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Summary: Jeza not the "evil one."
Review: The contention that Jeza dies after the turn of the new millennium (based on the idea that Christ was born around 4 BC) is erroneous. Note that the Fatima Letters in the story are each dated, and those dates are configured on the current Gregorian Calendar, which sets Christ's birth at the year 0. Therefore, since the Fatima Letters relate to this timeline, so must the prophecies contained in them. It's simply a matter of relativity!
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Summary: Has there ever been a book like this before?
Review: I got this book for Christmas and tore through it at breakneck speed. I've never read anything like it before. Totally thrilling and intense. What other author has the guts to say the things this author says? This novel is the bare truth about contemporary religion, laid out in an ingenious and frightening plot. If truth is stranger than fiction, in this case, fiction speaks much louder and more truthfully than any non-fiction I've ver read on the subject. This is simply an oustanding book everyone should read.
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Summary: The Most Meaningful Literature In History
Review: As a former priest and current chair of the Department of Literature at a major university, I find this to be the greatest work of literature that I have ever read in my life. No novel has touched me so profoundly. The writing is simply sublime, the characters finely etched portraits of humanity. Jeza and the message she bestows upon the reader reach far beyond anything that has ever met the printed word. This masterpiece changes lives (it did my own) and is the richest, most meaningful, and epochal book ever written. It is not merely genius, it is obviously divinely inspired. The condemnation of the Catholic Church sets the very page afire with truth. No author in history has even approached this incredible wisdom and beauty. All literature is ruined for me. This author, this book, is unlike any other and is a gift, a blessing, and a revelation of truth to the ages. Humanity can never be the same after this.
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Summary: Sobering, chilling--and hillarious!
Review: Looking for something to whipsaw your emotions and shift your mind into overdrive? This book will do it. Funny, scary, provocative and irreverent, it's the best read I've had in years. I can't imagine a better way to spend a weekend--well, only ONE better way. Still, you got to take time to satisfy your mind, too, don't you?
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Summary: According to Kleier's own story, Jeza was the "Evil One"ΓΏ
Review: In chapter 90 the Second Prophecy stated: 'Unto your midsts shall come the Evil One, in a comely guise, to spread before you the sweet fruit of perdition.' And then later in the Second Prophecy this line appeared: 'But if the First Prophecy is to be (Jeza is the Messiah), it shall be fulfilled before the turn of the millennium; and if the Second Prophecy is to be (Jeza is the Antichrist), it shall be fulfilled thereafter.' Kleier made much of the argument that 'the now-conspicuous fact that the year 2000--and not 1999-- was, indeed, the last year of the old millennium.' (chapter 115, pp583) to prove Jeza was the Messiah.This might be true if is wasn't for the fact that theologians almost universally agree that Christ was born in the year 4 B.C. (some suggest 6 B.C.) which would start the millennial clock at minus 4 and not zero as is reflected in contemporary calendars. The second millennium actually ended somewhere between the years 1994-1997 depending on where you place the birth of Christ and how you mark the 'beginning' of the next millennium within that context. Whichever you choose, Jeza performed her 'works' and died in the year 2000, or at least 2004 years after the birth of Christ, at least two (and maybe more) years AFTER the beginning of the third millennium. Convicted by Kleier's himself, Jeza terminates her appearance on the Earth as the 'Evil One' or the Antichrist.
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Summary: Interesting, but I've seen better.
Review: The premise of Mr. Klier's story was a good one. Unfortunately, he did not execute it all that well. Parts of the story were exciting and tense and it held my interest for most of the book. The book starts out focusing on Biblical prophecy but in the end, totally disregards it. If a work of fiction references actual printed material, I feel it should remain true to that material. There was no mention of the Rapture, nor of Christ's (Jeza's) triumphant return with the saints. There was also no tribulation. Also, Jeza's sermons seemed a bit too 'New-Agey' for my taste. The messiah in the book does not in any way resemble what the Bible says about the return of the Messiah. Sorry, this book just didn't do anything for me.
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Summary: An Unconvincing Apologetic for Religous Pluralism
Review: Being a librarian, I had ordered this book for an institution which I had worked at, back in 1997, thinking that it would be an entertaining read come the turn of the Millenium. I only got around to reading it myself this December. I must say, I am extremely surprised at the volume of reviews that have been posted thus far on Amazon's site. This book has clearly touched a nerve. To me, the book is very average. I found it very readable, fairly well written, but I cannot say that I found any of the characters to be portrayed to a degree of depth which I could call satisfying. This is disappointing, as I had looked forward to the book, and I believe the overall plot to be well-chosen and somewhat well constructed, but there are many, many gaps in how this narrative is played out. In particular, I found the lead character, the reporter Jon Feldman, to be surprisingly shallow and indecisive. Kleier had a fantastic opportunity to really put some depth into this character, but just couldn't seem to pull it off. This was probably the most disappointing aspect of the book for me. Since I am also an evangelical Christian, I feel it necessary to comment on the portrait of religion in this work. Generally, here, as with most other aspects of the work, only broad themes are sketched, and real-life spirituality is not really well-handled by the author. There is a distinct anti-conservative bias in the book, and it is overdone; I believe that a less superficial treatment of the problems of organized religion would have been more satisfying; on this count, I would rather that the author be critical of conservative religion, and do it well, than do it somewhat sloppily. I do totally reject the author's concept of a new or second Messiah; from a consistent and truthful analysis of the Christian Bible, there can be no additional Messiah. Having said this, I do find Kleier's Jeza intriguing. If anything, he did not delineate her character deeply enough, choosing instead to parrot biblical themes. I would have appreciated a more creative messianic figure, one who truly spoke to genuine religious issues, instead of issuing what must be mostly viewed as late twentieth century political platitudes. All in all, I liked this book, especially for a first novel. I would hope that Mr. Kleier writes more on this broad theme, while spending some additional time in character development. The Last Day is a good read at the pure fiction level, while at the same time somewhat raising significant issues that we should all investigate more deeply in our own lives.
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Summary: Awesome!
Review: I just finished this novel and am ecstatic over it. All the way through it had me in in a vice grip, completely captivated by a plot that twisted me in knots and kept me wondering how it would all end. I will tell you that my hands were shaking more than once and the climax left me dumbfounded. If you've not read it yet, get your hands on a copy any way you can, and set aside some quality time to read and think about it. This book is impossible to get out of your mind!
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Summary: A soul shaker
Review: This is a scary book! The way it is written makes it seem very real, very believable. And very, very exciting and suspenseful. It kept me up late three nights in a row, but was well worth it. On a scale of ten, this is a solid eleven!
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Summary: What a terrific way to start the new millennium
Review: This has got to be one of the most exciting and unusual novels I've ever read. A dark mystery that twists and turns its way into a stunning conclusion. There is a message here for anyone seeking an understanding to life and meaning out of all the bloodshed, chaos and catastrophe this last millennium has delivered. This book will shock and scare you before it delivers what could be the single most important point modern day organized religions have all overlooked. A powerful, throughly mesmerizing novel.
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