bent on the series, read on.) There are basically three main theories concerning Christ's return, based off scripture, and though I won't get into them here, this one is off the pre-tribulation theory. (Which is actually the same one I believe in.) The problem is, I know why I believe in this particular theory, whereas other Christian may simply read this book and say, "Oh, so that's what's going to happen!" Well, before you do that, check your Bible and other sources, and don't just base it off these books. OK, time to step off my soapbox... As far as writing talent, I have been VERY disappointed with all the books in this series. At first, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking the writing was so simplistic so younger kids could read them too, until I discovered they have a young kids version out for this series, at which point I was just saddened. So don't expect a well-written novel, as I feel each book's writing has become more and more simple with each release. And by this, I don't mean the story doesn't flow, because it does. It's just written in such simply words that even a grade-schooler could read it without any problems. As far as content, you'll find stuff in here you like, I don't doubt that, but if you're like me, you'll be skimming many areas because you don't care about every single step that every single person takes to get from point A to point B. It's a tedious read at parts, but if you like the study of the end times, as do I, or like reading Christian novels, as do I, then these books will suffice. But don't base your belief system off them until you know more than just what's presented here, and certainly DON'T read them if literary content is your main goal as you won't find well-WRITTEN novels here. If it weren't for that fact alone, I'd be devouring these books as they came out, but as it is, I've read them after friends buy them and are done with them since I am interested in the story, but not the work it takes for me to constantly forgive the writing.
Rating: 
Summary: AIN'T HINDSIGHT GREAT?
Review: This book is the only one in the series that comes ANYWHERE close to being a good read. For me, there was something oddly addictive about it, and even though I knew it was pretty bad writing I'm embarrassed to admit I let LEFT BEHIND #1 hook me into buying several of its sequels--- each of which became progressively lamer. Jenkins's writing skills(?) are really pretty bad, and the way they've ended each book with a "cliff-hanger" to lure the reader into buying the next has seemed more and more cynical and calculated. As a Christian, it's pretty scary to me the way so many people seem to be forgetting that these books are fiction and are taking them as a literal picture of the near future. If you want a good, well-written perspective on the way good and evil battle for men's souls, read THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS by C.S. LEWIS. If you want to study biblical prophecy just stick with the Bible. If you like science fiction, there are TONS of better-written books in that category.
Rating: 
Summary: Apocalypse against the backdrop of today's society
Review: In this, the first of the series, LEFT BEHIND tells of the sudden disappearance of millions of people, and the personal searches of two men, one a successful airline pilot, the other an award-winning international journalist. The story is straightforward, affording us no surprises and little suspense; being based on the events detailed in Revelation, this isn't surprising. The two main characters are male, and the only female characters are secondary, which I was slightly bothered by. However, despite the simplicity of the storyline, the book is interesting because the events of Revelation are placed so seamlessly in today's society. I believe this is where the strength of this book lies: in causing readers to imagine themselves in the place of the characters. Much of the story is told in the forms of internal conflict, and actual dialog is less than abundant. Some of the issues are repetitive, and some of the phrases in the book are used copiously ("just a few short weeks ago, so-and-so would never have considered this a possibility"). However, I enjoyed the book, and it is easy to see why this subject matter would capture the attention of so many people. I believe the message of the book is important, and I am glad that people are reading it.
Rating:
Summary: From one bored with summer
Review: I heard about this book on television, actually, from an episode of the Larry King Live show, in which Larry King interviewed the authors. I must admit, it peeked my curiosty. Upon finishing the first book, I realized I needed to read the rest, I was that intrigued by the series. Although the book becomes more and more predictable as it wears on, I also found it to be philosophical; it forces the reader to take a look at his/her own life. The "end of time" and te "tribulation of the antiChrist" are deep and mortally frightful subjects that I think were tackled thoughtfully and still genuinely in this book. The characters are tired, but as their stories intertwine, the reader also becomes interested in what the future beholds for them -- and himself.
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING!
Review: I found this to be an outstanding book that grabs you from the first chapter. It makes you want to go on reading and reading and reading. It also makes you stop and think...hey, would I be left behind? Run, don't walk to get the next book and the next and the next..
Rating:
Summary: Excellently written for the lay person
Review: This book, as well as, the entire series I believe was excellently written for a person wishing to understand the bible, but, clueless to it's writing. This series is a wonderful way to share the meaning of the coming of the end. Fiction, tho it is, it really helps one get the jist of the book of Revelations plus parts of others. It surely made me want to know more and understand more about the writings and messages of GOD. Highly recommend anyone wishing to understand the "coming of the end" read this exciting and very easy to follow series. I am an avid reader and did not believe I would get into this type of reading, however, after the first book I could not put it down and had to buy the rest. I have never been so enthralled as I am with this series. Thanks to the authors for making this excellent reading FOR ME. Wish you would do it for every part from Genesis to Revelations.
Rating:
Summary: Written on a level for those most likely to benefit from it
Review: What a book! To some of us educated people it comes across as poorly written, mythical mish mash for those who don't have a brain in their head. This book is propaganda pure and simple but the authors don't deny that. They have an agenda and are going for it. How many of us can say that we had an agenda that reached over a million people? Yes, it is simplistic writing. Yes, the series (4 of which I've read) can get rather redundant. Yes, I can see how it has lead tons of non-believers to Jesus Christ. But I guarantee that was because it was written to the masses who did not have to have a Masters to understand it. Criticize the simplicity and reading level to those it's aimed all you like. The authors could have aimed for the more sophisticated readers and all they would gotten would be a bunch of affluent, intellectuals whining about how anyone could possibly think there was a such a thing as a God who created us or had a son born of a virgin mother. Heaven forbid anyone be so antiquated to believe those outdated theories. This book is fascininating if you can get past the simplicity. Read it knowing full well that the authors do have an agenda. But the truth of the matter is the more educated you are, the more likely you are to be "left behind".
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