Review by Bomsia -- The Narrow Gate by John Servant
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[Following is a volunteer review of "The Narrow Gate" by John Servant.]
The Narrow Gate is written by John Servant. It is an eight-chapter book that falls under the contemporary Christian genre. The book has a Christian background with a fictional story to bring home its idea.
The book begins when John Kelly, a reporter, is assigned to cover a story of Joe Jay, a sick senator that resigned out of shame and is now viewed as a saint. “Is this story good enough to be reported,” asked John Kelly? Joe Jay was an ordinary boy from a troubled home, which eventually led Sister Francis, the principal of Joe’s high school, to play a pivotal role in the upbringing of Joe and instill in him the traits of a true Catholic Christian.
However, Joe becomes a prosecutor in Buffalo after he is handed the opportunity by Kelvin Coley, the head of a local party, to become a district attorney. However, Joe would have to go against all prior morals and principles Sister Francis had inculcated in him.
Joe Jay became more ambitious, power-hungry, and cared less about anyone except his party. Joe’s worldly anxiety, greed, and the desire for power overcame his Christian beliefs. In no time, Joe Jay had grown to the position of a senator, and he was regarded as “easily manipulated” because of his immeasurable loyalty to his party. Amid these political quagmires, how did Joe Jay become a saint in the eyes of the people?
I think the writer intends to reach out to the Christian reader that has flair for the doctrine, politics, and naturalism in writing, and the author was able to actualize his goal using the third-person narrative. I liked that The Narrow Gate by John Servant was a good read; a short book with a simple story and no complications. Also, the fact that the storyline grew and wasn’t static makes it easy for its target audience to understand and relate it to the realities of life. I didn’t notice any errors throughout my reading, and that proves the text is professionally edited.
Despite the positive points, I didn’t like that the characters were introduced and left as stooge where there would have been a great connection to the storyline. For example, in the sick Sister Francis scene, the writer didn’t do justice in connecting it to the storyline and can discourage readers to continue reading. Apart from this, the book was intriguing and can capture readers because of its suspenseful attributes and unpredictable nature.
I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I have deducted one star because of the lack of continuity of the introduced characters as well as the failed scene connection throughout the book, which I have explained in the previous paragraph. There were mild sexual scenes and suicidal characteristics, making the novel unsuitable for children. The book is best suited for adult Christians that love intriguing fictional Christian stories.
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The Narrow Gate
View: on Bookshelves |
The Narrow Gate is written by John Servant. It is an eight-chapter book that falls under the contemporary Christian genre. The book has a Christian background with a fictional story to bring home its idea.
The book begins when John Kelly, a reporter, is assigned to cover a story of Joe Jay, a sick senator that resigned out of shame and is now viewed as a saint. “Is this story good enough to be reported,” asked John Kelly? Joe Jay was an ordinary boy from a troubled home, which eventually led Sister Francis, the principal of Joe’s high school, to play a pivotal role in the upbringing of Joe and instill in him the traits of a true Catholic Christian.
However, Joe becomes a prosecutor in Buffalo after he is handed the opportunity by Kelvin Coley, the head of a local party, to become a district attorney. However, Joe would have to go against all prior morals and principles Sister Francis had inculcated in him.
Joe Jay became more ambitious, power-hungry, and cared less about anyone except his party. Joe’s worldly anxiety, greed, and the desire for power overcame his Christian beliefs. In no time, Joe Jay had grown to the position of a senator, and he was regarded as “easily manipulated” because of his immeasurable loyalty to his party. Amid these political quagmires, how did Joe Jay become a saint in the eyes of the people?
I think the writer intends to reach out to the Christian reader that has flair for the doctrine, politics, and naturalism in writing, and the author was able to actualize his goal using the third-person narrative. I liked that The Narrow Gate by John Servant was a good read; a short book with a simple story and no complications. Also, the fact that the storyline grew and wasn’t static makes it easy for its target audience to understand and relate it to the realities of life. I didn’t notice any errors throughout my reading, and that proves the text is professionally edited.
Despite the positive points, I didn’t like that the characters were introduced and left as stooge where there would have been a great connection to the storyline. For example, in the sick Sister Francis scene, the writer didn’t do justice in connecting it to the storyline and can discourage readers to continue reading. Apart from this, the book was intriguing and can capture readers because of its suspenseful attributes and unpredictable nature.
I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I have deducted one star because of the lack of continuity of the introduced characters as well as the failed scene connection throughout the book, which I have explained in the previous paragraph. There were mild sexual scenes and suicidal characteristics, making the novel unsuitable for children. The book is best suited for adult Christians that love intriguing fictional Christian stories.
******
The Narrow Gate
View: on Bookshelves |
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