Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book really gets to the heart of Jesus' second coming. While I truly believe that this is only a novel, and it should never be seen as more than a novel, it gives a "real" interpretation of the Book of Revalation. I guarentee that this book will atleast get you thinking, and perhaps make you think twice about not taking your religion seriously
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Summary: couldn't leave it behind
Review: This is one book that I couldn't put down. Beyond the fact that it was easy to read through simple, uncomplicated verbage and larger print, I was riveted by the subject itself - revelations -- and hungry to learn more about the Bible and explore it's interpretations. If it brings the secular world closer to God by raising awareness of Jesus Christ and his message for mankind, then barring literary accolades, it has been a great success. I am looking forward to continuing in the series and am halfway through Tribulation Force now. Diane Vulcan
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Summary: ~wow~
Review: This was a great book. The character "Buck" reminded me a lot of myself before I became a Christian. This book really is for everyone, not just believers.
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Summary: Good Fiction?
Review: Thiss is the one that will hook you into the series. I've read all but "The Indwelling"(just strarting) and they all make for interesting reading. This is one of the best in the series, maybe the best. No need to preach here but the books do a pretty good job of it. 1215 reviews and counting, so pick em. It is a quick read so you can get through it fast, it'll definitely have you thinking.
Rating: 
Summary: Leave it Behind
Review: When faced with such a book, it is difficult to know just where to begin. If the book is taken simply as the first in what has become a series of mediocre but widely sold science fiction or fantasy novels, then the review can end here, stating simply that it is written at a middle school reading level with characters that are two dimensional at best. However, I have noticed that this book is looked to as something more than just a novel. It has become a part of the apocryphal literature of many non-denominational (and some denominational) Christian churches. For this reason, a more detailed assessment is needed.The premise, that a group of people gather into an underground resistance following the apocalypse to oppose the anti-Christ, is problematic. Theologically, the idea of a post-apocalyptic redemption through good works is contradictory. Protestant theology grants redemption on the basis of God's grace; good works are not considered in the equation. In Catholic theology, good works are the way to redemption, with redemption also possible in Purgatory. The book is decidedly not written from a Catholic perspective, thus Protestant theology must be assumed. However, if the apocalypse has happened, then the game is over. Redemption is no longer possible. Furthermore, if such is the case, why would anyone "left behind," essentially the unrighteous, wish to battle the new ruler? Traditional Christian interpretation of the apocalypse does not allow for second chances, so what is to be gained? In a universe that has already experienced the final judgement, God has spoken and nothing done by man can change the outcome. The answer can only be that the book reflects the free form Christianity of modern suburban America, which is essentially devoid of theology. It exhibits no coherence, mixing free will with predestination, combining the doctrine of works with the doctrine of grace, picking and choosing from the Old and New Testaments as necessary or convenient. This leaves two questions: was the book written to specifically appeal to a group of people (a target market group) who would not be expected to ask such questions or are the authors simply ignorant of such matters? Depending upon the answer to these questions, the book is either a cynical, now successful, piece of marketing or a testimony to a modern atheological religion's attempt to create a modern scripture. From a writing standpoint, the book is fairly simple. The main characters are poorly developed and are quite unreal. They seem to be the image of the unrighteous as held by those who consider themselves above such people. Their motives are too simple, too transparent. Every plot twist, of which there are many, are either cliché or contrived. If Hollywood were interested, this book would make an excellent screenplay. As a movie it could be expected to be successful (though it still would not be very good) as it would lend itself very well to visual representation. There is a good deal of action, heaps of emotion, and scenes that simply beg for a visual image. In some ways, it's the religious equivalent of a modern romance novel - simple, unchallenging, and inspiring of personal fantasy (albeit religious instead of sexual). Regardless of critical reviews, the book can be expected to be a best seller. What its admirers seem to ask of it transcends style or coherence. They don't demand complex characters or plausible plot lines. They only ask for their views to be justified in print. Theology, eschatology, and all systems of classical religious study are abandoned in pursuit of spiritual catharsis. Reviews cannot be expected to change this desire. To say that this book is not worth reading seems almost gratuitous. If you know you want to read this book, go ahead and do so. If you are not sure, take a bit of friendly advice: leave it behind and look for something a bit more complex and coherent.
Rating: 
Summary: A modest epic with "extra stuff" thrown in...
Review: Having been given this book by a friend for a long plane trip, I managed to read almost all of it in one sitting. That is not to say that it was particularly gripping. The book is extremely simply written. Large text, simple sentences, uncomplicated plot devices, and a pre-determined plot (guess what, god wins...). I did enjoy the book from a brain junk-food perspective. The story is an interesting read. The concept is quite intriguing, even if from a secular standpoint. Minus the religious babble thrown into the book, it's an okay read -- something to occupy your mind while, say, sitting on a subway train or in an airplane flying across the country. I can't say I was religiously moved by the book, and frankly, it fairly drips with religious admoninitions. If you can see past that, though, you'll be sure to get your two-stars' worth of epic adventure reading out of it. Borrow it; don't buy it.
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Summary: Stodgy Repressed Men Making Money Off of Other's Worries
Review: Idiocy! Hundreds of pages of idiocy! If you're a practicing Christian and are already familiar with the Book of Revelation, I'm absolutely certain that you can make up a better, more plausible version of the "end times" than Lahaye and Jenkins come up with in this amateurish, long-winded, and pointless trash. (If you're not familiar with the Book of Revelation -- the work that "Left Behind" attempts to expound upon -- and are curious as to one perspective on "the end of the world" (from St. John, no less), read that and let your own imagination fill in the details.) The main characters come from the fields of politics, aviation, journalism, finances, evangelism, and "college," but the authors clearly have absolutely no real expertise in any of these fields and can't seem to put together a believable spin on what any of the main characters do. Instead, the "expertise" of the writers seems more limited to familiarity with the Chicago area (thus, Chicago gets to play as an important setting in the story) and a self-obsession with the foibles and failings that often plague particularly repressed, conservative middle-aged white Christian men in their timid and narrow little lives. As a result, the book features subtle (perhaps even unconscious on the writers' part) yet distinctly misogynistic, anti-semitic, and even racist qualities. The book even manages to deem lefties inferior! Not a single dated stereotype seems left untouched in this already obsolete "book of the future." If you wish to gain some insights in the rigid, fearful thinking of men like Lahaye and Jenkins, well, you'll get a few introspective nuggets sporadically dispersed throughout the book -- but is that really of interest to you? The one (and only) thing going for this book is that it's a very fast, easy read. That being the case, there is surprisingly little in the way of action, and the dialogue has the clunky artificial ponderousness of a quickly and poorly-written TV drama. Perhaps the most irritating aspect of the book is the way characters tend to undergo instantaneous about-faces in their personalities that totally violate all of characterization "foundation" that had been built up over hundreds of pages. Count on all of the main characters' personalities doing contrived flip-flops at some point in the book, not really because of any rapturous religious epiphanies, but rather because Lahaye and Jenkins needed particular events to happen in the plot, and they lazily sacrificed any realistic character development to avoid having to put any real thought into their work. LaHaye and Jenkins clearly have absolutely no clue as to how "the end times" will proceed, and their version of events brings implausibility to new heights. For example, the book begins with Israel as the dominant world power, deriving from their radical new-found success in the cutting-edge field of: computers? financial markets? No, no, no! Try AGRICULTURE! That's right, a nation smaller than many American states becomes The Superpower of the 21st Century solely based on an industry with greater ties to 18th and 19th centuries... A very minor example (I cite it in particular only because it happens very early in the book), but nearly every chapter of the book presents some new completely implausible fictional future event to the extent that upon finishing the book, the only thing the reader can safely conclude from all this is: if the world's gonna end any time soon -- even if it ends exactly as prophecied in the Book of Revelation from first to last letter -- it ain't gonna be anything like the depiction in the Left Behind series. Save your time, save your money. If you're looking for answers to important questions, look elsewhere. Live your lives to their full future potential and LEAVE THESE LOATHSOME BOOKS BEHIND, forgotten in the dusts of the past.
Rating:
Summary: LEft Behind a book with soul
Review: LEft behind is one of the best books I have ever read.It gives and acurated account of the rapture.I would highly recommend it to anyone who doubts or plan wants to know more about it.I have read all seven of the books and each time I am thrilled.The authors keep it interesting.The charecters are lively and can easily fit anyone of of.This book is a perfect score
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Summary: A Wake Up Call!
Review: All I can say is that Left Behind is awesome. It really makes you think. After reading this great book I got saved. I don't want to be left behind.
Rating:
Summary: Most effective book I've ever read
Review: My family has had this and all of the other books for quite some time yet I never really had a desire to read them. Finally a good christian friend told me that I really needed to check out the Left Behind series. Since then I've finshed both this book, Tribulation Force, and am now in the middle of the third. This book was so effective that I had trouble putting it down. Since then I've gotten much more interested in reading the bible and going to church. This book does what only one other can do better. It brings you closer to God.
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