Eclipse of the Sun

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding conclusion to a great series
Review: "Eclipse of the Sun", Michael O'Brien's third novel in the trilogy which began with "Strangers and Sojourners" and continued with "Plague Journal" is an outstanding conclusion to this excellent series. It picks up from where "Plague Journal" leaves off, but from a different perspective. Fortunately there are enough characters which appear in all three novels, allowing for a more or less seamless transition of perspective.

O'Brien continues his tale of the Delaney family and their friends and acquaintences and their trials and tribulations at the turning of the 21st century in British Colombia. There are two main themes: One theme concerns the eschatological prophecies in the book of Revelation, and their relevance to the dawning of the 21st century. The other theme concerns the quiet evaporation of personal and civil liberties which have been gradually occuring in the Western "democracies". These themes are knit so closely together, one is not always sure whether Revelation is a vehicle for O'Brien's political concerns or whether O'Brien's political concerns are a vehicle for his eschatological theories.

Regardless of which it is, the reader will have a difficult time putting this book down.

O'Brien's deeply held Catholicism shines forth brightly in this book -- and frankly, it is refreshing. It is unusual in this day and age for a Catholic to write "End-Times" novels -- such is usually the provence of fundamentalists (who usually hate the Church). His Catholicism is traditional, conservative and uncompromising, yet very human and full of compassion. The religious one meets in his books (including this one) are the very sort that one wishes there were more of! (In my experience, as someone raised in a traditional Anglican background, one of the major reasons that Catholicism has not made the inroads into my former denomination that it could make is due to the progressive hogwash that all too frequently passes for Catholicism in North America. A few more priests like Father Andrei, and a few more bishops like the Archbishop of Vancouver in "Eclipse" would go a long way in attracting converts from a slowing dying Anglicanism. But I digress)

For me, this book rates 4.25 stars. 5 for story content, and 3.5 for character development. One flaw in the book (or perhaps it's merely a flaw in my personal taste) is O'Brien's tendency to develop a character, then suddenly drop them, never to be seen again. He also does not, to my way of thinking, always sufficiently explain how a character develops from when he/she is first presented to how he/she ends up. One is left wondering why such and such a character changed so radically.

Finally, this book shows an interesting respect for conservative, yet non-Catholic clergy. O'Brien is not nearly as hard on his "seperated brethren" as many conservative Catholics tend to be. And he is equally hard on liberal Catholics as he is on liberal Protestants.

I would very much like to meet Mr. O'Brien some day. I have enjoyed his novels; I have enjoyed his non-fiction; I appreciate and respect his faith; (and I have an enormous respect for his understanding of JRR Tolkien). I know a wonderful Irish pub where we could light up the pipes, raise a pint or two, and discuss literature and theology for hours on end.

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding conclusion to a great series
Review: "Eclipse of the Sun", Michael O'Brien's third novel in the trilogy which began with "Strangers and Sojourners" and continued with "Plague Journal" is an outstanding conclusion to this excellent series. It picks up from where "Plague Journal" leaves off, but from a different perspective. Fortunately there are enough characters which appear in all three novels, allowing for a more or less seamless transition of perspective.

O'Brien continues his tale of the Delaney family and their friends and acquaintences and their trials and tribulations at the turning of the 21st century in British Colombia. There are two main themes: One theme concerns the eschatological prophecies in the book of Revelation, and their relevance to the dawning of the 21st century. The other theme concerns the quiet evaporation of personal and civil liberties which have been gradually occuring in the Western "democracies". These themes are knit so closely together, one is not always sure whether Revelation is a vehicle for O'Brien's political concerns or whether O'Brien's political concerns are a vehicle for his eschatological theories.

Regardless of which it is, the reader will have a difficult time putting this book down.

O'Brien's deeply held Catholicism shines forth brightly in this book -- and frankly, it is refreshing. It is unusual in this day and age for a Catholic to write "End-Times" novels -- such is usually the provence of fundamentalists (who usually hate the Church). His Catholicism is traditional, conservative and uncompromising, yet very human and full of compassion. The religious one meets in his books (including this one) are the very sort that one wishes there were more of! (In my experience, as someone raised in a traditional Anglican background, one of the major reasons that Catholicism has not made the inroads into my former denomination that it could make is due to the progressive hogwash that all too frequently passes for Catholicism in North America. A few more priests like Father Andrei, and a few more bishops like the Archbishop of Vancouver in "Eclipse" would go a long way in attracting converts from a slowing dying Anglicanism. But I digress)

For me, this book rates 4.25 stars. 5 for story content, and 3.5 for character development. One flaw in the book (or perhaps it's merely a flaw in my personal taste) is O'Brien's tendency to develop a character, then suddenly drop them, never to be seen again. He also does not, to my way of thinking, always sufficiently explain how a character develops from when he/she is first presented to how he/she ends up. One is left wondering why such and such a character changed so radically.

Finally, this book shows an interesting respect for conservative, yet non-Catholic clergy. O'Brien is not nearly as hard on his "seperated brethren" as many conservative Catholics tend to be. And he is equally hard on liberal Catholics as he is on liberal Protestants.

I would very much like to meet Mr. O'Brien some day. I have enjoyed his novels; I have enjoyed his non-fiction; I appreciate and respect his faith; (and I have an enormous respect for his understanding of JRR Tolkien). I know a wonderful Irish pub where we could light up the pipes, raise a pint or two, and discuss literature and theology for hours on end.

Rating:
Summary: fascinating and riveting
Review: Eclipse Of The Sun, starting with the perspective of a child escaping danger at the hand of a run-away priest; set me absolutely riveted from the start. I read the book not long after reading Father Elijah. I have to say I've never been so duelly satisfied. Eclipse Of The Sun even tops Father Elijah on a certain level: that of structure. Like Father Elijah, this book also culminates something unseen, happening under, or outside the surface of things. But Eclipse Of The Sun does so with an even greater intensity as it goes along. I was reminded of something Chesterton wrote in The Everlasting Man about the boy at the hand of a priest always makes for the greatest adventure or journey. This book starts off with the boy Arrow, at the hand of a priest and then ends with him at the hand of another priest; in both instances escaping danger, and also being set in the very dark and wild terrain of the B.C. mountains.

The wild shapes in this book would make it too easy for one to toss aside as being a structured mess. It follows a definite thread while at the same time making huge accomodation for things along the way. Yet, these things along the way cannot be called subplots, for someone please tell me, which one is the main plot? With this said, the book is neither some kind of scattological telling of various stories. The book contains many levels coming to many different points, leaving the points as points in themselves and never becoming self-contained in its own fictional world.

Another thing I have to add is the factor of dreams in Eclipse Of The Sun. The dreams in this book(and other O'Brien books)are more vivid and relevant then I've read in any other book or seen in any movie. Michael O'Brien dreams are always so strong and awake, involving huge archangels touching peoples brows with grapefruit, or a sudden viscious growl in a garden in the daylight, or a priest staring at you from a desk: totally cold and uncharitable towards you, etc.

Rating:
Summary: Apocalypse Now?
Review: Excellent, excellent, excellent! Don't let the page count daunt you--this is an amazingly fast read. While this is an end-times book with a decidedly Catholic flavor, all Christians and even secular civil libertarians will find it to be an edifying (and sobering) read.

Basically, it is the story of a "creeping totalitarianism" that is engulfing North America and the few heroic (mostly Catholic and Evangelical) souls who recognize it and attempt to resist, especially when they discover that it is NOT happening by accident.... Although O'Brien says (I'm paraphrasing) that the novel has a "near future" setting, it has a disturbing "today's headlines" feel. This is well-done Catholic Christian literature, and as such it is not afraid to name names and identify the evils of our time: rampant consumerism, globalism, the New Age infection of orthodox Christianity (and its globalist ties), television, degenerate "art" calculated to destroy the sense of the sacred, the deliberate harassment of the devoutly religious, the annihilation of due process--the list goes on and on. In short, EOTS grippingly depicts the fall of night on Western civilization. The struggle against the darkness of sometimes uneasy coalitions of believers in Christ (and other people of good will) sustained by the grace of God makes for an inspiring cautionary tale.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping, relevant, and inspiring
Review: I absolutely love all of Michael O'Brien's books. The Eclipse of the Sun is, however, probably my favorite of the series (followed closely by Father Elijah). I absolutely couldn't put it down the first time, and can scarcely put it down on my frequent re-readings. The social commentary is frightening, particularly if you keep up at all with what's going on with the UNN, Mikael Gorbachev, Ted Turner and the rest who want to create the very sort of governmental structures which Maurice and his cronies are creating in the book. The liberal religious are so close to some I have known that it is downright spooky. Consequently, the book can be quite frightening. However, the overall message of the book where love and faith overcome the culture of death is inspiring.

One of the things I really love about this book is that it actually gives positive pictures of ordinary homeschooling families (not huge ones, but clearly positive ones). They are shown in their ordinariness, even if one family is about to sail around the world. Michael O'Brien's references to Arthur Ransome books will hopefully get people reading them again.

I also love the way that O'Brien puts orthodox Catholics and Protestants together in the common fight against the bureaucrats. As a convert to Catholicism I found his portrayal of faithful Protestants to be a very accurate one. I absolutely love his portrayal of Father Ron. I hope that we have lots of Father Ron's out there who are hearing the call that he heard.

This book does such a wonderful job of showing how ordinary people with just a bit of courage can fight against a system that is threatening to destroy the common man. There are casualties, but there are also triumphs. If even part of the things O'Brien is talking about come true, I hope that there will be lots of us ordinary people fighting against the controllers.

I wait with great anticipation for the last two books in the series to come out.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent but meandering
Review: Michael O'Brien continues his excellent Children of the Last Days series that began explosively with Father Elijah in this third part of the Delaney family trilogy (the first two books are Strangers and Sojouners and Plague Journal).

O'Brien is obviously an excellent writer, but he tends to be overly didactic in his novels. A better editor could have helped with that. O'Brien, as most talented writers do, also overwrote his novel. And, again, a better editor could have helped him pull out the extraneous material which could have been included in a collection of short stories in an additional book.

Having said that, O'Brien continues to show keen insight into issues that haunt Western society and the Western church. A committed Christian with traditional Catholic faith, he decries the secularization of the church, including the domination of our lives by television. He presents a bleak view of Western governments, filled with nefarious conspiracy theories that are both audacious and plausible at the same time.

As huge as this book is, O'Brien keeps his readers turning their pages because of his wonderfully human characters and intriguing plot.

Rating:
Summary: HOLD ON TO YOUR SEAT!!!
Review: Michael O'Brien's "Eclipse of the Sun" is a roller coaster of books! It's the Indiana Jones of epics. Open the book, and you are hooked. This will keep your heart racing and your fingers turning pages.

But don't mistake it for a fluff novel--this is the meat and potatoes of our times. Read the book. Recognize today's headlines? This book will challenge you to reflect on your own life, your community, nation and world.

I have read three of the Children of the Last Days series, and I would recommend this as the first to be read. It is gripping. It will introduce you to the characters in O'Brien's other books; you will want to read the other books!

Rating:
Summary: Good Read
Review: Strangers and Sojourners is a good read and stimulates one to think about life, love, death, religion , meaningful and not so meaningful, relationships,marriage, sex,culture, society--- in other words what it means to be a human being and why we make the choices we make. Because it forced me to think deeply about these things, I consider it to be a well-written novel. However, I found the protaganist Anne Delaney to be a very frustrated and frustrating individual. Just when I think she has figured out what is really important in life, she falls back into self-pity and negative ruminating on her life. I wanted her to find herself and to grow in self-knowledge, but because she never REALLY reaches out to another human being in trust and love, she fails in my opinion. She is surrounded by people who love her, but she can never overcome her lonliness. She may have sudden realizations and her awareness level grows, but she keeps it to herself and misses the mark. I kept waiting for her to just tell ONE person how much she loves them and how her life is made meaningful because of their existence. She expects so much from the the people in her life, but isn't there for them emotionally. She takes too much pride in the intellectual and this leads to much of her frustration. She never figures out how to achieve a balance between her heart and her head. Her head dominates because she is unable to deal with the inevitable pain life eventually shows all human beings. She cannot accept grief as the price we pay for loving. But joy is also a part of our existence. And she does not concentrate enough on the joy. She can never let go and allow her heart to answer many of her questions. She does not trust that side of her being. She would have found much more happiness had she allowed that to happen.

Rating:
Summary: Thomas Aquinas meets the Hardy Boys.
Review: This is an orthodox Catholic novel, written by an orthodox author, published by the very orthodox Ignatius Press. Since I consider myself an orthodox Catholic, I was predisposed to treat this book sympathetically. But I also appreciate good writing and that's what we're critiquing here -- writing, not simply ideas. Structurally, this novel is a mess. It meanders all over the place in totally unnecessary side trips. The dialogue is right out of "Tom Terrific", often delivered by cartoonish characters. O'Brien doesn't seem to have put too much effort into revising and editing this very long novel. As a result, it lacks the tightness and coherence that his "Plague Journal" demonstrated. Moreover, one got the sense from "Plague Journal" that O'Brien was writing out of his own personal pain (as the provider for six children). This gave the book a genuine feel that is lacking in "The Eclipse of the Sun". Look, the 'good guys' have to write as competently as the 'bad guys'. Just because O'Brien is on the right side doesn't by default make this a good book.

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps some are missing the point?
Review: True, this is a sprawling novel, and it could have benefitted by a bit more editing.

However, this series gives a more plausible -- and Biblical -- fictional treatment of the Second Coming of Christ than the LEFT BEHIND books, and that is a strength that editing or the lack of same wouldn't have touched, for good or bad.

Good writing is commendable, desirable. I've read better (and worse) plots. Yes, sometimes the dialogue seems to be a bit dramatic, almost as though written by a well-meaning high school student who just doesn't know when to be embarrassed by hocum.

But I find myself, as I read this, looking at my own relationship to God, and wondering how I would react if I found myself in the same diabolical circumstances. The novel -- and this series -- pushes me toward setting my own house in order, and seeking a closer relationship with Christ, and that ain't bad work.

Read this if you get half a chance.