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Summary: A journey of despair & suffering, faith & redemption.
Review: A beautifully written book. So powerful in language and structure that it is as if each paragraph becomes a verse in a poem drawing the reader into the emotions and wonder of the book, intertwining him with Aidan's experiences. Lawhead presents to us a journey of a boy to a man, naivety to understanding,despair to hope, doubt to faith, suffering to redemption. In short death to LIFE. His prose is so well crafted, it is reminiscent of Eco's The Name of the Rose, as well as great philosophical writers such as Augustine and Aquinas. Entertaining, instructive, enchanting and real. One of best books I have read( and I read alot). I highly recommend it
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Summary: Wonderful book
Review: Byzantium has a lot going for it: Good character development, an engaging plot, an interesting historical setting,a lot of characters I really cared about, and a bittersweet ending. One of the best books I've read.
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Summary: Excellent Historical Fiction
Review: I haven't read a lot of historical fiction, but I have an interest in Celtic and Viking cultures and history, so I gave "Byzantium" a try. Lawhead's book is a great mix of action, mystery, humor, anthropology, and theology. The book is epic in scope, and there are a lot of interesting plot twists in its nearly 900 pages. Lawhead does a great job of portraying a variety of setting and cultures -- Irish, Viking, Byzantine, Saracen. I read the first half of the book while on a trip to Scandinavia, and Lawhead's Viking characters helped bring to life the sites I visited. My only complaint with the novel is that the hero's spiritual struggle, while incredibly realistic and authentic, was paced poorly at times. I can't say anything more about this without giving away the plot, but the pacing of this struggle is the reason I gave the book 4 and not 5 stars. I've noticed that most of the historical fiction in my local Christian book store seems a bit too, well, romantic for my tastes. "Byzantine" is much closer to what I look for in Christian fiction. It's a great book.
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Summary: SLOW START BUILDS TO AN AMAZING TALE
Review: The groan factor began almost immediately and stayed for about the first 100 pages of the book - well past my "get me in 50 or your donated edict." I'm glad I stuck with it despite the flat start, because this book clips right along and kept me turning the pages, which is all anyone wants - to look forward to the time when you can dive back in.
Others moan about the absence of "nail on the head" historical accuracy of the book, I however didn't encounter any passages that failed so bad as to pull you out of the story.
From the Viking vessels that the Sea Wolves used and how they were forced to portage on certain parts of the Dneiper & the barbarian mentality are all accurate and extremely interesting. The Description of Byzantium (Constantinople, currently Istanbul) and the Emperor Basil is also equally fascinating and accurate.
Pros: Solid Historical Fiction with a fast moving plot and a satisfying conclusion. I will read more Lawhead books.
Cons: 1st person narrated, which is constricting - but not enough to sink this story.
Go for it!
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Summary: A mind-stretching tale...
Review: Having earlier read Lawhead's Song of Albion trilogy, I approached this book with high expectations. I was not disappointed. I can echo some of the sentiments of other reviewers. There were several minor occasions when I wanted the book to be finished, but I had to chastise myself for thinking so, for in so doing, I was demonstrating not the book's weakness, but rather my own. I read the book with a dictionary, because Lawhead's breadth of linguistic aptitude is likely beyond most modern people. I learned many new words, and I love that in a book. The story is an epic, in the classical sense, and the sense of wonder and adventure Lawhead cultivates is impressive. I could not help daydreaming later of some of the events and places, picturing myself there. Lawhead is an extremely descriptive writer, painstakingly painting a face or a scene. Significant encounters are so emotionally and visually loaded, that you are helplessly drawn into them. An earlier reviewer mentioned that some folks may be offended by discussion of God, Jesus, etc. For those folks, I would simply say, welcome to historical-fiction...nay history! The religious elements are arguably central to the story, for the path of Aidan within the book is not over Skania, Gaul, and Anatolia, per se. They are simply the physical context in which the soul-wrenching travel takes place. Since Lawhead is writing as Aidan in the 1st-person, the introspection and soul-searching are brutally honest and utterly realistic. If only we were all so honest with ourselves! The philosophical presence of the "God in a world of evil" debate is undeniable. What Aidan sees and does is ubiquitous throughout history, and the anguish he experiences, the questions he asks, are the very questions that have occupied the greatest souls and minds in all of history. The novel is not easy to read, given the more diverse vocabulary and complex plot, but it is well worth your effort to press through, and do so in front of a mirror...as so much can resonate with the human soul, if we are only willing to allow it.
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Summary: Great historical fiction
Review: This book was a lively read from start to finish. Mr. Lawhead is a great storyteller, and I eagerly followed the main character Aidan as he travelled with the Book of Kells from a small, sheltered monastery to many different lands and cultures as he made his way to Byzantium. I really liked the inclusion of the Sea Wolves and loved the contrast between them and their civilized counterparts in Byzantium. Aidan's interactions with Princess Kazimain and his introduction to the Middle East was also a nice contrast between the European mindset and the Middle Eastern. This book was very well researched and told in a convincing, entertaining style. I have read quite a few of Stephen R. Lawhead's books, and I would have to say this is my favorite.
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Summary: Wonderful book
Review: Byzantium has a lot going for it: Good character development, an engaging plot, an interesting historical setting,a lot of characters I really cared about, and a bittersweet ending. One of the best books I've read.
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Summary: Over-long and unbelievable
Review: The story told in "Byzantium" is perhaps the stuff of a TV miniseries, but as a novel it is over-long (at 872 pages!), far-fetched and unbelievable, and in the end, not very gratifying. The prose is pedestrian and pedantic, and the author's attempts at descriptive language often go astray. For example, between pages 682 and 703, the main character, Aidan, has his stomach
"squirm", has something someone said "squirm" in his head, and has his mind "squirm". It would appear that poor Aidan, and the poor reader, are in trouble. The novel has Aidan travelling through so many lands and so many adventures, the tale becomes a laundry list of "what else can I have him do now?" rather than a coherent narative. The novel also does injustice to the real, historical St. Aidan who became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 635. St. Aidan predated the Book of Kells (c. late seventh, early eighth century) and was never engaged to an Arab princess!!
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Summary: The ultmate experience, get the music !
Review: I found this wonderful writer through the music I listen to.
Jeff Johnson and Brian Dunning have four CD's that are inspired by Lawhead books. There titles are, Byzantium, Patrick, The Enduring Story and Songs from Albion II. I Listen to music while I read, and Johnson and Dunning's Music made reading Byzantium and Patrick the ultmate experience. Lawhead is a wonderful writer and there are plenty of reviews to this explain this fact. Get Johnson and Dunning CD's and you will really enjoy reading Lawhead.
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