Behold the Many: A Novel

Average customer rating:

deep historical tale

(4.5) "Where is home when no one is home?"

Behold the Many: A Novel
Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312426542
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Book Description

In 1913, stricken by tuberculosis, young Anah, Aki, and Leah are sent away from their family for treatment at St. Josephs, an orphanage in Hawaiis Kalihi Valley. Of the three, two will die there, and only Anah, the eldest, will survive. But the ghosts of the dead sisters will haunt Anah as she prepares to begin married life away from the orphanage. Desperate for the love of their sister, but jealous of her ability to live in the physical world, they are determined to thwart Anahs happiness. As Anah struggles to appease the dead, it becomes apparent that only through one of her own daughters can redemption be attained.

Customer Reviews:

deep historical tale .......2006-02-08

In 1939 Anah's daughter Hosana dies; though she mourns her loss, Anah prays that the death will lift the curse.

In 1913 Hawaii, young Leah comes down with Tuberculosis; her mother tries to hide the illness, but is caught. The child is sent to a remote orphanage in the Kalihi Valley in the Ko'olau Mountains. One year later her sister Aki joins her and not long afterward another sibling Anah is sent there.

In 1916 Leah dies and subsequently so does Aki. Anah vows to stay there forever and the ghosts of the children who have died there including her two sisters communicate with her. In 1924, Anah marries Ezroh with plans to finally leave the orphanage. However, the ghosts are angry and jealous that she is able to go anywhere while they cannot. They try to stop her marriage, but fail; however she and her family are cursed by one of the spirits. Over the years Anah has several children, but never overcame the guilt of surviving nor of leaving.

In some ways BEHOLD THE MANY is a deep historical tale with plenty of insight into Hawaii and how tuberculosis victims were treated. However, it is the relationship when they lived and after they died between the surviving sister and her two deceased siblings that make for an eerie ghost story. Anah's beliefs that she communicates with all the dead children at the isolated clinic seems very real though some skeptics will say she compensated for her losses. Though time moves too fast making it somewhat difficult to follow, fans will relish this strong ghost story.

Harriet Klausner

(4.5) "Where is home when no one is home?".......2006-02-08

In a melding of harsh reality and the world of the spirit, Behold the Many is a novel of love and loss that reaches beyond the grave, the brittle fingers of the dead clutching at the living. Only one sister of three survives her isolation in a TB hospital-orphanage in the secluded Kalihi Valley in Hawaii, three little girls sent away when they develop tuberculosis, one after another, banished so that they will not infect their family, five-year old Leah, then Aki, then Anah. Leah is terrified; Aki is angry. Only Anah will survive, her sisters dying one after the other, Anah left alone in a place where there is little solace and much despair. Lonely, she reaches to the spirit world and the companionship of her sisters. Leah calls out to Anah; Aki curses her living sister and attacks her mercilessly; and Seth, a boy who died before they came, waits for them all. At the family home, their Hawaiian mother goes mad with grief, their Portuguese father demanding she forget those worthless daughters and give him sons.

Anah endures much at the orphanage, the relentless jibes of Sister Bernadine a burden from which she can never escape, her only solace Leah, Aki and Seth. Seth's older brother, Ezroh, is Anah's salvation. It is he who cures her from the cuts and bruises inflicted by Aki that no one at the orphanage can explain, he who offers release with his unconditional love. On her eighteenth birthday, Anah is finally released, leaving behind her sorrows and her sisters in hopes of a better life with Ezroh. Cruel words follow even here, this time from Ezroh's Portuguese aunt, bitter remarks that infect the difficult births of Anah's four daughters: Hosanah, the first-born, disfigured by a careless midwife; Elizabeth thought slow because she refuses to speak; Tori a perfect replica of Anah's beautiful mother; and the frail but spirited Miriam who fights for life against all odds. Through her children, Anah recovers her family, yet she never forgets her siblings or the curse they have laid upon her. She will pay a price for her freedom, though she never imagines how staggering this price will be.

Anah has an indomitable spirit and a generous heart, reaching through the world of the living and the dead, yearning for a lost mother and the sisters she could not save. In a story of stark beauty and brutal reality, Anah's life is painted in the bright red blood of tuberculosis and of childbirth, the yellow dress Leah wears even in death, the dark, dank closets of the orphanage and the blue sky of her marriage to Ezroh. In this extraordinary tale, Yamanaka weaves truth from dreams and breathes life into the spirit world through a girl become woman and mother who embraces all, joy, pain and love, her heart the repository of all their hopes. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

Book Description

Christina Dodd, "The Lady and the Tiger"Laura Haver will stop at nothing to find out who killed her brother-even if it means posing as the wife of notorious rogue Keefe Leighton, the Earl of Hamilton. But things go too far when Keefe engages Laura in an artful game of seduction-a game that can have only one winner....Stephanie Laurens, "Melting Ice"Once, Dyan St. Laurent Dare, Duke of Darke, dreamed of making Lady Fiona his bride. Now they're together again-at a scandalous dinner party where debauchery is the menu's main course. But will wedding bells ring after the guests get their just desserts?Celeste Bradley, "Wedding Knight"Alfred Knight will do anything to avoid a scandal-even marry a woman he barely knows. But his bride has a most titillating secret....one she'll share as soon as she conquers her temptation for the man she was never supposed to marry! Leslie LaFoy, "The Proposition"Rennick St. James, the Earl of Parnell, has four days to seduce London's most popular widow into becoming his wife-or else she'll marry another man. It won't be easy....but Rennick has been lusting after the beguiling Julia Hamilton far too long to let her go now....

Customer Reviews:

Five stars for the last two stories.......2005-07-29

As the editorial states, this is a star studded line-up. I rated this book five stars, but that's because I only read the last two stories, and they were both worth five stars. I don't normally read either Christina Dodd or Stephanie Laurens, and I didn't read those stories here, so I can't comment on them.

Celeste Bradley is one of my favorite authors, (she's why I actually picked up this book, truthfully), and true to form, this story was excellent - and exactly what you would come to expect from Celeste Bradley - a *really* strong and unusual heroine, lots of twists and turns to the storyline, and most of all, lots of fun. I absolutely *adore* strong heroines, so this story had my votes from the start. It does suffer a little bit because of the length, this IS a short story, so it resolves quite quickly, but all in all, good enough for five stars.

This was about two twin sisters, Kitty and Bitty, Bitty is getting married, and Kitty is left out of the fun. Until... Bitty gets cold feet at the last moment, and Kitty decides to try to save the day by pretending that she is Bitty... just for a *very* short time. Truthfully, this plot has been done before, but this one was just done *so very well*, Kitty and Bitty are both truly hilarious (each in their own way). If I had a complaint to make I would perhaps say that Kitty is a bit *too* strong in a heroine - but that's not possible (a heroine can't be too strong) so I won't say it. When I mean a strong heroine, I mean it, I don't mean strong-until-the-man-comes-in-to-save-the-day. Like I said before, this story suffers from the length, I would have liked to see more of a reconciliation at the end.

This was the first I've read of Leslie Lafoy, and I have to admit that I was quite impressed. The writing was excellent, really, really unusually good, and there was a good storyline, plus character development, there as well. This one also suffered because of the length - the dilemma the heroine finds herself is a hard one, and was resolved much too easily. But even so, this was still a five star read. I will definitely be searching out more books by this author!

I do enjoy these short story anthologies, because as a general rule I like short stories better than long ones (due to my time crunch - I hate waiting a few days to find out the ending of a story) and as a bonus, you get to find some excellent new authors. And although some anthologies, are, to be blunt, somewhat stupid, this one was, IMO, definitely worth reading.

so-so at best.......2005-02-04

As always, anthologies are a hit or miss situation. The stories are short so there is not much character or situation development which is why the short stories that are about couples who have previous relationships work best. That was the set-up for most of these stories.

"The Lady and the Tiger' by Christina Dodd was a poor story. Laura's brother, first secretary to Lord Keith Leighton, dies and she decides to find his killer. Really, I know regency/romance authors go for this sort of spunky heroine sort of thing, but it was sort of silly. To catch a spy does require some experience but apparently not in romance stories. Laura is a commoner and Keith a noble. The romance between the out of place Laura in the glittering regency world could have been interesting but never explored. But when Laura ties up Keith when she thinks he is to blame for her brothers death and leaves him in a dangerous situation which could have resulted in his death, well, he certainly took it in stride. I would not have been as forgiving as Keith. A one star story at best.

"Melting Ice" by Stephanie Laurens has our hero, Dyan St. Laurent, Dare, coming home to take his brothers place as Duke and meets up with an old flame at a house party rife with orgies. Story was better than the others as it was fun to watch him rescue her and I liked her bookish brother. But refusing to marry him the morning after even after she had realized the miscommunication years earlier made for zero sense.

"Wedding Knight" by Celeste Bradley was just stupid. The fact that Kitty takes her sisters place and marries Knight and when he founds out he forgives her? It would have been more realistic if she had to fight for him to prove her love not the other way around.

"Proposition" by Leslie LaFoy has Lord Rennick St. James fighting for his beloved Julia Hamilton, a widow, who is all set to marry yet again a man she does not love. This story too made no sense. It was not as if she even liked the man she was to marry. He was as jerk!!!! He could not remember her children's names and she would marry him? Why? She was not poor so money was not a factor. That just was illogical. Also, she loved Rennick and after the four days, why would she not believe him? That made no sense. I did like that she was 33 but really, to already have a 16 year old son was sort of stretching it for me. Also, I think that too many authors fail to properly finish their stories. If Rennick dies without legal issue, the estates and title would die. He married an older woman so did they have any children or not? Would be fun to know. After all, if the story of Henry VIII ended with his marriage to Anne Boleyn, we might have assumed everything worked out! So as an FYI to authors, finish your stories!!!

Do You Take This Woman?.......2004-09-17

The heroine, Laura Haver, in Christina Dodd's The Lady and the Tiger is out to avenge the death of her brother. She sets out on her own investigative mission and enters into a fabricated marriage to get to her target. What she does not anticipate is the unbridled passion that develops between them.

In Melting Ice by Stephanie Laurens, childhood sweethearts Dyan St. Laurent and Lady Fiona have found each other and the love they lost in a most uncommon place, an orgy! Despite their odd meeting they clear up all misconceptions that have kept them separated for years and rekindle the fire between them.

Alfred Knight, in Celeste Bradley's Wedding Knight, has lived his entire life trying to avoid scandal. Little does he know he will marry directly into it when he chooses his bride to be. She is nothing she appears to be, but everything he needs.

Julia Hamilton, a recent widow, is now engaged to be married in three days, but a secret love has returned and intends to seduce her and make her his wife. Leslie LaFoy's The Proposition keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering who will Julia choose.

Not one for romance, I found myself enjoying the four tales of love, lust and deceit. These ladies know their craft and have converted me into a fan of romantic fiction.

Reviewed by Aiesha Flowers
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

A mixed bag but better than the usual anthology.......2004-07-14

Christina Dodd's story is first and, sadly, abysmal. The tale is almost entirely unbelieveable, but perhaps the worst part is that I don't believe they're in love. Dodd does not convince the reader that these two people knew each other well enough before the night of the story to act as they do. I had hopes for it, but it just kept getting worse. The few really nice moments could not counteract the pathetic whole. 1 measley star.

Stephanie Laurens' entry is better at 2 1/2 to 3 stars. The raucus house party is a poor device for getting the lovers together, but the two leads make even that work. The story is lovely in places, particularly the dinner scene and at the end (with her brother). It's about a love that's denied through youthful misunderstandings getting a second chance. It's also typical Laurens, with heavy emphasis on sex.

Celeste Bradley raises the bar again with her marvelous story about an arrogant, obnoxious hero who finally redeems himself and a fresh, provocative, unique heroine who is the best leading lady of the bunch. There is some incredulity at times that nobody can tell these not-quite-identical twins apart, but the story is still great fun. 4 stars.

This is my first experience with Leslie LaFoy, but it won't be my last; hers is the best story in the book (5 stars). Rennick is the epitome of the reformed rack & Julia's his loving but sensible love interest. This is an excellent variation on the typical plot with Julia being an older woman (in her 30s) who was happily married...at least until she met Rennick. They fall instantly in love, but both respect her husband and her marriage vows too much to act on their feelings and attraction. Then hubby dies. But before Rennick gets the chance to sweep her off her feet, she gets engaged to someone else. And her fiance? Gads! This little story has a wealth of wisdom for life in it, too. Superb!

Buy the book for the last two stories. They're good enough to make it worthwhile.

four fun nineteenth century historical romances.......2004-05-08

"The Lady and the Tiger' by Christina Dodd. In 1813, Laura Haver obsesses over who killed her brother, first secretary to Lord Keith Leighton. Clues take her to a smuggler's cove where she poses as Keith's wife not knowing that her "husband" is there seeking the identity of who murdered his employee.

"Melting Ice" by Stephanie Laurens. After a decade in India, Dyan St. Laurent Dare comes home when his brother died making him a duke and quickly wants Lady Fiona Winston-Ryder as his wife because he loves her. A debauched gala gives him the opportunity to serve as her gallant rescuer and hopefully forever lover.

"Wedding Knight" by Celeste Bradley. In 1813 Alfred Knight avoids scandal so no one can point the finger that he is just like his mother, which leads to his agreeing to wed Betina Trapp who wants nothing to do with him. Betina persuades her twin Kitty to take her place temporarily as Alfred's fiancée. Kitty falls in love but she fears he will drop her once the subsequent scandal erupts that the switch will cause.

"Proposition" by Leslie LaFoy. In 1877 Lord Rennick St. James knows that the clock is ticking against him as the woman he always loved Julia Hamilton is engaged to someone else. Just back in England, he has four days to seduce the widow into marrying him or face cold self imposed exile again.

These four nineteenth century historical romances are fine novellas that fans will appreciate because the lead couple in each case seems genuine as they star in a scandalous fun frolic.

Harriet Klausner

Average customer rating:
My Scandalous Bride

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739442740

Product Description

Four short storie: lady and the Tiger,Melting Ice,Wedding Knight, The Proposition

My Scandalous Bride: The Lady and the Tiger/Melting Ice/Wedding Knight/The Proposition

Average customer rating:

My Scandalous Bride: The Lady and the Tiger/Melting Ice/Wedding Knight/The Proposition
Christina / Laurens, Stephanie / Bradley, Celeste / Lafoy, Leslie Dodd
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTIDPQ

Book Description

From Pearl Harbor to panzers rolling through Paris to the Siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Midway, war seethed across the planet as the flames of destruction rose higher and hotter.
And then, suddenly, the real enemy came.
The invaders seemed unstoppable, their technology far beyond human reach. And never before had men been more divided. For Jew to unite with Nazi, American with Japanese, and Russian with German was unthinkable.
But the alternative was even worse.
As the fate of the world hung in the balance, slowly, painfully, humankind took up the shocking challenge . . .

Customer Reviews:

Fairly good.......2007-07-06

Ok so Ive read the whole World War series vol 1-4. My real coplaint is the sheer number of main characters and plot lines. When the books gets intresting your off cliffhanger style to another part of the world and another situation and repeat this about 8 times and your back to what caught your intrest to begin with. The problem is youve forgotten why it was intresting to begin with. Anothr thing is he works the whole sex thing to death with the lizards being discusted by our ablility to have it anytime of the year etc and it get fairly anoying. The whole Jens, Barbra, Sam plot line kind of anoyed me. For a guy with a PHD that acted selflessly earlier in the book Jens turned out to be an idiot. The last thing that bugged me is this the lizards can do the whole interstellar travel thing.Yet all they can throw at us are nukes, Jets, helecopters, tanks, and infantry. Then they have no spare parts and no means to manufacture replacements...poor planing indeed nuff said.

It Begins!.......2007-07-03

It's the early 1940s and World War II is raging across Europe. But in this alternate history, an alien invasion force is preparing to attack and conquer Earth. The reptilian invaders, who call themselves simply the Race, have scouted the human race beforehand and are confident of victory. But they find a world more technologically advanced than their probes of several centuries early have led them to expect -- in the Race's experience, no species has ever advanced as rapidly as humans have. Still, their own technology is far superior and a colonization ship is already underway, so they continue with their plans.

When the aliens attack, the quarreling nations of Earth suspend World War II to defend themselves from the new foes. But tensions and distrust remain high, particularly between the Germans and the Soviet Union. And in Warsaw, the Jews and Poles collaborate with the aliens to free themselves from the Nazis.

At first, the human struggle seems futile against the Race's weapons. But as the humans find small ways to hurt the invaders, it becomes obvious to both sides that the aliens are slow to adjust to new tactics. Although the Race is still winning the battles, human innovation on the battlefield is taking its toll. And research into the development of nuclear weapons is proceeding as fast as possible...

In Worldwar: In the Balance, Harry Turtledove follows the actions of numerous groups of characters, both human and alien, as the overall invasion story unfolds. Eventually, the characters from the different groups will meet each other as the plot comes together. But while many of these characters have interesting traits in themselves, the interactions between the different cultures contain very few surprises. Turtledove consistently emphasizes the obvious prejudices, ultimately rendering them little more than caricatures.

On the other hand, Turtledove's characters seem much more real in the various humorous scenes and observations he sprinkles effectively throughout the novel. For instance, the Race can barely conceive of government not led by an emperor, leading to a hilarious analysis of the various human governments, especially the "anarchy" of the United States. These episodes usually result in Turtledove's most effective social commentary.

Another weakness is that Turtledove jumps too quickly into the alien invasion. It would be a more effective and meaningful alternate history if he had first firmly established the global situation before the invasion. Instead, the connection between the events here and the real World War II seems tenuous at best.

But on the whole, Worldwar: In the Balance works reasonably well. The first volume of a series, it ends with a good mix of closure and anticipation, making up for its weaknesses with intelligent speculation and real tension.

I think the basic premise that makes this novel work -- the different rates of innovation among species -- is both interesting and underexplored in science fiction.

My First Turtledove Book.......2007-05-31

I know Turtledove has a large following and sells a lot of books in the alternate history subgenre of science fiction. Wondering if such appeal would translate well to me, I picked this one up as an interesting starting point - And It Was.

Glossing over the recap, I'm jumping right into the strengths of this book. Despite the myriad of characters each one feels real, with personality, emotions and reasons. Each one feels like a character and not a caricature - no mean feat, I assure you. This is the sign of a very strong writer and it assuaged my doubts. I came to this volume believing that a PhD historian with a penchant for military sci-fi would be a shoot-em-up action writer sacrificing characters for technology and situations. Turtledove does know the nuances of history and includes remarkable details of weapons, systems, aircraft and tanks, but he tells these things through the words and actions of the characters, not as info-dumps.

The plot moves forward, with the construction of the aliens and their Race carefully planned to fold into the happenings of World War II . . . creating a fascinating tale.

I have some problems with the book as well. The Core Premise of the book is that the Aliens weren't expecting the humans to be as technologically advanced as they turned out to be. The problem is that Turtledove repeats this surprise over and over and over and over and over again. In fact many important plot points are pounded into reader like a jackhammer through pavement that it gets annoying.

Not annoying enough for me to give up on him. I'm going to pick up the next book in the series and put it into my reading list. We'll see how that goes.

- CV Rick

Glacially slow and annoyingly repetitious........2007-05-30

The basic idea for this series was pretty good. Even in Turtledove's hack writer clutches, it should have yielded a decent book. Padded, stretched and drawn out over multiple volumes, it is an utter waste of time. Turtledove must have been getting paid by the word.

Another good idea gets drawn into a 4 book contract - UGH.......2006-07-15

A fantastic idea. Some good action scenes. A bit of good writing. But, once again, a story that would have been GREAT as a single long book, is dragged into infinte boredom. How many times will the aliens tell us that they thought the natives of Earth were going to be primitive? How many times is the same plot re-hashed over and over? This is one of only a few books that I've found myself actually skipping huge chunks of text. To be fair, perhaps hopes were set in the wrong direction - I wanted to read a great Sci-Fi book. Perhaps this was catering to those who love 'war-epic' genre. If so, then this book may be for you. I didn't hate the book, I just found myself wishing the story would move much much faster. Instead, I continually found myself saying, "Oh no, not this group again, I wish we could get back to the aliens, or at least the war itself." Save your money and your time, this just wasn't worth the pain of going through.

Book Description

Recognizing the importance of the charismatic movement and the need for a biblical evaluation of it, MacArthur analyzes the doctrinal differences between charismatics and non-charismatics in the light of Scripture.

Customer Reviews:

Righteous Indignation.......2007-08-22

I Corinthians 14, specifically for this purpose verse 16b. or he who is not gifted with (interpreting of unknown) tongues. verse 21 - By men of strange languages and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people and not even then will they listen to Me, says the Lord. [reference Isaiah 28:11 - (( The Lord will teach the rebels )) in a more humiliating way by men with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.]

Do Biblical Scholars, such as Dr. MacArthur, leave the scripture out of their devotions to God? How do they interpret the word apart from the Spirit of God which gives liberally to those who seek Him dillgently? With a fervent cry to our Lord, seeking Him in Spirit and in Truth is the only way to true salvation!

We Christians who believe in the totality, the wholeness or the Word of God through the Holiness of Jesus Christ, which by His stripes we are healed from the unforseen teachings of Purpose Driven lives, those who have presupposed manmade traditions over the Truth and Righteousness of God, those to whom have fought in the limelight of their own Righteous Indignations. Who are we to believe? Those who have not been gifted with the gifts of God. Those who have not sought the wholeness of His salvation with fervency in prayer? I raise this question to those who have not been gifted with the Gifts of Charisma - Have you sought? Did you believe? Without believing you will not receive.

Much of the American Culture of Christianity has been purported on the masses by the teachings of those to whom did not beleive, thus today we have a great society of non-believing Christians, which are powerless!
Can we place blame, should we? Well, we do want to but we have to understand the cause and effect of Sin and the Master of that is the Devil, who is the instigator of this faux teaching in our Culture. Perhaps even when Luther was instigating the Protesting of the Catholic Church teachings, this was an overcoming of essential doctrine which has been watered down by the masses of uninformed teachers and those who have fought the good fight against the wiles of the Devil. So, who do we blame? We can only conclude - we blame Satan, but then we have to also blame ourselves. For the scripture says, we are responsible for our own salvation, we are to rightly divide the truth, we are to have a personal realtionship with Jesus Christ. Charismatic Chasos? Whose interpretation do you form your opinion with, Christ and His teachings or Dr. John F. MacArthur and his.

"Lord I pray that you will reveal yourself to the Christian leaders today that have purposed their man-made traditions - their fence laws as the gospel, and that they will see "The Truth" - Lord I ask you to remove the veil of deceit and deceptional teachings from the body of Christ, that we might become the Bride, unified, fitly joined together - which is our reasonable service." Romans 12:1-3

Please research both sides of this issue!.......2007-05-22

Before deciding whether to believe what you have been taught, I strongly urge everyone to research BOTH sides of this issue. Read this book, and also read another book such as 'Healing The Sick' by T.L. Osborn, before making any decision of how you want to believe. It's the best book I've found on the subject and I doubt very much if Mr. MacArthur has read it.

John MacArthur is very correct on many things. I appreciate the work he has done on this subject. However, he is also very much incorrect on several issues in the Charismatic movement. For example, he says there is nothing in Scripture supporting how some people 'fall down' under the power of God. In my own research I have found 21 scriptures so far supporting that.

Some Charismatics are indeed way out there! Mr. MacArthur admits that he does mention mostly about the extremists in the movement. I agree with him about these types.

Mr. MacArthur teaches that miracles were a "temporary sign gift for the authenticating of the Scriptures as the Word of God", but never do I find anything in the Scriptures that support that belief.

I'm also wondering how Mr. MacArthur can teach that such scriptures like Eph 6:11-18, 1Pet 5:7-9, and James 4:7 show US how to deal with the devil, but says that other scriptures that commission us to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons like Mark 16:15-20 are not for us, but were only for the disciples. To me this passage in Mark is a perfect example of what WE are supposed to do. And if you preach the gospel, you must also heal the sick and cast out demons because it is all there in one breath in the Great Commission! They all go together! Mr. MacArthur wants to pick and choose which scriptures he thinks are for us today and which are not. (2 Tim. 3:16 "ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction....")

Many Charismatics do indeed test doctrine by experience instead of the reverse, but he may not label all Charismatics as doing such. I am a Christian who believes as Mr. MacArthur does PLUS I believe that miracles are still for us today as the book 'Healing The Sick' by T.L. Osborn will thoroughly prove from Scripture. There are literally hundreds of scriptures that support this that John MacArthur DID NOT QUOTE AT ALL, such as 1 Peter 2:24 and Psalm 103:3 which when checked in the original Greek mean physical healing, to be made whole.

I would like to say a word about a little girl's faith. Mr. MacArthur mocked the fact that God answered the prayers of two little twelve-year-old girls to raise their pet Chicken from the dead! Now who is he to judge the faith of a little child! With God anything is possible, and nothing is too hard for Him. (Mat. 19:26; Jer. 32:17) And I bet he doesn't even know that 'There Is Eternal Life For Animals'! This, and 'The Immortality Of Animals" are the names of Scripturally based books and are very important books that every Christian should have!

Too many people do not take God's Word seriously. When you do this you can experience, yes experience, God's love like nothing on this earth. So please research BOTH sides before making any decision for yourself.

Amazingly accurate!.......2007-05-13

Excellent book detailing the problems with the modern Charismatic movement. I have visited several ultra-charismatic churches (such as the Vineyard chain) and have found their style of worship simply appalling. This book helps point out the problems with this craziness in a very accurate and detailed way.

Excellent book I ever have had.......2007-04-06

What a nice and neat book. everyone should go through this book.

Charismatic Chaos... & Charm?.......2007-03-02

In reply to all who criticise MacArthur for only highlighting the abuses of Charismaticism, may I ask that you read the title of the book again. It says "Charismatic CHAOS" NOT Chaos and Charm. The charm of the matter may be left to pro-Charismatic writers, which abound bountifully [sic].
A reviewer in the Spotlight who diplomatically criticised Charismatic leaders while agreeing with MacArthur on many points only gave a 2 star rating, all because he admits being a Charismatic. That's subjectivity, or lack of objectivity, which is part of the chaos.
Whether you are for or against, this is a must-read book; it will help you see where you stand, especially if you are Charismatic.
MacArthur stood up and shed some light on a situation that needed addressing [and redressing]. Kudos! Bravo! Again, an absolute must-read!

Charismatic Chaos: Signs & Wonders, Speaking in Tongues, Health, Wealth, & Prosperity, Charismatic Televangelism Does God Still Speak Today

Average customer rating:

Horrible excuse for Christian living
If you have questions about your beliefs you must read this
Dr. McCarthur has a very solid foundation for his response
unfair and unlike Christ
do not quench the Holy Spirit...

Charismatic Chaos: Signs & Wonders, Speaking in Tongues, Health, Wealth, & Prosperity, Charismatic Televangelism Does God Still Speak Today
John F. MacArthur
Manufacturer: Harper Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0310575788

Customer Reviews:

Horrible excuse for Christian living.......2005-08-02

Now we know why the Baptists will be in heaven first...

The "dead" in Christ shall rise FIRST.

(I saw that on someone else's review and just had to use it)

Just because miracles, signs and wonders have ceased (or never existed in the first place) in John MacArthur's church, doesn't mean that they ceased for the rest of us. God is still confirming His Word with signs following! I've seen hundreds of miracles and healings.. and I've heard testimonies of people being raised from the dead after being dead for over 6 hours!

If you have questions about your beliefs you must read this.......2003-03-09

I am so thankful that John MacArthur wrote this book. I was caught up in so many of the lies that the Charismatic, Word of Faith and Pentecostal churches taught me. This book helped me to see how the scriptures have been twisted. Most of the things I had learned were Traditions of MEN and not the Truth. If you have any bit of doubt whether you are being taught the Truth of the Gospel......read this book. It is filled with so much scriptural, historical evidence that it is hard to ignore.Be a berean and study your bible. We are warned of the deception of these teachers.....don't wait.... He's coming soon.

Dr. McCarthur has a very solid foundation for his response.......1999-08-12

Dr. John McCarthur has written a book that may not please everyone, especially some from a charismatic or Pentecostal background. However, there is one thing that cannot be denied. If you disagree with him, you better come equipped with plenty of biblical, cultural, and historical evidence for you case. This book addresses error and excess in an area many are afraid to touch. In a day where everyone is afraid to speak truth, Dr. John McCarthur provides an insightful and penetrating look into the biblical validity of much of the modern charismatic movement.

unfair and unlike Christ.......1999-05-05

Do not read this book. If you are a non-christian, you will be surprised at the hate that exists among professing christians. i am *not* a charismatic, but i was saddened by this book. Read this book instead "Surprised by the power of the Spirit" by Jack Deere.

do not quench the Holy Spirit..........1999-04-18

To see a balanced review of this book, go to http://www.vineyard.org/html/pp5.html

A RESPONSE TO CHARISMATIC CHAOS Vinyard Position Paper #5

Average customer rating:

A RESPONSE TO CHARISMATIC CHAOS Vinyard Position Paper #5
Rich Nathan
Manufacturer: Assoc. Of Vineyard Churches
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JFOZ1Q

Average customer rating:

Charismatic Chaos
John F. MacArthur
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSZC06

Average customer rating:

Charismatic Chaos
John F. Jr. MacArthur
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IN5FHC

Average customer rating:

Charismatic Chaos Grace to You
MACARTHUR
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0310588081

A response to Charismatic chaos (Vineyard position paper)

Average customer rating:

A response to Charismatic chaos (Vineyard position paper)
Nathan Rich
Manufacturer: Association of Vineyard Churches
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006QPAA8

WHY I LEFT the Prophetic Movement.. Is It Charismatic Chaos or Revival? And Why Does the Prophecy of Rick Joyner, John Paul Jackson, Jim Goll, Mike Bickle or Patricia King Differ so Much From That of Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson or Keith Green? (RELEASING: OCT 17, 2007)

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Prepare for What's Coming
REVIEW BY GREG GORDON - (SermonIndex-net)

WHY I LEFT the Prophetic Movement.. Is It Charismatic Chaos or Revival? And Why Does the Prophecy of Rick Joyner, John Paul Jackson, Jim Goll, Mike Bickle or Patricia King Differ so Much From That of Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson or Keith Green? (RELEASING: OCT 17, 2007)
Andrew Strom
Manufacturer: RevivalSchool
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0979907306

Product Description

In this age of "gold dust" and feathers appearing in meetings, spiritual drunkenness and "laughing revivals", angel encounters and guided visualizations of the "Third Heaven" - some may say that the Charismatic movement has gone to extremes that have never been seen before. In this book, Revival preacher Andrew Strom tells of what he saw and why he left the Prophetic movement after eleven years' involvement. And how the announcement of his leaving shook the movement to it's core. What is real Revival? And how does it differ from what we are seeing? What are real prophets of God supposed to be like? And how do you discern true signs and wonders from the false? All these questions and more are answered in this provocative book. Andrew Strom is a recognized authority on Revival - founder of "RevivalSchool-com" and editor of the Revival List - which has over 10,000 subscribers worldwide. For many years he was a "publisher of the prophets" on the Internet - and widely known in prophetic circles - until he publicly quit the movement in 2004, causing shockwaves around the world. This is his story why.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-09-26

"Why I Left the Prophetic Movement," takes a stand for truth in an age of deception and confusion. Few are willing to speak out against the false prophets harassing the Body of Christ. Speaking from experience and actual involvement with the prophetic movement, author Andrew Strom weighs into consideration the true and false move of the Holy Spirit with balance and bold honesty. May this book convince the family of Christ of the opportunity that is set before Her and the dreadful danger which is in our very midst. Let us wake up to the times which we are living in; to be sober minded and of good judgment for the purpose of prayer (I Peter 4:7).

Prepare for What's Coming.......2007-09-20

"Why I Left the Prophetic Movement" by Andrew Strom is as practical as it is eye-opening. In 2 Chronicles 12:32 we read about "the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do". Andrew's writing is of the same spirit; understanding the times with sober, straightforward, well-informed, well-balanced, Spirit-led wisdom and yet not leaving us without knowledge of practical Biblical principals as to what should be done in an age such as ours.

This book will stir you and prepare you for what is now in our midst and for what is yet to come, as we move ever closer to the great and terrible Day. Until then, we press on to know Him and to see His Glory and Revival Fire consume the nations - "by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20). On with it!

REVIEW BY GREG GORDON - (SermonIndex-net).......2007-09-17

"Andrew Strom's new book, 'Why I left the Prophetic Movement' comes with
brutal gut-wrenching honesty to the system of delusional self-sufficient
American Christianity which has freely spread over the earth as the
genuine original. This book asks many questions which are needing to
be asked in these terrible last days."
-Greg Gordon,
founder of SermonIndex-net

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