Damascus Gate

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!
Review: A really great book on the nature of faith and a darn good thriller as well. Difficult subject, but this is one heck of a writer. I liked it so much I returned to it for a second reading. One of the most interesting novels you'll read, _if_ you like to think.

Rating:
Summary: Rare insight into search for faith
Review: Stone has written a powerful, absorbing novel that is remarkable for its depth of research into Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and the meaning that Jerusalem has for the Abrahamic religions. His main character's struggle to find meaning in life and regain his own faith is intensely mirrored by the cast of crazies he encounters for whom religion is an excuse for violence and intolerance. Anyone who is spiritual, yet who detests how faith is abused and corrupted by the shallowness of fundamentalism, will appreciate Stone's honest portrayals. It also serves as a grave reminder of the very real danger of millenialist fundemantalists who think that blowing up the Dome of the Rock will bring the Moshiach or the Second Coming of Jesus via a man-made Armageddon. The ultimate lesson of the novel is that the kind of God we choose to believe in (vengeful and capricious, or loving and compassionate) says everything about our own character.

Rating:
Summary: Ego on parade
Review: Oh my, where to begin! This author is less interested in telling a story than in trying to impress the reader with his "brilliance". Unfortunately, along with that effort should come substance. This novel is hollow. There is no story, simply ramblings. as if Stone sat down with a thesaurus and went through substituting fifty cent words for every plain word he could find. He would have been better served to have concentrated on a story. "Damascus Gate" is a ponderous, pedantic tome, and in the final analysis, terribly boring.

Rating:
Summary: Fine Novel
Review: I agree with the reader who found his hope for the American novel renewed by this book. Robert Stone is a unique, powerful presence in literature and this is a wonderful book of the human spirt. The search for meaning, set against the backdrop of the Holy Land at millennial's eve, is a Stone triumph. The elements of mystery and thriller simply add to the novel's power. Not an easy read, so I understand some of the reaction to it, but it remains unforgettable and worth the effort.

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional Novel
Review: I loved this book and really hope readers just now discovering it will take the time to enjoy its power and beauty. The characters have depth and realistic struggles. The spirituality of Jerusalem on the eve of the millennium, the people and the ancient land, all are riveting. The plot is fascinating and the blend of religion and thriller reminded me of Graham Greene.A great novel and a real literary event.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: A novel of such power, intelligence, and beauty that words fail to convey my reaction. Unforgettable characters and atmosphere. The depiction of the Holy Land is beautifully accurate. One of the most moving novels I've read, from the pen of a true master.

Rating:
Summary: Challenging
Review: I appreciate novels which have ideas and make me consider the validity of my world-view. Stone is not a favorite of mine, but this is a novel of such profound beauty that I can't find the words to describe it. I hope those who look for meaningful, richly textured novels as a source of personal joy will give this book a chance.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: A truly fine novel, beautifully written, and deeply moving. Few novels have touched me so profundly.

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Nominated for just about every book award and winner of many, to those who appreciate fine, thoughtful writing, this is a masterpiece. Beautifully rendered characters and sense of time and place. This is a powerful novel of spirtuality, a man's crisis of faith, expertly told. Deeply felt and exquisitely written by one of our most talented authors.

Rating:
Summary: this has got to be the most arduous book i have ever read.
Review: In my opinion there was too much emphasis placed on religion and the religious aspects of the story and the characters rather than cocentrating on the actual storyline. I found this to be tedious and extremely hard work. I couldn't wait to get it over and done with. I felt that after i had finished the book i had lost track of what the author was writing about and felt a great sense of relief at completing it.