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Imagine crossing E.M. Forster with Jane Austen. Stir in a bit of socialist doctrine, a sprig of satire, strong Indian curry, and a couple quarts of good English gin and you get something close to the flavor of George Orwell's intensely readable and deftly plotted Burmese Days. In 1930, Kyauktada, Upper Burma, is one of the least auspicious postings in the ailing British Empire--and then the order comes that the European Club, previously for whites only, must elect one token native member. This edict brings out the worst in this woefully enclosed society, not to mention among the natives who would become the One. Orwell mines his own Anglo-Indian background to evoke both the suffocating heat and the stifling pettiness that are the central facts of colonial life: "Mr. MacGregor told his anecdote about Prome, which could be produced in almost any context. And then the conversation veered back to the old, never-palling subject--the insolence of the natives, the supineness of the Government, the dear dead days when the British Raj was the Raj and please give the bearer fifteen lashes. The topic was never let alone for long, partly because of Ellis's obsession. Besides, you could forgive the Europeans a great deal of their bitterness. Living and working among Orientals would try the temper of a saint."
Protagonist James Flory is a timber merchant, whose facial birthmark serves as an outward expression of the ironic and left-leaning habits of mind that make him inwardly different from his coevals. Flory appreciates the local culture, has native allegiances, and detests the racist machinations of his fellow Club members. Alas, he doesn't always possess the moral courage, or the energy, to stand against them. His almost embarrassingly Anglophile friend, Dr. Veraswami, the highest-ranking native official, seems a shoo-in for Club membership, until Machiavellian magistrate U Po Kyin launches a campaign to discredit him that results, ultimately, in the loss not just of reputations but of lives. Whether to endorse Veraswami or to betray him becomes a kind of litmus test of Flory's character.
Against this backdrop of politics and ethics, Orwell throws the shadow of romance. The arrival of the bobbed blonde, marriageable, and resolutely anti-intellectual Elizabeth Lackersteen not only casts Flory as hapless suitor but gives Orwell the chance to show that he's as astute a reporter of nuanced social interactions as he is of political intrigues. In fact, his combination of an astringently populist sensibility, dead-on observations of human behavior, formidable conjuring skills, and no-frills prose make for historical fiction that stands triumphantly outside of time. --Joyce Thompson
Book Description
Orwell draws on his years of experience in India to tell this story of the waning days of British imperialism. A handful of Englishmen living in a settlement in Burma congregate in the European Club, drink whiskey, and argue over an impending order to admit a token Asian.
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U Po Kyin, Sub-divisional Magistrate of Kyauktada, in Upper Burma, was sitting in his veranda. It was only half past eight, but the month was April, and there was a closeness in the air, a threat of the long, stifling midday hours. Occasional faint breaths of wind, seeming cool by contrast, stirred the newly drenched orchids that hung from the eaves. Beyond the orchids one could see the dusty, curved trunk of a palm tree, and then the blazing ultramarine sky. Up in the zenith, so high that it dazzled one to look at them, a few vultures circled without the quiver of a wing. Unblinking, rather like a great porcelain idol, U Po Kyin gazed out into the fierce sunlight. He was a man of fifty, so fat that for years he had not risen from his chair without help, and yet shapely and even beautiful in his grossness; for the Burmese do not sag and bulge like white men, but grow fat symmetrically, like fruits swelling. His face was vast, yellow and quite unwrin-kled, and his eyes were tawny. His feet-squat, high-arched feet with the toes all the same length-were bare, and so was his cropped head, and he wore one of those vivid Arakanese longyis with green and magenta checks which the Burmese wear on informal occasions. He was chewing betel from a lacquered box on the table, and thinking about his past life.
Customer Reviews:
Fast Shipping-Good Quality.......2007-09-27
The title pretty much sum's it up. I got the book in about 3 days after it was shipped and the quality was fine, there was no writing and so i am happy.
Social Statement Or Not, It Is A Good Novel.......2007-09-15
Eric Arthur Blair (1903 to 1950) - or known to most as George Orwell - made his mark with his two most famous novels: 1984 and Animal Farm.
The present novel was published in 1934, years before his most famous works. It is based on his days in Burma which at the time was part of greater India. As a novel, it is a masterpiece or close to one, but it is overshadowed by his most famous works. This is his second novel and it follows A Hanging from 1931.
Many focus on the social aspects of the plot and the discrimination of the British against the locals; and, that was certainly part of Blair's motivation for writing the novel. Of course that is important. But looking beyond that politically correct message, how good is it as a work of art or as a work of literature?
Overall it is good or excellent. The story is very entertaining. The novel is well written and it is well balanced. Blair was inspired by those who went before such as Joyce, Flaubert, and others. In the best tradition of Flaubert, the novel is tight and crisp like one of the better works from Flaubert, or even Tolstoy, and the story involves human emotions and decisions by people which determine the outcome of the story, for better or for worse.
Sometimes that emotion is tightly controlled as we see in the character Elizabeth Lackersteen. Her background in Paris is not unlike the experiences of Blair himself in Paris in his poorer days when he washed dishes. Her anti-Burmese attitude is in strong contrast to the protagonist John Flory who has adapted to the jungles of Burma and he takes a softer approach to life in Burma. Also, he knows what the future there will be like with or without a wife. He has a much broader understanding of the peoples and the country and he seems to be very sensitive to the environment, both cultural and social. But, will that be his downfall? His emotions seem to rise and fall with the temperature and humidity, or so it seems. You will have to read the novel to find out.
I especially liked the descriptions of the steaming jungles teaming with life and sounds, thick with trees and plants, and the oppressive heat of the spring and the heavy rains of Burma. They are beautifully described by Blair. Also, the hunting scenes were exceptional. John and Elizabeth go hunting for local game as part of their courtship. One can almost see the flying birds over their heads, the guns swinging to meet the birds, feel the noise of blasts, and then hear the leopard walking almost silently in the tall grass. All of that is great prose, great writing, and it makes for a compelling read.
So in summary, this is an interesting novel with lots of social merit but it is also a very good read which is set in the colony of Burma almost 100 years ago, in an age of racial division, revolt, drama, intense human emotions, and set in a primitive and exotic setting.
Highly recommend: 5 stars.
"...the sun glared in the sky like an angry god, then suddenly the monsoon blew westward...".......2007-08-23
'Burmese Days', George Orwell's first novel, was based on his five years' experience as a member of the British Indian Imperial military police in Burma, which was part of British India at the time (1922-27) and remained so until 1937. Orwell was born in Bengal British India where his father worked for the Opium Department of the Civil Service.
Orwell sets his rather sordid tale in a remote station of Kyauktada in Upper Burma.
Through Orwell's considerable literary skills the reader feels the heat and rains: "...from February through May the sun glared in the sky like an angry god, then suddenly the monsoon blew westward, first in sharp squalls, then in a heavy ceaseless downpour that drenched everything until neither one's clothes, one's bed, nor even one's food ever seemed to be dry. It was still hot, with a stuffy vaporous heat. The jungle paths turned to morasses, and the paddy fields were great wastes of stagnant water with a stale mousy smell...Through July and August there was hardly a pause in the rain."
Fictional Kyauktada station consists of eight whites in the midst of thousands of Burmese. Eight whites holding on to their cribbed vision of civilization with a social life centered around a cheap whites-only club and the once-every-six-weeks visit of the Anglican priest. Although he changed the names, Orwell's characters were based on real people he encountered. The corrosive affect of colonial rule takes a toll on everyone involved, British and Burmese alike. The Anglo Indians generally display racist attitudes that ranged from an accepted sense of one's own 'natural' superiority to raging hate. The Burmese are nearly as repugnant as they scrape and bow to curry favor with grater and lesser degrees of sincerity. The protagonist Flory is the only partial exception, but his maddening equivocation ultimately leads to dire results. Several of the British sink into booze to put away the malaise.
Orwell had difficulty getting 'Burmese Days' published partially out of fear that it would anger supporters of the British Empire (especially Anglo Indians) and also fear of libel suits. After reading Burmese Days you will agree that these reactions would not have been surprising. No one comes off looking very good, British or Burmese, but least of all the British Empire. Was it really as bad as Orwell portrays? Perhaps it was, after all Kyauktada was far from a plum assignment. In any event Orwell's `Burmese Days' portrayal is closer to the mark than any romanticized renderings.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the Asian subcontinent.
An indictment of British colonial rule and institutionalized bigotry!.......2007-05-12
Most lovers of English literature will be aware of George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm" but, sadly, few book lovers will have even heard of, let alone read, his scathing indictment of colonial British government rule in east Asia, "Burmese Days". As Orwell's parents and family were posted to Burma and were obviously participants in, if not supporters of this colonial imperialism, it is difficult to imagine how much putting such criticism and biting satire to paper might have cost Orwell on a personal level.
Like Thomas Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge", this is an almost unremittingly dark novel with heroes that are at best deeply flawed. Orwell's haunting and magnificently economical prose, is a gun turret mounted on a 360° swivel that is brought to bear on every character in the novel in turn.
Flory, a white timber merchant with an embarassingly insipid weak personality befriends Veraswami, a local Burmese doctor who, inexplicably, seems to be an avid supporter of the British colonial government. When Veraswami's name is floated as the possible token native member of the British "club", the hostile reaction is immediate and visceral. Flory seems overwhelmed and is simply unable to muster the courage necessary to stand up to the demands of his peers who insist on maintaining an institutionalized prejudice against the local "niggers". Veraswami comes under attack on a second front from U Po Kyin, the utterly corrupt Burmese magistrate who covets the European patronage to enhance his own wealth and prestige. Beautiful Elizabeth Lackersteen - now there's a character! If this novel were placed in the US, she would have been a "flapper"! Today she would simply be written off as a vapid airhead! But, in "Burmese Days", she represents the worst of decadent imperial decline.
"Burmese Days" is not easy or comfortable reading. I felt at times queasy, often appalled, frequently saddened and even embarrassed that bigotry, hatred and corruption at this level is clearly a part of my heritage. Sadly, we are not yet able to claim we have grown completely past this type of behaviour but perhaps it is to our credit that people like Orwell had the courage to commit this to paper solely for the purpose of making us aware of our own shortcomings and that we are to this day profoundly uncomfortable when we read it!
Highly recommended.
A Fine Novel in Shoddy Skin.......2007-05-10
I truly believe Orwell is one of the most underappreciated novelists. Sure, everyone's read the Animal Farm and 1984, and his essays are often praised for influencing modern English prose (though rarely are they actually read), but most have never heard of Homage to Catalonia, Down and Out, Road to Wigan Pier, or his As I Please column. The Burmese Days is a prime example of a splendid yet inexplicably unpopular work of Orwell's, and deserves to be read as much as Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.
Many reviews have already mentioned how the novel is a candid account of British imperialist racism. The element is indeed there, and takes dutiful prominence by its very setting. Descriptions of kow-towing, strictly held prejudices held by every single white character (including Flory, the protagonist, though much less than the others), and mismanagement all abound. Plenty of mention is given to the garlic smell many natives apparently emanated, for instance. Interestingly enough, Orwell himself seems to be unintentionally racist in the narrator's descriptions of Burmese customs or the Burmese characters like U Po Kyin. This last habit is characteristic of Orwell's general writing, and is present in other works like Homage to Catalonia as well.
Nonetheless, accounts of racism, despite providing a very distinct theme and setting, are not why I enjoyed the book. The foremost reason for enjoying this book is for Orwell's characteristic writing style, that manages to be both homely and vivid yet sparse on the word count (the novel is only 190 or so pages) and as easy to read as a good pulp mystery. To go with the over-used term, it is a characteristic page-turner, with all the associated traits of constantly expanding the reader's curiosity of what will happen next while consuming no more than half a minute for any given page.
It does have several shortcomings, though. Most characters, despite having their fair shares of complexities and shortcomings, tend to act all too predictably and mechanically. Ellis will always be a vicious, profane bigot. Elizabeth will always be a shallow, pretentious airhead. And so on. Indeed, the only character that does seem to grow or change is Flory himself. Arguably, this is an intentional vehicle by which Orwell seeks to create an impression of Burma as a spiritual graveyard for various people who failed a life on the Continent--where everything is mired in a self-perpetuating web of complacency and banality. The book's ending is also a slight bit dissatisfying and seems out of character (odd since the novel up to that point so laboriously reinforced it), but does make sense and shouldn't disappoint.
The biggest failure of this book, and the reason it does not have 5 stars from me, is the fault of the editors rather than Orwell. This particular edition is rife with spelling and grammatical errors. Eat is sometimes spelled as each, periods are sometimes placed where commas were clearly intended to be, and various errors of this sort pervade. Proofreaders must have been lacking. This poses only on occasional annoyance, however, and should not stop you from reading this book, especially when it happens to be the only edition on the market today.
In short, you would do well to seek out this hidden jewel, and especially now, when the weather grows sweltering to complement the "prickly heat" of the novel's setting.
Book Description
It's 1970. Anne and Henry still have issues they need to address. It's been 434 years since they parted - on bad terms - and they haven't spoken since. Henry now has problems with alcohol, drugs and irresponsibility, and Anne is still holding onto a grudge.
They don't know they were married 434 years ago. They don't know they parted on bad terms. Anne has no idea why she has a compulsion to punish him, a man she's only just met, and Henry has no idea why he can't be near her without falling in love.
Threads, a reincarnation fantasy, opens with Anne's death in 1536. Her husband Henry, seemingly in defense of Anne (but more likely acting out of "stubborn perverseness," she observes), has terrorized England and decreed murder after political murder to protect her. Ultimately, to Anne's horror, he made the decision to have her executed as well.
Anne's fury at her husband's betrayal has enough momentum to survive centuries, but in "Threads" she learns that she has been assigned a hard task: she must forgive him. This may prove difficult and take some time. The husband in question is Henry VIII. The narrator is the stubborn, volatile Anne Boleyn, who is not at all inclined to forgive. .
It is a very unusual love story.
2000 William Faulkner Competition Finalist for best novel.
Customer Reviews:
Great, Great book.......2007-05-13
I loved this book; it is beautifully written and is engaging from the beginning. I loved the references to her other lifetimes - fascinating correlation.
Highly, highly recommend it. Everyone I know who has read it has loved it and passed it along to another reader.
Solid and entertaining though it falls short of spectacular.......2006-11-21
Being a big fan of love stories, historical fiction and the Tudors generally, this book seemed as if it were made more me. And I enjoyed it. It's rare to find a novel that portrays Anne Boleyn so sympathetically, but Gavin makes a decent case for Anne as a basically good person who was driven by love to do things that she'd otherwise never dream of. In her note to the readers at the end of the book Gavin explains where she got such ideas, backs them up with evidence where possible, and when there is no evidence she freely admits that it's her own speculation. Obviously the portions that take place in other incarnation and in the afterlife are pure fiction, but it's intersting watching Anne come to grasp the concept that she and Henry were soulmates who paid debts from their previous lives during their reign. In order for them to move on together Anne must learn to forgive Henry for murdering her. This is where the book falters a bit. To do so Anne watches their past lives as if on a movie screen and discusses them with "the Voice", a disembodied spirit. These episodes of past lives seem thrown into the book, though they fail to do much of anything. We're given hints that there are other lifetimes that are not portrayed though we never learn why. So the interludes succeed in doing nothing but interrupting the flow of the narrative. As a character Anne is well drawn and developed. I became somewhat frustrated with her refusal to forgive Henry despite her obvious desire to do so and incresing evidence that he was not entirely at fault for what he did. These problems are somewhat detrimental but not entirely. Gavin still has a great love story, a nice bit of speculative history and some fantasy woven into mix
My only love sprung from my only hate!.......2006-04-30
This novel is not Romeo and Juliet, as my title implies, but it is a romantic tragedy of sorts. Told from the point of view of Anne Boleyn, the story is a truly heartbreaking one. It presents characters that are victims of human weakness, either their own or others. Anne, the protagonist, seems to be the most vulnerable of them all. The reader gets drawn into the novel and quickly sees a vulnerable, insecure, lonely young woman rather than the malicious witch that history has presented us with. Anyone who has ever struggled with the need to be accepted, with the need to be loved, with a betrayal or a heartbreak will be able to empathize with her. In her husband, you see yet another example of human weakness: a man who has almost no control over himself. He may be a king, but in a way he is a prisoner of both his mind and of this body. Anne and Henry are soul mates. They both truly love each other, but are too flawed as human beings to have their happily ever after. This life in particular leaves them both scarred, especially Anne. One of the things that I found particularly interesting in this novel was the stories of previous lives. It was such an interesting way to view things- to see where certain aspects of personalities came from, to compare and contrast individuals with their former existences. This novel is truly wonderful. It presents you with well developed characters. The story itself is completely believable. It also makes you ponder some interesting ideas. These include the value of your actions in life, the possibility of reincarnation and its impact on an individual's life, the value of love and friendship, the ability of power to corrupt, and the fragility of human beings.
Okay... so long story short: I highly recommend this novel!
The Boleyn girl still surprises.......2004-12-18
I am not a fan of historical fiction so being advised that would ejoy this left me unsure what to expect. It was a wonderful surprise to find that Nell Gavin had been brave enough to abandon the constraints of formula fiction and cast aside the rules of genre. The story of Anne Boleyn is of course one of the greatest injustices committed against an individual in modern history but is usually told from the point of view of the establishment. Not only does Nell give us Anne's point of view, she takes us beyong the execution to a place outside space and time where the central character, now aware of both past and future, can view herself objectively and understand why others behaved as they did.
There are elements of gnostic kabbalism in this novel and an intriguing parallel with the life of Diana, Princess of Wales emerges although it is not referred to directly.
The writer displayes in her literary style a lightness of touch that makes for easy reading and I am sure readers will find the pages turning so fast they start to get hot.
Threads may disappoint fans of the typical historical "bodice - ripper" and those who think themselves historical purists (having read some of their reviews however I feel that in their lust for purity they forget this is FICTION) but to the type of reader who likes novels to explore ideas rather than drily reporting imagined events Threads will be a delight. All in all a fine novel that I have no reservations about awarding five stars (plus a distinction for originality.)
Threads is an unforgettable novel..........2004-10-15
Nell Gavin has brought Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, to vibrant life in her unusual historical novel, "Threads." Anne's path from that of an unloved and abused young girl, to the position of Queen of England, is presented by Anne herself as she looks back upon the circumstances that eventually led to her execution. Although there really isn't a lot of actual historical information about Anne, Gavin has created believable personalities with strengths and weaknesses, imperfections and understandable desires. Using a combination of fact and legend, she tells a story of passion, obsession, and heartbreak that will capture readers with its depth and humanity.
Gavin uses the fictional concept of reincarnation to showcase all of the characters that make up what is truly a tragic tale of love and betrayal. In several different "reincarnations," Anne and Henry, along with family, friends, and lost loves, are placed into different life situations, each one exploring another facet of personality and circumstances. The technique is unique, intriguing, and in the end, beautifully coaxes the dark ghosts of a long dead past into the present for an introduction readers won't soon forget.
"Threads" is a remarkable effort. It is, without a doubt, one of the best historical novels I've every read. I give it my very highest recommendation!
Average customer rating:
- Ding Dong! Hi, It's Orson Card and I'd like a few moments . . .
- The journey to the ships
- Completely ruined by his ideas about human nature.
- Book of Mormon Ripoff
- A sense of interest arises
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The Ships of Earth: Homecoming: Volume 3 (Homecoming Saga)
Orson Scott Card
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
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Earthfall (Homecoming Saga)
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Heartfire (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 5)
ASIN: 0812532635 |
Book Description
The City of Basilica has fallen. Now Wetchik, Nafai, and all their family must brave the desert wastes, and cross the wide continents to where Harmony's hidden spaceport lies silent, abandoned, waiting for the command to make the great interstellar ships ready for flight again.But of these sixteen people, only a few have chosen their exile. The others, Rasa's spiteful daughters and their husbands; Wetchik's oldest son, Elemak, have been forced against their will. Their anger and hatreds will make the difficult journey harder.
Customer Reviews:
Ding Dong! Hi, It's Orson Card and I'd like a few moments . . ........2007-03-25
I remember reading this series about 10 years ago, and for high school, it was a good read, but nothing outstanding. Now I find that there is absolutely no follow through, these books are just a thinly disguised re-write of parts of the book of Mormon. For those of us that wanted good SF not a religious treatise, it's downright disappointing. Now I know why Card never resolved the issues concerning the characters. It's because they were just the 'hook' to get us all interested in the Mormon theology.
I review the whole series here, some spoilers.
The first three books are just good enough, that when you get to this and the fifth book, you find yourself very annoyed that the characters become flat and lifeless, just caricatures, really.
Nafai and Elemak never really resolve their differences, or even have a 'final' showdown. The last book carries the reader far into the future and all references to those other characters, like Luet, Hushidh and Issib to name a few, are dropped, never to reappear again.
The series really started going downhill once the Rats and the Bats were introduced. I mean, how lame is this? After 40 million years, the only species to evolve are rats and bats. Not dolphins or the cockroach or - birds even? This is an insult to the reader's intelligence. This becomes the star of the show, with the characters stories taking a back seat and finally disappearing altogether. I read the last few pages of the fourth book hoping to find out what happened after Elemak woke up to find the Nafari gone and his wife with them. After all his cruelties, he never really gets what's coming to him. Nafai turns into exactly what Elemak hates, rather than becoming a full fledged personality of his own. The Prophet Nafai, hm. Ugh.
You find yourself scanning the few moments featuring Shedemei in the fifth novel, to see if she ever even mentions any of them. She doesn't. You have no idea how they died, what happened to the next generation, nothing. Why spend so much time building these characters if they were nothing more than a cheap ploy to get us to read a watered down version of the book of Mormon? I feel cheated and disgusted.
I guess Card did this series as opposed to walking around door to door sweating his 'hooy' off trying to sell his religion. This was done in air conditioned comfort I assume, and he fulfills whatever obligation. I just know I will not be picking up any of this author's works without serious thought beforehand.
The journey to the ships.......2006-09-27
General Moozh is now the leader of Basilica, but Nafai and his family must leave their home for good. The Oversoul has given them a quest, but everyone in the quest is not completely behind it. The Ships of Earth is the story of eight couples, married and not, family and not, loving and not, and their caravan across the wilds of planet Harmony. By the Oversoul's lead, they strike this journey to a place where they will depart Harmony and be bound for Earth, many light years away. But, the issue of leading the caravan leads to dissension among the travelers. Nafai's oldest half-brother Elemak is a born leader but is not overly sensitive to the Oversoul, something which Nafai is and that fact continually burns Elemak and his younger brother Mebbekew.
This is a wonderful study of a very small closed society and their travels across the land. Marriages, children, hunting, surviving, loving and fighting each other. Nafai's parents, Volemak and Rasa and married, but all the other "couples" have to decide if they are going to marry. This requires a change in customs. In Basilica, the women determined whether or not to continue the marriage contract each year. In the travels, it becomes necessary to remain monogamous in order to retain order. The Oversoul continually speaks to Nafai and his wife Luet, the water-seer and also Issib and his wife, Hushidh, warning them of treachery and guiding them through the lands.
The Ships of Earth is the third book in the Earthbound series by Orson Scott Card. He writes science fiction, fanstasy and historical fiction. Arguably, his most popular book is Ender's Game.
Completely ruined by his ideas about human nature........2004-12-21
The gist of this series is that all people are inherently sinful, all people will always hate and kill each other, men and women will always clash in a ridiculous power struggle of the sexes, - oh yeah, and gay people are unnatural and should pretend they're straight.
I'm a big fan of Card's Ender and Alvin Maker series, but this one is poisoned by his Mormon background. His ideas about human nature are downright depressing. Not to mention the disturbing themes of inbreeding, 13 year old brides, and strong women who are degraded to becoming nothing but baby-making machines.
Book of Mormon Ripoff.......2004-10-04
Orson Scott Card is Mormon, and if we didn't know it before, now we do--he based the entire plot of the Homecoming series on the Book of Mormon. It's so pathetic that I am speechless.
A sense of interest arises.......2004-07-03
Overall I enjoyed this series. Card has created an interesting potential future and draws it out in detail. Often too much detail. The first novel in the series was plagued with an over abundance of trivial data that did not ultimately reflect on the story. The plot drowned in atmosphere and character development. In fact the first two novels in the series felt like one larger book that had been broken in two. The story would have been more cohesive as a single novel.
In ships of Earth the characters of the adults have been developed and some attention is paid to the children. Overall however, more time seems to be spent on advancing the plot than in the previous to volumes. If not that, then perhaps the plot was merely more interesting in this novel. This book was probably my favorite of the five in the series.
Many people complain or admire Card's use of religeous symbolism. I myself have not read the book of Mormon so I could not attest to those claims. If he steeped this story in theology he did it in such a way to make it palatable to a larger market. The only real argument I could see for this story having a theological orientation is its poor science. Card seems to have little understanding of some of the biological sciences especially genetics. Such a small group of individuals does not represent a viable gene pool to colonize a planet. Thoughts of the results of all of that inbreeding makes me shudder. It also seems highly unlikely that Humans could be on Harmony for forty million years without experiencing any changes. Perhaps the oversoul was providing a genetic bottleneck to prevent evolution.
If you like the first two novels by all means read this one. If you did not, then let this book pass by. I would recommend the series to any person who has not read it as any ideas that feel new in science fiction are a rarity.
Product Description
3 massmarket paperback Titles in Homecoming Series : Volume 1 the Memory of Earth - Volume 2 the Call of Earth - Volume 3 the Ships of Earth
Book Description
In The Fourth Dimension, Vol. 2, the sequel to the best-selling The Fourth Dimension, Vol. 1, Dr. David Yonggi Cho, pastor of the world's largest church, reveals in greater depth the faith secrets that enable him to build his church. Then he shows how to develop dynamic faith, have true communion with God, overcome all spiritual obstacles, and destroy all spiritual barriers. What Dr. Cho has done in the area of faith is possible for any Christian, whether in the ministry or not. Faith works! Great faith works great things! Here is the book that tells how to obtain that faith!
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring and Enlightening.......2007-07-24
Dr. Cho offers amazing revelation knowledge in this book. We are Spiritual beings having a physical experience here on earth. There are physical laws; however, they are superceded by Spiritual Laws. God is the creator of all of these laws. God is the Supreme Being. This is the part that is missing from the New Age philosophy. While there is some power in the Spiritual Law of Attraction, that power is limited if it doesn't glorify God.
This book will take you out of the Box and give you new Spiritual Understanding.......2007-06-02
Do you see the comment posted below this one? The one that says AVOID this book, do you feel a certain jealosy and hostility coming from this poster? If you feel that way than please pray for this bottled up Christian to exprience the true Supernatural GOD.
This book is not NEW AGE and in fact its the newagers that steal Gods truth, twist it into evil and make Christians afraid that everything Super Natural is evil. Most Christians lead a stale lifeless walk with God and in fact its so stale they dont walk with God but rather in a judgemental, hateful spirit. So how do I know this?
Well because I use to be that way, I was a boxed up Christian and lead a dull life with 0 power. LONG STORY
However when God broke me out of that shell and lead me to love and his powerful force I have seen God do things that only would come into a Disney Fairytale.
Look, God is powerful and willing to work on your behalf to lead a powerful Christian life. ----->
I must tell you that after years of being in a spiritless church that doesn't believe in super natural power, drained me and led my life into a powerless poor christian.
I knew that the bible has alot more to give us then dry religion and when I left my church and went a mission to find God personally, that is when my life changed.
A life of miracles and power are available to the believer in Christ if you want it. If not then you will be just the pharisees who knew religion but never expirienced Gods power.
This power is not for self profit or for bragging and boosting. The power is available to the meek and to the ones who can come out of the religion box and discover the power God has for us in Jesus. This is not about magic and as long as it can be used in Jesus name to glroify God, it is not witchcraft.
The power belongs to us and the only time you endanger yourself of occult practices is when you use it for personal gain without God, The Holy Spirit and with the name of Jesus.
MAny ministeres have figured out this power and became greedy and exloited it. Well now Satan sees that arrogance of these foolish Christians and he took that adavantage to make the power look evil.
This power through God is not evil and anyone who does say its evil are walking a thin line of Blasphemy.
My suggestion to doubters is
1.get away from your church if they are teaching against the Holy Spirit
and are teaching you to be a powerless christian
2. Get alone with God and ask him to reveal what is true/
3. Start praying and educating yourself on how to get closer to God
This book is awesome and will guide you through a more powerful look into the spirit world of God. It will take you outside of the religion box and give you a fresh new meaning about what all this stuff is. I have been blessed by this book and I see many changes taking place in my life because of getting spirital and leaving religion.
I tagged this book with NEw Age names so if you see it listed with wicca and newage I did this in hopes that maybe some lost New Ager will find it in thier section and hoipefully read it. By no means is this book about wicca, new age or the occult. This book is pure faith. motivating and powerful-I never read a book that expnaded my faith thinking so much
Science, Carl Sagan, Mythology, New Age, Wicca
Avoid!.......2007-02-16
Aberrant theology masquerading as orthodoxy - New Ageism cloaked in Christian language. Guided visualization and other metaphysical techniques are recommended. King of the "feel good" gospel, Robert Schuller, contributes the introduction. Typical "Word Faith" movement doctrine. Perhaps Dr. Cho should re-direct his energies to church planting rather than continuing to grow his church of over 800,000.
This wasn't worth my money or my time.
Must read for Christians........2007-01-09
Any Christian who wants to grow in the Lord should read this. Excellent writing, ideas and how-to's.
This 1978 book passes the test of time!.......2005-10-26
For those familiar with the ministry of Pastor Yonggi Cho, who leads the world's largest church--now with over 840,000 members, reading the Fourth Dimension produces the classic, "Oh...now I get it!" When the author wrote this book, his church was blossoming at 50,000. Then, in the early 1980s controversy came. Some pastors who attempted to use his church growth methods failed. Instead of seeking God's faith, they concluded that Cho must have compromised his faith, watered-down the gospel, or used tainted secular methods to achieve a supposedly shallow success. The situation became so painful, that the Yoido Full Gospel Church had to withdraw from its home denomination for a season. Then, as a perversion of classic faith teaching, some immature pastors began teaching a truncated "prosperity gospel." Of course, Cho's enemies accused him of being in the same league. The past quarter of a century has proven the sincerity and authenticity of Yonggi Cho's leadership and teachings. His denomination reconciled with him, and he continued to grow exponentially, while always remaining a humble leader who preaches simple, yet hard-won truths that are biblical, Spirit-anointed, and practical. Perhaps the greatest key--as readers will discover--is that Cho's teachings find their best illustrations in this pastor's own life experiences.
The key message to the Fourth Dimension is that faith is nourished by hearing the word of God, it is developed by practiced application, and it is transformed into reality by the sovereign witness of the Holy Spirit. In other words, you reap God's promises by praying through to the place of hearing God's "Yes!" "Name it and claim it" is only true if we name what God has given us, and we grasp with certainty what the Holy Spirit whispers is ours. The faith Cho writes of is humble in its submission to God, but bold and confident in its certitude that what God says is so!
A definite buy recommendation--more so now, perhaps, then when it was initially published some 27 years ago!
Books:
- Cat in the Dark: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mysteries)
- Claudius the God: And His Wife Messalina
- Complete Book of Jumps
- Confessions of an Ex-Girlfriend
- Crazy Ladies: A Novel
- Cronica de una muerte anunciada
- Cryptonomicon
- Dreaming in Cuban
- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: A Novel
- Fifty Great Short Stories
Books Index
Books Home
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- Windows Vista Secrets
- The Battle of the Golden Spurs
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- The Structure and Dynamics of Networks:
- The Sense and Sensibility: Screenplay & Diaries : Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film
- The Logic of Life
- Samuel May Williams : Early Texas Entrepreneur
- Cross-National Consumer Psychographics
Finding George Orwell in Burma
Down and Out in Paris and London
Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma)
From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Written by Himself
