Rating: 
Summary: top class Catholic novel
Review: The book is indeed, as one reviewer called it, inspiring. While 600 pages long it can be read quickly, the narrative moving without delay through the sequence of events. Some excellent and thought-provoking dialogues especially between Fr. Elijah and the old man Smokrev.On the negative side, chapter 14 seemed to ramble quite a bit but this is only a minor criticism. Over all, 4.75 stars.
Rating:
Summary: A captivating read
Review: If you have read other Michael O'Brien works and not Father Elijah, you missed his best to date! Inspired.
Rating:
Summary: the two witnesses
Review: Fr Elijah is a terrific book, so full of action and suspense and meetings with "great" and the humble. If you enjoy contemplating good and evil, where our world is going, you almost have to love this book. WAY better than those "Left Behind" novels!!!! Personally, I think this is great to read after reading the series with Strangers and Sojourners, Eclipse of the Sun, and Plague Journal.
Rating: 
Summary: Malachi Martin was right!!!
Review: This is a difficult book for me to evaluate; here are some thoughts I had after reading Father Elijah several times. Michael O'Brien has been compared to Dostoevsky, a natural and unavoidable association. Chapters 11 and 12 of Father Elijah, The Confession/Another Confession, is gripping prose straight outta Eastern Europe, heady philosophy dispensed by two formidable caricatures. The anecdote about the rabbit Ludmilla astonishes me still, and I've read it dozens of times. Maybe you aren't as fond of rabbit tales as I; it ends sadly. The final paragraph of Chapter 12 might be the finest paragraph of any of the Last Days novels. Per sub-title/introduction, this novel is an apocalypse. It's one of the better ones (I've read many apocalypses), but I don't think that is necessarily saying much. O'Brien's perspective of John's Revelation is important, and he develops it as consistently and coherently as I've ever seen. Hands down, the best Christian apocalypse I've ever read. And that is most definitely not saying much. I have tender feelings towards Why Do Birds by Damon Knight, and The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle. Why Do Birds is about a huge black box. The Black Cloud is about a huge black cloud. Both books deserve wider appreciation. As for O'Brien, he is considered one of the shining stars of modern Catholic literature. It is a well deserved position, if only because of the phenomenal Strangers and Sojourners, the most poignant and powerful novel of the past fifty years, hands down. I can't say enough good things about S & S. I didn't know what to make of Father Elijah after the first read. The orthodox Catholic in me was delighted with O'Brien's perspective. The literary critic in me found the pedestrian attempts at vernacular dialogue annoying and unrealistic. The dialogue succeeds when it is archaic (the Confession chapters) and this goes triple for Strangers and Sojourners. What bugged me the most was the main character, Father Elijah. I didn't find him appealing. I couldn't visualize him, or feel any communion with him. Linking him with both the Holocaust and modern-day Middle East terrorism seemed too convenient. We are never given a specific age for David Schaeffer, but we can easily calculate his age at 70. Then we are expected to believe that a 70 year old monastic, on a mission from God and the Pope to call the anti-Christ to conversion, will have an absolutely chaste yet psychologically powerful romantic dalliance with a cute little Italian number. I'm not buying it. The life the man had lived, the death and tragedy which was a constant companion, could not result in the portait we are given. Father Elijah is a spiritual weakling at times. His delays and bouts of depression are Hamlet-ic. And the climax of the book? Ugh. Thank goodness for the archangel. And I can hear the response - "God can choose anyone; we are all weaklings without the strength of God; success is only possible with God." That's great. Using the priest traipsing around northwest Canada would have resulted in a better novel. If the intention was to give a frustrating protagonist to the reader, O'Brien succeeded. But it's the angel that saves the day at the end. You get the feeling any of one million Catholics could have done just as well in Elijah's place. Or that is how I feel. What else doesn't work? The anti-Christ. A European political leader (I mean, everybody knows the anti-Christ is going to be European, right?) who apparently has the stuff to intellectually seduce a 70-year old monastic. Again, it just doesn't work for me. He lacks Maurice L'Oraison's evil streak as well (once again, the more attractive anti-Christ is hanging out in Canada of all places). Good old Billy, the chubby side-kick? It was a relief when he exited the novel. His dialogue made me cringe, his Tolkien references got old real quick. The convenient secondary characters - attractive widow, stigmatic bilocator, despicable Cardinal, Karol Wojtyla-esque Pope. Ugh. Why am I being so negative? I didn't feel so strongly about this book until I read, and re-read, and re-read, Strangers and Sojourners. Father Elijah is an inferior book, and its flaws are readily apparent in the comparison. I recommend this book nonetheless. The highs in Father Elijah are astounding, albeit far-between. The fundamental message is vital and timely (but come on, we all know that the anti-Christ won't enter the scene until 2030!), it is stirring and comforting prose for the Orthodox Catholic (or orthodox Christian for that matter), and it doesn't shirk away from the evil present in the world and in the Church. A Pope once told us that the smoke of Satan had entered into the Roman Church. Dark days are coming, but the final outcome is assured. The trick (if it is even worth the effort, and I think it is) is putting it in words. Many have tried, and Michael O'Brien does a damn good job. Not a literary classic by any means, but the plusses outweight the minuses.
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Among the finest books I've ever read, "Father Elijah" is singularly entertaining and thought provoking. I was struck, in particular, by Michael O'Brien's erudition -- this novel is at least on par with even the most sophisticated theological works; indeed, arguably superior. Any negatives? Not really. As with any exceptionally long book, the author sometimes loses track of his narrative, and there's an occasional editing or writing lapse. Hardly worth mentioning. Highly recommended, particularly in these pre-apocalyptic times.
Rating:
Summary: You will re-read this several times
Review: This was the first book I read of the Strangers & Sojourners series, recommended to me by a friend. It started slowly, and then built to the point that I stayed up late to finish it. I have since gone back several times to particular parts to savor them more fully: the Count, the poisonous gift, and the creation of a cardinal, to name but three. The writing can be read at speed, but is considerably more subtle than it appears: what looked like "preaching" to some may turn out to be rather fruitful for reflection. You won't regret buying this book.
Rating:
Summary: Insipring but lacks scope!
Review: This book is a great piece of work, trying to interpret the modern times on an apocalyptic perspective. The only comment I've got for this book is the lack of scope. The perspective is too Western, without considering the world in its greater perpective. The reality is that major events at the present and in the future would not revolve in either Europe or the Western Hemisphere except for the US, he should have considered how the US, China, Russia or the Middle East---major world movers fit in the picture. Countries in Western Europe doesn't ring a bell anymore so its decline or decadence wouldn't mean it's time of the apolocalypse. Anyway I would still rate it Five stars...
Rating:
Summary: ok, im not ready to convert, but...
Review: this was recommended to me by an on-line friend who is serious about her catholic faith. im not catholic; frankly i dont know WHAT my religious beliefs are. this book tho is a whale of a good read by an author who clearly takes his beliefs to heart. father elijah is a warts & all protagonist, worthy of our interst and at times of our doubts -- much as he himself must confront his own questions before being finally affirmed in his faith. i would recommend this book to any who are willing to face their own spiritual questioning: something of which i appear to still be doing.
Rating: 
Summary: My first exposure to modern Christian fiction...
Review: ...and what a treat! Like another reviewer noted, this book reads quickly depite being nearly 600 pages long; I finished in it 5 days. Within the pages you will find everything that is music to conservative Catholic ears. Modern issues and conflicts, both inside of the Catholic Church, between Catholics and Protestants, and between Theists and Atheists are covered, and apologetic arguments are presented in deep philosophical discussions between characters. I absolutely loved how the author managed to work these things into the plot and into conversations, in a way that seemed entirly natural and relevant to the plot. The plot itself was believable, with enough tragedy to be realistic and enough "loose ends" to make the reader use his imagination. Some readers have compared this to Dosteovsky; I have dissent, unfortunately. While this is a fine novel, sure to pique the interest of modern Orthodox Catholics and Protestants alike, the level of description and especially character dialogues were not on par to Dosteovsky. At times, the conversations seemed mechanical in fact, and lost believability. While this was of minor concern to me, it does in my view deprive the book of comparison to Dosteovsky. In any case, I HIGHLY recommend this book, as it offers much more than a fictional story: its a sound presentation of the issues facing the Church at this day in age. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, fascinating novel
Review: Father Elijah Schaefer, Holocaust survivor and former Jew, is called out of his quiet contemplation by the Vatican, who seek to enlist his aid in determining the true intentions of a powerful European man known as the President. The Vatican suspects that this man may very well be the Antichrist, and sends Father Elijah on a mission: Determine the truth about the President, and if their worst fears prove to be realized, then attempt to bring him to repentance in order to delay the Great Tribulation and allow the salvation of as many souls as possible. Once inside the huddle of powerful men and women that surround the enigmatic leader, Elijah meets Anna Benedetti, a widow whose sharp intellect proves to be a match for his own. Soon, he finds himself drawn to this woman both intellectually and romantically, and finds his faith severely tested by the dying Count Smokrev, whose depravity seems to know no bounds. As he learns more about the real nature of the President, he finds a web of evil slowly closing around him, threatening all he holds dear. A stunning tale, richly plotted and layered with intelligent dialogue and a fervent, palpable faith; an urgent, apocalyptic story that is both politically and culturally viable and biblically accurate. Less literal than many other end-times novel, with fascinating, memorable characters, Father Elijah moves at a brisk pace, spurred by a strong plot and sound moral and spiritual elements familiar to all Christians; one doesn't have to be Catholic to recognize many of the themes presented here: faith, love, hope, redemption, spiritual warfare for the souls of humankind. Father Elijah is a wonderful protagonist, a man whose deep faith hides many scars from his former life, before the priesthood. His attraction to Anna is not a mere plot fabrication, but the natural outgrowth of a relationship that begins as intellectual camaraderie and grows into a deep and beautiful friendship. Anna is also fascinating, a humanistic counter to Elijah's fervent faith. They are alike, yet different; their debates and disagreements on humanity make for good reading, helping propel some of the slower sections of the book. Miracles and apparitions are commonplace, emanations of divine will that seem to come at random, yet are logical expressions of the plot and the ultimate direction that O'Brien wishes to take the story. The subplot involving the corrupt Count Smokrev is a story unto itself, a fascinating look at forgiveness and absolution. The book's theology, of course, is very Catholic, but Protestant readers will find familiar ground in the use of Revelations and the strong sense of divinely-inspired morality presented within. One may quibble with the occasional bits of evangelism employed by O'Brien, but mostly the book presents arguments (though debatable) that are theologically and biblically solid. Excellent work--like Walter Miller's "A Canticle for Liebowitz," a haunting book that will stay with me for a long time.
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