Rating: 
Summary: A good mixture of fiction and reality
Review: When you take a story from the Bible and try to turn into a book or a movie, the creator is left open with all this interpretive freedom. An example of this is the recent animated movie "The Prince of Egypt" by Dreamworks. The Bible is not really clear what kind of relationship Moses had with Rameses before he left Egypt. Dreamworks interpreted it as Rameses and Moses were best friends. "The Ten Commandments" on the other hand interpreted this relationship as competitive and ambitious. Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have taken this freedom to interpret the book of Revelations. Although fictional in nature, the Left Behind series has truth to it because the subject comes out of the Bible. The Bible does not specify the names of the Beast, or the names of the Two Witnesses. They have also taken the rise of Babylon a little to literaly. The authors have placed the capital of this New Global Community in the city of Babylon. The Bible does not specify this. But when you look at how they have set up the name of the Anitchrist, you can see how this freedom can send a powerful message. Nicolae Carpathia is pronounced: Nic-o-LIE Car-PAY-thia. "Lie" is what the beast does, so it was fitting of the authors to incorporate this in his fictional name. "Pay" is what the beast will do in the end when the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ comes. It's good that Jenkins and Lahaye also focus on the development of the Tribulation Force members's characters. Just because the end of the world is coming doesn't necesarily mean we are not able or not allowed to fall in love; as long as we have Jesus in our hearts and know he will save us from the pits of hell, our emotions can flourish like before. A good comedy break and tension release point, I noticed, was the development of the relationship between Chloe and Buck. The end of the world is coming, and yet the puppy love arguments are as real then as they were before the Rapture. I believe it may be the authors's way of saying: "If you fall in love during the tribulation, you fall in love during the tribulation. God will not look down on you for seeking love as long as it's morally correct." Which is to say, don't use the end of the world as an excuse to fornicate. I think overall this book is great. I started with the first book "Left Behind," then I continued onto "Tribulation Force," and I've read an exerpt from "Nicolae" and I cannot wait to get it. Believe me, you are not wasting your money. Instead, you are gaining a lot more than you think. Not only are you being entertained, but you are also being taught a valuable lesson. Don't we complain how TV does not teach anything in their entertainment? Just wait until the movies to these books come out!
Rating:
Summary: Another good read!
Review: After reading "Left Behind," I immediately dove into "Tribulation Force." This book shifts into a higher gear and the plot moves more quickly than that of "Left Behind." The relationships between Rayford, Buck, Chloe, and Bruce become much more defined and as the tribulation force is formed, the battle against evil begins! As Nicolae Carpatihia continues his rise to power, the members of the tribulation force find themselves drawn into his service with no apparent alternatives. They vow to fight to the end!As I continue to read the reviews of books in this series, I am disappointed that a lot of people are still writing about disappointments in religious interpretations. I guess that is normal since everyone has different beliefs. Try to keep in mind that this is a fiction novel! It is not the Bible...
Rating: 
Summary: Fast paced, but only towards the end
Review: I agree with the writer from Irving, Texas that the book wasted too many pages on silly misunderstandings. The book had great potential, but kind of fell flat in the middle. Not until the last quarter of the book did it start to pick up again. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one, but it was still a pretty good page turner. However, I hope #3 is better written.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappoiting Follow-through
Review: I agree that this second book really doesn't seem to go anywhere. It spends an extrordinary amount of time on stupid misunderstandings between two characters. Almost like a bad episode of a situation comedy. Also, they don't really examine the faith of these new characters. The new faith the characters have is too perfect. These people are still human, but do not seem capable of making mistakes. And the non-believers do not seem capable of doing much right. All in all, neither is it illuminating about Christianity and the end-times, but it is also quite boring as a supernatural thriller. Hopefully, Book 3 will rev up the action and the character development.
Rating:
Summary: Seeing the light
Review: My friend recommended this book to me, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Once I bought the book and started reading, I couldn't stop. This book really helps you understand the Bible better. It helped me understand the Rapture and the effects it could have on the world. All the books in this series are wonderful. I can't wait until the next one is released!
Rating:
Summary: A great story of Revelation
Review: I am so thrilled with the entire Left Behind Series. This book was the best I have read of the series. Or that of any book. I finished this book in two weeks (for me that is a great time) because the author kept me guessing and anticipating what was going to happen next. This is a must read for people who are interested in the rapture. May God Bless you all.
Rating: 
Summary: Aniti-Catholic? It's anti-everyone!
Review: I'm amused at how many of the reviewers (as well as one of the authors) take up the debate of whether or not this series is anti-Catholic. On the one hand, I didn't find any "the Pope is really the agent of the Devil" a la Bob Jones University sentiment. On the other hand, yes, Catholics are depicted as duped, stupid, selfish, or evil. But to object to this misses the point. In the worldview of the authors and the characters, only one thing matters: whether or not you believe their particular brand of Christianity. The world is simply divided into people who are right and people who are wrong. Of course, most Catholics fall into the latter category, but so does practically everyone else in the world. Why aren't any of the reviewers objecting that the book is anti-Jewish or anti-Budhhist or anti-athiest. (Unless, of course, most of the reviewers don't think there's anything wrong with these sentiments.) Of course, the "Left Behind" novels are based on the idea that everyone in the world who doesn't share the authors' religious beliefs is either mislead or just evil. But you knew the premise when you started reading them. To object to it is rather like listening to a CD by 2 Live Crew and saying, "Hey, some of these lyrics are dirty!" What's disturbing to me about this series isn't the "We're all saved, the rest of you are evil" worldview. Hey, everyone's entitled to their beliefs--even fundamentalists. It's the authors' inability to imagine how people might think differently. For people who are concerned for the souls of the unsaved, the authors seem to have very little interest in how we un-saved think. Some reviewers complain that the main characters in this series have very little depth, but Buck and Chloe and company are positively Shakespearean compared to the various unbelievers in the novel! We spend countless pages in the minds of this one group of people who might as well be interchangeable for all the differences in their personal struggles. But we get no credible internal pictures of how unbelievers deal with events. (The few accounts we do get are short and cartoonish--Hattie's explanation of why all the abortionists are sad to be out of work in the first book is a good example--and none of them come from the perspective of the unbelieving character). All of this leads me to conclude that the authors are either incapable or uninterested in how people with different ideas and beliefs think. Strange perspective for someone who's interested in saving souls!
Rating:
Summary: great story but I can't really take it that seriously
Review: Because I had read and discussed another novel about "the end times" with some friends at the golf course, when we left she handed me "Tribulation Force." I read it and I guess like it okay. For me this is just an adventure tale so I grew a little weary of the tone of the book after a while, but it does hold your interest. I was raised a Catholic but have not beeen a practising Catholic for many years. I take a wait and see attitude. The other book I read was "Transfer" by a guy named Furland. I liked it better because it was not nearly as preachy and melodramatic and because it didn't seem to rely on biblical doom and gloom to make it's point. In fact, to be truthful, I think the scenario in "Transfer" has already begun and far from being frightened I'm almost looking forward to it. Oh well...
Rating: 
Summary: Tribulation Force
Review: Although still interesting series, this book tends to repeat the first a little too much. If you are reading the series or if you have read the Prolouge, then the repitition is unneccessary. The writing is very easy and the story line gets very predictable. Sometimes difficult to stay interested in the book. I hope the next one is better or I may not continue the series.
Rating:
Summary: The World's Demise Continues with Tribulation Force
Review: As promised, this second in the Left Behind series never disappointed me. The story continues with the days of rapture surrounding the Earth and the Tribulation Force spends this novel uncovering and discovering truths that were originally predicted long ago! As you become immersed in the series, I hope you will agree that Tribulation Force promises romance, adventure, thought-provoking analysis in this subject of rapture and the end of the world. Once you read it, you too, I'm thinking will be clammoring to get the third book in the series, Nicolae. Thank goodness there are many more to enjoy as I travel through the Left Behind Series. If you don't dig to deep into the 'meaning of it all', I believe your enjoyment in Tribulation Force is guaranteed.
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