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Summary: A wonderful, fresh novel, sure to delight most readers.
Review: "The History of our World Beyond the Wave" is the best novel I've read in some time. It is a fantastic narrative in the best sense: truly surprising, and written with flair and imagination.
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Summary: praise from fantasy author Paul McAuley
Review: "R. E. Klein has produced a *Pilgrim's Progress* for the end of the Millennium; a sinewy and finely imagined fable about the best and worst of human desires." --Paul J. McAuley
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Summary: brisk adventure story in the post-deluvian genre
Review: A wonderful new book. Certainly in the pure adventure story genre, but with echoes of and homage to Milton, CS Lewis, and Malory and The Grail, the character is caught up in the mother of all waves, then in a post-diluvian world, full of strange creatures and places. The hero, Paul Sant - pay attention to the names throughout - wanders on an endless sea, punctuated with islands, and perhaps a few quasi-british-isles. Albeit without any persuasive explanation of why God went back on his word to Noah - though that was touched on. Probably I just didn't read closely enough, more than good reason for future readings. If this book has any serious faults, its that its too short.
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Summary: Five thumbs up.
Review: An excellent work of fiction, a new 'Odyssey' for our time. A tale of magic, mysteries, monsters, and morality. With authors like Klein coming forth to greet the new millenium, who needs television? A masterpiece.
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Summary: A Rare Find
Review: As I get older, it is a rare joy to find a book destined to become part of my life. Klein explores a world both wonderful and dreadful; though the novel was never gruesome, I had the feeling at any moment the writer might reveal an image too terrible for me to bear. If you loved C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce," "Phantastes" by George MacDonald, or Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus," you will like this book.
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Summary: A Rare Find
Review: As I get older, it is a rare joy to find a book destined to become part of my life. Klein explores a world both wonderful and dreadful; though the novel was never gruesome, I had the feeling at any moment the writer might reveal an image too terrible for me to bear. If you loved C.S. Lewis' "The Great Divorce," "Phantastes" by George MacDonald, or Lindsay's "A Voyage to Arcturus," you will like this book.
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Summary: Possibly The Most Overated Book on Amazon
Review: Basic premise of book: 1. Big wave comes along and wipes out most of the people on Earth. 2. Nothing particularly exciting happens 3. Survivors come together and form a new society. 4. Well.... that's about it, actually.Sadly, the book is trite. The characters are barely even one dimensional. Nobody has any real emotions, to the point that no one even cares that all that their loved ones are dead. The author has no grasp of even the basics of natural science (i.e. static electricity diminishes as humidity rises, not the reverse. Also, people who climb snow-capped mountains and sleep in the snow with only a sweater tend to die, or at least shiver a little). But worst of all, this book is merely another communist manifesto in disguise. Everyone who survives the "wave" works hard for the common good, has no faults, and is kind, thoughtful, and couragous. They are each assigned a "profession" by the group and happily obey. There is no crime. There is no conflict of any kind. Geeeeez. Of course you can build a perfect society if everyone in it is perfect. The author missed a great opportunity to provide a thoughtful look at how society could be if we could start over and do it again. Instead he brings a bunch of perfect people together, all singing tra la la (along with a completly intact library of the knowledge and tools aquired over thousands of years) only to follow the exact same path we've already taken. If you are the kind of person who travels through life believing in a fantasy world of the way life ought to be and are unable to accept the reality of the way life actually is, then this book is for you.
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Summary: Wow...
Review: For lovers of both science fiction and fantasy, I highly recommend this book. I sat down to read it and couldn't put it down. It provokes a lot of thought, and made me consider a lot of "what if's." It's drama, humor and symbolism draw together a great narrative, with interesting characters (both human and otherwise). Get it, read it, enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Wow...
Review: For lovers of both science fiction and fantasy, I highly recommend this book. I sat down to read it and couldn't put it down. It provokes a lot of thought, and made me consider a lot of "what if's." It's drama, humor and symbolism draw together a great narrative, with interesting characters (both human and otherwise). Get it, read it, enjoy!
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Summary: The World Beyond the Wave of Terror - A Prophecy
Review: Great books talk to every generation of every age. They have different things to say, in different ways each time. I ordered R. E. Klein's book before September 11, 2001. I received it and read it after the day of horrible rage of evil. I ponder how the book would have talked to me before that day. I am sure I would have liked its fascinating story, its moral stand and its enjoyable style. Then, it would have been a fantasy, only a fantasy. It would have been an unimaginable, poetic saga of Fancy Land with subtle meaningful messages about the inner workings of people. I would have read it with excitement and my breath withheld, but knowing all the while - in my subconscious - the fictitious nature, unlikely occurrence of its story. I would have appreciated it as an enthralling book. Now I say it is a prophetic book. It contains a prophecy capable of being born only from a subtle thinker who is sensitive to hidden currents of history forming forces. The ingenuity of evil released a wave of sheer horror inundating our world with insane menace and filth. This horrific milestone of history changed us drastically, significantly and irreversibly. I started to read this book unprepared for finding the precise description and in-depth analysis of our current malaise and struggle. I was up to a surprise. R. E. Klein's portrayal of the world after the Wave is uncannily similar to our current experience with raging evil forces. Millions of us, everyday average people are following Paul Sant's adventurous journey, his fight for survival and betterment of our world after September 11. R. E. Klein's novel has already been tested by changing times and it has proven itself - and its author's talent - worthy of the appreciation of different generations, different ages and different conditions. I believe it is a great book for all generations to come. It will always be meaningful and enriching as long as evil attempts to assail goodness.
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