Rating: 
Summary: A GATE OF MANY NAMES
Review: In a Jerusalem at the end of the millennium, torn apart by Intifada and a thousand real and fictitious plots, a disenchanted American journalist falls in love with a beautiful woman, a good jazz singer and most of all, a believer. In what and in whom does Sonia Barnes believe? And why doesn't Christopher Lucas succeed in sharing her faith? The "Jerusalem Syndrome" is the singular maladie on which Lucas would even like to write a book: every year in the City of the Three Religions, pilgrims arrive who become convinced they are the new Messiah, or some ancient reincarnation of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures: Jesus, John the Baptist, Mary of Magdala, or even Samson. Some appear sincere, like Adara De Kuff, the preacher Sonia decides to follow. Others are more ambiguous figures, at times linked to fanatical or terrorist groups. A story, in particular, recurs in all the real or imagined plots taking place in Jerusalem. It seems that someone is preparing to blow up the esplanade where the Dome of the Rock and the Muslim Mosque are located, in order to then rebuild the Temple of Solomon. A plan too absurd to be real, and thus more easily achievable. The Damascus Gate is the modern way to call Bab al-Amud, the Gate of the Column in the Arab quarters, and is the name Lucas prefers, because it evokes a way towards mystery, inner light, sudden transformation. In his position of melancholic agnostic, Lucas moves among Jerusalem's religious factions, experiencing a peculiar estrangedness: the Jews ignore the Muslims, who in turn ignore the Armenians, who ignore the Orthodox Christians and the Catholics. All fake a mutual invisibility, and Lucas feels as the only one condemned to perceive the terrible danger waiting to explode in that melting pot of populations.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible!
Review: Nothing valuable about Jerusalem, not much of a story. Terrible, pedestrian use of English. Unrealistic dialogue. I know something about fiction and this is a piece of garbage. Shallow characters, no plot. Evidentally Stone went on vacation to Jerusalem and thought he could turn the experience into a novel. The story has a touristy feel throughout. What a waste of time!
Rating: 
Summary: A Searching Thriller
Review: Robert Stone's Damascus Gate is a delightful mess. The basic plot line-a slowly uncovered plan to blow up the Temple Mount-is straightforward enough to serve as the main thoroughfare of the novel. But Stone takes the reader on so many winding side streets and dimly-lit alleys that he or she may soon feel like a lone tourist navigating through the maze of a medieval city in Europe. Stone stretches the thriller genre to its outer limits by stuffing his novel with the ambiguities of faith, the irrational polarities of Middle Eastern politics, and the mania of religion in Jerusalem. His novel, like its central character Christopher Lucas, draws very few conclusions about the surrounding enigmas.If you are the kind of person who ventures off the main road, who seeks the mazes of ancient cities, who intentionally gets lost in the unfamiliar simply for the journey's sake, then you should read this book. The basic plot line is interesting enough, but it's the vivid mess of detours that make this book memorable.
Rating: 
Summary: Damascus Gate
Review: Having been to Israel I would say that this is one of the finest displayus of the wonderment that exists with the country's borders. The descriptions and mood set in the book are rich and consistant throughout. The vast numbers of characters gave the story a winding and complex feeling. However, for anyone who has not been to Israel, the story will probably seem distant and unapproachable. The ability for anyone who has traveled through Jerusalem and the Israeli country side to relive their experiance is a very important part of the way in which the story is told. If you want to discover the history of Israel without having been there, stick to something lighter like Exodus.
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Summary: Enter the mind of madmen...
Review: This book was especially hard to follow at several points, and with good reason. These aren't normal everyday thought patterns you are following, these are madmen. The characters were well portrayed. At times almost too well portrayed. If you can follow the thoughts then this is certainly a very enjoyable read!
Rating:
Summary: Over my Head
Review: My hope from the outset was that there would be historical aspects that would increase my knowledge of the Holy Land and it's neighbors, but more often than not I was lost in a history that I had never heard of. As well, I found a lot of words (names of, definitions of) things that required me to us a dictionary often. I am no wiser or better informed about this part of the world and what makes it unique after having read this book, but I do think that it was worth the time, effort and work. I mostly enjoyed Damascus Gate, it's characters, and the descriptions of different places, but I wish it had been easier to understand on the whole.
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Summary: When writing is more than telling a story
Review: Even though I was enthralled by Robert Stone's engrossing tale, I couldn't help stopping in my tracks time and again in order to re-read a passage and enjoy the sheer elegance of the author's style. Few authors can match this combination of storytelling skill, this amazing erudition and this control of the english language. If such a comparison means anything, I would suggest that Mr. Stone writes somewhat like a darker version of Robertson Davies. The book requires attention, but it generously rewards the reader who takes time to ponder the events as they unfold. The characters are richly described in nuanced tones, and the dialogues sound amazingly authentic. Highly recommended to everyone who loves a complex yarn dealing with difficult issues such as faith, fate, and the human condition. Definitely NOT recommended to action/adventure afficionadoes.
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Summary: Tried to Reach, and Grasped Nothing
Review: Getting close to page 150, I put the book aside in exasperation. I'd just finished reading an almost page-long description of a room that wasn't entered -- a room that was, evidently, irrelevant to the story (was there any relevance to the Holman Hunt reference?) -- followed by a description of the clothing of a guy in another room ("A man in an ugly brown lightweight suit, wearing a tie the color of faded broccoli pizza..." ) who then said "Hi there, fella." Faded broccoli pizza? I'd grown tired of the lengthy descriptions, the pointless dialog, the meandering plot (actually, there may have been no plot -- the "meandering" was probably due to my effort seek order in chaos), the blizzard of characters introduced (then left behind) for no apparent reason. But, most of all, I was annoyed by the passing references and especially by the italicized non-English words on almost every page, a literary device used to make those in the know feel smug and knowledgable, and the rest of us feel awestruck at the author's erudition (by the way, I'm familiar with both Holman Hunt and "The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" (not "...Louis Napoleon," as the author has it) -- Ha! so there!). Fortunately, I picked the book up again and eventually discovered a fine novel, with an interesting plot, great pacing, and excellent writing. One scene, an execution, is among the best fiction passages I've ever read -- absolutely rivetting. Anyone who enjoys snappy dialog, deep plots, realistic settings (however, I've never been to Israel, so I take no sides on the "realistic/ not" debate over this book (although I don't believe that riots in Israel are as ubiquitous as they appear in "Damascus Gate")), and mysteries to unravel will enjoy this book, as long as you can hurdle two major obstacles: (1) Not one of the characters in the book is sympathetic: They are all jerks, imbeciles, egomaniacs, or a combination of the three; (2) This would be an outstanding 200 to 300 page novel -- unfortunately, it is 500 pages, so there's a lot of stuff to wade through. Perhaps a tougher editor could have removed most of the first 200 pages. I've never read a Robert Stone novel before this, so I can't place this in context of his other work. I get the impression that Stone had a fine, perhaps great, novel in hand, and tried to take it to another level. That attempt was not successful. In my edition (the 1st paperback?) there is a map at the front where the white/gray/black overlay of Israel and the surrounding area is the mirror image of the text (with, e.g., city names), making the map difficult to read. I'm afraid that the editors' attention to the map (obviously, none) reflects their attention to the text. It's too bad. I guess I'm also left wondering what the NBA nominators were thinking. Yeah, this is a fine book, and I'd recommend it to my friends, given the caveats above, but...
Rating:
Summary: More pretentious than profound
Review: An intellectual thriller that dabbles in Jewish mysticism and syncretic exotica. I found the ending disappointingly flat.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Beautiful
Review: A quite beautiful novel, written with a style and grace most authors only dream of. The story of the search for spiritual meaning is moving and the thriller aspects very exciting. Stone is a sophisticated author who challenges one's mind and richly rewards the reader. Especially in this, one of his finest novels yet.
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