Review by Outi -- The God Child by Stuart Rawlings
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Review by Outi -- The God Child by Stuart Rawlings
[Following is a volunteer review of "The God Child" by Stuart Rawlings.]
The God Child by Stuart Rawlings is brilliant and so unique that it doesn’t lend itself to being categorized. The beginning of the story has elements of a fairy tale, as this 'Little Girl' sends a dozen or so historical characters out into the world on a quest to “explore this modern world, interact with others on the planet, and do whatever [they] want” (p.3). The characters bring in strong elements of a historical novel with glimpses into their old lives, achievements, and times on the earth. The story meanders around the northern hemisphere like a travel documentary as many of them wish to revisit their old playgrounds. The great thinkers and prophets plunge into philosophy and religion as they try to reverse the wrongs that have resulted from their own doctrines. The leaders, on the other hand, are headed into the private chambers of the White House to confront the resident, Donald Trump, with a bit of politics. Finally, the story is wrapped up with a bit of sci-fi.
'Brilliant' was the first word to come to mind as soon as I started reading The God Child. Rawlings has this unique idea of bringing historical characters into today’s world. He lets them have witty conversations with each other and our generation in such a genius way that it brings constant enjoyment, enlightenment, and a few good laughs to the reader. The task Rawlings sets for himself is humungous, but he deals with it, chapter by chapter. He keeps the reader in awe, never in doubt about the accuracy of the historical details or the plausibility of the next change in the plot. Rawlings’ logic is flawless. Even when he brings in some astounding, unforeseeable surprises, they weave into the plot and add to his brilliance as a novelist.
The worst thing about this book was that it was too short. I would have loved to keep on reading for hundreds of more pages. Each chapter was too short. There was much more I would have wanted to know about each encounter. Without revealing the ending of the book, I was slightly disappointed, but only because I had an unrealistic expectation that Stuart Rawlings could solve all the world's problems. Nobody can do that, although several of Rawlings’ characters had tried in their lifetimes and were now given a second chance in The God Child.
Reading The God Child by Stuart Rawlings gave me such great pleasure that I want to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. In its short format, it contained many of the things I most enjoy when reading; I love historical novels as well as fairy tales, witty conversations, intellectually challenging ideas, and I do not mind getting a bit of education on the way. I found the book quite well-edited, easy to read, and a real page-turner.
I would recommend the book to similar-minded readers, who are interested in the current state of our world. Bearing in mind that my take from the book is subjective, The God Child is highly faceted, so I would expect other people to enjoy it for totally different reasons. As Rawlings himself warns in the preface (p. vi), Trump supporters and people who might get upset from reading imagined conversations by religious leaders should leave this book untouched.
******
The God Child
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The God Child by Stuart Rawlings is brilliant and so unique that it doesn’t lend itself to being categorized. The beginning of the story has elements of a fairy tale, as this 'Little Girl' sends a dozen or so historical characters out into the world on a quest to “explore this modern world, interact with others on the planet, and do whatever [they] want” (p.3). The characters bring in strong elements of a historical novel with glimpses into their old lives, achievements, and times on the earth. The story meanders around the northern hemisphere like a travel documentary as many of them wish to revisit their old playgrounds. The great thinkers and prophets plunge into philosophy and religion as they try to reverse the wrongs that have resulted from their own doctrines. The leaders, on the other hand, are headed into the private chambers of the White House to confront the resident, Donald Trump, with a bit of politics. Finally, the story is wrapped up with a bit of sci-fi.
'Brilliant' was the first word to come to mind as soon as I started reading The God Child. Rawlings has this unique idea of bringing historical characters into today’s world. He lets them have witty conversations with each other and our generation in such a genius way that it brings constant enjoyment, enlightenment, and a few good laughs to the reader. The task Rawlings sets for himself is humungous, but he deals with it, chapter by chapter. He keeps the reader in awe, never in doubt about the accuracy of the historical details or the plausibility of the next change in the plot. Rawlings’ logic is flawless. Even when he brings in some astounding, unforeseeable surprises, they weave into the plot and add to his brilliance as a novelist.
The worst thing about this book was that it was too short. I would have loved to keep on reading for hundreds of more pages. Each chapter was too short. There was much more I would have wanted to know about each encounter. Without revealing the ending of the book, I was slightly disappointed, but only because I had an unrealistic expectation that Stuart Rawlings could solve all the world's problems. Nobody can do that, although several of Rawlings’ characters had tried in their lifetimes and were now given a second chance in The God Child.
Reading The God Child by Stuart Rawlings gave me such great pleasure that I want to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. In its short format, it contained many of the things I most enjoy when reading; I love historical novels as well as fairy tales, witty conversations, intellectually challenging ideas, and I do not mind getting a bit of education on the way. I found the book quite well-edited, easy to read, and a real page-turner.
I would recommend the book to similar-minded readers, who are interested in the current state of our world. Bearing in mind that my take from the book is subjective, The God Child is highly faceted, so I would expect other people to enjoy it for totally different reasons. As Rawlings himself warns in the preface (p. vi), Trump supporters and people who might get upset from reading imagined conversations by religious leaders should leave this book untouched.
******
The God Child
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Return to Eternity by Jenni Barnett
