2 out of 4 stars
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Author Daniel Friedmann, starts his novel, Roadmap to the End of Days, asking readers to visualize being in a glass maze. Not only is this a metaphor used to describe what it may be like to understand history, but conceptualizes what it feels like to read this book. You can see where he wants to take you on this journey, but while you are reading you feel like you are hitting glass walls.
This book is not for your average layman. It would be suited for someone familiar with religious texts and biblical timeline. Friedmann just does not do a good enough job making the terms easy to digest as a reader. I was frequently hopping between the index and text which becomes distracting. There are ways Friedmann could have set up paragraphs or included definitions into the text that would have made this easier on the reader. This being said, Friedmann needs to decide his audience. Is he writing for academics or is he telling a story of the past and the 'End of Days' to come? If it's the later, we need more stories.
This is probably my main disappointment with the book. Despite using a maze cliche to start the book, I thought he had set a great pace to the start of the book and showcased his writing style. Then, it just fell off. By chapter six the voice and writing style felt completely different from chapter one. It did not pull me into the journey as a reader, it felt as if it were just example after example-or road stop after road stop.
There was one chapter I wish he would have lingered on a bit longer. I enjoyed the section on time in relation to God and Humans. I also found it interesting how everything parallels in past points in history. I also liked how Friedmann pointed out text noting the end of days would not be all destruction, but there would be points of advancement. This was new information to me.
Overall I rate this book 2 out of 4. If this is a subject you are familiar with, I highly recommend this book. If this is your first time looking closely at text related to the end of days, I would not start here. In my opinion, Friedmann has not done enough to draw you in after chapter 2. He does get credit, however, for delivering on all the promises made when outlining what he would cover in the book. He lays out that road map and sticks to it.
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Roadmap to the End of Days
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