Review of Killing Abel
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Jumanah Idris
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- Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
Review of Killing Abel
[Following is a volunteer review of "Killing Abel" by Michael Tieman.]
Killing Abel is M.Tieman's rendition of the first pages of the genesis from the great beginning to the great flood. While he applies his own creative rigour into creating a fictional narrative, he ensures the tale remains true to the details contained within the genesis and compatible with the bible. It explores a detailed and human perspective on humanity’s rise and fall necessitating the great flood as God learns, along with man, of ethics, justice, and mercy, opting to correct His mistakes rather than give up on his novel creation.
This story was very compelling and, particularly nearing the end, difficult to put down. I found myself enjoying it despite being an atheist as M.Tieman does a phenomenal job exploring interpersonal relationships within the unique circumstances of the storyline. He is clearly a fantastic writer, construing beautiful descriptions of settings and sentiments. No word was misplaced or redundant, and he constructed a concise, internally consistent, and believable narrative. Killing Abel is a work of creative genius. However, I would have personally found it more enjoyable if the author had used more implicit language as he tends to state outright how a character is feeling and thinking rather than clarifying their internal state through their external behavior and body language and allowing the reader to use their minds to tie everything together.
I also found it incredibly thought provoking. The unique circumstances through which the story takes place of a world wherein no law or order is yet established forces the reader to question and consider the necessity of every commonly excepted value and boundary within our modern world. The exploration of faith and spirituality also caused me to think about faith and God, but also about love, punishment, responsibility, accountability, and mercy.
This book is clearly professionally well edited and proofread. I was unable to find a single spelling, syntax, or grammar error throughout the entire book. The thorough collaboration of the author and editor is therefore commendable.
One more comment I would make for improvement is the lack of clear and exact progression of humanity as man establishes themselves on earth and learns to take full advantage of available natural resources. I would have liked for the author to give more details on the establishment of order in the land. I found myself getting confused as we entered the third generation of humanity just how many people there were and when and how they established order and trade. These details, along with the technicalities of how people came to use metals seems to be glossed over. At one point they simply have begun to manufacture. It would have just satisfied my curiosity and created a more cohesive narrative if the author had given his detailed account for how he imagined this happened.
Overall, Killing Abel is a wonderful book with interesting plot and brilliant execution. I would not say it’s the best, or one of the best books I’ve ever read, or that I was particularly moved by it, but there is no question that this is a marvelous work of art. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars, and I would recommend it to Christians wanting to strengthen their faith or consume good, Christian content. I would also recommend this book for those curious about Christianity or interested in exploring the idea of faith. Suitable for young adults and above.
******
Killing Abel
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Killing Abel is M.Tieman's rendition of the first pages of the genesis from the great beginning to the great flood. While he applies his own creative rigour into creating a fictional narrative, he ensures the tale remains true to the details contained within the genesis and compatible with the bible. It explores a detailed and human perspective on humanity’s rise and fall necessitating the great flood as God learns, along with man, of ethics, justice, and mercy, opting to correct His mistakes rather than give up on his novel creation.
This story was very compelling and, particularly nearing the end, difficult to put down. I found myself enjoying it despite being an atheist as M.Tieman does a phenomenal job exploring interpersonal relationships within the unique circumstances of the storyline. He is clearly a fantastic writer, construing beautiful descriptions of settings and sentiments. No word was misplaced or redundant, and he constructed a concise, internally consistent, and believable narrative. Killing Abel is a work of creative genius. However, I would have personally found it more enjoyable if the author had used more implicit language as he tends to state outright how a character is feeling and thinking rather than clarifying their internal state through their external behavior and body language and allowing the reader to use their minds to tie everything together.
I also found it incredibly thought provoking. The unique circumstances through which the story takes place of a world wherein no law or order is yet established forces the reader to question and consider the necessity of every commonly excepted value and boundary within our modern world. The exploration of faith and spirituality also caused me to think about faith and God, but also about love, punishment, responsibility, accountability, and mercy.
This book is clearly professionally well edited and proofread. I was unable to find a single spelling, syntax, or grammar error throughout the entire book. The thorough collaboration of the author and editor is therefore commendable.
One more comment I would make for improvement is the lack of clear and exact progression of humanity as man establishes themselves on earth and learns to take full advantage of available natural resources. I would have liked for the author to give more details on the establishment of order in the land. I found myself getting confused as we entered the third generation of humanity just how many people there were and when and how they established order and trade. These details, along with the technicalities of how people came to use metals seems to be glossed over. At one point they simply have begun to manufacture. It would have just satisfied my curiosity and created a more cohesive narrative if the author had given his detailed account for how he imagined this happened.
Overall, Killing Abel is a wonderful book with interesting plot and brilliant execution. I would not say it’s the best, or one of the best books I’ve ever read, or that I was particularly moved by it, but there is no question that this is a marvelous work of art. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars, and I would recommend it to Christians wanting to strengthen their faith or consume good, Christian content. I would also recommend this book for those curious about Christianity or interested in exploring the idea of faith. Suitable for young adults and above.
******
Killing Abel
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman
