Tacky Religious Fiction

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
If you were thinking about picking up James Patterson's "Cradle and All", don't do it!  The absolute worst in religious fiction, which is typically one of my favorite genres.  It's about two virgins who are about to give birth - one to the Saviour and one to Satan.  Good premise - terrible execution.  If there is in fact a hell, Patterson will burn there for creating this sacriligious dreck.
 

Frank

Chairman of the Board
Why would this particular book get you so wound up?
I thought you weren't outrageously religious.

The premise sounds weird, but then again, I read "The Satanic Verses" many years ago. I'm well acquainted with weird premises.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Not religious at all - just don't like bad books.  The description on the back sounded fascinating, but the book itself was garbage.  I hate that!  

I didn't read "Satanic Verses" - was it good?  I did read "The Bible Code" and it was ridiculous.  I love Bible prophecy because it's timeless - what goes for today could just as easily apply to 100 years ago.  So I look for good religious fiction and non-fiction and am disappointed when it stinks.
 

Sharon

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Staff member
PREMO Member
I've read mostly all of J.P.'s books and usually they are pretty good reads.  This particular book stunk big time but I saw it through to the end.  It wasn't the idea of the book, it just wasn't up to par with the rest of his work.  I've put down a few Steven King's in the middle and never read the sequel to Dean Koontz's "Fear Nothing" because it was so bad.  Have you read any Ridley Pearson or John Sanford?
 

Frank

Chairman of the Board
Rushdie's book is bizarre, and I imagine you probably need to be either familiar with Indain literature, or Rushdie's earlier work to appreciate it (and I fall into neither category). It begins with an explosion on a plane, and two men who are falling to their deaths are instantly transformed, one into a devil, the other, into the angel Gabriel. There's an enormous amount of examination over good, and evil - for example, the man who is now a devil becomes brutally treated by ordinary people, while the angel gets fawned over, and the man-angel becomes quickly vain and egotistical.

And then it gets *really* weird. The parts that got Rushdie with a death sentence on him - a 'fatwa' - were the parts where this newly created Gabriel would appear to Mohammed, but that Mohammed would force words from his mouth he had no intention of saying - the creation of the Koran. In effect, the book states that the Koran says whatever Mohammed wanted it to say.

I can't remember much more - it's been at least ten years since I read it or even opened it. I DO remember one recurring phrase, which I still sometimes use in these kinds of dialogues  - "what kind of idea are you?"
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Sharon, I've read all the John Sandford books - I'm mad about Lucas Davenport!  I didn't like the Kid and Luellen books so much, though.  I'll tell you who else is an excellent read - Nelson DeMille.  I've never been disappointed yet with one of his books.

We should start a book review forum - whaddaya think?
 

Sharon

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Staff member
PREMO Member
I haven't read Nelson DeMille.  I'm 2/3 through "Easy Prey" and now you got me wondering what happens to Lucas that makes you mad (probably me too when I get there).  I like the idea of a book forum; maybe a combo book/movie forum.  Nothing can be more disappointing than a good book butchered into a movie...or watching a good movie and then the ending seems like the writers just stopped writing.
 

Frank

Chairman of the Board
I've seen countless movies and TV episodes exactly as you described - somewhere someone pitched a concept for a movie, threw in a lot of cool scenes, and had absolutely no idea how to resolve it. In fact, that is exactly how I felt about "What Women Want" and "Castaway".

This happens a LOT more often in movies than in books. I think because, a book is like a canvas with words - you have to carefully construct it, and that means you can't really rush an ending in (although I think ALL of Crichton's books do that).
 

Frank

Chairman of the Board
??? The Michael Richards show? I thought that was gone already. Jerry Seinfeld even joked about, 2 down, 1 to go.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Sharon, I didn't mean that I was angry about Davenport - just that I'm madly crazy about him.  Easy Prey is a good one but Davenport needs to clean up his personal life a bit.  Arrested development and all...but still I love him and can't wait for the next installment!
 

StiLTSkiN

Member
Sorry to branch of the topic slightly, but "House Harkonnen" written by Frank Herberts son (forgot his name) and Kevin J Anderson is one of the best books I have read this year.  Its set in the Dune universe about 100 years before Paul Atredies.   Easier reading than the originals, not so many big words :)
 
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