Saint Julian

Rating:
Summary: Was I missing something here?
Review: Um, it's not by choice that this has 1 star. I had no choice. I tried giving it a zero but that wasn't an option.

Okay, so a deer spoke to this man. Maybe it was some type of allegory. Who knows? I wanted to put it down. Believe me, I did. However, I didn't want to miss the symbolism, if perhaps there was one. All I can say is "I didn't get it - the story that is." I wish I could say I didn't get the book either. Do yourself a favor, don't you get it.

Rating:
Summary: Was I missing something here?
Review: Um, it's not by choice that this has 1 star. I had no choice. I tried giving it a zero but that wasn't an option.

Okay, so a deer spoke to this man. Maybe it was some type of allegory. Who knows? I wanted to put it down. Believe me, I did. However, I didn't want to miss the symbolism, if perhaps there was one. All I can say is "I didn't get it - the story that is." I wish I could say I didn't get the book either. Do yourself a favor, don't you get it.

Rating:
Summary: In the Grip of Addictive Sin
Review: Wangerin has done a powerful job describing the effects of sin in a life that's not totally given over to Christ. Julian typifies the believer whose belief is only through cultural heritage and not a heart change. This book chronicles the depths that sin will take us...to the end of our very self, where Christ will be waiting after we ineffectively try to deal with all our shame and self loathing. It occurs to me that the problem is addiction and the recovery process is through Christ alone. This book had the same effect on me as Frank Perreti's book "The Oath". Very convicting. Well worth the read.

Rating:
Summary: Lifeless and somewhat rote
Review: Wangerin's effort here seems lifeless and somewhat stock. It's hard to think that such a potentially captivating story could be made to sound bland, but it does come together that way. There are a few moments when we see into Julian's character, but his motivations are always lost and his faith seems second-hand to doing the right thing. This book is altogether lost in the facts and historical elements of the story rather than the human element. Try "Godric" by Beuchner or "Patrick" by Stephen Lawhead for an altogether different experience of saints and their passionate histories.