Triopia and the Burden of Excess

Rating:
Summary: Spiritual conflict, personal doubt, and human transcendence
Review: Triopia And The Burden Of Excess by Bryan Richards is a coming-of-age novel (based largely on the author's own real life experiences) about spiritual conflict, personal doubt, and human transcendence. A dedicated missionary for the Mormon Church comes to a crossroads in his life while studying Judaism and Islam, and must weigh the values of group orthodoxy and individuality hand in hand. A compelling, serious, superbly crafted parable, Triopia is very highly recommended reading.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Thought-Provoking
Review: Triopia and the Burden of Excess is an entertaining story about a young American's six-month study in the Middle East. As a Mormon facing internal conflicts about his own spirituality, Daniel arrives in Jerusalem with a quest to gain a wider understanding of religion, civilization and humanitarianism.

Daniel contemplates the roots of the three main religions of the region - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - and how each has historically shaped culture and society, and affected individuality and group orthodoxy.

It is during this time that he realizes none of these religions, nor any government has managed to resolve a continuing cycle of conflict: the fight against racism, the fight for unity and the fight for diversity.

Seasoned with a youthful and often amusing narrative, Triopia is also an intelligent philosophical novel that offers perspective on several controversial subjects, especially the clash between individual thought and group orthodoxy.

Triopia and the Burden of Excess is based on the author's personal experience as a student in the Middle East. When Bryan Richards went to Israel in 1988, it was with a pro-Israel mentality, but after witnessing the age-old conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis firsthand, he came home with an understanding of both groups and the inspiration to write this thought-provoking novel.